Carnival Cruise Line has contacted guests booked on weekend sailings from PortMiami to alert them about potentially heavy traffic in downtown Miami due to the Ultra Music Festival, taking place from March 24-26.
This can potentially impact a number of Carnival cruises over the weekend, as well as other cruise lines sailing from Miami during the festival dates.
Heavy Traffic Expected
Guests sailing on Carnival ships from PortMiami this weekend may see significant traffic congestion through the downtown area, and the cruise line has reached out via email to alert travelers about the potential difficulties.
“While you prepare for your cruise, we’d like to inform you that the City of Miami will be hosting Ultra Music Festival in the downtown area from Friday, March 24 through Sunday, March 26, 2023,” the email explained. “As a result, there will be numerous street closures and heavier than normal traffic in and around the city.”
Guests are urged to allow ample time to commute to the cruise terminal so as to arrive within their pre-selected arrival windows, as redirected traffic, congestion, and road closures will likely cause delays.
If driving, Carnival suggests guests use the PortMiami tunnel to avoid the downtown area. Guests using rideshare services might also suggest that route to their drivers for the most efficient service.
Travelers who have purchased airport transfers from Carnival Cruise Line will be contacted individually, as their transfer times may also be affected by the excess traffic. “We will remain in close contact with our transportation provider throughout embarkation day,” the email said.
Impacted Ships
With PortMiami the second busiest passenger cruise port in the world, multiple Carnival ships will likely be impacted by the increased traffic through the festival weekend.
While only Carnival Conquest will be in PortMiami when the festival opens on Friday, March 24, Saturday and Sunday are both busier days. Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Spirit are both docked on Saturday, while Carnival Horizon and the cruise line’s newest ship, Carnival Celebration, will be in port on Sunday, March 25.
In addition to Carnival ships, vessels from Royal Caribbean International, MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Seabourn are also scheduled throughout the weekend.
Sunday will likely be the most challenging day for port traffic, as eight different cruise ships will be in port, including the Oasis-class Oasis of the Seas and Carnival Celebration, as well as Norwegian Encore, the largest ship by gross tonnage in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet.
Options to Avoid Traffic
Cruise travelers can use several options to avoid the worst of the Miami traffic during the festival weekend.
Taking shuttle services, public transportation, or carpooling with other cruise guests can help minimize traffic, or guests can adjust their route for arriving to the cruise port to avoid the worst congestion. Extra time will be necessary to navigate through road closures and account for traffic delays as well.
To make arriving at the port as easy as possible, travelers should check which terminal their ship will be docked at before arriving at the port, so they can better adjust which traffic lanes to use and learn which parking structures or lots are most convenient.
It is important to note, however, that ships do not always return to the same terminal at the end of a cruise that they may have used for embarkation.
Above all, it will be critical for guests to be patient with the traffic difficulties, and not take out frustrations on either port personnel or cruise ship crew members. While the arrival may be more challenging, guests are sure to still have a fabulous cruise vacation to enjoy!
About the Festival
The Ultra Music Festival is an outdoor electronic music festival that began in 1999. The event is held annually in Bayfront Park, just at the base of Port Boulevard in downtown Miami and less than a mile from the cruise terminals.
The three-day festival drew 165,000 total attendees in 2022, and along with the bands themselves – typically more than 100 groups or performers throughout the event – as well as vendors and service personnel, can bring significant crowds to downtown Miami.
The festival has been so successful that international festivals have also been debuted, and the event has been nominated for numerous awards, and won for “Best Festival” from the International Dance Music Awards in 2018.
