Fort Lauderdale Princess Cruise Embarkation
Tips You Need to Know!
Port Everglades is a massive facility with multiple terminals and restrictive access points. However, Terminal 2, which serves Princess Cruises, offers a slightly different experience. It’s located at the far north end of the port, alongside Terminal 4, which is used by Disney Cruise Line. Both terminals are next to each other at right angles, making the area more accessible compared to other terminals within the complex.
Updates:
Three Key Features of Terminal 2
Ease of Access: Terminal 2 sits just outside the port’s main security zone, meaning cars can drive right in without the need for ID checks. You can even walk to the terminal, though it’s a 15-minute walk from the closest intersection of 17th Street and Eisenhower Blvd. This isn’t a common choice, though—few people seem to take the walk, with most opting for other transportation.
Proximity to the Convention Center: The terminal is next to the convention center, which is expanding. This area is expected to become even busier, so keep that in mind if you're in a hurry.
Close to 17th Street: This main corridor is full of hotels, restaurants, shopping, and has easy access to Los Olas Beach across the bridge. The area is large and spread out, much like Los Angeles, and is best explored by car. However, 17th Street itself is flat and walkable—just long!
Services and Amenities on 17th Street
Hotels: There’s no shortage of hotels along 17th Street, especially with more options across the bridge in Los Olas. If you want to be close to the beach, expect to pay more for your stay. If you’re just passing through for the night, there are plenty of budget-friendly options in nearby strip malls. We stayed overnight at the Hyatt Place, which was convenient, within walking distance of shopping and food, and just a quick 10-minute Uber ride to the port.
Shops and Essentials: 17th Street is also home to strip malls with grocery stores, restaurants, and various shops. It’s basically “cruise passenger row,” so if you need to pick up sundries or travel-sized items, the Walgreens at 17th and Eisenhower is a useful stop. There are also plenty of ATMs around, including BofA, Chase, PNC, and TD Bank.
Parking and Terminal Drop-Off
You enter the port via Eisenhower Blvd, passing the Heron Parking garage on the right. Note that the convention parking lot on the left is not for cruise passengers. The Heron Parking garage is a first-come, first-served facility with 1,818 spaces, and there’s also a 5th-floor pedestrian bridge with moving sidewalks. You cannot reserve parking in advance, so timing is crucial. Based on Cruise Critic recommendations, the best time to arrive is around 10:30 AM, just after passengers from the previous cruise have departed. The current parking rate is $20 per day, with a $25 fee for oversized vehicles.
We arrived via Uber, which dropped us off near the Disney terminal before heading to the Princess drop-off area. The drop-off area is a little bland and long, but it’s wheelchair accessible and has benches and a bathroom. From there, porters are ready to take your luggage.
Check-In and Boarding
Once past the drop-off area, you’ll pass through security, which can look like a long wait but moves fairly quickly. It took us about 20-25 minutes to get through security. Princess offers a smooth check-in process with fast and friendly kiosks, as well as several service desks. After check-in, you enter a fun and flashy atrium area before heading to the boarding waiting area, which can get quite congested, even though there are plenty of seats.
Princess uses a round medallion system, which is linked to your loyalty status. Your medallion determines your boarding group: Blue (new cruisers), Gold (after your first cruise), Ruby (after 3 cruises or 30 days), Platinum (after 5 cruises or 50 days), and Black (Elite members after 15 cruises or 150 days). Blue, Gold, and Ruby passengers receive a boarding card with a group number and wait to be called. Platinum and Elite members skip the wait and head upstairs to board immediately.
The entire boarding process took about 40-45 minutes, but if you’re waiting downstairs with a boarding card, you should plan for an additional 15-30 minutes of wait time.
Disembarkation and Getting to the Airport
Disembarkation was straightforward, with a well-organized luggage retrieval area that sorts luggage by color codes. However, getting an Uber to the airport presented some challenges. The pick-up location was recently moved, and we had to walk about 50 yards from the first drop-off area to the new taxi and private pick-up area. This area can get congested with incoming cars and passengers, so it’s important to be proactive in flagging down your driver. Security often directs cars forward, which can make it harder to spot your Uber. Our first driver got lost, but we were able to get another ride after calling again. Allow yourself extra time when leaving the port, as it took us about an hour to get into our Uber.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the port experience at Terminal 2 was a bit of a mixed bag. The terminal is nice and in a convenient location, but traffic and congestion can make it a little chaotic. Still, once you’re on the ship and sailing away, it’s all worth it!