Florida Experts - Which Airport for MIA Cruise

We will be taking a cruise in January out of Miami on NCL. We have never cruised out of Miami before, only Port Canaveral.

Coming from MN flights are pretty expensive to FLL or MIA for our dates. Flights are reasonable if we fly into Orlando or Fort Meyers. Out of these two options which is preferred for ease of getting to the Miami port? We would have a rental car no matter where we fly into.

Thanks

I would fly into whichever city is cheaper including rental car.

If you are spending the night in whatever city you fly into, include the price of your hotel into the equation.

I would imagine Orlando might be cheaper.

Either way, they are both easy to get to Miami from.

Orlando and Ft Meyers... wouldn't make much of a difference. Ft Meyers will be about an hour closer if that's a big deal.

Both are straight highway and an easy drive to PortMiami.

You've been given good advice but just wanted to stress that each of these involves a few hours drive and the same would be the case on the return. So you need to keep this in mind and the savings that you realize from flying might be offset with rental expenses, gasoline

and possibly a hotel on the end of the cruise depending on times of the flights.

Keith

Figure 3-4 hours drive from either to/from the port. I would choose the option that (1) offers a non-stop flight and (2) offers the most savings

I will pay more for the convenience

for me I would fly to MIA

YMMV

Thanks for the responses.

I will keep an eye on flight prices to FLL & MIA for the next week or so. If there are no changes I will book flights to Orlando or Fort Meyers.

Just be careful on the timing of the flights and the ability to get to and from the airport.

Good luck with this.

Keith

It's 2 1/2 hours from RSW (Fort Myers) to the Port of Miami. It takes 3 1/2 hours from MCO (Orlando) to the Port though there is usually some kind of traffic which adds to this. RSW is a really nice much smaller airport. The traffic is so much easier around the Fort Myers area and you won't have rush hour traffic heading this way like you will around the Orlando area.

Going home you won't have the same security lines at all at RSW where as MCO can have very long lines because of Disney. You won't have to take a "monorail" train at RSW either so getting to the gates is a short walk.

Flew in and out of Fort Myers airport for a long time and commuted weekly from our place on Brickell near the port to our home in Naples for a few years and drove back and forth to Orlando from Brickell since my daughter lived in downtown Orlando. I would chose Fort Myers over Orlando any day of the week.

Of course, MIA or FLL would be ideal if possible.

if looking that far out

don't forget Melbourne FL

about 175 miles down 95

if looking that far out

 

don't forget Melbourne FL

 

about 175 miles down 95

Agree MLB is a great airport and you can stay somewhere closer to POM down I-95. Also winter weather can yield interruptions, etc. in travel.

Are you checking Southwest Air? We usually get good rates from MSP to FLL. Check every day and sometimes twice a day as the rates fluctuate rapidly. Also check for only one person to get the lowest price. If they have one low price and one higher and you check for two people you will only see the higher one.

However, on our Nov trip we are going down on SW and returning on United.

Are you checking Southwest Air? We usually get good rates from MSP to FLL. Check every day and sometimes twice a day as the rates fluctuate rapidly. Also check for only one person to get the lowest price. If they have one low price and one higher and you check for two people you will only see the higher one.

However, on our Nov trip we are going down on SW and returning on United.

I have checked SW but no nonstop for the day we head down and the nonstop return flight is very expensive at this time.

If we fly into Ft. Myers would we take I-75 or 41 to Miami? Any recommendations on a nice place to stay in Ft. Myers or Naples area the night before the cruise? Or would it be best to head to Miami the night before the cruise?

75 into Miami would be the better route. I would choose to stay closer to Miami personally.

As mentioned RSW (Fort Myers) is a much smaller airport than MCO(Orlando) with easy access to 75.

Keep checking flights , for us northerners it much cheaper to fly into FLL than MIA.

I have checked SW but no nonstop for the day we head down and the nonstop return flight is very expensive at this time.

 

If we fly into Ft. Myers would we take I-75 or 41 to Miami? Any recommendations on a nice place to stay in Ft. Myers or Naples area the night before the cruise? Or would it be best to head to Miami the night before the cruise?

It would be easier to offer recommendations if we the time frame of the cruise and flights and what price you are trying to keep it at. Naples if really beautiful but the hotel prices can get high during season as is many other areas of Florida. If you are getting in late at night then grabbing something near airport in Fort Myers would work. If you have all day, then Naples would be a great way to spend time. You can also do the majority of the drive and stay some place in Plantation once you hit this side. Or come and explore Miami.

