Key Aspects:
- Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale is urging guests to be aware of heavy traffic for the holiday weekend.
- A total of 21 cruise ships will homeport from Fort Lauderdale in just a few days.
- Saturday will be the busiest day with 7 ships and 54,000 guests or more moving through the port.
It’s no surprise that traffic will be heavy around the Thanksgiving holiday, but many people think of that only with respect to driving to a relative’s home or heading to the airport. What about cruise ports?
Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has posted an alert to raise awareness of traffic concerns that can make arriving at the cruise port more challenging than guests may realize.
“With the influx of cruise guests traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday, port users and visitors should expect traffic delays. Motorists are encouraged to allow for additional drive time until December 1st,” the alert explained.
From Wednesday, November 26, through Sunday, November 30, there are 21 cruise ships that will be making their way through Port Everglades.
While Wednesday isn’t too busy with just Viking Mars and Disney Dream in port, the weekend will get much more hectic. No ships are actually homeporting on Thanksgiving Day, but traffic picks up significantly for the holiday weekend.
On Friday, November 28, six different ships from five different cruise lines will be passing through Port Everglades:
- Holland America Line’s Rotterdam is beginning a 21-night Southern Caribbean ABC cruise
- Disney Destiny is welcoming guests for a 5-night Bahamas Disney Vacation Club sailing
- Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas both for 3-night Bahamas cruises
- Celebrity Reflection is beginning a 3-night Key West and Bahamas voyage
- Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity is setting off on a 9-night one-way sailing to Barbados
When all six vessels are combined, there may be more than 38,500 cruise passengers passing through Port Everglades on Black Friday.
Saturday, November 29 is even busier, with seven vessels in port representing fantastic vacations from four cruise lines:
- The brand new Star Princess is setting off on a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary
- Oasis of the Seas is beginning an 8-night Southern Caribbean voyage
- Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam are offering 7- and 10-night Caribbean itineraries, respectively
- Celebrity Summit is offering a 5-night Bahamas getaway
- Celebrity Silhouette is beginning an 8-night Southern Caribbean ABC itinerary
- Caribbean Princess is starting a 12-night Costa Rica and Panama Canal journey
With the size of these vessels, the passenger numbers are even higher with more than 54,000 guests either returning from cruises or setting sail on their vacations.
Sunday, November 30, is slightly less frenetic with “only” six ships from four cruise lines in port.
- Eurodam is beginning a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary
- Sun Princess and Majestic Princess are offering 7-night Eastern and 6-night Western Caribbean sailings, respectively
- Allure of the Seas is beginning a 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary
- Celebrity Xcel is setting off on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, while Celebrity Eclipse begins a 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary
Still, there will likely be more than 46,000 guests moving through Port Everglades on Sunday as Thanksgiving holiday traffic winds down.
Of course, arranging ride shares, taxis, or shuttles can help ease some of the anticipated weekend congestion, but travelers should still plan for extra time to reach the cruise port at the appropriate time.
Port Everglades Urges Preparation
All of this extensive cruise traffic will likely cause congestion to and from the port, including at parking facilities.
Port Everglades is urging travelers to allot extra time for their drive to ensure they reach their respective cruise terminals on time. Furthermore, guests are encouraged to have their necessary paperwork in hand as they reach the cruise port to minimize holdups.
“To expedite access into the port, have photo IDs and cruise confirmations ready when approaching the security checkpoints,” the notification said.
Guests should avoid having those critical documents in any bags, as they will need to show their paperwork to security guards in order to enter the cruise port.
Above all, travelers should be patient with any congestion or bottlenecks as they arrive for their cruise vacations. While these busy days at the homeport will undoubtedly cause stress, the wonderful sun and beaches of the Caribbean await travelers!
