Bahamas Cruise from Miami

Routes at a Glance

The routes below come from the lines' own itinerary pages. Fares change daily and are per person, so no cruise price is printed here. PortMiami calls itself the Cruise Capital of the World and welcomed 8,564,225 cruise passengers in its latest fiscal year.

Carnival from Miami

Carnival lists eight ships sailing from Miami: Celebration, Conquest, Firenze, Horizon, Magic, Sunrise, Sunshine and Venezia, using Terminals D, E and F. The Carnival Conquest 3-night route leaves Miami at 3:30 PM, spends day 2 at sea, sits at Celebration Key from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and is back in Miami at 8:00 AM. The Conquest 4-night route adds RelaxAway Half Moon Cay, where the stop runs 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a sea day between the two islands. The Carnival Sunrise 5-night route visits Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay and Nassau, each stop running 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM after one sea day.

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC

Royal Caribbean runs Perfect Day at CocoCay plus Nassau on every route shown here: Wonder of the Seas on 3 nights and Freedom of the Seas on 4 and 5 nights, from Terminal A. Norwegian sails 3-day Bahamas cruises from Miami, for example on Norwegian Joy, calling at Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau, and says nearly all its Bahamas sailings visit Great Stirrup Cay. MSC includes Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve on every one of its Bahamas cruises, on 3- and 4-night sailings from Terminal AA, with overnight stays at Ocean Cay on select 4-night sailings.

Virgin Voyages, Adults Only

Virgin Voyages is adults-only and sails from Terminal V. On Valiant Lady the ship leaves Miami at 5:00 PM, is in Nassau from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on day 2, spends day 3 at sea and is at The Beach Club at Bimini from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM before returning to Miami at 6:30 AM. The second 4-night route, on Brilliant Lady, runs Miami, a sea day, Freeport from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, then The Beach Club at Bimini from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, back in Miami at 6:30 AM.

When to Sail

December to April is the busiest stretch, and Norwegian calls it the best time to cruise from Miami. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the climatological peak about September 10. Nassau highs run from 77F in January to 89F in July and August.

Rain stays under 2 inches a month from January to March, against about 7 inches in September.

What Each Island Includes

The table compares the seven private destinations served from Miami, using each line's own published details. Free entry means the stop itself costs nothing beyond the cruise fare, with extras sold separately.

Celebration Key

Carnival's Celebration Key on Grand Bahama opened on July 19, 2025 with a first ship carrying over 7,000 passengers. It covers over 65 acres with a 1.5-mile stretch of beach and cost $600 million, Carnival's largest investment in an exclusive destination. The site lists over 30 dining and beverage outlets, a 10-story Suncastle waterslide tower and a swim-up bar.

It is open only to Carnival guests on Carnival sailings.

CocoCay and the Royal Beach Club

Entry to Perfect Day at CocoCay is free and unlimited dining at five island food spots is included. The Thrill Waterpark, cabanas, Hideaway Beach day passes, Coco Beach Club access and water sports rentals cost extra, and the walk from the ship to the arrivals plaza takes about 6 minutes with a free pier tram. At Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau, opened December 2025, guests of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity reach the club by free ferry from the cruise port.

Entry needs a paid day pass, free for children 3 and under, sold in the Royal app or at the Shore Excursions desk, and passes are fully refundable if cancelled 48 hours before Nassau arrival.

Half Moon Cay's New Pier

Half Moon Cay on Little San Salvador was rebranded RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay by Carnival and Holland America in December 2024. A new north-side pier opened June 1, 2026 when Carnival Sunrise docked at 8 a.m., ending tendering for Carnival ships. The island now splits into a Carnival north side with a tram and two lunch venues and a Holland America south side.

The Fort Lauderdale Ferry

There is no ferry from PortMiami or anywhere else in Miami. The Bahamas day ferry is the Baleària Caribbean fast ferry from Port Everglades Terminal 21 at 2021 Eller Dr in Fort Lauderdale. Check-in opens at 6:00 a.m., the terminal doors close at 8:00 a.m. and the ferry departs at 9:00 a.m. The ship is the Jaume II, 81 metres long, making 35 knots with room for 655 passengers. A passport is required for every passenger.

The table sets the two islands side by side, with the crossing and time ashore taken from the ferry facts and the tour listings.

Which Ferry Day Trip to Book

Three listings sell the same crossing with different extras. The Bahamas Day Trip by Ferry to Bimini or Grand Bahama is the pick at $299, rated 4.5 from 454 reviews, with pickup included and the island chosen at booking. The Bimini Ferry with Miami Beach Hotel Transfers collects you at a Miami Beach or Downtown hotel and gives about 6 hours on Bimini.

The Bimini Day Trip by Ferry from Fort Lauderdale by Gray Line costs $270, meets at the port in Economy or Business Class and offers free cancellation to 2 days before.

What a Ferry Day Really Feels Like

This is a long day, 15 to 18 hours door to door. Reviewers report waits to board and returns that ran late, one at 8:15 PM instead of 6 PM, so keep the evening open and treat the listed return time as a guide. You clear customs again on the way back into Fort Lauderdale.

