departure port
 

we can leave either out of " port fort lauderdale or miami. " would also use miami or FLL airport to return coming from was. is either port preferred? do the ports have separate code letters?

I bounced between the two ports quite a bit during first quarter 2018. FLL for several reasons. If you're flying in same day, FLL is faster, easier to port. Staying overnight, FLL has more hotel shuttle choices and safer neighborhoods to walk .

and keeps adding nearby hotels? are any close enough to walk to port?

I like departing from either port and have been out of both multiple times this year. For airports I prefer MIA to FLL usually because I have more flight options from MIA plus FLL has the no more than 4 hours before flight check in rule which can make it more than a bit of a mess landside on busy cruise days. You can use either airport for either port.

Unless everything else is the same, I wouldn't use the departure point (between those two choices) as a reason to choose a particular cruise. I would look at itinerary and ship before looking at departure point.

Of course you can. The OP is flying from a DC area airport. It would be insane (in his case) to fly into MIA for a cruise out of FLL. Or, to fly into FLL to board a ship in MIA. Flying from SEA might be a different story.

Sorry Kage, can't help you. It's one thing to walk to the port gate. Getting to the ship from the gate is a separate issue.

I think you might be able to walk to Terminals 1-4, but any of the other ones would be hard to do.

FLL
 

There are many FLL hotels offering precruise stay and shuttles to cruise port. No point in schlepping bags :) Just google something like this: fort lauderdale hotels with airport and cruise shuttle

With a choice, I would definitely do FLL over MIA for reasons others have posted.

Having worked in the Transportation industry over the past 12 years in South Florida, I can tell you many passengers choose their airport based on the airline they fly in on, not their port of departure for their cruise. Many of the lower cost airlines fly only into FLL, these include Alaska, Frontier, Spirit, JetBlue, and Southwest. Delta, United, and American have limited flights into FLL and usually only from their hubs or focus cities. Meanwhile, Miami is an American Hub airport and the major airport for international arrivals. It is usually 20 to 30 minutes travel time between MIA and Port Everglades as well as FLL and Port of Miami. I would choose the airport you fly into based on the best flight times/price of the flight over what is closer. I would also suggest flying in the day/night before your departure date of the cruise and stay in a hotel as delays can happen. I have seen many people miss their cruise because their flights were delayed. I have even taken some of these passengers down to Key West to meet their ship if it was the first port of call of the cruise.

You can always choose to stay at a hotel near the airport of arrival/departure, or midway between like in Hallandale/Sunny Isles Beach areas, or closer to the port of departure. Their is transportation easily found to get to the ports, but I would not try to walk in to the port as both have long distances from the entrance to the actual piers. Also Port Everglades is a fuel port and it's piers are not segregated from cruise piers, so everyone entering must be checked for ID's whether it is your passport w/itinerary or boarding documents, or for drivers their credentials. The Port of Miami has their cargo separated from the cruise terminals so it flows more freely.

Hope this helps, and if anyone has any inquiries, you can always PM me.

maybe separation at port of miami makes it theoretically possible to add hotel there

dont recall closest hotels, just recall seemed like more were opening near FLL port

how early do people usually arrive to ports, whether from hotel or flight?

The cruise line will typically say in your literature - check-in between X and Y with departure maybe an hour later at Z. There might be 3 or 4 hours between X and Y.

I know when I've arrived right at X, there are already LOTS of people in line there.

Furthermore, when I once tried arriving a 1/2 hour before X there were already LOTS of people in line there.

On the other hand, when I've just gotten there at Z, there are also LOTS of people in line there.

Everybody does get on the ship though.

heh, presumably LOTS of people in the lines for early boarding (when applicable to certain cabins) as well