Fort Lauderdale airport to the Miami cruise port: timing, prices and the train option
Flying into FLL for a PortMiami cruise: how long the drive takes, what the transfer and a taxi cost, where to catch a ride, and when the train makes sense.
En corto
- Drive time: About an hour without traffic; FLL says allow at least 90 minutes.
- Cruise transfer: Carnival from $36.99 per person; flight must land by 11:30 am.
- Taxi: FLL's fare table estimates $86 to the Port of Miami.
- Rideshare: Lower level; Terminals 3 and 4 use the Palm Garage.
- Train: Possible via Tri-Rail or Brightline, but it still ends with a car.
From FLL, book a car or your cruise line's transfer and leave at least 90 minutes for the drive; the train only pays off if you are staying in Fort Lauderdale the night before rather than landing on sailing day.
Hora a hora
- Before you flyCheck the cutoff · If you want Carnival's FLL transfer, your flight must arrive by 11:30 am on sailing day. Buy it up to two days before you sail and enter your flight in Online Check-In.
- LandingCollect your bags · Cruise guests collect checked luggage before meeting any transfer. Carnival's reps wait near baggage claim 3 in Terminals 1 and 3, and near baggage claim 1 in Terminals 2 and 4.
- At the curbFind your ride · Rideshare pick-up is on the lower, arrivals level. For a taxi, the ground transportation booths on the arrivals level of each terminal can help.
- On the roadAllow the time · FLL says the drive to PortMiami takes about an hour without traffic and asks you to allow at least 90 minutes, especially in morning and evening rush hour.
- At the portUse the right entrance · Your terminal letter decides the entrance: AA, A, B, C and D through the tunnel, E, F, G, J and V over the bridge. Give your driver the letter.
FLL to PortMiami, compared
| Option | Price | Time | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival transfer | From $36.99 per person | About 1 hour | One departure at 12 pm; flight must land by 11:30 am |
| Other cruise line transfers | Set by the line | Check the line | Book in your cruise portal |
| Taxi | About $86, per FLL's fare table | About 1 hour without traffic | Estimate only; fuel surcharges change it |
| Uber or Lyft | App price | About 1 hour without traffic | Surge pricing on busy cruise mornings |
| Tri-Rail plus a car | Zone fare, plus the final ride | Longest | Tri-Rail does not reach the port; you finish by taxi |
| Brightline plus a car | Ticket plus shuttle and final ride | Long | Needs the FLL to station shuttle first |
Broward County's airport pages disagree on the taxi: the fare table says $86 to the Port of Miami, the cruise passengers page says about $67. Both are estimates; ask at the ground transportation booth.
Carnival transfer pages (carnival.com); Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport pages on broward.org as returned by search; checked October 2026
Rideshare pick-up at FLL
Uber and Lyft collect on the lower level, the arrivals curb, and the zones depend on the terminal. Terminal 1 and 2 riders turn left and follow signs to the pick-up area near Terminal 2. Terminal 3 and 4 riders cross the pedestrian crosswalk to the first floor of the southern part of the Palm Garage.
The airport has moved these zones more than once and its own pages show two versions for Terminal 1, so trust the pin in your app over any guide, this one included. Drop-offs for the trip home are on the upper, departures level.
The train options, and why they rarely win on sailing day
Tri-Rail runs a free shuttle bus from the FLL terminals to its Fort Lauderdale Airport station in Dania Beach, about every 15 to 20 minutes while trains run. FLL itself notes that Tri-Rail does not go to PortMiami, so you take a taxi for the last stretch, and some trains need a change to reach MiamiCentral.
Brightline is faster between cities but its Fort Lauderdale station is downtown, not at the airport. Brightline runs an Airport Connector Shuttle between FLL Terminal 1 (arrivals level, Door 114) and the station; its own pages quote different prices and hours, so check when you book. In Miami, Brightline says MiamiCentral at 600 NW 1st Avenue is about 10 minutes from PortMiami. Bags larger than a carry-on must be checked to or from Fort Lauderdale, at least 30 minutes before departure.
Each change adds a wait and a luggage lift. With a morning flight and an afternoon all-aboard, a direct car is the safer bet.
Going home: PortMiami to FLL
Carnival's return transfer to FLL also starts at $36.99 per person, with one departure at 9:30 am and a one-hour drive. It needs a flight no earlier than 1 pm. Taxis wait at every PortMiami terminal on cruise days, and rideshare apps serve the port's designated zones.
For the 2026-27 season PortMiami stages taxis in Lot 1 across from Terminal C and Lot 2 across from Terminal E. Book the return before the cruise if you need a large vehicle; on a busy morning several ships unload at once.
Antes de ir
- Check your cruise line's flight cutoff before you book flights into FLL
- Allow at least 90 minutes for the drive, as FLL recommends
- Keep passports and boarding documents in your carry-on for the drive
- Tell the driver your terminal letter; it decides tunnel or bridge
- Confirm whether your line sells an FLL transfer for your date before landing
- Port Everglades is the cruise port 10 minutes from FLL; make sure your ship is not sailing from there
Lo que pregunta la gente
How long is the drive from Fort Lauderdale airport to the Miami cruise port?
About an hour without traffic, according to FLL, which recommends allowing at least 90 minutes, especially during morning and evening rush hour.
How much is a taxi from FLL to PortMiami?
FLL's fare table estimates about $86 to the Port of Miami, and another FLL page says about $67. Both are estimates; taxi fares in Broward are regulated and fuel surcharges can change them.
Does Carnival offer a transfer from FLL to PortMiami?
Yes. It starts at $36.99 per person, leaves at 12 pm, takes about an hour and needs your flight to land by 11:30 am.
Where is Uber pick-up at Fort Lauderdale airport?
On the lower, arrivals level. Terminals 1 and 2 use a zone near Terminal 2; Terminals 3 and 4 use the first floor of the Palm Garage, southern portion.
Can I take Brightline from FLL to the Miami cruise port?
Only with connections: a shuttle from FLL to Brightline's Fort Lauderdale station, the train to MiamiCentral, then a car for about 10 minutes to PortMiami.
Más guías
Miami airport to the cruise port: cruise transfer, taxi, rideshare or the trainCruise · Airport · 5 min de lecturaHotels near Port Everglades: cruise shuttles, prices and the hotel next to the terminalsCruise · Hotels · 4 min de lectura
PortMiami cruise terminals: which line sails from where, tunnel or bridge, and garage heightsDowntown · Cruise · Portmiami · 4 min de lecturaCarnival FLL transfers from carnival.com; drive time, taxi estimates and rideshare zones from FLL's pages on broward.org (fetch blocked, official text as returned by search); Tri-Rail shuttle from tri-rail.com; Brightline shuttle, baggage and MiamiCentral from gobrightline.com as returned by search; terminal entrances from PortMiami's 16 October 2026 release; all checked October 2026.