Getting to PortMiami isn’t easy—and for one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, that’s a problem. The local government is looking into fixing that.
PortMiami is recognized as the Cruise Capital of the World—but besides being the largest passenger port in the world (over 8.5 million cruise passengers in 2025 alone—a 4% increase over 2024), it’s also one of the largest cargo ports in the United States.
Despite this, transportation to and from PortMiami is surprisingly difficult. The port is housed on an island, and the only way for cruise passengers to travel to/from their cruise ship is by car or bus.
Why is the system so complicated?
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Miami made large investments in infrastructure. However, neither the Metrorail, the city’s rapid transit system, nor MetroMover, a peoplemover system built in 1987, included a stop at the port at the time because cruising wasn’t as big as it is now. It just wasn’t a priority at the time, so they focused more on infrastructure for locals.
Looking ahead
However, the writing is on the wall—PortMiami is huge, and it’s not going to get any smaller in the foreseeable future. And all those rideshares, taxis and shuttle buses just add to the city’s traffic woes – especially when there are ten or more ships docked, all dropping off or taking thousands of passengers at roughly the same time. Throw in the not-so-occasional marathon, music festival or construction project, and you’ve got a traffic mess.
Happily, according to local news reports, Miami-Dade County Public Works is considering a nonstop train linking the port and the airport to reduce traffic congestion.
The potential plan is being reviewed based on the recommendations from the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization’s 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) study, which was published four months ago. The study is a long-term, 25-year blueprint that’s designed to guide the future of transportation in Miami-Dade County.
City planners are actively studying two different approaches:
Option 1: MetroMover Extension
- Extend existing system about 9 miles
- Uses the current bridge
- Lower capacity (about 50 passengers per car)
Option 2: Metrorail Expansion
- About a 10-mile extension
- Requires a new bridge
- Much higher capacity
Regardless of method, there would also need to be infrastructure AT the port. Even if the train dropped you off near the middle of the island, there would likely still need to be a shuttle or tram system on the island to get passengers to/from their ship, since there could be over a dozen cruise ships in port at any given time.
The costs
According to the study, the project would cost approximately $600 million to $800 million and $9 million to $15 million to operate each year.
The project is still in very early planning stages, which means funding and approvals would still be needed before any actual construction could take place.
Even if the plan moves forward, it won’t happen quickly—the current timeline targets completion around 2050. But if it does become reality, PortMiami could become the first major U.S. cruise port with a direct rail link to the airport.
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