First Time Port Everglades

[Msprxy]

We sailed the Wish twice last year and then the Dream in January. We enjoyed the Dream so much more! Port Everglades was an easy in and out after the cruise for us, but I added a few call-outs below on the port.

Port Everglades:

• The drive from Orlando took 3.5 hours without stopping for us. We did not have any traffic delays, but we were fortunate. Recommend giving yourself 4 hours if traveling from Orlando.
• We read not to arrive before your port arrival time. We were around 15 minutes early once we parked and got worried as we saw many people lined up in the garage. They must have had later port arrival times as once we up to the employee, we were let in.
• You will receive a ticket to pay for parking. Bring this with you. The kiosk to pay is right by the elevators, so you can pay after your cruise and before going back on the elevator to your car.
• Inside the check-in went pretty quick. We were given the option to take a photo or walk directly on.
• On the way out of the port to leave, we had to show our passports (or DL if you did not have a passport) for everyone over 18 in the car so don't put your passports into the trunk!

Everyone was very nice and it was the quickest debarkation we ever had as we express walked off with our luggage (around 7:20am). Great benefit of having your passport is the facial recognition instead of having customs check your documents.

 

[hrhdhd]

Wondering about your last bullet: you shouldn't have had to show your passport on the way out. Did you turn south on Eisenhower rather than north? That would have put you going further into the port, rather than exiting directly, so you'd pass a security checkpoint.

 

[Msprxy]

We wondered the same thing as it seemed odd. We may have gone the wrong way, but we followed the signs out and it was the same way we came in. We passed by the ship again, so there was that last goodbye at least.

 

[Dug720]

Wondering about your last bullet: you shouldn't have had to show your passport on the way out. Did you turn south on Eisenhower rather than north? That would have put you going further into the port, rather than exiting directly, so you'd pass a security checkpoint.

I've seen that on the Celebrity board on Cruise Critic as well. Seems randomly they are checking on the way out as well.

 

[hrhdhd]

I've seen that on the Celebrity board on Cruise Critic as well. Seems randomly they are checking on the way out as well.

That would require the security booth to be positioned in the exit lanes, and I haven't seen that. Could be new, but in dozens of cruises from there and leaving in private cars, taxis, and Ubers, it's never happened.

 

[Dug720]

That would require the security booth to be positioned in the exit lanes, and I haven't seen that. Could be new, but in dozens of cruises from there and leaving in private cars, taxis, and Ubers, it's never happened.

It's not an every-time thing, but it does happen on occasion more recently.