Cruises from Miami are a favorite travel destination for wealthy tourists. After all, this American city is one of the largest ports in the world. Most cruise companies of the globe are based here. Travels on liners are carried out all year round. The assortment that various operators offer is huge. Here you can buy vouchers for a short swim for three to four days, or you can gamble for two, or even three weeks. The main destinations of such cruises are flights to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Some programs include a visit to the Mexican coast. In this article, we will consider the main routes that cruises from Miami offer tourists, calculate their cost and analyze what experienced travelers say about them.
Ports of Miami. Major companies
More than four million tourists make cruises from Miami every year. Keep in mind that in this resort area there are two main ports where passenger liners depart from. One of them is called Miami, and the second is Fort Lauderdale. These resort towns have practically merged. Statistics tell us that these two ports accept and send more travelers than all the other harbors in the world. Of the reliable and reputable cruise companies, Celebrity, Norwegian Epic, Carnival, Holland America Line have earned good feedback. But according to the popularity rating among travelers, Royal Caribbean is one of the first places. It is believed that they have the best cruises from Miami and the most comfortable liners on the planet.
How to get on a cruise
In order to understand what sea cruises from Miami are, you first need to come to the United States of America. And for this you will have to apply for a visa in the USA. You can do this in Moscow or Yekaterinburg. If you have not had an American visa, you will need to go to the consulate for an interview. Have you already received a tourist permit to enter the United States and fifty-seven months have not passed since it was issued? Then you can simply send all the necessary documents by mail. In addition, you need to choose a cruise company that suits your budget and plan and purchase a ticket. And, of course, buy tickets to Miami Airport. It is located in Florida, one of the southern states of the USA. There are certain difficulties in getting from the airport to the place from where the cruise ships depart. It is very difficult to get there by public transport, especially if you are with luggage. The shuttle from the cruise company is incredibly expensive. Tourists advise to book a transfer to the port in advance or take a taxi if you are several people. The trip will cost you about forty dollars.
What are the liners
The ships on which cruise flights are carried out are different. They differ from each other both in class and in size and comfort. The average capacity of a cruise ship is about three thousand people. Travel giants such as the Oasis (pictured below) can take on board 5,000 passengers.
As a rule, the larger the liners, the more comfortable they are. Such ships as Freedom or Voyager deserved excellent reviews. These are real wonders of technology and architecture worth a billion dollars. Some ships have whole boardwalks with shops, bars and shopping centers, parks and walking alleys. There are night clubs, discos and entertainment for children. On almost all liners, one of the decks is reserved for a complex of pools, and sometimes even for entire water parks. The service is everywhere about the same high class.
What are the cruises
There are a lot of destinations where luxury ships sail, as if descended from the covers of glamorous magazines. This is not only the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico, but also Costa Rica, and Barbados, and Jamaica. Sea cruises from Miami are very diverse. You can go on a twenty-day trip across South America. There are programs that include a trip to New York or Los Angeles. There are even offers with a visit to Europe. As a rule, these are the countries of the Mediterranean basin - Spain, Italy, Greece, with calls to Turkish ports.
The Caribbean
One of the most popular destinations are exotic islands. Caribbean cruise from Miami is the most sought after route. The trip can last from four to twenty days, while the ports of call of the liner will never be repeated. Most often, tourists choose the Western Caribbean. This is a tour of attractions such as the Grand Cayman, the Mexican Costa Maya and Cozumel. An eight-day trip along the eastern coast includes a visit to the islands of St. Thomas, St. Martin, the states of Turk and Caicos. Some programs include landing in such interesting places as Amber Bay, Curacao, Grenada, Belize, Bonaire. Travel companies from Miami to the Caribbean often combine travel with visits to other countries - Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Antilles, and Colombia. Such sailing on liners on tropical seas during the New Year and Christmas period is very popular. But in winter, the path lies mainly to the South Caribbean; there it is not so stormy.
Bahamas
These trips are designed for short periods of time: four to five days. Cruises from Miami to the Bahamas are most often organized with a visit to the port of Nassau (this is the capital of the islands), Coco Cay and the southernmost point of the United States - Cay West. In some places there are no large marinas for huge liners, so ships moor far from the pier, and a small boat carries tourists to the shore. Cruises from Miami to the Bahamas are designed for simple programs. This is swimming in the turquoise water on Coco Cay, sunbathing on snow-white beaches, relaxation to the sound of tropical palm trees, concerts and live music, as well as dinners with drinks in the open air. In Nassau, tourists simply have free time - walking around the city, visiting the once formidable Fort Charlotte, shopping. If such cruises are combined with visits to other islands of the Caribbean coast, then they last longer and cost more. Travel to the Bahamas is available year round.
Miami to Mexico Cruises
These routes are most often combined with travels in the Western Caribbean. Since the ships depart from the east coast of the United States, the excursion program in Mexico is mainly limited to visiting the islands of Cozumel and Costa Mayi. Tourists can go on additional excursions to the ancient cities of disappeared civilizations on the Yucatan Peninsula or ride jeeps on the savannahs. But the Costa Maya coastline itself with its lively coral reef, blue lagoons and secluded beaches is very captivating and really resembles paradise. Fans of archeology, snorkeling, diving and watching colorful fish will love the island of Cozumel. There is also a cemetery for dead ships.
How much and when to buy tickets
The average cost of cruises is between 600-700 dollars. This is the price for a seven- or ten-day cruise. If the program is more saturated, with calls to different countries and seas, or the trip lasts from 11 to 20 days, then the cost can start from 1000-1100 euros per person. This price includes, as a rule, accommodation in the cabin (the cheapest thing you will pay for the interior without a window), full board, tea and coffee, entertainment on board, as well as port charges. Sometimes the price includes a basic excursion package and accommodation at the hotel, if the cruise includes accommodation on land. Some travelers claim that closer to the month of October, cruise companies usually have good discounts. Others, on the contrary, advise to book seats ahead of time, despite the season, because stocks to lower prices can be held suddenly, and the discount is impressive: up to 400-500 dollars. Experienced tourists are advised to check out the Lastminutkruises website. But how many people, so many opinions. If you guess when exactly the cheapest tickets will be, it’s almost impossible, experienced travelers advise buying tickets for cruises from Miami at least a month in advance. It happens that flights on such ships, especially on holidays, large international companies snapped up for corporate parties. An interesting detail: if you bought a ticket for a cruise, and then the company reduced the price for it, then the difference will be returned to your account.
Miami Cruise Reviews
Many tourists advise to spend at least some time at this American resort before or after a walk on the liner. No wonder it is called the American Venice. Or at least visit his nightclubs. Reviews of the cruises themselves are more than enthusiastic. As a rule, traveling like this is a lot of fun. Many young people, and almost all tourists speak English. Travelers were divided over what to choose a cruise on a liner from Miami. Some believe that you should give preference to huge liners, the very stay on which simply means getting into a fairy tale. Others, paying tribute to the theaters, restaurants and other entertainments available on ships of large companies, complain that thousands of people are there at the same time, and therefore either have to stand in long lines, or sign up for everything in advance.