Discovering Top 5 Cruise Ports in Florida

by R Long
February 06, 2023

Thousands of cruises depart from an abundance of destinations across the globe. Cruise ports in Florida are among the busiest in the world. You can explore almost any destination on a cruise. So it should be a surprise to you that Florida, a US state, is home to the busiest cruise port in the world and home to the top 3 cruise ports on the planet.

Millions of people pass through its terminals every year, many of which take cruises to destinations such as the Bahamas, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and far-reaching places. 

Within this article, we will be discussing all the different cruise ports in Florida and how to find and access the terminals. 

How Many Cruise Ports Are In Florida?

There are 5 cruise ports in Florida:

  • Port of Miami in Miami
  • Port Canaveral (Also known as Cape Canaveral) in Orlando
  • Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale 
  • Port Tampa Bay on Tampa
  • Jaxport in Jacksonville

There is also a port in Palm Beach, but it only has two small cruise lines that dock there. 

Cruise Ports in Florida:

Port of Miami

  • Address: Caribbean Way, Miami, FL 33132
  • Coming in as the largest and most popular cruise port in the entire world, 5.3 million passengers a year come from all over the globe to board a cruise. 
  • Around 1200 cruise ships annually dock at the Port of Miami (An average of 4 cruise ships every day).
  •  The most popular and largest cruise lines use the Port of Miami for embarkation, these include and are not limited to:
    • Royal Caribbean 
    • Virgin Voyages 
    • Celebrity Cruises 
    • Disney Cruise Line 
    • Carnival 
    • Norwegian Cruise Line 
    • Regent Seven Seas
    • MSC
    • Oceania Cruises 
    • Holland America Line 
    • Seabourn 
    • Smaller cruise lines also use the Port of Miami for embarkation 

Port Canaveral

  • Address: Cruise Terminal 3, 220 Christopher Columbus Drive, Port Canaveral, FL Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
  • Not as large and popular as the Port of Miami, but still quite busy with an average of 4 million cruise passengers coming to the port annually. 
  • Around 1400 cruise ships annually dock at Port Canaveral (Which is more than the Port of Miami)
  • Popular and large cruise lines that dock in Port Canaveral include: 
    • Royal Caribbean 
    • Celebrity Cruises 
    • Disney Cruise Line 
    • Carnival 
    • Norwegian Cruise Line 
    • MSC

The ship variation is not as diverse as the Port of Miami but the big ticket cruises, such as the Wonder of the Seas, still embark from Port Canaveral.

There are many terminals in Port Canaveral but your cruise package will indicate to you where the ship that you will be boarding is docked so there will be no confusion.

Port Everglades

  • Address: 1850 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
  • Coming in as the third busiest cruise port in the world, Port Everglades has around 3.8 million passengers visiting annually. 
  • Around 850 cruise ships annually dock at Port Everglades (An average of more than 2 cruise ships a day) 
  • Cruise ships that visit Port Everglades include:
    • Royal Caribbean 
    • Celebrity Cruises 
    • Princess Cruises 
    • Holland America Line 
    • Silversea 
    • Viking Ocean Cruises 

Port Tampa Bay

  • Address: Cruise Parking Garage, 810 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602
  • Much smaller than the previously mentioned ports, Port Tampa Bay has around 1 million cruise passengers visiting annually. 
  • Port Tampa Bay is in the list of top 30 cruise ports in the world. 
  • The cruise lines that embark from Port Tampa Bay include:
    • Royal Caribbean 
    • Celebrity Cruises 
    • Carnaval 
    • Norwegian Cruise Line 
    • Marella Cruises 

Jacksonville Port

  • Address: 9810 August Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32226
  • Far smaller than Port Tampa Bay, with an average of 360,000 cruise passengers visiting annually. 
  • Around 75 cruise ships come into port annually. 
  • Most of the ships that visit are a part of the Carnaval cruise line, specifically the Carnaval Elation. It is one of the smaller ships in the Carnaval Fleet. 

What Is The Largest of the Cruise Ports In Florida?

The largest cruise port in Florida is Port Miami, with 11 cruise terminals and around 5 million passengers boarding cruises annually. 

What Is The Most Popular Florida Cruise Port? 

The most popular of the cruise ports in Florida and in the world is Port Miami, as it has the most variety of cruise lines and the most amount of foot traffic.

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