Carnival Cruises from Miami

The Miami Fleet at a Glance

Carnival's Miami page lists Carnival Celebration, Conquest, Firenze, Horizon, Magic, Sunrise, Sunshine and Venezia. Sources conflict on that list: Venezia is reported to arrive in Miami in 2027 and Firenze may only start Miami sailings in 2027, so not all eight may sail from Miami today. Carnival counts trip length in days, and the day counts equal nights: a 5-day sailing departs on day 1 and returns on day 6. The fleet spans everything from the 110,000-gross-ton Conquest at 952 feet with 2,980 guests to the 183,521-gross-ton Celebration, which carries 5,374 guests at double occupancy and has the 800-foot Bolt roller coaster.

Routes break into two families. Bahamas itineraries run at 3, 4 and 5 days. Caribbean itineraries cover 6-day Western and Eastern, 8-day Southern Caribbean and longer 10 and 13 day Southern sailings. For the whole port picture, including the other five lines, see the guide to cruises from Miami.

The Bahamas Ships in Detail

Carnival Conquest is the short-Bahamas workhorse. Its 3-night sailing leaves Miami at 3:30 PM, spends day 2 at sea, docks at Celebration Key from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on day 3 and is back in Miami at 8:00 AM on day 4. The 4-night version adds RelaxAway Half Moon Cay from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a sea day between the two islands.

Carnival Sunrise runs the 5-night Bahamas route and visits Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. Each of the three port stops runs 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with one sea day after the 3:30 PM Miami departure. If you want the absolute shortest version of a Bahamas cruise from Miami, the Conquest 3-nighter is the pick, and the 3 day Bahamas cruise from Miami guide breaks it down.

Terminals D, E and F

According to the Greater Miami tourism guide, Carnival sails from Terminals D, E and F at PortMiami. The port says Terminals D and E were expanded in 2018 to handle larger ships and Terminal F was renovated in 2022. The three together cover 471,000 square feet, and all three hold LEED Silver certification. Terminal assignments can change by sailing, so check your boarding pass and follow port signage on the day.

For the full terminal map, including Royal Caribbean's Terminal A and MSC's Terminal AA, see the guide to the Port of Miami cruise terminals. For parking specifically, long-term parking at Garage D, Garage F and Surface Lot E costs $25 per day, and short-term parking without an overnight stay costs $10 per day at the same locations. Parking needs no reservation, attendants are staffed from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on cruise days, and the port accepts cash plus Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

Getting to the Port

PortMiami sits on Dodge Island in Biscayne Bay, reached from I-395 and the MacArthur Causeway through the toll-free Port of Miami Tunnel. The port lists Miami International Airport as 7.1 miles away and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International as 25.7 miles away, while the tourism bureau rounds those to 8 and 26 miles. The airport run takes about 25 minutes off-peak and 50 minutes or more around 8am or 5pm. A rideshare from Miami airport runs roughly $25 to $45 and a cruise-line transfer roughly $20 to $35 per person each way.

If you would rather not drive, the only public transit that goes directly to PortMiami is the City of Miami Coral Way Route Trolley, boarded at Government Center Station downtown. The port's own transportation page says the free trolley stops at Cruise Terminal J, Terminal E and the port administrative offices, which is useful for Carnival guests in Terminal E. Typical embarkation runs about 11:00 to 15:30 and disembarkation clears the ship between 07:00 and 10:00, per the tourism bureau. Driving in and want a fixed price door to terminal? the Miami private transfer to the cruise port costs $70 per person one way with luggage assistance.

Celebration Key, Grand Bahama

Celebration Key opened in 2025 with a first ship carrying over 7,000 passengers. Carnival calls the $600 million development its largest investment in an exclusive destination, covering over 65 acres with a 1.5-mile stretch of beach, and one cruise guide puts the total site at 379 acres with 68 acres in phase one, so quote the site size with that conflict in mind. The pier took two ships at once at opening, and a $100 million extension was planned to allow four ships.

The island lists over 30 dining and beverage outlets, a 10-story Suncastle waterslide tower and a swim-up bar. Complimentary items include the mile-long beach, freshwater lagoons, sports courts, live music, the Junkanoo Parade, the Guppy Grotto splash pad, beach chairs, umbrellas and showers. Paid upgrades run from Pearl Cove Beach Club access at $59.99 per person for 5.5 hours to a Starfish Lagoon North cabana at $509.99. Two things catch people out: onboard beverage packages do not extend to Celebration Key, and the island is open only to Carnival guests on Carnival sailings, so nobody can visit independently. The Celebration Key guide goes deep on the portals, food and fees.

RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay

Half Moon Cay on Little San Salvador was rebranded RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay by Carnival and Holland America in 2024. The big change for cruise passengers came in 2026, when a new north-side pier opened and Carnival Sunrise docked at 8 a.m., ending tendering for Carnival ships. You now walk off onto the island instead of queuing for a water shuttle.

The island splits into a Carnival north side, and a Holland America south side. On Carnival's Half Moon Cay page, complimentary items include lunch spots and island-themed bars, beaches, nature paths and swimming, while Aqua Trax, horseback riding, boat snorkeling, stingray encounters, cabanas and daybeds cost extra. The island has over a mile of white sand beach, and Carnival claims a Best Private Island award for more than 20 straight years. On the Conquest 4-night itinerary the stop runs 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Gratuities and the Departure Tax

Carnival charges $17 per person per day in standard staterooms and $19 in suites, with no charge for children under 2. It is charged to your onboard account unless you adjust it. For context against the other Miami lines: Royal Caribbean charges $18.50 per guest per day and $21 in suites, Virgin Voyages $20 per night prepaid or $22 onboard, Norwegian's own page shows $20 per person per day in Club Balcony Suite and below, and Celebrity $19.50.

The Bahamas sets a departure tax for cruise passengers leaving by sea of $23, or $25 from a private destination. Bahamian Customs says commercial carriers usually include it in the fare, so check your booking rather than expecting to pay it at the terminal.

Documents are the other cost of getting it wrong. On a closed-loop cruise, CBP lets US citizens re-enter the country with a government photo ID plus an original or copy of a birth certificate, and Carnival's own guidance asks for a certified birth certificate or certificate of naturalization. But Bahamas Immigration says all persons entering the country must hold a passport valid at least six months and that passport cards are not accepted. CBP warns the birth certificate covers US re-entry only, so check the requirements with the cruise line before you sail.

• Gratuities: $17 per person per day standard, $19 suites, free under 2.
• Bahamas departure tax: $23 by sea, $25 from a private destination, usually in the fare.
• Port parking: $25 per day long-term at Garages D and F and Surface Lot E.
• Porters: tipped about $2 to $5 per checked bag.

Nassau, Prince George Wharf

Nassau Cruise Port at Prince George Wharf had its grand opening in 2023 after a $300 million rebuild and holds six ships at once. The port welcomed 5.6 million passengers in 2024 and set a one-day record of 33,254 passengers in 2026. Walking is the point here: the port's own timings put Parliament Square at 2 minutes on foot, the Straw Market a few steps away, Pirates of Nassau at 8 minutes, Junkanoo Beach at 13 and the Queen's Staircase at 13. Note the Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle have been closed for renovation since 2025, with the Nassau Paradise Island tourism site still listing them as temporarily closed, so confirm before planning a climb.

Bookable trips fill the day. the Nassau swimming pigs, reef snorkel and turtles powerboat tour costs $245 for 4 hours and includes a grilled lunch, leaving from Paradise Island. the Nassau food and walking tour costs $99 for 3 hours with five tastings and a cocktail. the Nassau electric trolley culture tour is the budget option at $55 for 2.5 hours, meeting at the Straw Market. Taxis are unmetered, so agree the fare first, and neither Uber nor Lyft operates in Nassau.

Freeport, Grand Bahama

Freeport's cruise harbour is industrial, roughly 5 to 12 miles from Port Lucaya depending on the source, with no walkable downtown, so every outing needs a taxi, shuttle or booked tour. A shared taxi to Port Lucaya runs about $8 to $12 per person and a private taxi $20 to $30, and cruise-line shuttles were reported at $10 to $15 round trip. Lucayan National Park charges $15 adult, $10 senior and $8 child, though its official hours page shows only Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm, which looks incomplete, so check ahead. Plan to be back at the ship 30 to 45 minutes before all-aboard.

The easiest bookable option is the Paradise Cove beach day pass from Freeport from $75. It includes a lounge chair, snorkel gear on Deadman's Reef and round-trip transport from the cruise dock, with pickups one hour after the ship arrives. The full day pass adds lunch, a beverage and activities, while the snorkel-only option does not include lunch or the drink. Celebration Key sits about 23 miles from the Freeport cruise port by one cruise guide's count, with 20 miles quoted elsewhere, and taxis to other island sights leave from a Transportation Hub behind Lokono Cove.