FLL and MIA would be easier. Also look at PBI. I don't see that mentioned anywhere. Out of MCO and RSW the drive time will be a bit shorter from RSW and RSW is a much smaller and less hectic airport. Its a nice airport to fly into and out of. Just be careful with your departure time and I assume you will arrive at least a day early into the airport you chose.

We have our airline tickets booked. We are flying into MIA and flying out of FLL.

I plan to rent a car at MIA and park at the port. Will then return the car to FLL.

Our departing flight leaves in the evening. Any recommendations on what we (2A&2C) could do during that time? Looks like we will have 6-7 hours to spare.

NOOOOOOOO! You will pay for the rental car while cruising and also pay for parking at POM -- $22/day! :eek:

Instead use a taxi or Uber to get from MIA to POM and then pick up a rental car after your cruise; National, Alamo, Thrifty and Enterprise offer free shuttles between POM and their MIA airport location (show the driver your paperwork for the reservation). Hertz, Avis and others have downtown locations close to POM - a $12+ taxi if they do not shuttle, but are sometimes overwhelmed with cruisers.

Your other option is to Uber/Lyft to FLL (about $35) or use a shared shuttle (about $15 per person), pay to store your bags at FLL, and then head out to explore. Water taxi, Las Olas, beach, etc. http://www.sunny.org has lots of FLL area tourist info.

NOOOOOOOO! You will pay for the rental car while cruising and also pay for parking at POM -- $22/day! :eek:

Instead use a taxi or Uber to get from MIA to POM and then pick up a rental car after your cruise; National, Alamo, Thrifty and Enterprise offer free shuttles between POM and their MIA airport location (show the driver your paperwork for the reservation). Hertz, Avis and others have downtown locations close to POM - a $12+ taxi if they do not shuttle, but are sometimes overwhelmed with cruisers.

Your other option is to Uber/Lyft to FLL (about $35) or use a shared shuttle (about $15 per person), pay to store your bags at FLL, and then head out to explore. Water taxi, Las Olas, beach, etc. www.sunny.org has lots of FLL area tourist info.

 

 

The expense may not be that big of a deal to everyone....

hit the wrong button.

I plan to rent a car at MIA and park at the port. Will then return the car to FLL.

WHY????????? Price was a concern in your original post and now you are going to pay for a rental and then pay to park it at the port for a week? This makes no sense whatsoever.

We have our airline tickets booked. We are flying into MIA and flying out of FLL.

 

I plan to rent a car at MIA and park at the port. Will then return the car to FLL.

 

Our departing flight leaves in the evening. Any recommendations on what we (2A&2C) could do during that time? Looks like we will have 6-7 hours to spare.

I hope you aren't flying in to MIA the day of your cruise.

WHY????????? Price was a concern in your original post and now you are going to pay for a rental and then pay to park it at the port for a week? This makes no sense whatsoever.

At the time of my original post non stop tickets into MIA & FLL where roughly $300 more per person then what we could fly into Ft. Myers or Orlando for. I really didn't want to spend upwards of $500 per ticket for the four of us to fly into FLL or MIA for the days and times we need.

I don't mind spending a few hundred on car rental and parking at the port.

I hope you aren't flying in to MIA the day of your cruise.

No. We always fly in the day before.

I don't mind spending a few hundred on car rental and parking at the port.

Why?

Financially it makes no sense. Just out of curiosity I priced it both ways using random dates in January and Thrifty. A 9-day rental + parking at POM would be just shy of $450. Conversely, one-day rentals on either side of your cruise would be about $100 total. Even if you need a taxi from MIA to POM after dropping off your rental, your still looking at a price difference in excess of $300... For what? What benefit do you gain? (genuinely curious)

Why?

 

Financially it makes no sense. Just out of curiosity I priced it both ways using random dates in January and Thrifty. A 9-day rental + parking at POM would be just shy of $450. Conversely, one-day rentals on either side of your cruise would be about $100 total. Even if you need a taxi from MIA to POM after dropping off your rental, your still looking at a price difference in excess of $300... For what? What benefit do you gain? (genuinely curious)

We have never used shuttles or hired cars before. With young kids we always figured it would be easiest to have a rental car and be on our schedule.

After some research last night I am starting to second guess the car rental. I see that the Residence Inn and Hampton Inn by the airport offer shuttles from the airport and to the port. If we go that route we would only need a rental or hired car to get to FLL after our cruise.

Are there any car rental agencies next to the port or do you have to go to MIA? If you have to go to MIA are there shuttles from the port?