Cruises from Florida

When thinking about popular cruise locations in the United States, Florida should immediately come to mind. Cruises from Florida offer some of the most excitement and variety for the money. And given its location, there are numerous destinations for cruisers in Florida.

The majority of cruises sailing out of Florida's ports go to the Caribbean, Latin America, and occasionally Mexico. Florida is perfectly situated, allowing cruise operators to easily take advantage of the proximity to popular destinations like Nassau, Colon, and Cozumel. With relatively short distances being traveled - especially to the Bahamas - competition is fierce among carriers. This creates plenty of opportunities for cruise fans to discover cheap cruises to the Bahamas.

Also worth noting is that during April and May, you're also able to find transatlantic repositioning cruises to European waters. Depending on the flexibility of travel plans, such cruises may be perfect for those wanting to expand their horizons beyond the Gulf and Caribbean.

Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are typically the busiest for Florida cruises, though Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, and Tampa also see their fair share of action. Of course, most of the major cruise carriers are represented in Florida's ports. Industry heavyweights like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian all have a wide variety of cruises for almost any occasion. Princess and Celebrity also operate in the region, as do many smaller specialty and luxury lines. To better understand the sheer variety found among Florida cruises, I recommend taking a look at Cruise Compete.They have a convenient tool that allows users to sort available cruises by departure location, in this case Florida.

Arriving on time - and cheaply - for your Florida cruise is another consideration. Miami International Airport is one of the top 15 busiest airports in the U.S. and is an important hub of travel between the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. This means that numerous options exist for potential travellers wanting to set sail out of Miami and other Florida ports. And of course cheap round-trip flights to Orlando, Fr. Lauderdale, and other ports city's always appear. Keep an eye out for special promotions from cruise carriers that include free or discounted airfare to save additional money.

If possible, arrange your flight to Florida so that you arrive the day before you embark on your cruise. You'll likely be more relaxed, and you'll have an additional time buffer if you encounter travel delays. Also consider planning an extra day or two to enjoy Florida after your cruise. Enjoy Walt Disney World in Orlando, shop Las Olas in Ft. Lauderdale, or go thrill seeking in Tampa. Giving yourself a little extra time to relax before and after a cruise certainly beats making the "mad dash" to and from the airport, which is so common with cruise travelers.


Photo by Lisa Sanderson from Flickr