On any given Saturday in January, Port Everglades can send out four or five ships in a single day — each from a different terminal, each with a 4:00 PM gangway, each drawing thousands of cruise passengers through two separate sections of the port at the same time. If your group of 28 showed up in seven separate cars, you're now managing seven different parking decisions, seven different trips through the Heron or Palm Garage, and seven different paths to the terminal curbside, all timed against the same hard boarding cutoff. One charter bus from Hollywood makes every one of those seven problems disappear: your whole group loads in one spot, rides up together, and steps off at the correct terminal curbside at the same time — bags ready for the porters before anyone's touched an elevator button.
Port Everglades at 1850 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL is one of the three busiest cruise homeports on earth, handling 4.7 million passengers in FY2025 across nine cruise lines and one Bahamas ferry service. From Hollywood, the port is about 7.5 miles north — 15 minutes when I-95 is clear, 30 minutes or more on a Saturday morning when multiple ships are loading simultaneously. Partybushollywood.net connects you to a large network of bus companies serving Hollywood and Broward County, so you can compare charter bus, minibus, and party bus quotes for your Port Everglades run in about 30 seconds. Call 786-528-6973 or use the online form — no account needed, no obligation.
Why Groups Rent a Charter Bus or Party Bus to Port Everglades
The parking math usually makes the first argument. Per the official Port Everglades parking rate page, standard vehicles pay $20 per day — no reservations, no pre-payment, you pay on exit. For a 7-night cruise, that's $140 per car.
A group of 30 people typically arrives in seven or eight separate vehicles: call it $980 to $1,120 in parking before a single dollar goes to fuel, before the coordination headache on disembarkation morning when the group is exhausted and everyone needs to find their car on a different floor of the Palm Garage. Split the cost of one charter bus across those same 30 people and the per-person number often breaks even with parking alone — and every one of those logistics problems goes away with it.
The coordination argument is just as strong. Port Everglades runs eight active cruise terminals split between Northport and Midport, with different access roads, different parking garages, and different curbside drop-off points for each. The official arriving and departing page recommends that passengers unload luggage and passengers before parking — which is exactly what happens when the group arrives by bus.
One vehicle, one curbside, porters stationed right there waiting. For a group that arrives in multiple cars across multiple parking levels, that same handoff takes 40 minutes and involves at least one person discovering their luggage tag is packed in their checked bag. A charter bus makes it clean from the start.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at Port Everglades — Terminal by Terminal
The single most important detail to confirm before embarkation day: your terminal number. Port Everglades has eight active terminals across two sections, and which terminal your cruise line is using determines which port entrance the bus takes, which parking garage serves your terminal, and which color-coded wayfinding signs to follow inside the port. Your cruise line will confirm the terminal in your boarding documents — once you have it, share it when you request your bus quote so the approach is planned correctly.
The port's full terminal breakdown is published at the official Port Everglades terminals page.
Northport: Terminals 2 and 4 — Princess Cruises and Disney Cruise Line
Northport occupies the north end of the port and serves two terminals. Terminal 2 is Princess Cruises' primary facility — 85,504 sq ft with 30 check-in stations. Terminal 4 is Disney Cruise Line's dedicated terminal, opened in 2023 with 104,162 sq ft and 28 check-in stations, operating as Disney's second year-round homeport.
Both are served by the Heron Parking Garage; follow the orange directional signs. Terminal 2 connects to the Heron Garage via an air-conditioned elevated bridge from the 5th floor — which gives you a sense of what "parking yourself" means when you're also hauling cruise luggage. For a charter bus or minibus dropping at Northport, the correct port entrance is SE 17th Street at Eisenhower Boulevard.
From Hollywood heading north on US-1, that entrance is about 7.5 miles.
Midport: Terminals 18 Through 29 — Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Celebrity
Midport handles the majority of Port Everglades cruise traffic across six active terminals. Terminal 18 is Royal Caribbean's exclusive facility — 259,370 sq ft with 90 check-in stations, the largest cruise terminal at the port. Terminals 19 and 26 are Holland America Line's primary berths (95,000 sq ft and 115,581 sq ft respectively).
