If you want to save money on your next vacation, one of the best ways to do it is by booking late deal cruises. However, if you choose to go this route, there are some important things that you need to know before you book your cruise. Otherwise, you might have a terrible time or not be able to take the cruise at all.

The first thing that you need to know before you book late cruise deals is if you can get to the port of embarkation and how much it will cost you. For example, if you’re looking at Caribbean cruises, many of them leave from ports in Florida. If you live in Florida (or within driving distance of the port) getting there in time for the cruise is often not a problem. However, if you need to fly to get to the port you may end up with an expensive plane ticket or possibly even no plane ticket at all depending on when you’re flying. Always check how much the plane ticket costs first; otherwise you might end up with an expensive surprise.

The second thing that you need to know is that many times the best cruises will sell out at full price before you actually book them late. So if you have your eyes on the ultimate Galapagos or Antarctic cruise, or any other area where cruise space is limited, you might want to book it early instead of trying to wait until the last minute and hoping you get a seat. But, if you are planning on going to somewhere where there are lots of cruises, like the Caribbean, and you aren’t picky about your ports of call, trying to book a cruise late could be for you.

Finally, the last incredibly important thing that you need to know about booking your cruise late is that you need to be patient. Oftentimes, you won’t be able to get the exact cruise that you want right away. However, if you are patient and wait, odds are that you will eventually be able to find a great cruise for much cheaper than you otherwise thought possible. Don’t just jump at the first cruise that you see. Instead be patient and wait for the one that you really want. Eventually you will be able to book it.

I don’t think you can fully appreciate roller furling unless you’ve sailed without it. My first boat, a 15-ton, 43-foot ketch, had all hank-on sails. Large sails. Humongous sails. The #1 genoa was 700 square feet, with a deck-sweeping low cut foot. Boy, could it drive that boat! On a beam reach at 18 knots apparent we were trucking at 8-plus knots. Just the stuff to get a sailor’s pulse going and put a grin on his (or her) face. But let the breeze freshen to, say, 23 to 25 knots, and the boat was overpowered and hard to handle. At that point you could bear off and spill wind, or shorten sail.

The sailing grounds around San Diego are generally blessed with consistent afternoon 10-to-15 knot breezes. Lovely stuff, a sailor’s dream. So in two years of day trips and weekend trips in the San Diego vicinity, I rarely had occasion to change the headsail. Then one memorable day about five miles out of Catalina Island’s Avalon Harbor, all hell broke loose.

The (until then) comfy 15-knot afternoon breeze started to rise, and kept rising. We reefed the main (easily done with jiffy reefing), then struck the mizzen, then eased the jibsheet. Even after all that, the boat was way overpowered in the gusts. It became clear that the big genny had to come down and the #2 (100% jib) had to go up.

The flush teak deck was slick with the boarding seas. I turned the helm over to my best crew member and went forward to make the change, foolishly (I now realize) without harness and tether. As a crewmate lowered the halyard, I gathered that wet 700 square feet of Dacron on deck, or, I should say, tried to. The wind caught the sloppy flakes and whipped big portions of the sail across the deck. I scrambled about an all fours as I tried to subdue it. At that point I learned just how very slippery wet Dacron can be.

I slid across the heeled deck like I was on a slip ‘n’ slide (remember those?) and slammed hard against the leeward lifeline. I’m very lucky I didn’t go overboard. I yelled for help and crawled back to tame the Dacron beast. Together we gathered it, bungeed it to the windward lifelines, and set out to hank on the #2 jib.

That wasn’t the end of the foredeck fun and games, however. I yelled for my crew to unfasten the halyard shackle and hand it to me. It got away from him, whipped around wildly, and caught him upside the head, opening up a nasty 2-inch gash. I waved him back to the cockpit, and he left a trail of bright red blood on the deck and genny. I hauled down the shackle and attached it to the jib, then crawled back to the mast base to haul it aloft. After I re-took the helm, it was manageable under the reduced sail, and the balance of the voyage to Avalon harbor was uneventful. My crew with the laceration wasn’t the litigious type, and his laceration healed well after steri-stripping it closed (on board).

Now, the astute reader-mariner might rightfully point out that I should have come off the wind to a downwind run to blanket the foredeck and jib for the takedown. Right you are, but save those sarcastic e-mails, please. I was a newby sailor and I know better now. The salient point is this: That much time on a wet, pitching foredeck, upwind or downwind, is courting disaster. I also know that after sailing a Baba 30 with headsail roller furling, the described fiasco would be a ho-hummer on a smaller boat. I’d just luff the jib, haul in three or four feet on the roller, tie it off, and bear off with reduced foresail. No problemo, all done from the cockpit. And if it blows harder still, I’d furl it completely and sail under reefed mainsail and staysail.

