Bahamas Cruise from MiamiPort of Miami Cruise Terminal Parking and Terminals
This guide covers Port of Miami cruise terminal parking, the garage each cruise line uses and the practical details of getting to PortMiami on sailing day. PortMiami carried 8,564,225 passengers in its latest fiscal year, and it handles Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC, Virgin Voyages and Celebrity ships. Long-term parking costs $25 a day at most garages and $35 at two of them, and no reservation is needed. You will also find the taxi meter rules, the free trolley, the address and which terminal to drive to for your ship. For which line sails which Bahamas route, see the main page of Bahamas cruises from Miami.
Norwegian Epic docked at PortMiami beside other cruise ships. Photo: Tips For Travellers, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer Parking and terminals at a glance
Port of Miami cruise terminal parking costs $25 per day for long-term stays at Garages C, D, F, G and Surface Lot E, and $35 per day at Garage AA (MSC) and Garage B (Norwegian). Garage A, the Royal Caribbean garage, is priced through Royal Caribbean's own site. No reservation is needed and every cruise terminal has parking beside it.
Key takeaways
- Match your garage to your ship with the terminal and garage table for every terminal.
- See every rate, from the $10 short-term day rate to the $50 two-space oversized fee, in the parking rates table.
- No car? Compare taxi, rideshare, the private Miami Private Transfer to the Cruise Port and the free trolley in getting there.
- Sailing to the Bahamas? Check which ships sail which routes on cruises from Miami.
PortMiami Cruise Terminals by Line
PortMiami sits on Dodge Island in Biscayne Bay and holds the title Cruise Capital of the World. Each line has its own terminal, and each terminal has its own parking garage, so check yours before you drive.
Every Terminal and Its Garage
The table below lists the terminals at PortMiami, the line that sails from each and the parking garage that serves it. Parking at every cruise terminal sits on the north side of the port except Terminal J, which uses Garages J and K on the south side. Rates come from the port's own parking page and are explained in full further down this page.
One terminal is missing from service: Terminal G is under construction for Royal Caribbean Group and is covered in its own block below.
| Terminal | Line | Garage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal AA | MSC Cruises | Garage AA (north side) | $35 a day long-term, the port's priciest fixed rate |
| Terminal A | Royal Caribbean | Garage A (north side) | Priced through the Royal Caribbean site, not on the port rate table |
| Terminal B | Norwegian | Garage B (north side) | $35 a day long-term since January 1, 2025 |
| Terminal C | Celebrity | Garage C (north side) | $25 a day long-term, $10 short-term |
| Terminal D | Carnival | Garage D (north side) | $25 a day long-term, $10 short-term |
| Terminal E | Carnival | Surface Lot E | $25 a day long-term, surface parking rather than a garage |
| Terminal F | Carnival | Garage F (north side) | $25 a day long-term, $10 short-term |
| Terminal G | Under construction | Garage G planned | For Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea, due late 2027 |
| Terminal V | Virgin Voyages | Garage V (north side) | Dedicated adults-only terminal |
| Terminal J | Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Azamara, Windstar, Silversea | Garages J and K (south side) | Serves the smaller luxury lines |
Terminal A, the Royal Caribbean Terminal
Terminal A is the Royal Caribbean terminal. Ships such as Wonder of the Seas, which measures 235,600 gross tons and carries up to 7,084 guests at maximum capacity, sail 3 and 4 night Bahamas itineraries to Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau from here. The attached Garage A is the one exception to the port's published rate table: parking there is priced through the Royal Caribbean website and not by PortMiami, so check the cruise line's own page for the current figure.
Rideshare and taxis use designated pick-up and drop-off zones at the terminal.
The Carnival Terminals D, E and F
Carnival splits its Miami ships across Terminals D, E and F. Eight Carnival ships sail from Miami: Celebration, Conquest, Firenze, Horizon, Magic, Sunrise, Sunshine and Venezia. If you are searching for Port of Miami parking for a Carnival cruise, the answer is simple: Garage D, Surface Lot E or Garage F, all at $25 a day for long-term parking and $10 a day for short-term. Surface Lot E is the only lot, rather than a garage, among the mainline terminals, and it also takes oversized vehicles.
Carnival's Bahamas sailings from these terminals call at Celebration Key, RelaxAway Half Moon Cay and Nassau.
Terminal AA, the MSC Terminal
Terminal AA is the MSC Cruises terminal and it opened on April 5, 2025 as a $300 million building on 16.7 acres with capacity for two ships at once. MSC's winter program from Miami includes MSC Seaside on 3 and 4 night Bahamas cruises to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and Nassau, and MSC World America on 7-night Caribbean sailings that also call at Ocean Cay. Garage AA carries the highest fixed long-term rate on the port's table at $35 a day, and that rate applies to Garage AA only.