Terminal 21 serves Holland America, Princess, and Balearia Caribbean ferry service. Terminal 25 is Celebrity Cruises' flagship space — 157,800 sq ft, 48 check-in stations, renovated with over $100 million in investment for Celebrity's Edge, Apex, and Beyond vessels. Terminal 29 handles Celebrity and Holland America overflow at 80,200 sq ft.
The Palm Garage serves all Midport terminals; follow the green directional signs. Surface overflow comes from three lots: Lot A (770 spaces at 2000 Eller Drive, nearest to Terminals 19 and 26), Lot B (404 spaces between Terminals 18 and 19), and Lot C (600 spaces adjacent to Terminal 18). For a charter bus approaching Midport, the correct entrance is I-595 East, which terminates directly at Eller Drive — the main artery through the port's Midport section.
Digital wayfinding signs inside direct from Eller Drive to each specific terminal.
If your cruise line is Carnival, Norwegian, Virgin Voyages, or another line not covered above, confirm your terminal number directly in your cruise documents — Port Everglades accommodates additional lines on available berths that shift by ship and sailing date.
Getting to Port Everglades from Hollywood — The I-595 and Eller Drive Approach
Port Everglades has three entrances, per the official getting-here page, and the right one depends entirely on which section your terminal sits in. Approach the wrong entrance on embarkation morning and the bus is at the back of a security queue for the wrong half of the port. At every entrance, all visitors 18 and older must present a government-issued photo ID and cruise documents at the checkpoint — have those ready before the bus pulls up.
For Midport terminals (18, 19, 21, 25, 26, 29): The correct approach from Hollywood is I-95 North to I-595 East. I-595 terminates at Eller Drive, which runs straight into the heart of Midport. This route is about 10–12 miles from central Hollywood but typically faster than surface streets on a busy embarkation morning — the I-95/I-595 interchange is where most South Florida cruise traffic concentrates, so build in 20–25 extra minutes on a peak Saturday when three or more ships are loading.
For Northport terminals (2, 4): Head north on US-1 from Hollywood to SE 17th Street, then into the port at Eisenhower Boulevard. This is the most direct route — 7.5 miles from Hollywood — but SE 17th Street and the Northport approach slow significantly on busy embarkation mornings. When the Disney Dream and a Princess ship are both loading the same morning, the SE 17th Street corridor can add 15–20 minutes to the final mile.
Leave early.
The third entrance — State Road 84 near US-1 at Spangler Boulevard — is primarily used by cargo operations and port workers, not cruise passengers arriving by charter bus. Stick to Eller Drive for Midport and SE 17th Street / Eisenhower Boulevard for Northport.
Port Everglades is the only seaport in the U.S. adjacent to an international airport — FLL sits 1.8 miles from the terminals. For Hollywood groups where some members are flying in the morning of embarkation, a single bus pickup at FLL followed by a straight port drop is one of the most common charter bus itineraries in South Florida. More on that below.
Embarkation Timing: When Your Charter Bus Should Leave Hollywood
Port Everglades embarkation runs on staggered check-in windows set by each cruise line. Most sailings open check-in around 11:00 AM, and the hard boarding cutoff is typically 90 minutes before departure — so for a 4:00 PM sailing, your group needs to be checked in and through security by 2:30 PM. The port's official guidance says not to arrive before your assigned window: the terminals queue up, and arriving an hour early doesn't help if your cruise line isn't ready for you.
The goal is to hit the terminal at the front of your assigned window, not at the front of the general crowd.
For a Hollywood group, that timing shapes the morning around one clean calculation. If check-in opens at 11:00 AM, a bus that loads at your Hollywood hotel or meeting point by 10:15–10:30 AM — factoring 15 minutes for organized boarding and bag loading — arrives at the terminal curbside right as the window opens. That's the moment that gets your group through check-in while the terminal is quiet, before the 11:30 rush when most of Port Everglades' cruise guests tend to arrive.
On a day when four ships are sailing simultaneously and the Eller Drive checkpoint queues back, add 20–25 minutes to that departure time. October through April is peak season — three-, four-, and five-ship Saturdays are common throughout the winter and spring.
The staggered windows are also why confirming your cruise line's assigned check-in time matters before requesting a quote. That window factors directly into the Hollywood pickup time — a 10 AM check-in slot and a noon check-in slot are very different mornings, and the right departure from Hollywood depends on knowing which one your group has.
