Uber or Taxi to Miami Port?

[Jayhoaps]

Hey Everyone, first time cruising here so any feedback or insight is greatly appreciated.

Will be going on a cruise next month, arriving at Miami airport. My question is what's the best method of transport to Miami port? Taking an uber or taxi? I understand there are taxi's in the arrival area? But some say Uber is more cheaper, I will be with my parents, so we have 3 luggages. Does uber accept luggages? IF anyone has any insight, experience or opinion which is better taxi or uber, it would be great help. Thanks.

[Mike n Ky]

We took an UberXL on our last cruise from Miami. With three people and luggage I would not go smaller than the XL.

[Pattycruise]

36 minutes ago, Mike n Ky said:

We took an UberXL on our last cruise from Miami. With three people and luggage I would not go smaller than the XL.

I agree. Uber XL will be larger.  Some of the “regular” size cars can’t hold more than 2 large pieces of luggage, if even that!  I find Uber to be reasonable most of the time.  Taxis, well I’m originally from NYC, I’ve seen those meters run up, I’d prefer to know what I’m paying instead of finding out when I get there. 

[Adriana]

I agree with the XL for Uber or Lyft. The rates are reasonable, from the port to South Beach are about $15-20, same to parts of Little Havana. 

[Freegirl]

Taxi fares between Miami Airport and the cruise port are fixed at $27.

Uber/Lyft rates will vary depending on time and demand.

 

 

[Jayhoaps]

3 hours ago, Mike n Ky said:

We took an UberXL on our last cruise from Miami. With three people and luggage I would not go smaller than the XL.

Awesome. Thanks I will do the same. To clarify, just tell the uber driver Port of Miami Terminal A? 

 

Also with the uber, when you sign on the app put in the address, they will pick you up at the location where your phone says you are located. 

 

Sorry, just asking because I have not experience with Uber. 

[AshleyDillo]

10 minutes ago, Jayhoaps said:

Awesome. Thanks I will do the same. To clarify, just tell the uber driver Port of Miami Terminal A? 

 

Also with the uber, when you sign on the app put in the address, they will pick you up at the location where your phone says you are located. 

 

Sorry, just asking because I have not experience with Uber. 

The Uber app will recognize your current location. Double check it to make sure it has the right location for you. It will be specific to the terminal and location. The airport should have a designated rideshare waiting area once you exit the terminal.

You will put in the address you want it to take you to which will be Terminal A Port of Miami.  The app tells the driver and gives them directions to whatever you input into the app once they pick you up.

[Jayhoaps]

42 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

The Uber app will recognize your current location. Double check it to make sure it has the right location for you. It will be specific to the terminal and location. The airport should have a designated rideshare waiting area once you exit the terminal.

You will put in the address you want it to take you to which will be Terminal A Port of Miami.  The app tells the driver and gives them directions to whatever you input into the app once they pick you up.

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it. This has eased my anxiety at this time. Thanks again. 

[PG Cruiser]

10 hours ago, Freegirl said:

Taxi fares between Miami Airport and the cruise port are fixed at $27.

I wish port cities would expand this to include other pick up and drop off points.  When I visited Madrid some years ago, taxi fares to and from the airport were at a fixed rate, $20 (or Euro?) I think.  I've forgotten all the caveats but it was very stress relieving.

[teddy]

Hopefully things have changed, but we had a lot of difficulties using Lyft XL back in February in Miami.   Four people with one piece of luggage each seemed to upset drivers.   Between the ride from the airport to hotel, hotel to ship, and ship to airport we had four XL drivers refuse to take us because they said didn’t have room. 
 

Interesting side note….I drove for Lyft and Uber for a few years.  My Toyota 4Runner wouldn’t qualify for XL trips…..but all the drivers that came for us, including the ones that actually took us, had vehicles the same size or smaller.  
 

I’m not sure if the vehicle standards were lowered because of a lack of drivers, but it was very frustrating. Especially when we were being yelled at in Spanish by one of the drivers.
 

…..and yes, I requested XL rides, and XL rides are more expensive. 

[Qeytondude]

Last month, Lyft from the airport motel (embassy Suites) to the port was a breeze and ran us $18 + cash tip.  We had a noon check in time.

Leaving to port for the airport, not so good.  We headed off the ship at 9; got rescheduled / assigned different driver three times, each stating a 12-15 minute wait.  Got to the taxi line and was in a yellow cab in under 5 minutes, but it ran us $40 with tip.  (it was raining, so some traffic delays)

[Jayhoaps]

4 hours ago, teddy said:

Hopefully things have changed, but we had a lot of difficulties using Lyft XL back in February in Miami.   Four people with one piece of luggage each seemed to upset drivers.   Between the ride from the airport to hotel, hotel to ship, and ship to airport we had four XL drivers refuse to take us because they said didn’t have room. 
 

Interesting side note….I drove for Lyft and Uber for a few years.  My Toyota 4Runner wouldn’t qualify for XL trips…..but all the drivers that came for us, including the ones that actually took us, had vehicles the same size or smaller.  
 

I’m not sure if the vehicle standards were lowered because of a lack of drivers, but it was very frustrating. Especially when we were being yelled at in Spanish by one of the drivers.
 

