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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.

Facts checked against official sources on 24 September 2026
Address1 East 11th Street, Riviera Beach, FL 33404. Phone 561-383-4100.
OperatorThe Board of Port Commissioners, an independent special taxing district of the State of Florida with five elected commissioners
Cruise lineMargaritaville at Sea Paradise
Parking$19 per day, including the day of arrival and the day of departure
Port facilitiesThree slips, 17 berths, vessels up to 700 feet long and 100 feet wide
A note on sourcing, because we promise you honest sourcing. The Port of Palm Beach's own website blocked every attempt at automated reading. Everything below therefore comes from the cruise line's own pages or the Florida Ports Council, not from the port authority. Before you rely on any parking detail here, open portofpalmbeach.com yourself or call 561-383-4100.

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.

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 opens9:30am on embarkation days
Doors close3:00pm promptly. Arrive later and you are denied boarding, treated as a no-show and subject to cancellation penalties.
Arrival windowAssigned by stateroom location, emailed to the primary guest about 21 days before sailing
Boarding passA printed boarding pass has been required since 18 April 2025
LuggageTwo 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.

Not published anywhere we could read: anything at all from the port authority's own website, whether parking is valet-only or self-park, whether cash is accepted, oversized rates, accessible parking provision, any official mileage from either airport, and whether Margaritaville sails from Palm Beach year-round.
Does your body have opinions about this trip?

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