Terminal V and Terminal J
Terminal V is the dedicated terminal for Virgin Voyages, the adults-only line whose Valiant Lady and Brilliant Lady sail 4-night Bahamas itineraries to Nassau, Freeport and The Beach Club at Bimini. Garage V serves it on the north side of the port. Terminal J on the south side of the port is a different world: it serves the smaller luxury lines Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Azamara, Windstar and Silversea.
Garages J and K sit beside it on the south side.
Terminal G Under Construction
Miami-Dade County and Royal Caribbean Group broke ground on Cruise Terminal G at 1103 N. Cruise Blvd on January 8, 2026. The terminal is designed for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea ships, including Icon-class vessels carrying up to 7,000 passengers, and completion is planned for the end of 2027. The project includes a multi-level parking structure and a ground-level intermodal hub, so the parking picture at this corner of the port will change when it opens.
Reports put the investment at $345 million for a one-berth terminal. Until then, ships that will eventually use G continue to sail from their current terminals, and the port notes the terminal map is still changing.
Port of Miami Cruise Terminal Parking
Every cruise terminal at PortMiami has its own parking, so you never park off-site or take a third-party shuttle unless you choose to. The rates are set by the port and published on its parking page.
Parking Rates at Every Garage
The table below compares every rate the port publishes, who pays it and where it applies. The long-term rate covers any stay of one night or longer, which is what a cruise passenger needs. Short-term means parking with no overnight stay, useful for seeing someone off.
Crew parking is separate at $50 per week.
| Garage or lot | Rate | Who parks here |
|---|---|---|
| Garages C, D, F, G and Surface Lot E | $25 per day long-term | Celebrity, Carnival and the future Terminal G |
| Garages C, D, F, G and Lot E | $10 per day short-term, no overnight | Drop-offs, greeters, day visitors |
| Garage AA | $35 per day long-term | MSC passengers from Terminal AA |
| Garage B | $35 per day long-term since January 1, 2025 | Norwegian passengers from Terminal B |
| Garage A | Priced through Royal Caribbean's site | Royal Caribbean passengers from Terminal A |
| Surface Lot E, one space | $25 per day | Oversized vehicles fitting one space |
| Surface Lot E, two spaces | $50 per day | Oversized vehicles needing two spaces |
| Garages J and K | Not stated separately on the rate table | Terminal J, the smaller luxury lines |
| Crew parking | $50 per week | Ship crew only |
How to Pay
Port parking accepts cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. There is a conflict between the port page and the Greater Miami tourism guide on one point: the tourism guide says debit cards are not accepted, while the port page lists only cash and the four credit card brands and does not mention debit either way. The safe reading is to bring a credit card or cash and not rely on a debit card.
Parking attendants are staffed from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on cruise days, which covers the typical embarkation window of about 11:00 to 15:30.
Oversized and Disabled Parking
Oversized vehicles go to Surface Lot E. If your vehicle fits one space, the rate is the standard $25 per day. If it needs two spaces, the rate doubles to $50 per day. Disabled parking is free for vehicles with specialized equipment, and disabled veterans with Florida license plates park free at any port lot.
No Reservation Needed
PortMiami parking needs no reservation. You drive to the garage for your terminal. The port lists no reservation or pre-paid rate, so there are no port discount codes to look for.
Off-site lots near the port are not covered here. The busiest embarkation days are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The Free Shuttle Rule
A free shuttle between terminals runs only in one situation: when your ship leaves from one terminal and returns to another. If you park at the garage for your departure terminal and return to the same one, which is the normal case, you walk from your car to the terminal door and no shuttle is involved. There is no general inter-terminal shuttle service for early arrivals at the wrong garage, so match garage to terminal before you drive.
The terminal table above is the checklist.
Drop Luggage Before You Park
PortMiami recommends dropping luggage and passengers at the terminal entrance before parking the car. Porters handle checked bags at the terminals and are tipped about $2 to $5 per bag. Do the reverse on return day as well: collect the car first if others are waiting with the bags, or walk the bags out if you are alone.
The port has no storage lockers, and lost items are collected and stored by the cruise lines, so nothing can be left in a terminal.
Sources: PortMiami parking information, PortMiami cruise FAQ, Greater Miami tourism guide
Port Miami: Carnival's Terminal F
Driving into PortMiami and finding Carnival's Terminal F and its garage. Third-party video by CruiseLifeTV. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Getting to PortMiami
PortMiami sits on Dodge Island in Biscayne Bay, minutes from downtown Miami and about 4 miles and 15 minutes from South Beach across the MacArthur Causeway. Several no-car options work.
