Key Aspects:
- Seven cruise ships will be in Port Everglades on Friday, November 7, and traffic congestion is expected.
- Embarking guests should plan extra time to reach their designated cruise terminal.
- The port will be welcoming three new ships this month: Celebrity Xcel, Star Princess, and Disney Destiny.
Guests looking forward to setting sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, November 7, 2025 will want to plan extra time to and from the cruise terminals that day. The growing port will be hosting seven cruise ships, making traffic, parking, and terminal operations more congested than usual.
The cruise port has placed a notice on its official website to alert upcoming guests who may be checking for parking information or other details ahead of their embarkation.
“Cruise guests, port users and tenants can expect increased traffic congestion throughout the port on Friday, November 7, due to seven cruise ships in port,” the notice reads. “Motorists should allow for additional drive time.”
Travelers are urged to use all three of the cruise port entrances to facilitate traffic flow. Those entrances are as follows:
- SE 17th St. and Eisenhower Blvd. – Adjacent to the Broward County Convention Center and closest to Terminal 2
- US 1/Federal Ave. and Spangler Blvd. – Also called SR 84, south of Terminal 2 between berths 7 and 9
- I-595 and McIntosh Rd. – Just north of the airport and at the south end of the port closest to Terminal 26
Savvy guests should map their routes accordingly to be sure they use the entrance closest to their designated cruise terminal. This will help minimize congestion and frustration and ensure that guests are able to arrive in a timely fashion.
Nevertheless, it is still a wise precaution to add extra time for the anticipated drive to the cruise port, just in case of additional traffic snarls, blocked roads, or accidents. This is also true if using ride share services, taxis, or shuttles to the port.
The seven ships visiting Port Everglades on Friday represent four cruise lines: Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises.
Princess Cruises’ Island Princess and Caribbean Princess are both offering longer 14- and 10-night Caribbean sailings, respectively. Island Princess‘ November 7 departure is a unique “Circle Caribbean” voyage that is the ship’s first departure of the season from her south Florida homeport.
Star Princess, in the meantime, will be departing on her maiden Caribbean voyage, a 3-night weekend cruise to Princess Cays. This exciting sailing will follow the November 6 christening of the second Sphere-class ship.
Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas are also setting sail on 3-night cruises on Friday. Liberty of the Seas will be visiting Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, while Radiance of the Seas will be spending time in Bimini and Nassau.
Holland America Line’s Rotterdam will begin a 9-night southern Caribbean “ABC” cruise on Friday with visits to Curacao, Bonaire, and Aruba (okay, reverse ABC), as well as RelaxAway Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, before the ship returns to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, November 16.
Celebrity Xcel, while she will be in port during the busy day, is not quite welcoming guests as yet. The new ship will begin a preview sailing on Sunday, November 9, but is still taking on crew members and supplies in preparation for her official debut in the coming days. Her naming ceremony will be on November 16.
Busy Day for a Busy Port
Port Everglades has just released fantastic figures for the year’s cruising, having welcomed more than 4.7 million guests during Fiscal Year 2025 (from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025).
“Cruising is more popular than ever, and the cruise lines are exceeding guest expectations every time a new ship comes into the marketplace,” said Joseph Morris, Port Everglades CEO and Port Director.
Read Also: Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port – Piers, Amenities, and Getting Around
The port is poised to welcome three new homeporting ships in the coming weeks. In addition to Celebrity Xcel and Star Princess who are already in position to begin sailing, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Destiny will also be homeporting from Port Everglades beginning November 20.
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Disney Destiny has already arrived in Florida but is currently at Port Canaveral, taking on supplies and cast members in preparation for her maiden voyage. She is scheduled to be named on Monday, November 10, a final step before officially setting sail with guests the next week.
While this month is certainly busy for Port Everglades, the port has no plans on slowing down. Next November will be especially momentous as Legend of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s third Icon-class ship, will begin homeporting from Fort Lauderdale, bringing even more options to eager cruise guests.
