Caribbean Cruises from Florida: Things to do before and after your cruise

Cruises from Florida: Planning a Caribbean cruise from Florida

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Cruising from Florida offers you all sorts of opportunities for a Caribbean cruise.

As if deciding which cruise ports in the Caribbean you want to pick isn’t enough decision making (Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Bahamas… to start. 😉 ), there are a few more things you may want to look at.

One of the things you might look at in choosing a cruise from Florida is how to get from the airport to the cruise port.

You may also want to check what some things to do near the cruise port are so you can spend a few extra days in Florida before or after your cruise.

And… you may want to find some hotels near the cruise port!

And so, on this page is a list of:

How far the airport is from the cruise ports of different cruises from Florida
Things to do before or after your cruise
Hotel alternatives before or after your cruise
Cruise lines out of Florida

Flying into Florida a few days before your cruise

If you’re flying to catch your cruise, arriving a day or two earlier can help to ease the stress and give you a chance to relax before your cruise begins.

This is especially true if you’re going on a cruise coming from the north and taking a winter cruise. You can’t predict when a snow storm will hit. For a summer cruise, it could be thunderstorms.

And when one major city’s airport has flights that are affected, it could have a ripple effect across the country. This means that even if your home airport has no signs of blizzard conditions or severe weather, your flight could be affected.

And if your cruise starts on the same day you’re set to fly in, that could be cause for some major stress! (This is also one of the reasons you may want to consider cruise insurance!)

Side note!
See about the best shoes for hiking in Hawaii and what to wear snorkeling in Hawaii! And for Hawaii vacation ideas, see the best things to do in Waikiki that will give you Hawaii vibes!

Alternative to finding hotels near your Florida cruise port

Whether you’re driving or flying to the cruise port, if you’re staying in Florida for a few days to explore, that’s when staying in an airbnb home instead of a hotel can be even more worth it!

Not only is there a good chance that you’ll save a few dollars over hotels with prime real estate in the big cities, an airbnb can provide a more localized experience while giving you a more “home-away-from-home” feeling with a bunch of amenities you don’t get from a hotel.

It also can be a good way to stay in a really good location for a really good price! (Think beachfront without having to pay top beachfront hotel prices like these home-like stays!) You may be able to even find an airbnb home that rents out a whole house for the price of a hotel room.

Have a look at airbnbs near your cruise port!

If you decide you want to give an airbnb home a try, this referral link will get you up to $40 off your first booking.

Cruising from Florida

Included in the sections below are also links of things to do in each of the cities to help you further decide (or further complicate your decision 😉 ) which cruise port in Florida you want to start off your Caribbean cruise!

This is a list for quick reference of what you can find on this page:

Map of cruise ports in Florida

So, let’s get started with taking a cruise from Florida!

Map of Florida cruise ports

It’s an interactive map of cruise ports in Florida, so go ahead and explore directly on this page! Or explore the map below in Google Maps.

Pin the map for later!

Port Miami: Miami cruises, South Florida

Distance from Miami airport to Port Miami: 10 miles / 20 minutes

Distance from Fort Lauderdale airport to Port Miami: 30 miles / 45 minutes

Miami and Fort Lauderdale are about 30 miles apart.

The Everglades National Park covers much of the tip of South Florida, and it can make a good add-on cruise excursion when you have a cruise from Miami.

Miami hotels with free shuttle to the cruise port

Things to do in Miami

Things to do in Fort Lauderdale

Things to do at Everglades National Park

Unique experiences in Miami

Miami airbnb homes

Port Everglades: Fort Lauderdale cruises, South Florida

Distance from Miami airport to the Port Everglades: 30 miles / 45 minutes

Distance from Fort Lauderdale airport to Port Everglades: 4 miles / 15 minutes

Once again, since the Everglades National Park covers South Florida, it can be a good add-on cruise excursion when you have a cruise from Fort Lauderdale.

Things to do in Fort Lauderdale

Things to do in Miami

Things to do at Everglades National Park

Fort Lauderdale airbnb homes

Port Canaveral: Orlando cruises, Central Florida

Distance from Orlando Airport to Port Canaveral: 45 miles / 40 minutes

As if a cruise isn’t enough fun on its own 😉 if you’re taking a cruise with kids, you may want to tack on a few days to your vacation at Disney World before or after the cruise. The Disney World resort is about 20 miles from the Orlando airport. Here are tips and ideas to think about which side of the cruise to head there, before or after!

Things to do in Orlando

Things to do at Disney World

Orlando airbnb homes

Port Tampa: Tampa cruises, West Central Florida

Distance from Tampa Airport to Port Tampa: 8 miles / 15 minutes

Disney World is 70 miles from Port Tampa.

Things to do in Tampa Bay

Things to do in Clearwater

Tampa airbnb homes

Jaxport Cruise Terminal: Jacksonville cruises, Northeastern Florida

Distance from Jacksonville Airport to Jaxport Cruise Terminal: 12 miles / 25 minutes

St. Augustine is about 45 miles from the Jaxport Cruise Terminal.

Things to do in Jacksonville

Things to do in St. Augustine

Jacksonville airbnb homes

Cruise lines out of Florida

Florida serves as one of the major hubs for cruises to the Caribbean, cruises to the Bahamas, and cruises to Bermuda.

As a result, all of the major cruise lines that operate Caribbean cruises have cruises out of Florida.

This includes:

Carnival Cruise Line | search the caribbean
Royal Caribbean | search the caribbean
Norwegian Cruise Line | search the caribbean
Disney Cruise Line | search the caribbean
Princess Cruises | search the caribbean
Celebrity Cruises | search the caribbean
Holland America | search the caribbean

HAPPY FLORIDA CRUISING!

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What NOT to bring on a cruise

CRUISE PACKING LIST!

There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may receive a commission.

🐠 Here are things you must consider packing!

Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
Water shoes
Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
lightweight travel towel:
- turkish towel
walking sandals:
- teva sandals for women
- teva sandals for men

I also don't go snorkeling without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.

Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.

There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.

see more:
- What to wear hiking
- What to wear snorkeling