From $600 per vehicle, a private one-way ride from Port of Miami to Merritt Island on the Space Coast.
Each figure below is the full price for the vehicle, not a per-seat charge, so the whole cruise party rides north on one flat rate that holds no matter the traffic or the season.
On disembarkation morning the driver is stationed curbside at the PortMiami cruise terminal, watching your ship’s real clearance time so the pickup lands when you actually step off rather than at a guessed hour. As you walk out with your luggage, the driver loads the cruise bags and pulls away with only your group aboard, no shared seat and no second stop for another party. Ask for a name sign ahead of time on WhatsApp and the driver holds it where you clear the building, which spares you scanning a crowded curb. From there the trip runs door-to-door to your Merritt Island address rather than to a drop point.
Merritt Island is a barrier-island community in Brevard County, set on Florida’s Space Coast among broad lagoons and open water. Its character stays quiet and outdoorsy, with residential streets, marinas, and a setting shaped by rivers and wildlife areas rather than dense downtown blocks. The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge pulls birdwatchers toward its trails and water access, and the whole area sits close to the Kennedy Space Center and the launch culture that marks this stretch of coast. Cruise families often utilize the island as a base for beaches, boating, and space-themed days out. For county services and public records, the Brevard County official site is a good starting point.
The route climbs north from the port along the Florida coast toward the Space Coast, and because the exact clock depends on your pickup slot and the day’s road conditions, the timing is described in plain terms rather than promised to the minute. The slowest part is usually the very beginning: on a hectic morning several ships empty at once and the lanes around the cruise terminals crawl before the highway opens up. Once the luggage is aboard and the vehicle is rolling, it becomes a steady northbound run with no shared detours, so the ride stays as direct as the road allows. The driver keeps watch on your ship’s arrival and clearance and re-times the pickup at no charge if the ship docks late.
The drive is a continuous run north to the Space Coast, and its exact length shifts with your pickup time and the traffic on the day, so it is not pinned to a fixed clock. The first stretch near the cruise terminals tends to move slowest on a heavy disembarkation morning, followed by a steady highway pace once you clear the port. Your driver tracks the ship and paces the pickup to the moment you truly step off.
Every booking is private. The SUV or van carries only your party from the cruise terminal curb to your Merritt Island door, with no strangers and no extra pickups along the way. Because the flat fare covers the whole vehicle, adding passengers up to its limit never changes the price.
Tolls, SunPass charges, and fuel are built into the fare, so none of them is billed on top later. Curbside luggage help and the meet-and-greet come with the ride as well. The only possible extras are a name sign or an after-hours night fee, each stated up front so the total stays clear; one stop of up to 30 minutes is included.
A return is priced at exactly twice the one-way rate for the vehicle you choose, with no separate booking charge. Reserving both legs together puts a single driver and one confirmed pickup time across the outbound run to Merritt Island and the trip back to PortMiami for your next sailing.
The ride from the Port of Miami to Merritt Island covers 194.4 miles and takes about 3 hours 17 minutes in light traffic via Florida’s Turnpike and I-95. Each vehicle has its own fare: Black SUV $600, Van $850, Van XL $1050. Pickup is at your cruise terminal curb at PortMiami.
| Road distance | 194.4 miles |
|---|---|
| Black SUV, 1-5 | $600 |
| Drive time | 3 hours 17 minutes |
| Van, 6-9 | $850 |
| Main roads | Florida’s Turnpike, I-95 |
| Van XL, 10-14 | $1050 |
| Back from Merritt Island | $600 / $850 / $1050 |
Going back works the same way. The driver meets you at your address in Merritt Island and takes you to your cruise terminal at PortMiami, 194.4 miles away, in about 3 hours 17 minutes with light traffic. Fares for the return from Merritt Island are $600 (Black SUV), $850 (Van) and $1050 (Van XL). The booking box below opens with the two points swapped. Book the return
Plan on about 3 hours 17 minutes for the 194.4 miles from the Port of Miami to Merritt Island via Florida’s Turnpike and I-95 when the roads are clear. Peak hours can stretch the trip; it is a fixed fare per vehicle, no traffic or surge charges: $600 for the Black SUV.
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 Merritt Island then takes about 3 hours 17 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 194.4 miles to Merritt Island.
Count people and big suitcases together: up to 10 fit the Black SUV at $600. Larger groups going to Merritt Island take the Van at $850, for 9 passengers and 9 cases, or the Van XL at $1050, for 14 and 14. One carry-on each is included.
Yes. The return from Merritt Island to the Port of Miami costs $600 in the Black SUV, $850 in the Van and $1050 in the Van XL. Allow about 3 hours 17 minutes for the drive, plus a margin, before your boarding time; the return section above has the booking link.
Every policy in full: FAQ
Reservé la noche anterior, llegada puntual, listo.
For a stress-free disembarkation, my wife and I had a private driver meet us at the cruise terminal to run us to Merritt Island. The fare was the number we were quoted, nothing added at the curb.
The two of us arranged a private transfer for after the cruise so we wouldn’t worry about the timing on the way to Merritt Island. The car was spotless, and there was space for everything. There was a thirty-minute cushion from the agreed time, so we never had to rush through customs. Made getting off the ship so easy.
The two of us sailed out of PortMiami and getting a private car waiting curbside for the ride to Merritt Island took all the stress out of it. For a reliable way to get from the port to Merritt Island, it was absolutely worth booking. The ride to Merritt Island was quiet and relaxed, climate-controlled, and we could just settle in.
Our whole crew came off the ship at once and it was a relief to have one private van waiting at the terminal for the ride to Merritt Island — everyone in one vehicle. The meet-and-greet at the curb was included, and we didn’t have to search for anyone. The night before, we got a message with the driver’s name and plate number, so there was nothing to figure out when we walked out.