On Bimini, a golf cart is the accepted way to see the island, so plan to rent one. Pack light, one free carry-on of 26.5 lb is allowed. One listing's provider suggests a midweek date for shorter waits.

Which Terminal, Which Garage

Every cruise terminal has its own parking, and the rate depends on the garage, so check your terminal letter before you drive. The figures below come from the PortMiami parking page and the Greater Miami tourism guide. Garage A, the Royal Caribbean garage, is priced through the Royal Caribbean site and not on the port rate table.

Getting to the Port

The GPS address is 1015 North America Way, Miami, FL 33132. PortMiami sits 7.1 miles from Miami International Airport, reached over the toll-free Port of Miami Tunnel from I-395 and the MacArthur Causeway. A rideshare from the airport costs roughly $25 to $45.

The only public transit direct to the port is the City of Miami Coral Way Route Trolley, boarded at Government Center Station downtown. From Fort Lauderdale airport, the Brightline train takes about 38 minutes to MiamiCentral, then about 10 minutes by rideshare. For a fixed price door to terminal, book the Miami Private Transfer to the Cruise Port, $70 one way with luggage help and flight monitoring.

Embarkation Day

Typical embarkation runs about 11:00 to 15:30 and disembarkation clears the ship between 07:00 and 10:00. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest embarkation days. The port recommends dropping luggage before parking the car, and there are no storage lockers, so leave anything you cannot carry with the ship or in the trunk.

Porters are tipped about $2 to $5 per checked bag. Pay attention at the garage: the tourism guide says debit cards are not accepted, the port lists cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

The Two Document Rules

For the cruise itself, CBP lets US citizens returning on a closed-loop cruise re-enter with a government photo ID plus an original or copy of a birth certificate, and a passport card is acceptable for entry to the US by sea. But Bahamas Immigration says all persons entering the Bahamas must hold a passport valid at least six months and that passport cards are not accepted. CBP itself warns that a US citizen may still need a passport for the countries a cruise visits, so check with your cruise line.

The Baleària ferry to the Bahamas requires a valid passport for all passengers with no birth-certificate alternative. US lawful permanent residents present a valid Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) for US re-entry and should check Bahamian requirements for entry.

Gratuities by Line

Every major line adds a per-person service charge to your onboard account, and the rates differ enough to matter on a short cruise. The figures below come from each line's own gratuity pages.

Money and Time

The Bahamian dollar equals the US dollar and both are accepted interchangeably, so you need no currency exchange. The Bahamas observes Eastern Time and follows daylight saving, so clocks stay on Miami time. The Bahamas departure tax for cruise passengers leaving by sea is $23.00, and Customs says commercial carriers usually include it in the fare.

Each Port at a Glance

Nassau ships dock at Prince George Wharf on Bay Street, reopened in 2023 after a $300 million rebuild and holding six ships at once. Freeport is an industrial harbour about 5 miles from Port Lucaya with nothing in walking distance. Bimini ships dock at the Resorts World berth on North Bimini with no tender.

Swimming Pigs, Exuma or a Food Walk

The three big Nassau bookings differ in price, hours and start point. The Nassau Swimming Pigs, Reef Snorkel and Turtles by Powerboat costs $245, runs 4 hours with three stops and boards at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville on Paradise Island. The Rose Island Pig Beach and Private Beach Club costs $129, also 4 hours, with a 30-minute boat ride each way from the Señor Frogs dock and pickup as an option.

The Exuma Powerboat Day Trip from Nassau is the big one at $328.90 and 9 hours, check-in 8:45 AM at the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal, so it only fits the longest Nassau days. Cheaper land options stay near the pier: the Nassau Food and Walking Tour at $99 for 3 hours meets on Parliament Street, the Nassau Electric Trolley Culture Tour at $55 for 2.5 hours meets at the Straw Market, and the Nassau Island Highlights Sightseeing Tour at $80 for 2.5 hours leaves at 9:30 AM from just outside the port gate.

Back on Board in Time

Nassau port days on the Miami itineraries run about 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Allow 5 to 15 minutes for the pier walk depending on your berth before you plan anything. Taxis in Nassau are unmetered, so agree the fare with the driver before boarding.

Two Days

Day one is a day in Miami before the ship, day two is the sailing, or the whole pair becomes one night on Bimini by ferry. The overnight only works because the ferry sails again on its next operating day, so you arrive on one sailing and return on the next. A same-day return already gives about 7 hours ashore, and the overnight adds a full island day.

The detailed plan is on 2-day trip from Miami.

Three Days

The land version is a day in Miami, the Everglades at $35 per car for 7 days and a Bahamas ferry day at $270 to $299 for the tour listings. The sea version is a 3-night cruise from Miami, such as Carnival Conquest calling only at Celebration Key or Wonder of the Seas calling at Perfect Day CocoCay and Nassau. The full plan is on 3-day trip from Miami.