How Crazy is it to Fly Into West Palm Beach for Miami Port?

[Katems75]

The flights to Miami and Fort Lauderdale are realllllly horrible times and very expensive.  How silly would it be to fly into West Palm Beach if leaving out of Port of Miami?  Would the savings in the flights be negated by the cost of travel between West Palm Beach Airport and Port of Miami both ways??  We have ten people, too, so one Uber isn't going to cut it.

 

Thanks!

[poocher]

What would be your plan to get to the port?

[rockmom]

Are you coming in day of the cruise?  That's a 75 mile drive--and with 10 people,  and luggage, I'm guessing it would add a fair chunk of change to the budget.  Not to mention the risk of flying the day of the cruise. If there are any flight delays, that will then be magnified by the potential for traffic issues on that 75 mile drive.  

Edited January 23, 2023 by rockmom

[Sunshine3601]

What is price difference per person on airfare?   

You could rent a 15 person passenger van at the airport for about $175, drop off everyone and their luggage. Then drive to drop off point in Miami and uber yourself yo the port.    

Or do you plan on flying in day early?  as recommended by most.

[RJ257]

53 minutes ago, Katems75 said:

The flights to Miami and Fort Lauderdale are realllllly horrible times and very expensive.  How silly would it be to fly into West Palm Beach if leaving out of Port of Miami?  Would the savings in the flights be negated by the cost of travel between West Palm Beach Airport and Port of Miami both ways??  We have ten people, too, so one Uber isn't going to cut it.

 

Thanks!

Look up Brightline. Trains to Miami almost every hour starting around 5. Station is only a few miles from WPB airport. From Miami station its about $8 for an Uber to the port.

[renza]

I live very close to west palm airport. I get to port of Miami in an hour unless traffic hour. As mentioned before brightline is very easy. It’s about $20 pp from west Palm to Miami. They do have sales if you buy a few days before it is cheaper. They have free shuttles but only from brightline to airport. Not airport to brightline. It’s only a 10 min ride 5 miles from west palm airport. Once in Miami u can Uber or metro to where u need to go. 

[firefly333]

6 hours ago, Katems75 said:

The flights to Miami and Fort Lauderdale are realllllly horrible times and very expensive.  How silly would it be to fly into West Palm Beach if leaving out of Port of Miami?  Would the savings in the flights be negated by the cost of travel between West Palm Beach Airport and Port of Miami both ways??  We have ten people, too, so one Uber isn't going to cut it.

 

Thanks!

There is a high speed train from west palm to miami. I dont know how you would get to it though but it's pretty fast even with stops.

[RCCL Fan]

For me personally it would have to be an insanely cheaper of a flight. Just seems like too much work.  Are you talking about $50 cheaper per person or $250 cheaper.  Usually the spread isn't that  huge. 

 

AA usually drops prices to MIA the closer you get to flight day.

[scubarn1]

I live in West Palm Beach. Options to getting to the port:

1. TriRail train from WPB to Miami, once in Miami- get off at the Miami Airport and either take a taxi to the port or take another train- Metro Rail to the Miami Government Center and taxi from there to the port. TriRail tickets are $8.75 one way. Metro Rail is $2.25 one way.

2. Brightline train from WPB to Miami. The train is pricy depending on time of day ($15-$32 one way) and does not have as frequent of a schedule as TriRail. Once in Miami it will be a quick cab ride to the port.
3. Private shuttle

[S.A.M.J.R.]

On our first cruise (Oasis from FLL), we actually flew in/out of Orlando.  We flew in the day before, rented a car, drove to FLL, returned the car to the FLL airport the next day and shuttled to the cruise port.

 

After the cruise, shuttled to the airport, picked up rental, drove to Cape Canaveral, toured NASA, then next day drove to Orlando, returned the rental, and got on the plane.

 

Not difficult, actually saved a little bit of money.  Would I do it again?  Maybe, depends on how much money we'd save. 

[mk-ultra]

Are you intending to fly-in the day of the cruise?

 

You might want to look at the number of flights into WPB vs. MIA.  MIA as a destination airport is going to have many more options of getting there than WPB if something goes wrong. 

[DallasGuy75219]

31 minutes ago, mk-ultra said:

Are you intending to fly-in the day of the cruise?

 

You might want to look at the number of flights into WPB vs. MIA.  MIA as a destination airport is going to have many more options of getting there than WPB if something goes wrong. 

Or book an airline that flies to PBI as well FLL and/or MIA and considers them co-terminals in the event of irregular operations.

[Katems75]

On 1/24/2023 at 1:38 AM, RCCL Fan said:

For me personally it would have to be an insanely cheaper of a flight. Just seems like too much work.  Are you talking about $50 cheaper per person or $250 cheaper.  Usually the spread isn't that  huge. 

 

AA usually drops prices to MIA the closer you get to flight day.

Really??  American drops their prices to MIA?  I'm coming from upstate NY to Miami in May...  When do you think they'd do this?  And is it usually significant?

[lcpagejr]

Its a very easy drive from West Palm Beach...Done it several times with cruises out of FLL and MIA. Unfortunately I have only rented cars and dropped off in vicinity of pier. Also rented a car for return flight. I know your talking 10 people...but you may find it still cheaper to rent 2 large SUVs and drive to Miami....

[frank808]

Have done the drive from PBI to Miami port. Had many cancelled flights this past June so United agent said the only way to make cruise in Miami is to fly down the PBI.  We were supposed to arrive in MIA the morning before the cruise but with all the cancellations we made it to PBI at 930am. Booked a rental car online while waiting to board at EWR. Got to Miami after a stop at Walmart for clothes and essentials and onboard the ship by 1pm.  Just in time for a drink and lunch. Did not get our lugguage till we docked the following week of a B2B.

 

Would not do this again unless airfare difference (PBI vs MIA) was a good deal less than rental car and gas.  To many things to go wrong in my book.

[firefly333]

On 1/24/2023 at 12:38 AM, RCCL Fan said:

For me personally it would have to be an insanely cheaper of a flight. Just seems like too much work.  Are you talking about $50 cheaper per person or $250 cheaper.  Usually the spread isn't that  huge. 

 

AA usually drops prices to MIA the closer you get to flight day.

I'm flying into miami and home out of ft Lauderdale.  I used to live in boca so biased. I think miami is soooooo much walking. I prefer ft Lauderdale just because it's so easy and smaller. I know a little more cost to shuttle but think ft Lauderdale has a lot to recommend it! 

 

I didnt look that much at cost so cant compare. I got a nice direct flight home at a good time slot which was important to me. I wanted to arrive in the afternoon and get home to dfw afternoon.. times were important to me. Flying march 11 ... soon.