Trish Lambert has been a cruising sailor for over twenty-five years and a first mate three times, with three different skippers and three very different cruising styles. She knows first hand what makes cruising successful, and what she has to share may surprise you! Whether you are a skipper or first mate, a singlehander or part of a cruising couple, sail boater or power boater, Trish can help make your cruising dream a reality.

Introducing Miami

Miami city is located on the mainland of Florida. To the east offshore, lie a series of barrier islands. Furthest south of these is Key Biscayne. Next to the north is Virginia Key, then Fisher Island, and then Miami Beach. The bay separating these islands and the Florida mainland is Biscayne Bay.

Miami was founded as a tiny orange farming community. Then when a railroad was built to the township, its hot weather and coastline position proved to be popular with newcomers, so the settlement expanded rapidly.

In the early part of the twentieth century resort companies realized the potential of the Atlantic Ocean coastline of Miami Beach, and thus commenced the building of the stylish Art Deco buildings in South Beach. The hurricane of 1929 resulted in huge devastation to the area, but was only a hitch as new buildings were built as speedily as ever.

In the 1960′s there was a large migration into Miami of refugees from Cuba, fleeing the government of Fidel Castro. This meant Miami inherited the feel of a Central American city, with great vigor combining with a laid-back vibe.

Miami has today grown into a major city for industry, culture, tourism and entertainment. Miami’s cruise port is a major business and Miami is sometimes monikered the Cruise Capital of the World. Miami port welcomes all the major cruiselines, with itineraries to the sun-drenched Caribbean or often beyond.

Miami Port

Miami Port is positioned on Dodge Island, a piece of dredged land in Biscayne Bay created by the combining of three islands, Dodge, Lummus and Sam’s.

The port is a mere 2 miles from downtown Miami. Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal waterway, connects the port to the city.

Eight cruise terminal buildings are managed by the port.

The B/C, D, E, F and G terminals are at the north coast of Dodge island, terminal H on the west, and terminal J on the south. along the south of Dodge island.

Terminals D and E, which were completed in 2007, are the newest. They are able of handling mega cruise ships. The combined distance end-to-end of all cruise ship berths is nearly 2200m. Eight large cruise ships can be berthed at the same time.

Each terminal has all the essential facilities, such as shops, check in desks, cab ranks, eateries and bars.

Further passenger facilities at cruise terminals D and E are airport like check-ins, advanced style baggage handling, and an all-in-one Multi-Agency Desk, with United States Department of Agriculture, US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration Office.

5 Best Things To Do In Miami (Editor’s choice!)

You may well have a day or two available on one side of your cruise or the other to explore Miami itself. Not to be missed are:

1 South Beach (aka SoBe)
SoBe, a fabulous Art Deco styled oceanfront island has the lot, fine restaurants, great people watching, simple cafes, boutique shops, hip shops, gorgeous historic hotels and a lovely beach. SoBe is just a 25 minutes from the cruise port by cab.

2 Coconut Grove
Coconut Grove, built in the 1870s, is Miami’s oldest region. It is a place of galleries, fashionable shops, bars and fine restaurants. Venture into Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, an early 20th century estate built for a Chicago industrialist with the intention of recreating a Renaissance imitation estate.

3 Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Bill Baggs Cape Florida Park is positioned at the southern end of Key Biscayne. It is the home of a very old lighthouse originally constructed in 1825 then reconstructed twenty years later. Spend some time at the park to hike, sunbathe, swim, picnic and surf along more than a mile of gorgeous Atlantic beachfront.

4 Fairchild Tropical Garden
For a soothing outing go to the Fairchild Tropical Garden, here a series of artificial lakes are encircled by verdant flora and fauna.

5 Little Havana
For a taste of Cuban life today, venture into Little Havana, the place that lots of migrant Cubans fled to after getting away from their homeland. Walk the length of Calle Ocho, call in at a cafe for a cup of traditional Cuban coffee, visit the Cuban Museum and check out cigars being produced at the Credito Cigar factory.

Picking A Cruise From Miami

There’s a wide range of cruises on offer from Miami including the Eastern Caribbean (Tortola, San Juan, St Maarten and St Thomas), the Western Caribbean (Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Belize and Roatan), the Bahamas (Nassau and Freeport), or the Southern Caribbean (St Johns, St Kitts and Barbados). Extended voyages are sometimes offered, such as trips to Central America, up the Amazon or trans Panama canal to the east coast of the US.

Travelling To The Cruise Terminal From Miami International Airport

Miami cruise port is just a few miles from Miami International Airport. To transfer from airport to port, take a cab or catch the blue supershuttle service.

Also Worth Knowing
Currency USD
Language English
Timezone EST/EDT

Hi, I’m Costa Marcos and I am the webmaster of Cruise Timetables, an invaluable resource for all cruise enthusiasts. Quickly find all the cruises leaving from (or visiting) a specific port, together with comprehensive itinerary timetables. For Miami cruises see cruises from Miami.