Embarkation Port

WELCOME

The Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami-Dade is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway.

The port is recognized as the "Cruise Capital of the World" and "Cargo Gateway of the Americas". It has retained its status as the number one cruise/passenger port in the world for well over a decade accommodating the largest cruise ships and the major cruise lines.

The Port of Miami is an important contributor to the local and state economies. Nearly four million cruise passengers pass through the Port and over 9 million tons of cargo and over 1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit containers) are transited through the seaport per year. This combination of cruise and cargo activities supports approximately 98,000 jobs, and has an economic impact in Miami-Dade County of over $12 billion.

The port currently operates six passenger terminals, six gantry cranes wharves, seven Ro-Ro (Roll-on-Roll-off) docks, four refrigerated yards for containers, a refrigerated warehouse, break bulk cargo warehouses and twelve gantry container handling cranes.

As part of the massive Port of Miami redevelopment program, new ultramodern cruise terminals, roadways and parking garages are being constructed. A new gantry crane dock and container storage yards have been constructed along with the electrification of the gantry docks to include several cranes has been completed. The new and restructured roadway system with new lighting, landscaping and signage greets visitors to the Cruise Capital of the World and Cargo Gateway of the Americas. And to enhance accessibility, the newly constructed Security Gates opened at the end of 2006 to increase the processing rate for cargo trucks and help eliminate the daily traffic backups.

MIAMI CRUISE TERMINAL INFO

Embarking

• For your comfort and convenience, the best plan is to arrive at your cruise terminal no more than 30 minutes prior to your scheduled embarkation time. To make reaching it as simple as possible, easy-to-follow signage begins pointing the way even before you reach our borders. Large highways signs on all major approaches should lead you to the right Port gate, where our inport signage takes over the job of making your route easy to fi nd. But if you do have any trouble, don’t worry. Any member of our Port staff will be happy to assist you.

• Upon Returning From The Cruise:
  Passengers will be directed to the baggage hall where baggage will have been positioned by porters under appropriate signs coded by letter, cabin number or color, depending on the system followed by the cruise line. After retrieving your bags, proceed past the customs inspector for customs declaration. You may be assisted by a porter according to your preference.

 

ACCOMODATIONS

The Miami area has a huge range of hotel choices extending from tiny B&Bs and boutiques to full-scale resorts, beachfront high-rises and major chain hotels. For the purposes of this report we're limiting our listings to hotels closest to the port, arranged in order of proximity (closest to farthest).

Intercontinental Miami, 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, FL 33131, 305-577-1000/800-327-3005, (0.56 miles): Adjacent to Bayside Marketplace, excellent view of Biscayne Bay and cruise terminal.

Holiday Inn Port of Miami Downtown, 340 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, 305-374-3000, (0.84 miles): Next to Miami Convention Center, four blocks from Bayside.

Hyatt Regency Miami, 400 SE Second Avenue, Miami, FL 33131, 305-358-1234, (0.86 miles): Another primarily business hotel, next to Convention Center. Besides typically professional Hyatt service, notable for two amenities: multiple restaurants and babysitting.

Biscayne Bay Marriott Hotel and Marina, 1633 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami Fl 33132, 305-374-3900, (1.05 miles): The quintessential pre-cruise Port of Miami hotel, first choice of the cruise lines for forced overnights for the past 20 years at least. This hotel sits right on the shores of Biscayne Bay, with views of the cruise port, bay and Miami River (look for manatees swimming upstream to warm water during winter months!). Decent restaurants, including waterfront dining at the attached marina.

DIRECTIONS