Embarkation Delay for Celebrity Beyond Due to Homeport Change
Taking the very first sailing of a ship as she moves to a new homeport is a special occasion, but guests aboard Celebrity Beyond will have to wait just a few extra hours for their special sailing to get underway in May.
The Edge-class ship will end her Fort Lauderdale deployment with debarkation on the morning of Sunday, May 4, 2025, just hours before guests board for the next sailing – in Miami.
While Port Everglades and Port Miami are just 30 miles apart as the cruise ship sails, it will take several hours for Celebrity Beyond to bid farewell to her last guests in Fort Lauderdale before welcoming travelers in Miami.
Because the ship will need to move between homeports – including docking and maneuvering – guests on the first PortMiami departure have been notified that their boarding times will be slightly later than typical.
“Celebrity Beyond will be debarking guests from our previous sailing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and then heading over to PortMiami for our sailing,” the email embarkation time update explained. “As a result, boarding will begin at 3:00 p.m. in PortMiami.”
Typically, cruise ship embarkation might begin as early as 11:30 a.m. or noon, as soon as the previous guests have left the ship and been processed through customs and immigration.
Of course, at a busy cruise port, parking is also at a premium. Because of this, incoming passengers should not arrive too early or else there may be traffic backups and other difficulties while previous guests are still leaving.
The email goes on to note that the parking lot in Miami will not be open to incoming guests until 3 p.m.
“Arriving before this time will result in us having to turn you away until the terminal is open,” the notification confirmed. “All guests should arrive no later than 6:00 p.m. to ensure all guests are checked-in and onboard by 7:30 p.m.”
At the same time, however, the cruise line is cautioning guests that parking may be limited.
“Guests planning to park must arrive with enough time to secure parking and make their way to the cruise terminal during their selected arrival time,” the email explained.
Celebrity Beyond will be docked at Terminal A, the easternmost terminal at PortMiami. If possible, guests are urged to use ride-share services or be dropped off to ease parking congestion.
Read Also: Miami Cruise Port Parking – Where to Park Guide
In Miami on May 4, five other cruise ships will be both debarking and embarking guests. Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Escape, MSC Cruises MSC Seascape, and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Horizon and Carnival Celebration will all be in port that day.
By arriving slightly later in the day, Celebrity Beyond‘s guests will not only avoid the closed cruise terminal, but will also be able to enjoy smoother traffic and fewer parking snarls as they get ready to set sail for a truly star-worthy Celebrity cruise.
Enjoying Celebrity Beyond From PortMiami
Celebrity Beyond will begin her Miami homeporting with a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary visiting Bimini, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica.
The ship – which joined the Celebrity Cruises fleet in 2021 – will also be offering Eastern Caribbean sailings to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas.
Celebrity Cruises first began visiting CocoCay in April 2024, with different Celebrity ships making regular calls ever since.
Depending on the exact sailing date and itinerary type, Celebrity Beyond also has visits to Nassau, San Juan, Puerto Plata, and Labadee scheduled in the next few months, weather and other circumstances permitting.
In October, the ship will shift to offering primarily Eastern Caribbean sailings, adding visits to Tortola, St. Kitts, and Antigua to different sailings. During the summer of 2026, both Eastern and Western Caribbean routes are offered.
The 141,420-gross-ton Celebrity Beyond can welcome 3,260 guests at double occupancy, or up to 3,937 guests when fully booked with all berths filled. Also onboard are approximately 1,400 international team members who strive to make everyone feel like a celebrity during their vacation.
Embarkation Delay for Celebrity Beyond Due to Homeport Change