Cruise Terminal Tips: Getting to the Ship Stress-Free

Know your terminal before you leave home

Every port has more than one terminal, and your ship's terminal is printed on your boarding documents. Check it the night before so your driver or GPS takes you to the right building.

Arrive in your check-in window

Cruise lines assign an arrival window to keep the lines short. Showing up on time, rather than early, usually means you walk through security and onto the ship faster.

Parking and drop-off

Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Tampa and Palm Beach all offer port parking beside the terminal, plus off-site lots with shuttles. If you're being dropped off, ask your driver to use the terminal's curbside lane and keep your luggage tags on your bags.

What to keep with you

Passports or other accepted ID, boarding documents, medications, phone chargers, a swimsuit and anything you'll want before your checked bags reach your cabin. Everything else can go with the porters.

Flying in? Give yourself a cushion

If you're flying, plan to land the day before your cruise. A pre-cruise hotel night takes the pressure off and lets you start your vacation a day early. We can help you find one near the port, and our Cruise Terminals page has directions for each port.