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The majority of cruises to the Caribbean begin at US top ports and most of those are in Florida, particularly for the western and eastern cruise routes. But since 9/11, when many Americans were put off flying, cruises have been departing from a wider range of ports, notably New Orleans, in Louisiana, and Galveston and Houston in Texas. For southern  Caribbean cruises, more routes start from Barbados and San Juan in Puerto Rico so that itineraries can take in more islands. If you are going on a cruise and have extra time, you can have a land-based holiday first or stay on after disembarking.

Port of Miami

The main gateway to the Caribbean and its islands, Miami has the largest cruise port in the world, with over 3 million passengers passing through it every year. Major cruise lines such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International departs from the terminal here.

The city’s intoxicating ambience is a draw in its own right and many, especially those who love shopping and partying like to include a few days or a week here in their holiday plans. In southeast Florida, Greater Miami sprawls over 5180 sq km in Dade County and is home to more than 2 million people, including immigrants from Latin America and Caribbean, particularly from Cuba.

The Port of Miami, on Dodge Island, straddles Biscayne Bay between the city and Miami Beach. A top — class facility, the port has excellent security, plenty of car parking and check-in counters that can issue boarding passes for return flights home. Miami International Airport, only 13 km away, has shuttle buses specifically for cruise passengers and a constant supply of taxis.

Hot spots include the Clevelander Hotel on Ocean Drive, which has a large outdoor bar and stage at the back for live music, and the 24 -hour News Café. Remember that to enter a bar or club you must have ID to prove you are 21 years old or over.

A trip to Everglades

Everglades National Park is just an hour or two from Miami. If you have a free day, a visit is a must to discover Florida in all its natural splendor, including its wetlands. Many cruise lines offer an excursion to this park at the end of their trip.

The Everglades is home to approximately 350 species of birds, 500 species of fish, 55 species of reptiles (including crocodiles and alligators), and 40 species of mammals. It even boasts 45 endemic plant species, found nowhere else in the world. You can observe some of them while hiking the many trails or taking an airboat tour over the wetlands.

The Ernest Coe Visitor Center, located near the park’s main entrance on Route 9336, offers maps, brochures, and information panels about many aspects of the park. Beware of mosquitoes! Bring effective mosquito repellent.

Fort Lauderdale

Ships that sail from Fort Lauderdale  dock at the ultramodern Port Everglades in the southern part of the city. About 35 km north of Miami, it is the second busiest cruise port in the world and is the base for several Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships, and the main turnaround port for lines whose vessels only cruise the Caribbean in the winter, such as Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Seabourn and Silver Sea.

Far less congested than Port of Miami, it has a copious supply of parking spaces, taxis and baggage handlers and is just 3 km from the Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International  Airport.

Mangrove Swamps

It is hard to believe that less than a hundred years ago, Fort Lauderdale was a massive mangrove swamp stretching down to the coast. The wooden fort that gave the city its name, built in the Seminole Wars in the 1850 s’ had long since rotted away. The famous white sandy beaches still remain, stretching for 35 km from Hollywood in the south to Deerfield Beach in the north. A ”wave wall” and walkway edge the 11 km of beachfront in the city, making it a perfect place for a stroll, bike ride or a jog, with plenty of cafés, restaurants and shops to stop off at along the way.

The mangrove swamp was transformed into building land by using the same technique that was applied to create Venice in Italy, dredging up a series a parallel canals and using the fill to create long peninsulas between them hence its tag Venice of America. Today Fort Lauderdale has 560 km of navigable waterways, flanked by beautiful homes, it is a mecca for  water sports enthusiasts and yachts.

Las Olas Boulevard

A free hop-on-hop-off shuttle links the beach with downtown, and the city’s  cosmopolitan character, committed to the good life, can be witnessed along Las Olas Boulevard. A red-brick street, lined with old-fashioned gaslights, Las  Ola’s offers visitors horse-drawn carriage rides, outdoor cafés, antiques shops, galleries and the small, but interesting Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.

Towards the western end, a network of palm-lined footpaths and mini parks, called the River walk takes you past several historic sites on the banks of the New River, such as the home of pioneer Frank Stranahan. Built in 1913, the restored Stranahan House is now a museum and gift shop.

Las Olas Riverfront, a sprawling outdoor complex is filled with restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and bars, providing an easy way of passing a few hours. The eastern end of Las Olas runs into an infamous area known as The Strip, which came to notoriety in the 1960 s film, Where the Boys Are. A beach party movie, it featured a large group of college students coming to the beachfront to celebrate on their Spring Break. From then on the students flocked to Fort Lauderdale and the alcohol problem became such a nuisance in the 1970 s that the city officials had to take strict measures against it, banning the consumption of alcohol in public and allowing bars in hotels. Now it’s quietened down, although the Elbo Room bar, made famous in the film is still buzzing.

