Cruises from Miami are a favorite type of travel for we althy tourists. After all, this American city is one of the largest ports in the world. Most cruise lines in the world are based here. Travel on liners are carried out all year round. The range offered by various operators is huge. Here you can buy vouchers for a short swim for three or four days, or you can posh for two or even three weeks. The main directions of such cruises are flights to the Bahamas and Caribbean Islands. Some programs include visiting the Mexican coast. In this article, we will look at the main routes that cruises from Miami offer tourists, calculate their cost and analyze what experienced travelers say about them.
Ports of Miami. Major Companies
Every year, more than four million tourists cruise from Miami. Also keep in mind that inThis resort area has two main ports from where passenger liners depart. One of them is called Miami, and the second is Fort Lauderdale. These resort towns have practically merged. Statistics tell us that these two ports receive and send more travelers than any other harbor in the world. Of the reliable and reputable cruise companies, Celebrity, Norwegian Epic, Carnival, Holland America Line deserved good responses. But in terms of popularity among travelers, one of the first places is occupied by Royal Caribbean. They are considered to have the best cruises from Miami and the most comfortable ships on the planet.
How to get on the cruise
In order to understand what sea cruises from Miami are, you must first come to the United States of America. And for this you will need to apply for a visa to the United States. You can do this in Moscow or Yekaterinburg. If you have not yet had a US visa, you will need to go to the consulate for an interview. Have you already received a tourist permit to enter the United States and it has not been fifty-seven months since it was issued? Then you can simply send all the necessary documents by mail. In addition, you need to choose a cruise company that suits your budget and plan and purchase a ticket. And, of course, buy tickets to the Miami airport. It is located in Florida, one of the southern states of the USA. There are certain difficulties in getting from the airport to the place where cruise ships depart from. Getting there by public transport is very difficult, especially ifyou with luggage. A shuttle from a cruise company is incredibly expensive. Tourists are advised to pre-order a transfer to the port or take a taxi if there are several people. The trip will cost you approximately $40.
What are the liners
Ships on which cruise flights are carried out are different. They differ from each other both in class and in size and comfort. The average capacity of a cruise liner is about three thousand people. Travel giants like the Oasis (pictured below) can carry 5,000 passengers as well.
As a rule, the larger the liners, the more comfortable they are. Ships such as Freedom or Voyager deserve excellent reviews. These are real miracles of technology and architecture worth a billion dollars. Some ships have entire promenades with shops, bars and shopping malls, parks and promenades. There are night clubs, discos and entertainment for children. On almost all liners, one of the decks is reserved for a pool complex, and sometimes even for entire water parks. Service everywhere is about the same high class.
What are cruises
There are a lot of destinations where luxurious ships sail, as if descended from the covers of glamorous magazines. This is not only the Caribbean, the Bahamas or Mexico, but also Costa Rica, and Barbados, and Jamaica. Sea cruises from Miami are very diverse. You can go on a twenty-day trip throughout South America. There are programs that include a trip to New York or Los Angeles. There are even offers with a visitEurope. As a rule, these are the countries of the Mediterranean basin - Spain, Italy, Greece, with calls to Turkish ports.
Caribbean
One of the most popular destinations are exotic islands. The Caribbean cruise from Miami is the most requested itinerary. The journey can last from four to twenty days, while the ports of call of the liner will never be repeated. Most often, tourists choose the Western Caribbean. This is an inspection of such sights as the Grand Cayman, the Mexican coast of Costa Maya and Cozumel. The eight-day trip along the east coast includes visiting the islands of St. Thomas, St. Maarten, the states of Turk and Caicos. Some programs include landings in such interesting places as Amber Bay, Curaçao, Grenada, Belize, Bonaire. Travel companies often combine a Caribbean cruise from Miami with a visit to other countries - Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Antilles, Colombia. Such voyages on liners in tropical seas during the New Year and Christmas period are very popular. But in winter, the path lies mainly to the South Caribbean, it is not so stormy there.
Bahamas
These trips are designed for short periods of time: four to five days. Cruises from Miami to the Bahamas are most often organized with a visit to the port of Nassau (this is the capital of the islands), Coco Cay and the southernmost point of the United States - Key West. In some places there are no large marinas for huge liners, so ships moorfar from the pier, and tourists are carried ashore by a small boat. Cruises from Miami to the Bahamas are designed for simple programs. This is swimming in the turquoise water of Coco Cay, sunbathing on the white sandy beaches, relaxing under the sound of tropical palm trees, concerts and live music, as well as lunches with drinks in the open air. In Nassau, tourists just have free time - walking around the city, visiting the once formidable Fort Charlotte, shopping. If such cruises are combined with visits to other Caribbean islands, they last longer and cost more. Travel to the Bahamas is available all year round.
Cruises from Miami to Mexico
These routes are most often combined with travel in the Western Caribbean. Since the liners depart from the east coast of the United States, the excursion program in Mexico is mainly limited to visiting the island of Cozumel and Costa Maya. Tourists can go on additional excursions to the ancient cities of disappeared civilizations on the Yucatan Peninsula or ride a jeep through the savannahs. But the very coast of Costa Maya with a living coral reef, blue lagoons and secluded beaches is very captivating and really resembles paradise. Fans of archeology, snorkeling, diving and watching colorful fish will love the island of Cozumel. There is also a graveyard of lost ships.
How much and when to buy tickets
The average cost of cruises is between 600-700 dollars. This is the price for a seven or ten day cruise. Ifthe program is more intense, with calls to different countries and seas, or the trip lasts from 11 to 20 days, then the cost can start from 1000-1100 euros per person. This price includes, as a rule, accommodation in a cabin (the cheapest you will pay for an interior without a window), full meals, tea and coffee, entertainment programs on board, and port taxes. Sometimes the price includes a basic excursion package and hotel accommodation if the cruise also includes accommodation on land. Some travelers claim that closer to the month of October, cruise companies usually have good discounts. Others, on the contrary, advise booking seats ahead of time, despite the season, because price reduction campaigns can be carried out suddenly, and the discount is impressive: up to $400-500. Experienced tourists are advised to look at the site "Lastminute cruises". But how many people, so many opinions. If you guess exactly when the cheapest tours will be, it is almost impossible, experienced travelers are advised to buy tickets for cruises from Miami at least a month in advance. It happens that flights on such ships, especially on holidays, are bought up by large international companies for corporate parties. An interesting detail: if you bought a ticket for a cruise, and then the company reduced the price for it, then the difference will be returned to your account.
Miami cruise reviews
Many tourists advise to spend at least some time in this American resort before or after a walk on the liner. No wonder it is called the American Venice. Or at least visitin his nightclubs. Reviews about the cruises themselves are more than enthusiastic. As a rule, such trips are a lot of fun. There are many young people, and almost all tourists speak English. Travelers are divided over which cruise ship to choose from Miami. Some believe that preference should be given to huge liners, the very stay on which means simply getting into a fairy tale. Others, while paying tribute to theaters, restaurants and other entertainment available on the ships of large companies, complain that there are thousands of people there at the same time, and therefore you either have to stand in huge lines or sign up for everything in advance.