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Port of Palm Beach
Florida's small short-cruise port, running two- to five-night sailings to the Bahamas. It is also the port that publishes the least about itself.
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| Address | 1 East 11th Street, Riviera Beach, FL 33404. Phone 561-383-4100. |
|---|---|
| Operator | The Board of Port Commissioners, an independent special taxing district of the State of Florida with five elected commissioners |
| Cruise line | Margaritaville at Sea Paradise |
| Parking | $19 per day, including the day of arrival and the day of departure |
| Port facilities | Three slips, 17 berths, vessels up to 700 feet long and 100 feet wide |
Parking
The rate all sources agree on is $19 per day, including the day of arrival and the day of departure. Beyond that, Margaritaville's own pages contradict each other, so here is exactly what each one says.
| Their directions page | Calls it "valet-only parking" operated by the Port of Palm Beach. Cash accepted, along with Visa, MasterCard, Discover and traveller's cheques. No American Express, no personal cheques. |
|---|---|
| Their arrival page | Calls it self-parking, with VIP parking at $25 daily on a first-come basis, and states that cash will not be accepted. |
| Their FAQ | Says self-parking and limited valet, cash accepted along with Visa, MasterCard, Discover and traveller's cheques. |
Take a credit card that is not American Express, and bring some cash as a backstop. Nothing is published about oversized or RV parking, covered parking, height clearance, prepay, or any accessible parking provision or fee waiver.
Parking off the port
None found. No hotel or lot near the Port of Palm Beach publishes a park-and-cruise rate on its own first-party website; every result is a reselling marketplace. We will add them here if that changes.
Where to stay the night before
The night before is the cheapest insurance you can buy. A late flight or a traffic jam on embarkation morning can cost you the whole cruise, and the ship will not wait.
- Ask the hotel about a cruise shuttle and its price before you book.
- Ask whether you can leave your car while you sail, and what that costs.
- Need an accessible room? Ask for the exact feature, like a roll-in shower or grab bars, and get it written on your confirmation.
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Hotels near the Port of Palm Beach
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Getting there
Driving, from Margaritaville's own directions: from I-95 northbound take Exit 76, Blue Heron Blvd, east to US-1, turn right/south, then left onto E 11th St at the north end of the bridge. From the south take Exit 74, 45th St, east to US-1, then left/north over the Skypass Bridge.
The nearest airport has been renamed. The airport authority's own ground transportation page now publishes it as President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT), at flydjt.org, and the old pbia.org address redirects there. If you are searching for "PBI," that is why the results look strange. The airport publishes Amtrak, Tri-Rail, Palm Tran, Metro Taxi on 561-444-9999, Uber and Lyft, car rental and hotel shuttles, with services on Level 1 at baggage claim and rideshare on Level 3.
No airport, port or cruise line publishes a mileage or drive time to the port from either Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale, and the airport publishes no route number or fare to Riviera Beach.
Palm Tran does publish reduced-fare eligibility that is worth knowing: seniors 65 and over, students 21 and under, disabled individuals, veterans with a VA service-connected ID and TD participants all travel at half the single-trip cash fare, and children 8 and under ride free with a paying passenger. The actual dollar fare is not published on that page.
Arriving
| Port opens | 9:30am on embarkation days |
|---|---|
| Doors close | 3:00pm promptly. Arrive later and you are denied boarding, treated as a no-show and subject to cancellation penalties. |
| Arrival window | Assigned by stateroom location, emailed to the primary guest about 21 days before sailing |
| Boarding pass | A printed boarding pass has been required since 18 April 2025 |
| Luggage | Two standard pieces per guest, 50 lbs maximum each. $55 for excess or overweight, $80 for anything over 100 lbs. |
The short cruises
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise sails two- to five-night cruises from Palm Beach to Nassau, Grand Bahama Island and Key West according to the line's itineraries page, though its dedicated weekend page shows only three- and four-night products, with no two-night sailing listed. A sample three-night Nassau sailing leaves Palm Beach at 3:30pm, spends a day at sea, calls at Nassau 8:00am to 4:00pm, and is back in Palm Beach by 8:00am on day four.
Note that the same line's larger ship, Margaritaville at Sea Islander, is based at Tampa Terminal 6, not here. If you booked the Islander, you are going to Tampa.
Accessibility
The port publishes nothing we could read. The cruise line publishes a good deal: wheelchair assistance at embarkation and disembarkation ports for gangways and boarding bridges, priority check-in for guests with disabilities, early embarkation and disembarkation where customs allows, and terminal operations managers trained to assist. Staff cannot lift guests, and waits are possible at peak times.
Mobility device limits: 26 inches wide generally, 27 inches for accessible cabin entry; devices must be stored and recharged in cabins; crew cannot lift devices over 25 lbs; devices of 100 lbs or more cannot transfer by tender. Onboard wheelchairs are limited and reserved for embarkation and disembarkation only. Requests go to the Guest Access Team on 800-814-7100, and they recommend 30 days' notice.
Where these facts come from
- Florida Ports Council, Port of Palm Beach
- Margaritaville at Sea, directions to Port of Palm Beach
- Margaritaville at Sea, arrival and embarkation
- Margaritaville at Sea, FAQ
- Margaritaville at Sea, accessibility
- Margaritaville at Sea, three-night weekend
- President Donald J. Trump International Airport, ground transportation
- Palm Tran, half and reduced fare
Ports change their rules and their prices. Check the official pages above before you sail.
