BlaakLane.com books Port Everglades car service at a fixed fare you see before confirming. Enter the terminal number from your cruise documents, the pickup address or flight and the vehicle; the chauffeur clears the port's security checkpoint, drops you at the terminal curb, and on the way home collects you from the pre-arranged transportation area once your group is off the ship.
How do I book a Port Everglades transfer?
Use the reservation engine on this page or the book page. Choose the pickup (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, a hotel, a home in Broward or Palm Beach County), then type the cruise terminal number printed on your boarding documents, for example Terminal 18 or Terminal 25. Add passenger names, a mobile number that works in the United States and the number of large suitcases. The fare on screen is fixed, with no meter and no surge on a busy Saturday. Port Everglades entry fees, any parking and gratuity are charged at actual cost and added to the booking.
Trips in South Florida are driven by a vetted local affiliate operator from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network, contracted to the BlaakLane.com written standard, and dispatched by our 24/7 desk in Toronto. Your confirmation names the operator, the chauffeur and the vehicle.
Port Everglades cruise terminals
Port Everglades is one of the three busiest cruise ports in the world, run by Broward County, with its passenger terminals spread along the Intracoastal side of the harbour between the 17th Street Causeway and the Northport area. Terminal numbers matter, because the Northport terminals (such as 2 and 4) and the Midport terminals (around 18 to 29) sit several minutes apart inside the secure zone.
- Northport: terminals close to the Broward County Convention Center and the Northport parking garage.
- Midport: the largest cluster, including the big-ship terminals used for Caribbean sailings, next to the Midport garage.
- Southport: mostly cargo and container berths; cruise passengers rarely go here.
Lines that sail from Port Everglades include Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises and several others, and terminal assignments change by ship and by season. Always take the number from your own documents.
Security checkpoints and ID
Port Everglades is a restricted-access port. Every vehicle stops at a security checkpoint at the Eisenhower Boulevard, Spangler Boulevard or 17th Street entrance, and the adults in the car show government-issued photo ID. Have passports or driving licences in hand rather than packed in a suitcase in the trunk. The chauffeur knows the checkpoint routine, and the stop usually takes a few minutes, though a Saturday morning with several ships in port can add a queue.
Embarkation day: drop-off at the terminal
On the way to the ship, the chauffeur pulls into the terminal's drop-off lane, unloads your bags and hands the large pieces to the uniformed porters, who tag them for delivery to your stateroom. Keep passports, medication, swimwear and anything valuable in a carry-on. Tipping porters is customary in the United States. From the curb you walk straight into check-in, so plan the pickup to reach the port inside your boarding window, not at the first minute of it.
| From | Typical drive to Port Everglades | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FLL airport terminals | 10 to 20 minutes | The airport sits next to the port; the quickest cruise transfer in Florida |
| Fort Lauderdale beach hotels | 10 to 20 minutes | A1A and 17th Street Causeway |
| Miami International (MIA) | 35 to 60 minutes | I-95 or the Florida Turnpike; heavier at rush hour |
| Downtown Miami and Brickell | 40 to 65 minutes | I-95 north |
| Palm Beach International (PBI) | 50 to 80 minutes | I-95 south |
| Orlando International (MCO) | 3 to 3.5 hours | Florida Turnpike; book a Sprinter for families |
Disembarkation morning: where the chauffeur waits
Ships usually arrive at dawn, and guests leave in timed groups between roughly 7 and 10 am after US Customs and Border Protection clears the vessel. The chauffeur waits in the ground transportation or pre-arranged vehicle area outside your terminal. When you have your luggage and have passed customs, call or text; the chauffeur sends the exact spot.
Port pickups include 15 minutes of waiting from the booked time, then 15-minute blocks. The smart move is to book the pickup for the end of your disembarkation window, or 30 to 45 minutes after your group number is called if you plan to carry your own bags off. Self-assist guests are often at the curb first.
Ship-to-airport: FLL and Miami connections
The short hop to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International makes a late-morning domestic flight realistic after a morning disembarkation. For Miami International, allow the longer drive plus airline check-in, and avoid booking an international departure before early afternoon. Travellers heading north can pick up at the port and go straight to Palm Beach International or to the Palm Beach area.
Airport pickups heading to the ship work the other way: the chauffeur tracks your flight, waits 30 minutes free on a domestic arrival and 60 minutes on an international one, and meets you at the pre-arranged pickup curb. Meet and greet inside baggage claim is an add-on, and add-ons are only available in selected locations.
Pre- and post-cruise hotel stays
Many cruisers fly in the day before. Beach hotels along A1A such as the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, the Marriott Harbor Beach and the W Fort Lauderdale are 10 to 20 minutes from the terminals, and the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six sits on the 17th Street Causeway almost at the port gate. Book two transfers, airport to hotel and hotel to ship, in one reservation. After the cruise, a hotel transfer turns a rushed airport morning into an extra beach day.
Port-day and pre-cruise private tours
An hourly booking, with a minimum of 3 hours, lets you see South Florida before or after the ship. Popular plans include Las Olas Boulevard and the canals, an airboat ride in the Everglades west of the city, South Beach and the Art Deco district, or the shops of Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. The chauffeur stays with the car and your luggage throughout, which suits a post-cruise day with a late evening flight. See hourly chauffeur service and city tours and day trips.
Which vehicle suits a cruise transfer?
Cruise luggage is bulky, so size the car by suitcases first.
- Standard Sedan or Luxury Executive Sedan: a couple with two cases.
- Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach): a couple who want the finest car for the short FLL run.
- Standard Black SUV or Executive Black SUV: up to 6 passengers and 6 bags.
- Sprinter Van: families and multi-generation groups with luggage, up to 12 passengers and 12 small bags.
- Luxury Stretch Limo (8) or Party Bus (14): a celebration the night before sailing; trunk space is limited.
- Sprinter Luxury Jet Van: 7 passengers with carry-on only, better for a port-day tour than a luggage run.
Photos and specifications are on the fleet page, and planning ranges by class are on rates.
Groups, crews and cruise-line programmes
Wedding groups, family reunions and corporate incentive trips often need several vehicles arriving at one terminal together. Crew changes, shore-side staff movements and multi-vehicle programmes are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing; read more on cruise lines and ports and group transportation.
Cancellation and changes
If the ship's schedule shifts or a flight is cancelled, message us and the booking moves. Cancelling more than 72 hours before pickup costs nothing; 72 hours or less costs 10%, 48 hours or less 50%, and 24 hours or less or a no-show 100%.
Official terminal maps and parking notices are on the Port Everglades site, airport updates on FLL, and visitor information from Visit Lauderdale. For the rest of the city, see our Fort Lauderdale chauffeur service, our Miami page and the full list of services.