Every Way In, Compared
The table compares the realistic ways to reach the port, with costs and times from the port, the county and the tourism bureau. The taxi figure is a minimum, not a typical fare, because Miami-Dade taxis run on the meter with a $15 minimum for trips starting at the port or the airport. The private transfer price is the starting price of the bookable tour on this site.
| Option | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive your own car | Parking from $25 a day | Varies by origin | Toll-free tunnel from I-395, no reservation to park |
| Taxi from Miami airport | Meter, $15 minimum | About 25 minutes off-peak, 50 or more at 8am or 5pm | Flat fares ended in 2022, the meter applies |
| Rideshare from Miami airport | Roughly $25 to $45 | About 25 minutes off-peak | Designated zones at every terminal |
| Miami Private Transfer to the Cruise Port | $70 one way | Booked, driver tracks flights | Private vehicle, luggage help, 60 minutes free airport waiting |
| Cruise-line transfer | Roughly $20 to $35 per person each way | Varies | Booked with the cruise line |
| Coral Way Trolley | Free | Runs to Terminals J and E | Only public transit direct to the port, boards at Government Center |
| Brightline from Fort Lauderdale | Fare not stated here | About 38 minutes to MiamiCentral, then about 10 minutes by rideshare | Station offers a Vacation Service for cruise passengers |
The Address and the Tunnel
The GPS address for PortMiami is 1015 North America Way, Miami, FL 33132. Put that in the navigation app rather than a terminal name. From I-395 and the MacArthur Causeway you enter the port through the Port of Miami Tunnel, a dedicated toll-free route built for cruise and cargo traffic, so there is no toll on the way in.
Miami International Airport is listed by the port as 7.1 miles away and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International as 25.7 miles away. The tourism bureau rounds these to 8 and 26 miles. The airport run takes about 25 minutes off-peak and 50 minutes or more around 8am or 5pm, so time your landing flight against the typical 11:00 to 15:30 embarkation window with a buffer.
Taxi Meter Rules
Miami-Dade County eliminated all flat fare rates for taxis under Resolution R-700-22 adopted July 19, 2022, so every trip runs on the meter, including airport and port rides. The meter charges $2.95 for the first 1/6 mile, $0.85 per 1/6 mile up to 1 mile, $0.55 per 1/6 mile after that, and $24 an hour in waiting time. There is a $15 minimum on trips starting at Miami International Airport or PortMiami.
SUVs and larger vans carry a 30 percent surcharge, except wheelchair-accessible vehicles carrying wheelchair users. Any source still quoting a flat airport-to-port fare is out of date, so confirm the meter is running when you get in.
From Fort Lauderdale Airport and Beyond
From Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, 25.7 miles from the port, the cleanest no-car route is Brightline. The train takes about 38 minutes to MiamiCentral at 600 NW 1st Avenue in downtown Miami, then it is about 10 minutes to PortMiami by taxi, rideshare or cruise-line transfer. PortMiami's own transportation page says the Brightline station offers a Vacation Service that carries cruise passengers to and from the port, and a Brightline premium fare includes a complimentary Uber within five miles of any South Florida station, which covers the port.
Within Miami itself, the only public transit that goes directly to PortMiami is the free City of Miami Coral Way Route Trolley, boarded at Government Center Station, which connects Metrorail, Metromover, Metrobus and Brightline.
Sources: PortMiami directions, Miami-Dade taxi rates, Greater Miami transportation guide
A row of cruise ships lines the terminals at PortMiami, seen from across the water. Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embarkation and Disembarkation Day
Cruise day at the port follows a rhythm. Knowing the windows, the busiest days and the porter system keeps the morning short.
The Windows and the Busiest Times
Typical embarkation runs about 11:00 to 15:30 and typical disembarkation clears passengers off the ship between 07:00 and 10:00, according to the Greater Miami tourism guide. Your cruise line assigns a boarding window on your documents. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest embarkation days at PortMiami, and the busiest months are January to March plus the two weeks around Christmas.
On those days build extra time into the drive from Miami airport, which can stretch from 25 minutes off-peak to 50 minutes or more around 8am or 5pm.
Porters, Lockers and Lost Items
Porters work the terminal curbs and take checked bags from your car or taxi, tipped about $2 to $5 per checked bag. The port itself has no storage lockers, so a bag you want to keep with you stays with you until check-in. Anything lost at the port is collected and stored by the cruise lines, not by PortMiami, so a lost-item claim goes to the line you sailed with.
