From $450 per vehicle: a private, one-way ride from Port of Miami to Sandpiper Gulf Resort in a chauffeured SUV or van.
Every fare below is per vehicle, one way, with the driver, fuel and tolls inside the number. Pick the row that fits your group and luggage.
The driver is outside the PortMiami terminal when you come through, plans around the ship’s real arrival time, and loads the bags. The terminal greeting is covered by the fare and a name sign is offered for $20. Then it is one private vehicle straight to the destination.
Sandpiper Gulf Resort sits on Fort Myers Beach, out along Estero Island on Florida’s Gulf coast, roughly 145.4 miles by road from the Port of Miami cruise terminals. After you step off the ship and clear the crowd, this is a stay set well apart from the port bustle — a Gulf-side base rather than a downtown high-rise, with the drop-off bringing you right to the entrance and the streets immediately around it.
The island itself is the draw. Estero Island stretches along seven miles of shallow, warm Gulf water, the kind of gradual shoreline that stays wadeable a long way out from the sand. The resort sits within that ribbon of beach, close to the pier district at Times Square, where the island’s walkable heart of shops and open-air dining gathers near the water. It is an easygoing corner of the coast, built for slow mornings and long afternoons rather than a rushed schedule.
What you find on arrival is a compact beach-town setting with plenty within reach. Lovers Key State Park and its wilder stretches of sand sit next door, and Bowditch Point Park anchors the northern tip of the island for quieter walks and water views. The pier at Times Square gives you a natural gathering point for the first evening, and the surrounding streets of Fort Myers Beach hold the everyday necessities close by. For a few nights before the sailing or for unwinding once it ends, the resort puts the Gulf, the island, and its small-town core within an easy stroll of the door.
The ride begins the moment you clear disembarkation. Your chauffeur tracks the ship and coordinates the meeting by message as you walk off, so there is no scanning a crowded curb for an unmarked car. Your bags go into the vehicle for you, everyone in your group rides together, and the car pulls away with no shared stops and no detours — a single reserved SUV or van running straight across the state to Fort Myers Beach.
From the terminal the driver follows I-595 and the cross-state route for the roughly 145.4-mile run, which takes about 157 to 168 minutes depending on the hour and the port’s morning rush. At Sandpiper Gulf Resort the drop-off is right at the entrance, with your luggage carried to the curb beside you. The whole leg is planned around your actual arrival time, so a slow gangway does not cost you the ride.
One vehicle, one party, one fixed price: nobody else boards, the route runs straight to the door, and the driver handles the bags at both ends. It is the simplest way to start or end a trip without lines, apps or surprises.
A 50% deposit reserves the ride online; the balance is paid to the driver on the day, cash or card. The fare is one way and per vehicle, so what you see above is the full price for the trip.
Late is fine: the SUV night fee is $20 in Miami-Dade and Broward and $50 outside them for pickups between 9 PM and 7 AM. A stop on the route runs $45 per 30 minutes, and a child seat is $15.
A full-size suitcase per passenger fits the SUV with five aboard; groups of six or more move to a van sized 6-9 or 10-14 with the cargo space to match.
Send any change to the party or extras at least 12 hours before the pickup. The booked date is final.
Message us on WhatsApp at wa.me/17866828748 or call 786-682-8748 with your date, passenger count and luggage, and we confirm the vehicle and the pickup details.
Reserving a few days ahead is ideal, and in peak season (holidays, spring break, big cruise weekends) a week or more keeps your first-choice vehicle available. Requests inside 24 hours are welcome but depend on availability, and those bookings are non-refundable once confirmed.
We run on reservations rather than on-demand pickups. A same-day request may still work if a driver is free: message us on WhatsApp with the pickup time and we will confirm quickly. Keep in mind that a ride booked within 24 hours of pickup cannot be refunded.
No. A 50% deposit holds the vehicle when you book online, and the other half goes to your driver on the day of the ride, in cash or by card. If you prefer to settle everything at once, choose Pay in full at checkout.
Yes. After the deposit, the remaining half is paid directly to your driver when the ride is done, cash or card, whichever you prefer. There is nothing else to pay unless you added an extra service.
Cancellations are free up to 24 hours before the pickup. Inside that 24-hour window the ride is non-refundable, and no-shows are treated the same way. Booking details such as an extra passenger or a child seat can still be updated until 12 hours before pickup.
The pickup time and other details can be adjusted until 12 hours before the ride, subject to driver availability; write to us as soon as your plans change. The travel date itself is fixed once booked, so double-check it before you confirm.
Payments run through Stripe over an encrypted checkout; we never see your card number. Card payments carry a 3% processing fee that is shown before you pay. Zelle is also accepted for the deposit with no fee: ask us on WhatsApp.