Luggage Handling at Port Everglades for Large Cruise Groups
Every cruise line includes luggage tags with your boarding documents — they carry your name and cabin number. The critical job is done before the bus loads in Hollywood: every checked bag gets its tag attached at the hotel, not at the port. Per the official arriving and departing page, Port Everglades asks passengers to complete and attach luggage tags before handing bags to porters for delivery to staterooms.
Porters are stationed at the terminal curbside and collect bags directly from the drop-off point — extras are available on site if anyone is missing a tag.
For a 25- or 30-person group, the bus drop is the most efficient version of this handoff. Everyone steps off, bags come out of the vehicle's compartments, tags are already on, porters take them from the curb, and the whole group moves toward check-in as one unit. The alternative — multiple cars unloading on different garage floors, rolling suitcases down ramps, waiting for an elevator — is the version that takes 40 minutes and leaves the group staggered across two different check-in queues.
A minibus or full-size charter bus executes the port's own recommended sequence cleanly: unload passengers and luggage first, then the vehicle moves, and no one has to park anything.
One walkthrough worth doing at the hotel before loading: ask every traveler to confirm their cruise documents and photo ID are in their carry-on, not their checked bags. Porters deliver checked bags to staterooms, and those bags may take two or three hours to arrive onboard. At a port security checkpoint, a group of 30 where one person's passport ended up in the bag that just went with a porter is the situation that costs the whole group 20 minutes.
A 30-second check at the hotel prevents it.
Port Everglades Parking Rates vs. a Party Bus or Charter Bus Rental
Here is every realistic way a group gets from Hollywood to Port Everglades on embarkation day, scored on what actually matters when you're coordinating 20 or more people with full cruise luggage:
| Option | Cost shape | Luggage to curbside | Group stays together? | Port parking required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter bus | One flat rate, split across the group | One curbside drop — porters take over immediately | Yes — one vehicle, one arrival | No — the bus moves after drop-off |
| Minibus | One flat rate, split across the group | Same — curbside drop at your terminal | Yes | No |
| Self-drive & park on site | $20/day per car ($140/car for a 7-night cruise) | Carry from garage to curbside — multiple elevator waits | No — multiple cars, staggered arrivals | Yes — $140/car, no reservations |
| Rideshare | Per car each way, plus post-cruise surge pricing | Carry-on manageable; large checked bags difficult | No — staggered booking windows | None, but no coordinated return |
| Hotel-area shuttle | Often a flat fee on a fixed schedule | Basic curbside | Sometimes, if one run fits everyone | None |
For one or two people, a rideshare or a hotel shuttle is often the smarter call — there's no reason to charter a bus for a pair. But the moment your party grows past a few cars' worth of people, the coordination cost of multiple vehicles tips the math clearly toward one. A 7-night cruise for a group of 30 means roughly seven or eight cars parked at $140 each — $980 to $1,120 in parking, before gas, before the return-day scramble on disembarkation morning.
Split one flat bus rate across those same 30 people, and the cost per head often breaks even with parking alone, with zero of the parking logistics attached. Partybushollywood.net connects you to a large network of bus companies serving Hollywood and Broward County — call 786-528-6973 to see what your specific group size and date actually costs.
The port does not accept parking reservations or pre-payment. You take a ticket at the garage entrance and settle on the way out. For a group driving in separately, that means seven cars hoping the garage isn't full when the last one arrives on a four-ship Saturday — a scenario the bus sidesteps entirely.
Rent a Bus to Port Everglades — Which Vehicle Fits Your Cruise Group?
The right vehicle comes down to two things: headcount and luggage. A family reunion of 48 with hard-shell suitcases for a 7-night cruise needs a completely different vehicle than a bachelorette party of 16 with overnight bags for a short sailing. The full vehicle lineup is on Partybushollywood.net's site for side-by-side comparison — here's how the options match up for a Port Everglades run from Hollywood.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Luggage capacity | Best Port Everglades use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to 14 | Moderate — carry-ons and lighter bags | Small family or friend group; one-way drop before a short sailing |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | 15–35 | Overhead bins plus some underfloor storage | Mid-size cruise groups; wedding parties heading to a port ceremony sailing; church group transfers |
| Party bus (15–50 passengers) | 15–50 | Onboard, lighter bags | Bachelorette cruises, milestone birthday send-offs, celebration groups with carry-on luggage |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Excellent — deep undercarriage bays for full-size hard-shell luggage | Family reunions, church cruises, corporate group sailings; full week of luggage for 40+ people |
For most cruise groups packing for a week at sea, a charter bus is the right vehicle — the undercarriage bays handle the hard-shell suitcases that would overwhelm a minibus compartment, and fitting 40 to 56 people in one vehicle means one port trip rather than two. For a bachelorette sailing or smaller celebration group with lighter bags, a party bus keeps everyone together and the energy going from Hollywood straight to the gangway. ADA-accessible vehicles are available through the network — include that detail in the quote request so the right vehicle is lined up from the start.