…..and yes, I requested XL rides, and XL rides are more expensive. 

Thanks for sharing that, my option for getting to the port in Miami will be Uber Xl, It will be 3 adults with 1 luggage, I hope they will accept us. 

[CruiseFun]

On 10/22/2022 at 10:58 PM, Freegirl said:

Taxi fares between Miami Airport and the cruise port are fixed at $27.

Uber/Lyft rates will vary depending on time and demand.

 

 

Is it $27 per person?

[Freegirl]

No, $27 total for all passengers.

[jb12]

Isn't there a designated area for Uber in MIA?

[AshleyDillo]

7 hours ago, jb12 said:

Isn't there a designated area for Uber in MIA?

Yes, at Terminal A all the rideshares are in a designated area. It's at the entrance to the pickup area so it can get backed up when things get congested, especially when an Oasis class size ship is debarking.

[AandD]

On 10/23/2022 at 8:08 AM, PG Cruiser said:

I wish port cities would expand this to include other pick up and drop off points.  When I visited Madrid some years ago, taxi fares to and from the airport were at a fixed rate, $20 (or Euro?) I think.  I've forgotten all the caveats but it was very stress relieving.

I dont know if you have been to San Juan but they have something like 4 different zones from the airport and prices are fixed.

 

[CruiseGus]

My experiance in Sep at Terminal A on Symphony was awful using Uber from an Airport hotel to the terminal.  W had a 10:30 boarding time and left our hotel at 9:15.  It was all of 10:25 till we were able to get out of the uber at port, with the additional wait/delay time charged by Uber the original $17 ride was charged at $28+.  at that time we did walk right on to the ship but the wait time to turn the hair pin corner at the far end of the terminal was horrendous.  There was an inside lane for Taxis and Shuttles that was moving much faster. 

Am leaving from the same Terminal on Oasis later this month and am conflicted between going even earlier or taking a taxi for the fast lane.

[Jayhoaps]

7 hours ago, CruiseGus said:

My experiance in Sep at Terminal A on Symphony was awful using Uber from an Airport hotel to the terminal.  W had a 10:30 boarding time and left our hotel at 9:15.  It was all of 10:25 till we were able to get out of the uber at port, with the additional wait/delay time charged by Uber the original $17 ride was charged at $28+.  at that time we did walk right on to the ship but the wait time to turn the hair pin corner at the far end of the terminal was horrendous.  There was an inside lane for Taxis and Shuttles that was moving much faster. 

Am leaving from the same Terminal on Oasis later this month and am conflicted between going even earlier or taking a taxi for the fast lane.

Sorry to hear about your experience. What made it awful? Was it because the Uber was late in picking you up? Also, did they drop you off right where you needed to e in Terminal A?

[AshleyDillo]

3 hours ago, Jayhoaps said:

Sorry to hear about your experience. What made it awful? Was it because the Uber was late in picking you up? Also, did they drop you off right where you needed to e in Terminal A?

The issue is the Uber drop off area gets backed up and you will sit in a long line of vehicles waiting to pull up to the drop off area. At the time he arrived to the Terminal there are still the stragglers from the prior cruise waiting for rides along with the new cruise beginning to get dropped off.

[asquared17]

wondering if you could walk from there and skip the extra fee of just sitting in the car... i guess it would depend on how far you were backed up.

[AshleyDillo]

1 hour ago, asquared17 said:

wondering if you could walk from there and skip the extra fee of just sitting in the car... i guess it would depend on how far you were backed up.

There really isn't any curb until you make the turn right before the drop off point.  It does seem to go smoother than when the pickup for debarking passengers was at the end of the terminal driveway. Now pickup and drop off is in the same area (entrance) so it's really a matter of timing your arrival in the sweet spot between when most of the departing passengers have been picked up but before the throngs of new passengers are being dropped off.

I dropped off people last week about 9:45 with zero issues, but there were no passengers leaving the ship to deal with. My last 2 Terminal A experiences my rideshare dropped me off at 10:15 and I caught the sweet spot with zero waiting to get to the curb.

[CruiseGus]

3 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

Now pickup and drop off is in the same area (entrance) so it's really a matter of timing your arrival in the sweet spot between when most of the departing passengers have been picked up but before the throngs of new passengers are being dropped off.

I dropped off people last week about 9:45 with zero issues, but there were no passengers leaving the ship to deal with. My last 2 Terminal A experiences my rideshare dropped me off at 10:15 and I caught the sweet spot with zero waiting to get to the curb.

Both of those time are right in the middle of when we were sitting in traffic at the harpin turn.

There are 2 major Logistical problems at Terminal A. 

First they have a cross walk, where they constantly stop traffic because all the shuttle pick ups and the way to the parking garage are on the other side of the road way, I witnessed this at my debarkation. 

2nd they cross traffic in an X pattern with incoming Taxis/Shutles going left to right and departing passenger cars/Ubers crossing right to left.  This is only about 50 to 60 yards past the crosswalk.  So when they are letting traffic drive through the crosswalk, they are only able to drive that 50 yards when they are stopped again for the crossing Taxi/Shuttle traffic. 

It is just a badly planned traffic pattern, especially that X crossing of traffic.

I just plan to go a lot earlier this time with my 10:30 boarding slot.