Guests sailing on select Royal Caribbean voyages from PortMiami are receiving letters offering free airport transfers on debarkation day. While this does not apply to embarking guests, it can help ensure smoother traffic and fewer backups on the busiest homeport days.
Two ships have so far offered this amazing deal to guests: Icon of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas. Icon of the Seas is currently the largest passenger ship in the world, while Symphony of the Seas comes in as the fourth largest when vessels are measured by gross tonnage.
It appears that Royal Caribbean is only offering the complimentary airport transfers on expected high traffic days, and therefore not every sailing will have the same benefit.
For example, guests booked on Icon of the Seas‘ March 15, 2025 sailing have received the offer. This does not affect transfers on embarkation day, but rather applies to March 22, when the massive ship returns from her 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary.
On that day, PortMiami will be hosting seven different homeported ships. In addition to Icon of the Seas, ships from Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line will also be both embarking and debarking guests. In total, more than 54,000 passengers may be moving through PortMiami on March 22.
“Since we’re expecting heavier traffic than usual on debarkation day, we’re now offering complimentary transfers,” the email notification said. “Because you’ve already booked and paid for your return trip to the airport, we’ll be refunding your reservation and rebooking you on a complimentary shuttle back to the airport on debarkation day.”
Refunds will be processed back to guests’ original form of payment within 14 business days, but different financial institutions may have different processing times.
The rebooking to a complimentary shuttle, as well as the refund, will be automatic and impacted guests do not need to make any special arrangements.
Guests who have not already booked and paid for post-cruise airport transfers are also receiving the offer on affected days.
“We’d like to offer you a complimentary transfer to either Miami International or Fort Lauderdale airport after your cruise,” the email to guests booked on Symphony of the Seas read. “All you have to do is log into your Cruise Planner account and make a reservation.”
It must be noted that space is limited on the free transfers and is only available on a first come, first served basis. Furthermore, this service is not likely to be offered on every cruise, but will be announced shortly before embarkation if it will apply.
To further ease traffic congestion, Royal Caribbean is also suggesting that guests take advantage of their Self-Assist Departure option for debarkation. With this option, guests carry off all their luggage and are able to depart the ship as soon as customs and immigration has cleared the vessel.
By leaving the ship first, guests can depart the cruise terminal – both Icon of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas dock at Terminal A – more quickly, clearing the way for arriving passengers.
More Traffic Difficulties
The cruise traffic to PortMiami can certainly be extreme – in March 2025, five different days feature 7+ ships at once, and seven additional days have six cruise ships docked at once.
The busiest day is likely to be Sunday, March 30, when a total of nine different ships are scheduled to be in port: Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas; Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady; Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Escape; MSC Cruises MSC Seaside; and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Spirit, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Celebration.
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When all guests from those ships are combined for both debarkation and embarkation, as many as 76,000 or more travelers will be moving through PortMiami that day.
Furthermore, events like the recent 305 Half Marathon, music and art festivals, and the Miami Marathon bring even more visitors to downtown Miami, creating road closures and additional traffic difficulties near the port area.
Hopefully the offer of complimentary airport transfers will help alleviate some of the crowding and traffic, letting all cruise guests end their vacations smoothly and comfortably, refreshed, relaxed, and ready to set sail again.