Rent a Bus to Port Everglades: Charter Bus & Party Bus Rental Prices from Hollywood
Partybushollywood.net shows pricing in about 30 seconds — fill in your group size, Hollywood pickup address, and date, and rates from bus companies serving Broward County come back quickly. To give you a sense of what a Port Everglades run might cost as a planning range:
A 15- to 35-passenger minibus from Hollywood typically runs $200–$275 per hour on weekends, or $1,100–$2,150 for a full-day arrangement. A 40- to 56-passenger charter bus runs $200–$350 per hour, or $1,350–$2,850 for a full day. Those are network-wide planning ranges — the actual rate for your trip moves with the date, the specific vehicle, and the hours needed.
Your quote for your group takes about a minute. For a cruise group arranging both an embarkation-day drop and a disembarkation-day pickup, both legs are easy to quote together — one arrangement that covers the morning you board and the morning you come back to port with a week's worth of luggage and no interest in coordinating seven separate rideshares.
Check the Hollywood party bus prices page for the full vehicle-by-vehicle planning range, or call 786-528-6973 any time for a free, no-obligation quote.
Flying Into FLL Before Your Cruise? Charter Bus Pickup From the Airport to Port Everglades
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport sits just 1.8 miles from Port Everglades — the port is literally the airport's next-door neighbor, and the port's own guidance says to allow at least 45 minutes between flight arrival and cruise check-in to cover the transfer and security checkpoint. For groups where some members are flying in the morning of embarkation, a charter bus or minibus can run an FLL pickup before heading straight to the terminal — one vehicle collects the whole group at the arrivals curb, waits for the last bags to clear baggage claim, and makes the short run to the port without anyone juggling their own transportation while also managing cruise luggage.
The planning step for a fly-in / embark-same-day itinerary: share your flight arrival time and your cruise line's check-in window when requesting a quote, so the FLL pickup time is built around both. If the group's last flight lands at 9:30 AM and check-in opens at 11:00 AM, a bus that loads at the FLL arrivals curb by 10:30 AM reaches the terminal by 10:45 AM — right at the front of the boarding window. The FLL group transportation guide covers commercial vehicle pickup procedures at the airport in detail if you're building this kind of fly-in/cruise itinerary for your group.
Frequently Asked Questions About Renting a Bus to Port Everglades
Where exactly does a charter bus drop off at Port Everglades?
At the curbside of your specific terminal. For Northport (Princess at Terminal 2, Disney at Terminal 4), the bus enters via SE 17th Street and Eisenhower Boulevard. For Midport (Royal Caribbean at Terminal 18, Holland America at Terminals 19, 21, and 26, Celebrity at 25 and 29), the bus enters on I-595 East via Eller Drive.
Confirm your terminal number with your cruise line before sailing and share it when you request your bus quote — the approach route is planned around that terminal assignment, not a general "port entrance."
Which entrance does the bus use for Midport terminals?
I-595 East, which terminates at Eller Drive — the main artery through the Midport section. From Hollywood, that means I-95 North to I-595 East, then Eller Drive into the port. Digital wayfinding signs inside direct from Eller Drive to each specific terminal.
For Northport (Terminals 2 and 4), the entrance is at SE 17th Street and Eisenhower Boulevard via US-1 north from Hollywood.
How much does parking cost at Port Everglades?
The official published rate is $20 per day for standard vehicles and $25 per day for oversized vehicles. There are no reservations and no pre-payment options — you take a ticket at the garage or lot entrance and settle on the way out. For a 7-night cruise, one standard car pays $140 total.
Full current details are on the official Port Everglades parking rates page.
What time does Port Everglades embarkation open?
