A taxi from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Port Everglades costs $15–$25 for most travelers in 2025, making it one of the cheapest and most convenient airport-to-port transfers available at any major cruise hub.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
The cruise port transfer industry loves to upsell you on $35-per-person shuttle buses and $150 private car services when the answer is sitting right outside baggage claim. A metered taxi from FLL to Port Everglades runs just $15–$25 total — not per person — for a ride that takes under 10 minutes when traffic cooperates.
The Real Cost: Taxi from FLL to Port Everglades
FLL is the closest major airport to any cruise port in the United States — Port Everglades is literally 1.5 miles from the terminal doors. That short distance is your biggest financial advantage. Broward County taxis use a metered fare system with a base drop charge plus per-mile rate, and that meter barely has time to warm up before you're at the port.
Expect to pay $18–$22 on average, with tips pushing the total to $22–$28. Traffic on US-1 or around the port entrance during peak embarkation hours (10am–1pm) can add a few minutes and a couple of dollars, but this is still pocket change compared to alternatives.
| Transfer Option | Typical Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metered Taxi | $15–$25 + tip | 8–15 min | Best value for 1–3 people |
| Uber/Lyft (UberX) | $10–$18 | 8–15 min | Cheapest option, surge possible |
| Uber Black / Lyft Lux | $35–$55 | 8–15 min | Overkill for this distance |
| Shared Shuttle (GoPort, etc.) | $16–$22/person | 20–45 min | Only worth it solo; slow with stops |
| Cruise Line Transfer | $25–$40/person | 30–60 min | Worst value every time |
| Private Car Service | $85–$150 flat | 10–20 min | For groups or heavy luggage only |
Bottom line: For 2–4 people, a metered taxi or rideshare beats every other option on both cost and convenience. The cruise line's own transfer is the worst deal on this list — you're paying a 5–10x premium to wait on a bus.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
What Drives the Final Fare
Distance is fixed at roughly 1.5 miles door-to-door, so there's no meaningful variability there. What moves the needle:
- Time of day: Mid-morning embarkation rush (10am–noon on Saturdays and Sundays) can slow traffic around the port entrance, adding 5–10 minutes and a dollar or two to the meter.
- Which terminal you're dropped at: Port Everglades has multiple cruise terminals (Terminals 2, 4, 18, 19, 21, 25, 26, 29). All are within the same port complex, but terminal 29 (furthest from the airport entrance) adds a bit more mileage.
- Luggage: Standard taxis don't charge extra for bags, but confirm before loading up a large vehicle.
- Tip: Budget 15–20% on top of the metered fare. On a $20 ride, that's $3–$4. Don't skip it — port taxi drivers deal with an absurd amount of luggage chaos.
- Surge pricing on rideshares: Uber and Lyft can surge on busy cruise days. Check the app before leaving baggage claim — if it's surging over $25, grab a metered taxi from the official taxi stand instead.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
How to Get the Best Deal on This Transfer
Use Uber or Lyft if the price is under $20. For such a short trip, rideshares are almost always the cheapest option and you avoid the taxi stand queue. Open both apps and take whichever is cheaper.
If rideshares are surging, take a metered taxi. The official taxi stand is directly outside baggage claim at FLL — look for the yellow curb and the Broward County taxi dispatchers. The meter is regulated, so you won't get gouged.
Never book the cruise line's transfer for FLL to Port Everglades. At $25–$40 per person, a couple would pay $50–$80 for a ride that costs $22 in a taxi. That's a $28–$58 premium to share a bus with 40 strangers and make three stops before yours.
Skip the shared shuttle services unless you're traveling solo on a budget. Companies like GoPort and ExecuCar offer shared shuttles around $16–$22 per person. Solo travelers might break even, but any group of two or more is better off in a direct taxi or rideshare.
Account for early morning flights. If you're on a 6am arrival, rideshare availability is thinner and taxis may have a slight queue. Build in 20 extra minutes rather than stressing about the first shuttle of the morning.
Pro tip on luggage: If you have more than 4 large bags, request an XL Uber or ask the taxi dispatcher for a van taxi. Standard sedans won't fit a family's worth of cruise luggage, and you don't want to figure that out at the curb.
Port Everglades Terminal Guide: Which Ships Are Where
Knowing your terminal saves time and prevents driver confusion:
| Cruise Line | Common Terminal(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival | Terminals 18, 19, 21 | Most active terminals |
| Royal Caribbean | Terminals 18, 25, 26 | Confirm per sailing |
| Princess | Terminal 2, 4 | Closer to port entrance |
| Holland America | Terminal 26 | Near mid-port |
| Celebrity | Terminal 25 | Check your booking |
| MSC | Terminal 29 | Furthest from airport |
Tell your driver your cruise line and terminal number — not just "Port Everglades." Drivers who work FLL know the port well, but giving them the terminal number gets you dropped at the right entrance without a walking detour through the terminal complex.
For a 10-minute, $20 ride, there's really no reason to overthink this one. Grab an Uber, or jump in a metered taxi if rideshares are surging, and spend the money you saved on a drink once you board. Use CruiseMutiny to calculate what the rest of your cruise is actually going to cost before you sail — because the transfers are just the beginning.