Mother of all Cruise ports, Miami, Florida

Normally when I get first-time customers who like to go on a cruise, Miami has to be one of the ports of call. The general impression is that all cruises more or less have Miami as starting location. Maybe that was true for the Caribbean cruises a long time ago, but certainly not anymore.
But, Miami has great infrastructure for cruises, so there is nothing against selecting Miami as your cruise destination (and extend your stay for a few days at the beaches in Florida or the “fun parks” in Orlando.
Miami and Miami Beach are actually two distinctly different cities. Miami Beach, located on the outer bank is almost exclusively tourist orientated, and consists mainly of hotels and vacation apartments. Miami, located on the mainland, is a cosmopolitan city with a distinctly Latin American flavor.

The Art Deco district of Miami Beach occupies a compact one-square mile area roughly between Lincoln Road, Sixth Street, Ocean Drive and Alton Road. It is a showcase for this early twentieth century art movement and contains dozens of restored buildings with that characteristic architecture.

The South Beach section, where fashion designer Gianni Versace lived and died, is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the world.

Both Miami and Miami Beach offer many excellent restaurants with a diverse selection of cuisine. Fresh seafood is the local specialty. Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant is a very popular Miami Beach landmark known for its large portions of excellent food. Wherever you eat, be sure to try some Key Lime Pie, a famous Florida dessert.
Florida Keys Dive Center, a quality PADI 5-Star Dive Center offers the finest diving expeditions in the Keys. Their boats offer something for everyone. You can explore the first underwater national park at Coral Reef State Park, brave the world famous Alligator Reef, or dive to wreck sites rated in the top five by Rodale’s Scuba Diving magazine.

There are two large National Parks near Miami.
The Everglades National Park is the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the USA. It has more than 1.5 million acres of natural habitat with over half of it under water. The main entrance is reached via Florida City south of Miami. It is open all seasons.

Biscayne National Park is also reached by traveling south through Homestead. It consists mainly of unspoiled coastline, islands, crystal-clear ocean waters and coral reefs. The majority of Biscayne Park is under water along the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula and around the northern keys. If you visit either park, remember to take your mosquito repellent and sunscreen!

The Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intra coastal Waterway. It is located on Dodge Island. The port is recognized as the “Cruise Capital of the World” and “Cargo Gateway of the Americas”. It has retained its status as the number one cruise/passenger port in the world for well over a decade accommodating the largest cruise ships and the major cruise lines.
As a world-class port, the Port of Miami is among an elite group of ports in the world which cater to both cruise ships and containerized cargo. Nearly four million cruise passengers pass through the Port. The combination of cruise and cargo activities supports approximately 98,000 jobs, and has an economic impact in Miami-Dade County of over $12 billion.
The port currently operates six passenger terminals.