Not at all. Travelers reserve from all over the world, international cards are accepted at checkout, and we answer on WhatsApp and email in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Yes. Give us the flight number when you book and your driver tracks it in real time, so the pickup follows the actual landing rather than the scheduled one, at no extra cost.
Message us the moment you know. We reschedule around the new arrival whenever a driver is available; because that counts as a change to the booking, the cancellation terms above still apply if the ride cannot be rebooked.
Your driver meets you at the MIA arrivals level at the curb, and that meet-and-greet is included in the fare. If you would rather be greeted inside the terminal with a name sign, add the name-sign welcome for $20 when you book.
You receive the meeting instructions in advance, and the driver contacts you the day before the ride to confirm every detail. On landing, head to the agreed curb; connect to the airport Wi-Fi and message us on WhatsApp if anything is unclear.
The day before the ride we send the driver’s name and phone number, and the vehicle details you need to spot the car. Vehicle photos on the site show the category booked; the exact model can vary.
Call or WhatsApp us at +1 (786) 682-8748 and we connect you right away. The pickup is always coordinated at the confirmed spot, and the courtesy waiting time keeps running from your landing or your scheduled pickup.
At the airport we wait up to 60 minutes after landing on domestic flights and up to 2 hours on international arrivals; at hotels, homes and the cruise port the courtesy wait is 15 minutes. Beyond that, waiting is billed like an extra stop, $45 per 30 minutes.
The distance and the usual driving time for this exact route are listed on this page. Real timing depends on traffic and the hour, which is why the driver plans the pickup around your actual landing or ship arrival rather than a fixed clock time.
Yes. Your driver loads and unloads every bag at the curb. Drivers do not go inside the hotel or terminal to collect luggage, so have it with you at the meeting point.
Each passenger can bring one large suitcase plus one carry-on. The black SUV carries up to 5 passengers as long as passengers plus large suitcases total 10 or fewer; larger groups or extra bags move to a van. Surfboards, bikes or many extra cases need a custom setup, so tell us before booking.
Yes. Add them when you book: a child seat for babies and toddlers up to about 3 years, or a booster for ages 3 to 5. Each seat is $20 and is fitted before the driver leaves for the pickup.
Planned stops are fine when you add them at booking, priced at $45 per 30 minutes with a 30-minute minimum, then $1.50 per extra minute. Unplanned detours on the day are not part of the fare.
Never. Every transfer is private: the vehicle carries only your group, door to door, with no other pickups and no waiting for strangers.
A black SUV for up to 5 passengers, a van for 6 to 9 and a larger van for 10 to 14. The fare table on this page shows the price for each. For groups above 14 we arrange several vehicles or a minibus on a custom quote.
No. We pick up and drop off at Miami International Airport, PortMiami and the other cruise terminals, hotels, private homes, offices and event venues across South Florida and beyond.
Yes. Wedding parties, corporate groups and private events get a tailored quote with the right mix of vehicles; message us with the date, head count and schedule.
Between 9 PM and 7 AM the black SUV adds a night fee of $20 inside Miami-Dade and Broward and $50 farther out. The fee is shown in the quote before you book, and daytime rides carry no surcharge.
The fare shown is for the exact route named on this page. For a different pickup or drop-off address, use the ride search on this site: it prices the real road distance instantly and lets you book on the spot.
The fare includes the driver, fuel and tolls, with no hidden fees. Only optional items add to it: the 3% card fee, a name-sign welcome, child seats, extra stops or the night fee, each shown in the quote before you pay. Tipping is at your discretion.
The group of us walked off at once and it was so easy to have one private van waiting at the terminal for the ride to Sandpiper Gulf Resort — everyone in one vehicle. The fare was locked in at booking, the same number we were quoted. We’ve already saved them for our next cruise out of PortMiami.
My wife and I didn’t want the taxi scramble outside the terminal, so we reserved a private ride to Sandpiper Gulf Resort before we even sailed. We were dropped at the entrance of Sandpiper Gulf Resort, not down the block.
Los niños estaban medio dormidos cuando bajamos, y una van privada ya en la acera llevó a todos a Sandpiper Gulf Resort de una pieza. La noche anterior recibimos un texto con el nombre del conductor y la placa, así que no hubo que adivinar en la acera al salir.
I was sailing solo and booked a private car to meet me at the cruise terminal once the ship docked and take me right over to Sandpiper Gulf Resort. For a stress-free way to get from the ship to Sandpiper Gulf Resort, it was money well spent. I’ve already saved them for my next cruise out of PortMiami.
No íbamos a hacer malabares con niños y maletas buscando transporte en el puerto, así que coordinamos una van privada a Sandpiper Gulf Resort.