Global Entry and Flights Home
PortMiami hosts a CBP Global Entry Enrollment Center, described as the first at any seaport, so returning cruisers can complete enrollment interviews at the port. When booking the flight home, remember ships clear between 07:00 and 10:00. The port lists no on-site rental car agencies, though some agencies run shuttles from it, so a rental on return day means arranging that shuttle in advance or taking a short ride.
The airport run takes about 25 minutes off-peak, so a flight before early afternoon on disembarkation day is tight if your group is among the last off.
A Few Hours Before Boarding
If your flight lands early or you have a morning free before the 11:00 boarding window opens, downtown Miami puts several easy options within minutes of the port.
A Bay Cruise Past the Port
The Miami Biscayne Bay Millionaire Homes Cruise costs $20, lasts 1.5 hours and leaves from Bayside Marketplace at 401 Biscayne Blvd, a short ride from the port. The route passes Star Island, the Venetian Islands and the Port of Miami cruise ships themselves, with a live guide and bilingual commentary, so it doubles as a preview of your own ship from the water. Food and drinks bought onboard are not included and there is no hotel pickup.
Free cancellation runs to 24 hours before.
Bayfront Park and the Free Metromover
Bayfront Park at 301 Biscayne Boulevard covers 32 acres, opens 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is free every day of the year. The free Metromover runs 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week across 21 stations on three loops, and the Bayfront Park station is the closest stop to the park at Southeast Second Street and Biscayne Boulevard. For more no-cost ideas near downtown, see the guide to free day trips from Miami.
PortMiami Do's and Don'ts
A short list of the things that most often catch cruise passengers out at PortMiami.
Do
- Do drop luggage and passengers at the terminal entrance before parking, because the port itself recommends it and it saves carrying bags through the garage.
- Do match your garage to your terminal before you drive, since the free shuttle runs only when your ship returns to a different terminal than it left from.
- Do bring a credit card or cash for parking, because the port takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover and the tourism guide says debit is not accepted.
- Do arrive before 5 p.m. if you want an attendant, since parking attendants staff the lots from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on cruise days.
- Do tip porters $2 to $5 per checked bag, which is the going rate at the terminal curbs.
Don't
- Don't expect a flat taxi fare from the airport, because Miami-Dade eliminated flat rates in 2022 and the meter applies with a $15 minimum from the port or the airport.
- Don't plan to leave anything in a terminal, because PortMiami has no storage lockers and lost items are held by the cruise lines.
- Don't book a homebound flight too early, because disembarkation runs to about 10:00 and the airport trip can take 50 minutes or more in rush hour.
- Don't drive an oversized vehicle anywhere but Surface Lot E, where you pay $25 a day for one space or $50 a day for two.
PortMiami Parking and Terminal FAQ
How much does it cost to park at the Port of Miami cruise terminal?
Long-term parking costs $25 per day at Garages C, D, F, G and Surface Lot E, and $35 per day at Garage AA for MSC and Garage B for Norwegian. Garage A, the Royal Caribbean garage, is priced through Royal Caribbean's own site rather than the port table. Short-term parking with no overnight stay is $10 a day. See the full parking rates table.
Where do you park at Miami cruise port for a Carnival cruise?
Carnival sails from Terminals D, E and F, so you park at Garage D, Surface Lot E or Garage F, each at $25 a day long-term. Every Carnival terminal has parking beside it and no reservation is needed. The terminal and garage table lists every terminal.
Do you have to pay to leave your car at a cruise port?
Yes, at PortMiami the standard long-term rate is $25 a day and the MSC and Norwegian garages charge $35 a day. The only free parking is for vehicles with specialized disability equipment and for disabled veterans with Florida plates. Crew pay a separate $50 per week rate. Details are in the parking section.
Do I need a reservation or a discount code for Port of Miami cruise terminal parking?
No reservation is needed, the port lists no reservation or pre-paid rate. Off-site lot prices are not set or published by the port. The port's own rules are covered in parking.
Is there a shuttle between the PortMiami parking garages and the terminals?
The free shuttle runs only when your ship departs from one terminal and returns to another. In the normal case you park at the garage attached to your own terminal and walk to the door. Parking attendants are staffed from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on cruise days. The shuttle rule is explained in the parking section.
How do I get to PortMiami without a car?
Options include a taxi on the meter with a $15 minimum from the port or airport, a rideshare at roughly $25 to $45 from Miami airport, the free Coral Way Trolley from Government Center, which is the only public transit direct to the port, and Brightline from Fort Lauderdale taking about 38 minutes to MiamiCentral plus about 10 minutes by ride. A private option is the Miami Private Transfer to the Cruise Port from $70 one way. All of them are compared in getting there.