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Mobility & access at this port
From Sails Anyway, the accessible-cruising section of this site. Nothing here is medical advice — it is what the port and the cruise lines publish, so you know what to ask.
Why a short cruise is worth considering
If you or someone you travel with is uncertain about managing a full week — after surgery, after a bad spell, or the first trip using a walker — a two-night sailing answers the question cheaply. You learn what the cabin, the gangway and the dining room actually ask of you, without seven days riding on the answer.
Parking at the port: whoever needs the shortest walk should never ride to the garage. Drop them at the door first, with the luggage, then park. Private lots work differently — you park first and ride a shuttle in.
What sails from here
- Margaritaville at Sea is effectively the whole port, sailing short trips to Freeport, Nassau and Key West.
- One terminal, at 1 East 11th Street, Riviera Beach — so there's no terminal to confuse.
- A smaller, older ship than the Florida mega-ports, which means shorter queues and a shorter walk from end to end.
- It's a working industrial port, not a waterfront district. There's nothing to stroll to while you wait.
The hard deadline that catches people out
Terminal doors have closed promptly at 3:00pm on sailing day, and arriving after that has meant being denied boarding and treated as a no-show. On a port where many people drive up the morning of the cruise, that cutoff is the single biggest risk — and traffic, roadworks or a slow morning can eat an hour without warning. Confirm your own times with the cruise line, then plan to arrive well before them.
Where to park: port-run and private, together
| Where | Who runs it | Roughly | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port of Palm Beach lot | Port-run | about $19/day | Secured and patrolled around the clock, at the terminal. Charged for the arrival and return days, so roughly $57 for a three-day cruise. Valet suspended during the U.S. 1 roadworks. |
| Rightway Parking | Private | from about $8/day | Books nearby private lots with a shuttle and a guaranteed space. On a two or three-night cruise the total saving is small, and it costs two shuttle rides. |
Parking, and what it costs
- Around $19 a day for self-parking, charged for the day you arrive and the day you get back — so roughly $57 for a three-day cruise.
- The lot is secured and patrolled around the clock, with controlled access.
- Valet has been offered here in the past at the same daily rate, but it was suspended during the U.S. 1 roadworks. If valet would make the difference for you, ring the port and ask whether it's running again.
- Off-site lots advertise from around $8 a day with a shuttle — but on a two or three-night cruise the total saving is small, and it costs you two shuttle rides.
Roadworks worth planning around
The Florida Department of Transportation's U.S. 1 project has closed the right-turn lane onto 11th Street and the northbound sidewalk, with a detour via 13th Street and Avenue C to reach the terminal. A closed sidewalk matters if anyone in your party is walking or rolling any part of this. Check the port's parking page for current conditions before you set off, and give your driver the detour.
Getting there
- Palm Beach International (PBI) is only about eight miles away — one of the shortest airport runs to any Florida cruise terminal.
- Miami is roughly 80 miles south and Port Canaveral about 135 miles north, so this is an easy drive-to port for much of the east coast.
- Rideshare and taxis are straightforward, and on a short cruise two rides often beat paying to park.
- There are no luggage lockers in the terminal, so plan for your bags if you have time to fill after disembarking.
Questions to ask before you drive
- Do you waive parking for my vehicle or plate, and what documents do I bring?
- Where are the accessible spaces, and how close are they to the terminal or the elevator?
- Can I drop my passenger and bags at the terminal first?
- For off-site lots: does the shuttle have a wheelchair lift, and can it take my scooter?
- What's the height limit if I drive a lifted van?
Wheelchair help at the terminal — ask ahead
Royal Caribbean: crew push wheelchairs on and off the ship at embarkation and disembarkation. Request it on the Guest Special Needs Form at least 30 days before you sail.
Celebrity: tick "wheelchair assistance at the pier" on the special needs form, at least 30 days ahead.
Princess: has an Accessibility Lane at check-in, and assigns crew when you request wheelchair help.
Check with your cruise line
- Ask how to request pier and wheelchair assistance, and by when — short cruises still have paperwork deadlines.
- Confirm the terminal opening and closing times for your sailing, and treat the closing time as firm.
- Ask what accessible cabins are available on the ship, since a smaller older vessel has fewer of them.
- Ask whether valet parking is operating on your date.
Rules and rates change — call before you drive
This is a starting point, not legal advice. Parking rates, free-parking rules and terminal assignments change without notice. Call the port's parking office before you set off, and check with your own cruise line.
Prices change without notice
Rates here are a guide, not a quote, and this port has changed its parking arrangements recently because of construction. Confirm the current rate, whether valet is running, and the access route with the port before you travel.
Accessibility details last checked 22 September 2026. How we check this →
If stairs, gangways and tenders are a problem, there is a whole section of this site for you. Sails Anyway covers accessible and limited-mobility cruising properly instead of squeezing it into a paragraph: what each pier actually asks of you, which tender ports are a problem and why, the special-needs forms and the deadlines that catch people out, and how to choose a cabin you can move around in.
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