Check-in windows are set by each cruise line and typically open around 11:00 AM for most sailings. The hard cutoff is generally 90 minutes before departure — for a 4:00 PM sailing, that's 2:30 PM. Per the port's official guidance, don't arrive before your cruise line's assigned window; plan your bus departure from Hollywood to reach the terminal right as your window opens, not an hour before it.
How does luggage handling work for a large group?
Porters collect bags at the terminal curbside. Attach your cruise line's luggage tags to every checked bag before leaving the hotel — the port specifically asks this be done before handing bags to porters. A charter bus drop puts the whole group at the same curbside simultaneously, so the handoff is fast: everyone steps off, porters take the tagged bags, the group walks to check-in.
Keep cruise documents, photo ID, medications, and valuables in your carry-on. Full embarkation details are on the official arriving and departing page.
Which terminal does Royal Caribbean use at Port Everglades?
Royal Caribbean's primary terminal is Terminal 18 in Midport — 259,370 sq ft with 90 check-in stations, the largest cruise terminal at the port. Parking Lots B (404 spaces between Terminals 18 and 19) and C (600 spaces adjacent to Terminal 18) serve the Terminal 18 area. Terminal 29 is also used by Royal Caribbean on some sailing schedules.
Always confirm the terminal in your cruise documents before embarkation day.
Which terminal does Disney Cruise Line use?
Disney Cruise Line uses Terminal 4 in the Northport section — 104,162 sq ft, 28 check-in stations, opened in 2023 as Disney's second year-round homeport. The Heron Parking Garage serves Northport; follow the orange directional signs. The correct bus entrance for Terminal 4 is SE 17th Street at Eisenhower Boulevard.
How far is Hollywood, Florida from Port Everglades?
About 7.5 miles — roughly 15 minutes when roads are clear. On a peak-season Saturday when three or more ships are sailing, allow 25–35 minutes, especially on the US-1 approach north of Sheridan Street and on the SE 17th Street corridor approaching Northport. The I-95/I-595 approach to Midport can also back up on busy mornings.
A charter bus built around your check-in window factors this buffer in so the group arrives on time, not rushed.
Can a charter bus or minibus run an FLL airport pickup on the way to Port Everglades?
Yes — with just 1.8 miles between FLL and the port, an airport pickup followed by a terminal drop is one of the most common itineraries for groups flying in on embarkation day. Share your flight arrival time and cruise line check-in window when requesting a quote so the FLL pickup timing is built around both. Allow the port's recommended 45-minute buffer between flight arrival and cruise check-in, and the route from FLL arrivals curb to terminal curbside takes under 10 minutes.
Where does the bus park while waiting at Port Everglades?
For an embarkation-day drop, the bus delivers the group at the terminal curbside and moves — parking for the bus is not needed because the vehicle's job is done at the curbside. For a disembarkation-day pickup, the port has cell phone waiting lots at the Port Administration Building (1850 Eller Drive) and north of Terminal 18 for arriving vehicles. Commercial vehicle staging for a specific pickup is coordinated around the terminal assignment when you book your return trip.
How early should the bus leave Hollywood for Port Everglades?
Work backwards from your check-in window opening. If check-in opens at 11:00 AM, plan to load the bus in Hollywood by 10:15–10:30 AM — that covers the drive, the security checkpoint, and puts the group at the curbside right as the window opens. On peak-season Saturdays with multiple ships sailing, add 20–25 minutes to that departure time.
Share your cruise line's check-in window when you request your quote so the Hollywood pickup time is built around it.
Book Your Port Everglades Charter Bus or Party Bus from Hollywood Today
Eight terminals, 4.7 million passengers a year, and a gangway that closes regardless of where your car is parked — Port Everglades rewards the group that shows up organized. Partybushollywood.net makes it easy to compare charter buses, minibuses, and party buses from a large network of bus companies serving Hollywood and Broward County, with pricing in about 30 seconds. Whether it is 15 people splitting a minibus for a short Caribbean hop or 50 people loading a full charter bus for a family reunion sailing, the right vehicle for your count and your luggage is in the network. For groups building a multi-stop itinerary in South Florida before or after sailing, the Hollywood group transportation services page covers larger event and multi-venue arrangements.
Call 786-528-6973 any time or use the online form — no account needed, no obligation, and your quote takes about a minute.
