Orlando to Miami for a cruise

[natb]

What is the most economical and easiest way to get from mco to port of miami for 6 people? Has anyone done shuttles? Rental cars? Trying to avoid parking fee in Miami when on cruise

 

[JimMIA]

PortMiami parking garages are $22 per day. Those garages are directly across the street from the ships...just a short walk.

There are also some downtown parking garages that are less than $10 per day and offer free port shuttles. I've never used one of those, so can't give any recommendation.

You could turn a rental car in at a downtown location and I believe they provide a free port shuttle.

You could also return your rental car at MIA and shuttle or Uber from there to the port.

 

[JimMIA]

With six people and cruise luggage you would need two Ubers...probably two XLs.

 

[ktate82]

We have done this a few times, and the best way was to rent a car from MCO and return it at Miami airport the morning of the cruise. The rental car companies have a shuttle that goes to the port and back to the airport after the cruise. We did have to show our rental car agreements to get on the shuttles though. You could also post on the Disney cruising board for more replies.

 

[JimMIA]

We have done this a few times, and the best way was to rent a car from MCO and return it at Miami airport the morning of the cruise. The rental car companies have a shuttle that goes to the port and back to the airport after the cruise. We did have to show our rental car agreements to get on the shuttles though. You could also post on the Disney cruising board for more replies.

OP, if your rental car company does have free shuttles from the MIA Rental Car Center, THIS^^^ is the way to go.

The rental car center is much easier to get into than the downtown area, and the shuttle ride is just a short all-expressway shot to the port tunnel. Very easy.

 

[nacho113]

What is the most economical and easiest way to get from mco to port of miami for 6 people? Has anyone done shuttles? Rental cars? Trying to avoid parking fee in Miami when on cruise

A one-way car rental will be your most economical option (MCO to MIA).
It's about a 3.5-4 hour drive if you take the turnpike and $15-$18 worth of tolls (you will need to use the rental car company's tolling option (or your own transponder) as toll roads in the Miami area are cashless.
The large rental companies all have a free shuttle from the parking garage at MIA to Port of Miami (and back if you are going to rent and drive back up to Orlando). We've used Alamo, Budget and Hertz over the past few years an all have a free shuttle to the port. Alamo/National/Enterprise is the biggest player and uses full size buses to shuttle people back and forth, with a steady stream of them arriving all the time. The other companies use the smaller 15 passenger shuttle vans, but they run pretty consistently too.
The shuttle driver will check that you have/had a valid rental with the company before allowing you to board so keep your rental agreement handy.
Rent a minivan or SUV, something that will fit your party

 

[JimMIA]

OP, are you flying out from MIA? Or renting another car to continue your trip? If you're renting another car, obviously free shuttle from port to rental car center is the way to go.

If you are flying out, ask if the rental car shuttle will honor the old contract on your return from the cruise. My guess is no, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

If not, there are many airport shuttles -- 12 passenger vans with luggage trailers -- that go from the Port to MIA. You could use Uber, but I think a shuttle would be less expensive.

For comparison purposes, regular Uber of Lyft (up to 4 people, without luggage) would be about $17-18; XL or Lyft Plus (3-4 with cruise luggage) would be about $30 - $32. You would need AT LEAST one X and one XL -- most likely 2 XL's for comfort...although it's a pretty short trip (<10 miles).

 

[EpcotGuy]

slightly off topic, but sort of related. How would you recommend getting from MIA to the port?

 

[lovin'fl]

We cruised out of Miami once. We stayed the night before in hotel and took hotel shuttle back to airport the day of cruise and then had paid the cruisline for shuttle from airport to port. Also paid for shuttle back to airport after cruise. We are about to cruise out of Miami again and we're driving, from NC, down to WDW and staying the night and then driving to the port the day of the cruise.

 

[JimMIA]

slightly off topic, but sort of related. How would you recommend getting from MIA to the port?

For me, it would be a matter of comparative cost. The least expensive option will probably depend on the size of your party. 1-2 people, a shuttle may be cheaper; more than that, Uber/Lyft may be less expensive.

The Uber/Lyft prices are in post #7 above and they are substantially less than taxi fares. They are also more predictable and consistent, because our taxis tend to "have trouble" with their meters and credit card processing -- resulting in higher fares which have to be paid in cash.

One thing to be careful about at MIA is unauthorized drivers. The rideshare companies, and the State of Florida provide very stringent protections for the consumer, but they are worthless unless YOU use them. If you use Uber/Lyft apps, you will have the driver's name, vehicle description, tag number, and photo. Those items, especially the picture, are the key to a legitimate, safe ride.

If someone sees you waiting with luggage, they may approach you and ask if you need a ride. They'll ask where, and what fare you were quoted, and then they'll offer to drive you for a lower cash fare. Three key facts about the ride they are offering:

1. The ride is illegal under Florida law.
2. You have no idea who that driver is...and neither does anyone else. If they have Uber/Lyft logos displayed, that means nothing -- you can print those or purchase them online. A legitimate driver works only through the app.
3. Your ride is totally uninsured. It's not a legitimate Uber/Lyft ride, so naturally their insurance is not in force. Whatever private insurance the driver has will not cover anything in a for-hire ride accident. If the driver tells you they carry commercial insurance, go back to #1 and #2 above and consider whether you believe them. (Hint: They're lying.)

The cruise lines offer port shuttles, and there are also private port shuttle services. I have never used one, so I can't give any recommendations. I would just Google "Port Miami shuttles" and see what pops up.

 

[JimMIA]

We are about to cruise out of Miami again and we're driving, from NC, down to WDW and staying the night and then driving to the port the day of the cruise.

Google "PortMiami parking," and you will not only get the on-site port parking ($22 per day), but several off-site parking companies. The off-site companies are located in downtown Miami, just a short distance from the port, and provide shuttle service to and from your cruise ship. I have not used any of them, so can't give recommendations, but they are pretty popular.