Some embarkation ports have severe traffic problems, some terminals don't have enough seats, some make you stand outside on long lines. Others are just uncomfortable - either too hot, too cold. Some need to be upgraded. Which embarkation port has the best terminal facilities for passengers?
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Which is Your Favorite Embarkation Port? Why?
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Originally posted by:
glomarrone
Some embarkation ports have severe traffic problems, some terminals don't have enough seats, some make you stand outside on long lines. Others are just uncomfortable - either too hot, too cold. Some need to be upgraded. Which embarkation port has the best terminal facilities for passengers?
Port Canaveral. It's only 6 hours away from where I live. There is a Days Inn in Cocoa that allows you to park all week and has a complimentary shuttle to the port. It's not a fancy hotel but they do keep it clean. There's usually not as much traffic as Miami or Fort Lauderdale except the one time somebody decided to have their annual port fire drill on a day when 4 large ships were leaving port. That was rough. Normally it goes smoothly.
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Originally posted by:
ctav
I drove by that Port a few months ago and got all excited because there were a lot of cruise ships in port that day.
You should try Charleston.
I hope someday to sail out of Charleston but the opportunity hasn't arisen yet.
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Here Here! Another Charleston vote.
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I tate this higher than your acceptance speech. 
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Any port that has a cruise ship going out of it .....
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Tampa Bay---In April 2011 we sailed from Tampa on the Ryndam heading for Europe, never had been in Tampa before. When we arrived, the day before our cruise departure, the transfer people met us at the gate and took us down the terminal a bit, put us on an elevator going up to a super great room, we stayed smack dab in the middle of the airport, 360 degree panoramic view. We had no idea, thought that as usual we would wait on a bus until everybody else arrived then head downtown to a hotel.
Next real neat experience there was the sail-away, in the late afternoon after a quick and uneventful check in. Quietly and slowly sailing through those narrow channels heading for the Gulf with all the good people on shore waving, in front of their homes, us bon-voyage. Very memorable port. Ft Lauderdale is okay too, since it is so close to the beach area where many good hotels and eateries are. Guess though it depends upon the terminal your ship gets. Regarding over seas ports, our first criteria is to get one where we can fly into non-stop from the US West Coast, same on return. No way do we want to run the far away terminal, far away gate, security and immigration gauntlet at Heathrow or Charles De Gaulle, for change of flights, ever again. Wife has arthritis which makes it worse trying to move distances, forget promises that you can get a wheel chair, etc. We always book business class anymore to try and get around this drama, but still a nightmare.
Next real neat experience there was the sail-away, in the late afternoon after a quick and uneventful check in. Quietly and slowly sailing through those narrow channels heading for the Gulf with all the good people on shore waving, in front of their homes, us bon-voyage. Very memorable port. Ft Lauderdale is okay too, since it is so close to the beach area where many good hotels and eateries are. Guess though it depends upon the terminal your ship gets. Regarding over seas ports, our first criteria is to get one where we can fly into non-stop from the US West Coast, same on return. No way do we want to run the far away terminal, far away gate, security and immigration gauntlet at Heathrow or Charles De Gaulle, for change of flights, ever again. Wife has arthritis which makes it worse trying to move distances, forget promises that you can get a wheel chair, etc. We always book business class anymore to try and get around this drama, but still a nightmare.
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Originally posted by:
glomarrone
Thanks for replying. I have sailed out of Miami with good experiences, too. Good luck when you sail out of Port Canaveral. Have a wonderful cruise in March.
Miami was my first port and I no problem with the port and the embarkation was a learning process for.
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Originally posted by:
BonMike
We've only cruised out of Miami and Long Beach and both were great. Check in was fast and smooth each time, and we were eating lunch by noon, with carry on bags already in our room. We will be leaving from Port Canaveral in March.
Thanks for replying. I have sailed out of Miami with good experiences, too. Good luck when you sail out of Port Canaveral. Have a wonderful cruise in March.
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Charleston - it's a four hour drive.
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San Diego
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