Lauderdale City Museums

Not too far from Las Ola’s Boulevard is the Fort Lauderdale Historical Museum, in a country-style 1905 inn, containing exhibits on the area’s history, such as Indian artifacts historic photos and fine antiques. Nearby in SW 2nd Street, the Museum of Discovery and Science is the largest science museum in South Florida and has lots of hands-on exhibits as well as an indoor citrus grove.

About 2 km from Las Ola’s Boulevard, at the north end of Fort Lauderdale Beach lies the plantation-style winter home of the late art collector Frederick Bartlett and his wife Evelyn, who were both artists. The couple left their artistic mark on Bonnet House, a grand estate filled with unusual art and artifacts from around the world.

Closer to the port, if you have not had your fill of being waterborne, you may enjoy the intimate atmosphere of  a 3-hour trip aboard the riverboats Jungle Queen. This old-fashioned vessel will take you from the Bahia Mar Yacht Center along the New River so that you can see the riverside homes of some of the city’s millionaires.

South of Fort Lauderdale is Hollywood, which has no connection with Tinseltown in California, but it does have a large entertainment complex of restaurants, bars and shops called Ocean walk and a wonderful oceanfront boardwalk. West and inland you can visit the Seminole Indian Native Village and take in an alligator wrestling show.

If you have time,  it is worth visiting the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, at the most northerly part of the Everglades. There are walking trails, and you can see a variety of birds in their wetland habitat. To reach the refuge head north to Delray Beach and then travel 16 km inland.

Port Canaveral

Further north along the Atlantic coast of Florida, beyond Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral is a smaller port that caters mostly to the three, four and seven-day Caribbean cruise market. Port Canaveral is just 45 minutes away from both Orlando International Airport to the west and Melbourne International Airport to the south.

Although it may not be as busy as the others, it is still a top-class port with some ultra-modern terminals. This is the base for Disney Cruise Line, which has its own dedicated cruise terminal built to its Disney Magic specifications — a second-level  1200 sq meters terrace is etched with a map of Florida and the Bahamas. Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships, among others, also depart from this port.

The port has quite a few attractions of its own, you can choose between its three parks or bike along the dedicated 2.5 km trail. There are also deep-sea fishing facilities and several charter companies operate half-day or full-day trips for visitors from here. At the restaurants and cafés in the Cove leisure area on the waterfront, you can sample the day’s catch, cooked straight off the boats, and get some shopping done, too.

Main Street Titusville, Olde Cocoa Village and downtown Melbourne offer the best souvenir and knick-knack shops, while the beach shop, Ron Jon Surf Shop  claims to sell ‘ everything under the sun’.

Orlando Theme Parks

It’s straight road, the Beeline Expressway – west to Orlando and its plethora of theme parks and attractions. Four of the main ones are part of Walt Disney’s empire with another two belonging to Universal Studios, so if you like that sort of thing  it’s worth considering a cruise plus a week or so in Orlando.

Cruise departing from here often offer pre- or post- cruise packages to Walt Disney World and other central Florida attractions.

Kennedy Space Center

Stopping for a while at port Canaveral gives you the opportunity to visit Kennedy Space Center. You will need at least a day to tour NASA’s launch and landing facilities, try out the rocket simulators, explore a life-size replica of a space shuttle and meet an astronaut — you can have lunch with one for an extra fee. Outside the center is the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

The nearby Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which sprawls of 57000 hectares, is also owned by NASA, as is the Canaveral National Seashore. The salt marshes of the Refuge are home to hundreds of species of water birds, alligators, the threatened manatee and loggerhead turtles. The Seashore is a protected barrier island beach park with sand dunes and a network of marked canoe trails through a lagoon where you can spot egrets, ibis, cranes, terns and herons.

Embark on board Emerald Princess, grand in design, this magnificent vessel offers a host of delightful diversions as you see the world. Your culinary journey at sea reaches new heights with an abundance of fresh restaurant choices and dining options aboard Emerald Princess. The line’s friendly crew and luxurious staterooms make you feel at home and always welcome.

Our Favorite Miami Tour

Miami Beach Self-Guided Tour: Explore at Your Own Pace

Start off on Ocean Drive, Florida’s most famous street, at the Art Deco Welcome Center, and either sign up for a walking tour or pick up a free map along with any other information and souvenirs. A cosmopolitan mix of colorful characters completes the scene at South Beach, and you can watch them go by from one of many cafés and restaurants along the rather kitsch seafront, or join them in the nightclubs.

Away from the Beach, the scene continues to buzz in the pedestrian — only Lincoln Road Mall between 16th and 17th street. Here the art world flourishes, with the South Florida Art Center displaying the work of more than 100 artists, along with open studios where you can watch them at work. For a different kind of architecture, and also under the auspices of the MDPI, go to Espanola Way, just south of 15th street. This eye-catching collection of bright pink. Moorish arcades and hidden courtyards was built in Mediterranean Revival style in the 1920s and now houses a selection of galleries, cafés and shops. It was also the setting for many scenes of the latter-day TV series Miami Vice.

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