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Port Everglades |
Port Everglades. Gateway for international trade, Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades is one of the world's largest and busiest departure/ embarkation cruise ports (photo: Port Everglades). With a dozen cruise terminals, Port Everglades is divided into Northport, Midport and Southport (with no cruise terminals) sections (see map). Northport. Cruise terminals 1, 2 (Princess Cruises) and 4 (MSC Cruises) are located in front of the Northport parking garage and the Convention Center. |
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Midport. Cruise terminals 18 (Royal Caribbean with adjacent surface parking), 19 (Princess Cruises), 21 (Carnival), 22/24, 25, 26 (Holland America), 27 and 29 are located near the Midport parking garage. Driving To Port. By car from I-95 (via I-195 from Miami airport), I-75 and the Florida Turnpike, take I-595 East (via Rt.1 from Ft. Lauderdale airport) onto Eller Drive, directly to Midport and left on SE 19th Ave. onto Eisenhower Blvd. to Northport. An alternate route to Northport from Fort Lauderdale airport takes 1/1A North, then right on 17th Street Causeway (1A) and right on Eisenhower Blvd. See Ground Transport to local Airports. |
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Cruise Lines. Cruise lines serving Port Everglades include Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea, Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America, MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Regent. | ||||||
Cruises & Destinations. Departing from Port Everglades are a multitude of daily, multiday, weekly, monthly and longer cruises, available on about 40 individual cruise ships, carrying between 200 to 6000 passengers. Cruise destinations include the Bahamas, the Caribbean (see below), Trans-PanamaCanal, South American and Transatlantic (see rates and dates of all Fort Lauderdale cruises). | ||||||
World's Largest Cruise Terminal & Cruise Ship. Renovated Terminal 18, pictured above, is the world's largest cruise terminal, serving the world's largest cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas and its sister ship, Allure of the Seas (cruises to Nassau, Jamaica and Cozumel). Designed to allow passengers to sign in and board in 15 minutes, curbside porters process check-in luggage through to staterooms. The separate, left-side embarkation terminal first screens passengers through security. Then a multitude of check-in counters lead to escalators and elevators to the large upstairs boarding hall, which connects to the ship via bridges at the fifth deck level. Boarding passengers can be held (usually until about 11:30 AM, although the recommended boarding time is 2 PM) until disembarking passengers are cleared through the other, separate side of the terminal. |
Oasis of the Seas Cruises from Ft. Lauderdale |
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World's Largest Cruise Ship |
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The world's largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas uses
its magnificent spaces to create seven unique interior experiences
(photo:
MSNBC). Its multi-deck, open-air atrium-promenades are
mini "resort-like" destinations themselves.
New features include the wade-in Beach pool, the Japanese Izami restaurant and an enlarged version of the popular top-of-the-decks Windjammer Cafe. Entertainment Place has the musical 'Hairspray,' an ice show, casino, comedy club, nightclub and a jazz club.
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Airports. Fort Lauderdale and Port Everglades are served by Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), about 2 miles away with many discount and other flights, and Miami International Airport (MIA), about 30 miles away with a much wider selection of flights, especially international flights. |
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Ground Transport. Taxis, rental cars (see Driving to Port), shuttle buses and luxury sedans, but not rail, are available at the airports. From the Fort Lauderdale/Miami airports, shuttle buses to the port cost about $12/$30 and taxis about $12/$68 (ask before boarding). Cruise lines typically offer shuttle bus service to/from both airports, by advance reservation, sometimes for an extra charge. The affordable SAS shuttle bus can be reserved ahead. Proper ID, such as a passport or driver�s license, is required to enter the port. Hotels often provide free shuttles. | ||||
Embarkation Process. Embarking on a cruise ship requires proper travel documentation, usually a passport and cruise documents, including a Final Departure Manifest prior to departure (which is best processed ahead). Port Authority Security replaces airport security with x-ray screening of carryon luggage (not exceeding 24"W x 16"H x 30"L). Other luggage is checked in. Helping its passengers embark/disembark en masse, the cruise line functions as a surrogate immigration and customs authority, not only for the US, but for the destination countries as well, and these authorities are often behind the scenes. Caribbean Cruise Destinations. The Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination in the world (see overall Caribbean cruise info). Available cruise destinations from Ft. Lauderdale, known as Western Caribbean routes, include Montego Bay and Ocho Rios (Jamaica), George Town (Grand Cayman), Costa Maya, Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel (Mexico), Mahogany Bay and Coxen Hole, Roatan (Honduras) and Belize City (Belize). Often included also are Freeport and Nassau (Bahamas) and Key West (Florida). Eastern Caribbean routes include Old San Juan (Puerto Rico), St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands), Tortola (British Virgin Islands), St. Martin/St. Maarten, St. Barths, Antigua, St. Kitts and Guadeloupe in the Leeward Islands and Dominica, St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada and Tobago in the Windward Islands. Included also are the ABC Islands, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in the Netherland Antilles off the coast of South America, now often called Southern Caribbean routes, along with any islands south of Grenada, the classic hurricane-free zone. |
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Restaurants. Ft. Lauderdale has many interesting restaurants, both near the beach and along Los Olas Boulevard as well as on its numerous canals and nearer Port Everglades. |
Water Taxi. A great way to travel, the Water Taxi (see map and video) stops near the port's Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Pier 66, 15th St. Fisheries, Los Olas Blvd. and the beach at Cortez St.. | |||||||
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Accommodations Fort Lauderdale has a great variety of accommodations in all price ranges (see info and rates). |
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Just one block outside the port,
the more affordable Holiday Inn Express
Convention Center-Cruise (1500
S.E. 17th Causeway) offers complimentary breakfast and free
airport shuttle (see
info and rates).
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