Guests setting sail on the February 2, 2025 departures of Carnival Celebration and Carnival Magic have received an email notification that there may be some traffic congestion and street closures as they head to the cruise terminal in Miami on Sunday.
The Miami Marathon will be run that day, with the route passing close to the Port of Miami. While this is not causing a direct delay in either ship’s departure, it can impact how cruise passengers reach their cruise terminal.
“Miami will be hosting the Miami Marathon on the day of your embarkation,” the email said. “The marathon’s route will pass near the Port of Miami, resulting in some street closures and heavier than normal traffic in some areas.”
The starting point for both the full marathon and the accompanying half marathon is at the Kaseya Center arena on Biscayne Boulevard, while the finish line is at Bayfront Park.
The race starts with staggered times beginning at 6 a.m. and the finish line will remain open until 2 p.m. Winning runners typically have times between 2 hours and 2 hours, 30 minutes, but of course participants have a wide range of finish times.
More than 15,000 runners are expected to participate. There will also be medical personnel, volunteers, vendors, spectators, and officials coordinating the event along the way.
Because the race’s course crosses through downtown Miami as well as along the MacArthur Causeway alongside the Port of Miami, traffic in the area can be challenging on race day.
Carnival is urging passengers to consider extra time as they make their way to the cruise port, as well as checking traffic as they get close to the area to ensure they can avoid any road closures. Planning alternate routes can be helpful as well.
If guests have arranged transfer services through Carnival Cruise Line, those transfer times may be impacted but travelers will be notified if necessary.
“We are working closely with our transportation provider to offset any potential delays,” the notification said.
The cruise line’s official Brand Ambassador, John Heald, also shared the marathon information as a reminder to incoming guests.
“This is a yearly event so do not worry too much but do give yourself enough time to get to the ship and for your fun to begin,” he said.
To be clear, there is no expected delay to either ship’s departure. Carnival Celebration will be beginning a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary visiting Amber Cove, San Juan, and St. Thomas, while Carnival Magic will be starting a 6-night Eastern Caribbean cruise to Amber Cove, Grand Turk, and Princess Cays.
Other Ships Likely Impacted
In addition to the two Carnival ships, four other cruise ships from four other cruise lines are also homeporting from PortMiami on February 2.
Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore, and MSC Cruises’ MSC Seaside are also all in port that day.
Guests onboard any of the ships may see increased travel times to the port, and guests debarking from all six vessels may likewise encounter delays as they leave their ships and exit the parking areas.
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In addition to allowing extra time to drive to the cruise terminals that day, guests who have arranged for rideshare services or other transportation may want to adjust their pickup times accordingly.
It is not uncommon for local events to cause traffic concerns for cruise terminals. In Tampa, the annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest can create delays, while at Port Canaveral, regular rocket launches can increase traffic and impact cruise travelers.