From $370 per vehicle: a private, one-way ride from Port of Miami to Beach Shell Inn in a chauffeured SUV or van.
These are fixed one-way fares for the whole car or van, tolls and fuel included, so the total is known before anyone gets in.
The driver is outside the PortMiami terminal when you come through, plans around the ship’s real arrival time, and loads the bags. The curbside greeting is covered by the fare and the Meet & Greet at the terminal is offered for $40. Then it is one private vehicle straight to the destination.
Beach Shell Inn sits on Fort Myers Beach, out on Estero Island along Florida’s Gulf coast. This is the far side of the state from where your ship ties up, a small stay set among the sand and the low-key streets that create up this stretch of barrier island. If you have planned a few slow days by the Gulf after a week at sea, this is the kind of address built for exactly that — close to the water, simple to reach, and away from the rush of the port you just left behind.
Estero Island keeps things barefoot. The sand runs broad and pale, the Times Square pier district gathers the shops and the foot traffic near the middle of the island, and the passes at either end are known for the dolphins that cruise through them. It is a walkable, unhurried kind of place, the sort where the day sets its own pace and the beach is never more than a short stroll from the door.
When your driver reaches the island, the drop-off covers Fort Myers Beach and the streets right around where you are staying, so you are set down at the door rather than left to locate your own way the last few blocks. After a long crossing of the peninsula, that final stretch matters: bags come out at the curb, the journey ends where your room is, and the Gulf is waiting a few steps on. From here the beach, the pier district, and the quiet corners of Estero Island are all within simple reach for the days ahead.
Book the ride before you dock and disembarkation turns simple. Your reserved black car is staged for your ship’s arrival, so when you clear customs and the luggage hall the vehicle is already there — no line to join, no rides to chase down. The chauffeur loads your bags at the terminal curb, and the journey runs straight to Beach Shell Inn with no added stops and no strangers aboard.
From Port of Miami the route crosses the peninsula on I-595 and runs as one direct leg to the Gulf coast. Plan on roughly 163 to 173 minutes on the road, quiet hours to rush hour, with the included wait time absorbing the slow parts of a cruise morning. Your bags stay in the vehicle the whole way, the pace is yours to set, and the ride ends at the door of Beach Shell Inn.
Booking takes the full fare up front, paid online. There are no seat fees and no add-ons unless you request them.
Beach Shell Inn in Fort Myers Beach is 147.7 miles from the Port of Miami by road, about 2 hours 46 minutes without heavy traffic via I-595. The fare is per vehicle: $370 for the Black SUV, $480 for the Van and $585 for the Van XL. Pickup is at your cruise terminal curb at PortMiami.
| Road distance | 147.7 miles |
|---|---|
| Black SUV, 1-5 | $370 |
| Drive time | 2 hours 46 minutes |
| Van, 6-9 | $480 |
| Main roads | I-595 |
| Van XL, 10-14 | $585 |
| Back from Beach Shell Inn | $370 / $480 / $585 |
For the trip back, your driver picks you up at the main entrance of the inn and drives the 147.7 miles to your cruise terminal at PortMiami in about 2 hours 46 minutes. The return fare is $370 for the Black SUV, $480 for the Van and $585 for the Van XL. The booking box opens with Beach Shell Inn as the pickup; just add the date and time. Book the return
The 147.7 miles from the Port of Miami to Beach Shell Inn take about 2 hours 46 minutes without heavy traffic via I-595. At busy hours, allow extra time. Each vehicle has a fixed fare, no traffic or surge charges: $370 for the Black SUV, $480 for the Van and $585 for the Van XL.
Book the time you expect to walk out of the terminal with your bags, not the docking time. The waiting rules for slow disembarkation days are on the FAQ page linked below. The drive to Beach Shell Inn then takes about 2 hours 46 minutes.
Curbside at the terminal your ship uses. Leave the building with your luggage, send a message, and the driver comes to that curb. From there it is 147.7 miles to Beach Shell Inn.
In the Black SUV ($370 to Beach Shell Inn) passengers plus big suitcases can add up to 10, so five people with five cases fit. The Van ($480) carries 9 passengers and 9 big cases, the Van XL ($585) 14 and 14, and everyone keeps a carry-on.
Yes. The return from Beach Shell Inn to the Port of Miami costs $370 in the Black SUV, $480 in the Van and $585 in the Van XL. Allow about 2 hours 46 minutes for the drive, plus a margin, before your boarding time; the return section above has the booking link.
Every policy in full: FAQ
We didn’t want to juggle the little ones and the bags looking for a ride at the port, so we booked a private van to Beach Shell Inn. There was a name sign at the exit, so we knew right where to go. No lot to comb through — we just walked from the terminal to a car that was already there.
The easy way to get from the ship to Beach Shell Inn. Couldn’t recommend it more.
Fomos de cruzeiro com uma turma grande e queríamos todos e as malas numa viagem privativa só até Beach Shell Inn depois de desembarcar. A última coisa que se quer depois de uma semana no mar é uma viagem que não acontece, e esta foi bem na hora que precisamos.
Meu marido e eu terminamos um cruzeiro ótimo e rematamos com um carro privativo pronto no meio-fio para nos levar até Beach Shell Inn — sem uma só preocupação no terminal. Fomos do navio à recepção de Beach Shell Inn sem estresse nenhum. Sem correria no porto — andamos do terminal até um carro que já estava lá.
The easy way to get from the ship to Beach Shell Inn. Highly recommend. There was a name sign at the exit, so we spotted the driver immediately.