Every adult in the car shows ID at the gate
Port Everglades is a secured harbour, not an open waterfront. Before any car reaches a terminal it passes a security checkpoint, and everyone 18 or older - driver and passengers alike, including the friend who is only dropping you off - has to show a government-issued photo ID. Pack it somewhere you can reach from the seat, not in a checked bag.
Not every entrance is open all day. The Eller Drive checkpoint off I-595 and the McIntosh Road gate run around the clock, but the State Road 84 and 17th Street entrances keep 6am-6pm hours, so a pre-dawn pickup or a late-night drop at a port hotel should aim for Eller Drive.
Parking caps at $25 a day, and you cannot book it
The port's own garages and lots charged a $25 daily maximum in 2026. There are no reservations and no prepayment - the clock starts when you pull a ticket. Heron Garage serves Terminals 2 and 4 (with an air-conditioned bridge into Terminal 2), and Palm Garage serves 19, 21, 25, 26 and 29, with a shuttle running between Palm and Terminal 29. Oversized vehicles up to 24 feet pay $35 for 24 hours.
Those garages have a 7-foot clearance, which rules out roof boxes on taller SUVs.
Flying home the same morning
Disembarkation usually runs 7-9am, and with FLL under two miles away a midday flight is realistic. Airlines generally take checked bags only from about two hours before departure, so passengers booked on an evening flight are better off joining a post-cruise tour than sitting at the airport. People collecting passengers can wait free in the cell phone lots at the Port Administration Building on Eller Drive and north of Terminal 18.
Sources: porteverglades.net, porteverglades.net, porteverglades.net