Columbus Cruise Review

Port website: www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/portofmiami/cruise.htm

Time Zone: GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from April to October).

Currency: US Dollar ($)= 100 cents.

Language: English.

Nearest airport: Miami International Airport.

Hotels: Hotels in central Miami include the Hyatt Regency, the Hotel Inter-Continental and the Sheraton Biscayne Bay. Hotels at the airport include the Miami International Airport Hotel and the Marriott Airport. The Lido Spa Hotel & Health Spa and the Four Points by Sheraton are located at Miami Beach and are convenient for the port.

Sightseeing: Miami is the cruise capital of the world and is home to no less than 17 cruise ships; it also has the largest year-round cruise fleet in the world. Visitors to this vibrant city can discover the bustling Bayside harbour complex in Downtown Miami with its boat excursions; the distinctly Latin district of Little Havana, home to the city’s huge Cuban population; South Beach, Miami’s most-visited attraction, famed for its candy-coloured Art Deco buildings; and the legendary Ocean Drive boulevard, which is fringed by Miami’s trendiest sidewalk boutiques, bars and restaurants.

Shopping: It is possible to buy almost anything in Miami. Particularly good areas to head for are: Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, with quality galleries, boutiques and department stores; the 6.4-hectare (16-acre) waterfront Bayside Marketplace in downtown Miami, which features an unusual mix of retail shops and local artisan stalls; and South Beach (most notably the Lincoln Road shopping district, nicknamed the ‘Fifth Avenue of the South’).

Eating out: See Fort Lauderdale.