This is the number one world's busiest cruise port, and there are a wide array of things to do and see before you embark on your cruise (or after you disembark). Nearby Bayside Marketplace offers a great place to spend time, whether you have an hour or a day. Waterfront shopping, entertainment and great dining opportunities all combine for a unique one-stop-fits-all approach to spending time before or after a cruise.

Ocean Drive makes the perfect starting point for a 10-block stretch of pastel hotels, cafes, shops, restaurants and clubs. A welcome center offers tours of the trendy Art Deco Disctrict that includes buildings from the 1920s to 1930s or pick up a cassette to aid your own exploration of the area. I was surprised at how relatively reasonable Miami Cruise Port Parking was, when compared with other major cities.

If you want to plan more than a day to stay and play, tucked in and around Miami and its beaches are some wonderful Miami Cruise Port hotels,  many with spectacular waterfront views. And, just minutes away from the port are two attractions worth the visit. Parrot Jungle Island located on 18.6 acres between downtown Miami and South Beach is home to more than 3,000 exotic animals and 500 species of plants and Miami Seaquarium, which has been providing 50 years of entertainment to South Florida.

Of course, let's not forget about the beach... white sand, warm sun... what a perfect way to begin or end a vacation!

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