Port Everglades is the easiest cruise port in the country to reach, and the easiest one to get stuck at. The terminals sit three miles from FLL, but on a Saturday morning eight ships can be boarding at once, and the line of rideshares at the Eller Drive checkpoint tells you how that goes. ApexBCS runs a private, chauffeured car service to and from Port Everglades built around your sail time: one chauffeur, one vehicle, your party only, with room for cruise-length luggage and a chauffeur who knows which entrance to use for which terminal.
Whether you are flying into Fort Lauderdale, Miami or Palm Beach, staying on the 17th Street Causeway the night before, or heading straight from home in Boca Raton or Weston, we handle the port end so your vacation starts at the curb rather than at the terminal door.
From the airport to the ship
Most Port Everglades cruisers fly in the same morning, and the drive is short enough that the pickup matters more than the route. Your chauffeur tracks the flight, meets you curbside (or inside at baggage claim with Meet & Greet, by request), and times the drive so you reach the terminal inside your boarding window with a buffer for the checkpoint and the porter line.
| From | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) | about 3 miles | 10–15 minutes |
| Miami International (MIA) | about 29 miles | 45–75 minutes depending on I-95 |
| Palm Beach International (PBI) | about 45 miles | 60–80 minutes |
| Fort Lauderdale Brightline station | about 3 miles | 10–20 minutes |
Port Everglades asks cruisers to allow at least 45 minutes between a flight landing and cruise check-in. We plan for more than that on weekends, when several ships board at once.
Terminal by terminal
Port Everglades has eight cruise terminals spread across the north and south sides of the port, and they are not next to each other. Terminals 2 and 4 sit near the SE 17th Street entrance; Terminals 18 through 29 are deeper in the port off Eller Drive. Give us your ship’s name when you book; our dispatch team matches it to the terminal, and your chauffeur reconfirms the ship with you at pickup so you are dropped at the right terminal’s curb, not a central drop-off.
| Terminal | Typically used by |
|---|---|
| 2 | Princess Cruises |
| 4 | Disney Cruise Line |
| 18 | Royal Caribbean (Oasis- and Icon-class ships) |
| 19 | Holland America Line |
| 21 | Holland America Line, Princess |
| 25 | Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean |
| 26 | Holland America Line |
| 29 | Celebrity, Holland America, Royal Caribbean (shared) |
Assignments change on busy days. The port posts any change on its signage, and your chauffeur reconfirms where your ship is docked from those signs on the way in. Cunard, Viking, Crystal and Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection also sail from Port Everglades and are assigned terminals per sailing.
Three entrances, one plan
The port has three gated entrances: SE 17th Street at Eisenhower Boulevard, State Road 84 at Spangler Boulevard, and I-595 East at Eller Drive. Each has a security checkpoint where everyone 18 and older shows a government-issued photo ID and cruise documents, and vehicles can be searched. Keep your passport or license and your boarding pass in hand, not in a checked bag, so the checkpoint takes seconds.
Your chauffeur will determine which entrance to use based on your terminal and the morning’s traffic: 17th Street for Terminals 2 and 4 and for anyone coming from the beach hotels, Eller Drive for the Terminals 18–29 side and for anyone arriving on I-595.
Embarkation day
Your chauffeur drops you and your luggage at your terminal’s curb, where cruise-line porters take tagged bags straight to the ship. Keep passports, medications, electronics and anything you need before dinner in a carry-on. Most lines hold guests to an assigned boarding window, so we aim to arrive just before yours opens rather than an hour early.
The trip home
Disembarkation is the part cruisers underestimate. Customs and the gangway line can run well past the ship’s listed arrival time, and a chauffeur who arrives at the listed time can end up circling the port. Our dispatch team knows how the port runs and will help you choose a realistic pickup time based on your ship’s scheduled arrival, your debarkation group, and any flight you need to make.
If the port runs seriously late, call our office as soon as you can and we will rearrange the pickup.
Where we pick up
Fort Lauderdale beach and 17th Street Causeway hotels, Las Olas and downtown, Harbor Beach, Hollywood and Dania Beach, Weston, Plantation and the western suburbs, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Palm Beach County, and private aviation at Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) and Boca Raton Airport. Pre-cruise hotel pickups the morning of sailing are our most common Port Everglades booking. For the rest of Broward County, see our Fort Lauderdale car service page.
The right vehicle for cruise luggage
A couple with two large bags rides comfortably in a sedan or SUV. Families and groups with full sets of luggage are placed in a Sprinter or larger vehicle so nothing rides on a lap. Rear-facing, forward-facing and booster seats are available by request for the drive to or from the port. The full lineup is on our fleet page.
Frequently asked questions
How early should we leave for Port Everglades from FLL?
The drive is only 10 to 15 minutes, so the timing is about your flight, not the road. The port recommends at least 45 minutes between landing and check-in; we plan the pickup so you clear baggage claim and reach your terminal inside your boarding window, with extra margin on weekend mornings when several ships board at once.
Which terminal is my ship at?
Your cruise line assigns the terminal and prints it on your boarding documents, usually a few days before sailing. You do not need to track it yourself: give us your ship’s name when you book, our dispatch team matches it to the terminal, and your chauffeur reconfirms the ship with you at pickup. If the port moves your ship on the day, the change is posted on the port’s signage, and your chauffeur reconfirms where your ship is docked from those signs on the way in.
Do we need ID to get into the port?
Yes. Everyone 18 and older shows a government-issued photo ID and cruise documents at the entrance checkpoint, and vehicles may be searched. Keep them in your hand luggage so the stop takes seconds.
Can you pick us up at a hotel the morning of the cruise?
Yes, and it is our most common Port Everglades booking. We pick up at hotels on the 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale beach, Las Olas, downtown, Hollywood and Dania Beach, and anywhere else in South Florida, timed to your boarding window.
Our ship docks at 7am. When should the car be there?
Almost never at 7am. Our dispatch team will help you pick a realistic time based on your debarkation group, whether you are carrying your own bags off, and any flight you need to make. Pickup times are not adjusted automatically, so if customs or the gangway runs seriously late, call our office as soon as you can and we will rearrange the pickup.
How much wait time is included at the port?
Thirty minutes at cruise ports, the same as at airports. After that, wait time is billed in 15-minute increments as described in our Booking Terms.
Will all our luggage fit?
Yes, as long as we know what is coming. Give us an accurate count of passengers and bags when you book, including large suitcases, carry-ons and anything oversized like golf clubs or a stroller, and we assign a vehicle with room for all of it. Families and groups with full sets of bags are placed in a Sprinter or larger vehicle. If the count changes before your trip, let us know so the right vehicle still shows up.
Do you go to PortMiami and the Port of Palm Beach too?
Yes. See our PortMiami car service page, and our cruise transportation page for the Port of Palm Beach and long-distance transfers to Port Canaveral, Port Tampa Bay and JAXPORT.
Do you provide child car seats?
Yes. Rear-facing, forward-facing and booster seats are available by request for an additional fee per seat, so tell us the ages of the children when you book. Chauffeurs do not install seats; you secure the seat yourself at pickup, which takes only a minute.
Ready to book your Port Everglades transfer?
Share your sail date, ship’s name and flight or hotel details and we will build the pickup around them. Book online, call (954) 890-2739, or open a corporate account for your travel team.