Miami airport to the cruise port: cruise transfer, taxi, rideshare or the train
MIA to PortMiami is about 9 miles. Here is what the cruise transfer, a taxi, rideshare and the train cost, where each one picks up, and the way back.
In breve
- Distance: About 9 miles, per MIA.
- Cruise line transfer: Carnival's starts at $22.99 per person; land by noon.
- Taxi: Metered, $2 airport fee, $15 minimum; pick up outside baggage claim.
- Cheapest: Metrorail $2.25, then the free Metromover and Coral Way Trolley.
- Way back: Taxis wait at every terminal; Carnival's transfer to MIA runs 8 to 9:30 am.
For two people with luggage, a taxi or rideshare from the arrivals curb is the simplest way from MIA to PortMiami; buy the cruise line's transfer only if you land close to the cutoff and want the line to know where you are.
Quanto costa
PortMiami says Royal Caribbean's free airport shuttle for Icon of the Seas continues on select dates, and Carnival is piloting free transfers to MIA for Carnival Celebration guests from October 2026. Check your booking.
Metrorail fare to Government Center, then the free Metromover to Freedom Tower and the free Coral Way Trolley over the port bridge. Cheap, slow, and hard with big suitcases.
Starting price for Carnival's MIA to PortMiami transfer, about 30 minutes. Flights must land by 12 pm.
Metered with a $2 airport origination fee and a $15 minimum. SUVs and vans may add 30 percent.
Set by the app at the moment you book; pick-up is on the arrivals or departures level.
MIA to PortMiami, side by side
| Option | Where you catch it at MIA | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruise line transfer | North bus station, Concourse D, Level 1, Door 1, or South bus station, Concourse J, Level 1, Door 33 | Carnival from $22.99 per person | Carnival's meeting points: Terminal D carousel 6 for American and British Airways, Terminal J carousel 32 for others |
| Taxi | Arrivals level, outside baggage claim | Meter: $2.95 first 1/6 mile, $0.85 each 1/6 mile to one mile, then $0.55; $2 fee | Uniformed airport staff at the taxi stands; wheelchair-accessible taxis on request |
| Uber or Lyft | Arrivals level or departures level; follow the app's pin | App price | Drops you in the port's designated rideshare zones |
| Metrorail | MIA station, Orange Line | $2.25 | On weekends the Orange Line runs only as a shuttle from MIA to Earlington Heights; change there |
| Hotel shuttle | Hotel shuttle zone | Varies | Some airport hotels sell a port shuttle with a cruise package |
Our arithmetic from the posted meter rates puts the distance charge for 9 miles at about $33.60, plus the $2 fee, before waiting time ($0.40 a minute) and tip. Traffic changes the total.
Miami International Airport ground transportation and taxi pages (miami-airport.com), Carnival transfer page (carnival.com), Miami-Dade Metrorail page, checked October 2026
The cruise line transfer: who it suits
Most cruise lines sell their own shuttle from MIA to the port. Carnival publishes its terms online: the transfer starts at $22.99 per person, takes about 30 minutes and is run by Americas Transportation. Your flight must land by 12 pm on sailing day, the coaches leave hourly from 10 am to 12:30 pm, and you can buy it up to two days before you sail. Unused transfers are not refunded.
Do the sum for your group. Two Carnival tickets come to $45.98 and four to $91.96, while a single taxi meter covers everyone in the car. The transfer's real value is certainty: the line has your flight details and a rep at baggage claim. Check your own line's price in its booking portal.
Taxi and rideshare from the curb
Taxis line up on the arrivals level, outside baggage claim, with Miami-Dade Aviation staff at the stands. They run on the meter, with a $15 minimum for trips starting at MIA and a $2 origination fee. Vans and SUVs may add a 30 percent surcharge, except for wheelchair users in an accessible cab.
Rideshare pick-up at MIA is on both the arrivals and the departures level, and MIA does not list door numbers, so follow the pin in your app. At the port, drivers use designated rideshare zones; PortMiami asks rideshare and passenger carriers to come in through the PortMiami Tunnel.
The train and trolley route, honestly
PortMiami's own transit route is Metrorail's Orange Line from MIA to Government Center, the free Metromover to Freedom Tower, then the free City of Miami Coral Way Trolley across the PortMiami Bridge. The trolley stops across from the Terminal J garage, across from the Terminal E surface lot, and across from the port's administrative offices.
It works on paper for $2.25. In practice it is three vehicles with luggage, and on weekends, when most cruises sail, the Orange Line runs only as a shuttle between MIA and Earlington Heights, so you change trains there. The Coral Way Trolley runs 6:30 am to 11 pm Monday to Saturday and 8 am to 8 pm on Sunday. Use it if you travel light.
From the port back to MIA
Taxis are at all cruise terminals on cruise days. For the 2026-27 season PortMiami stages them across from Terminal C, in Lot 1 via the tunnel, and across from Terminal E, in Lot 2 via the bridge.
Carnival's return transfer also starts at $22.99 per person and runs hourly from 8 to 9:30 am. It needs a flight no earlier than 12 pm. If your flight is earlier, Carnival suggests express debarkation or asking Guest Services on board.
Domande frequenti
How far is the Miami airport from the cruise port?
About 9 miles, according to Miami International Airport. Carnival lists its transfer at about 30 minutes.
How much is a taxi from Miami airport to the cruise port?
Taxis run on the meter: $2.95 for the first sixth of a mile, $0.85 per sixth up to one mile, then $0.55 per sixth, plus a $2 airport fee and a $15 minimum. The distance charge alone for 9 miles comes to about $33.60.
Is there a shuttle from MIA to PortMiami?
Yes. Most cruise lines sell one. Carnival's starts at $22.99 per person and leaves hourly from 10 am to 12:30 pm; pre-arranged cruise transport loads at Door 1 in Concourse D or Door 33 in Concourse J, Level 1.
Where do I get an Uber at Miami airport?
MIA has ride app pick-up on the arrivals level and the departures level. The airport does not list door numbers, so follow the pick-up pin in your app.
Can I take the train from Miami airport to the cruise port?
Partly. Take Metrorail to Government Center, the free Metromover to Freedom Tower, then the free Coral Way Trolley to the port. On weekends you change from the Orange Line shuttle at Earlington Heights.
Altre guide
Fort Lauderdale airport to the Miami cruise port: timing, prices and the train optionCruise · Airport · 4 min di letturaMiami hotels with a cruise port shuttle: which ones run it, what it costs, and the package catchCruise · Hotels · 5 min di lettura
PortMiami cruise terminals: which line sails from where, tunnel or bridge, and garage heightsDowntown · Cruise · Portmiami · 4 min di letturaDistance, cruise shuttle stations and rideshare from miami-airport.com (ground transportation and taxi pages); Carnival transfers from carnival.com; port transit, taxi staging and free shuttles from PortMiami pages and its 16 October 2026 release on miamidade.gov; Metrorail from miamidade.gov; trolley hours from miami.gov; all checked October 2026.