Honesty, pricing, process and quality scores appear once 5 customers have rated them.
About Cruise Port Connections
Welcome to Cruise Port Connections, your premier charter service dedicated to seamlessly connecting Florida’s Gulf Coast travelers with the bustling cruise ports of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Since our inception in 2024, we’ve been on a mission to transform the often-stressful journey to cruise ports into an integral part of your vacation experience! We want every passenger to be able to get the most out of their Cruise Vacation. By using our service your vacation starts from the moment you arrive at one of 8 convent stops on the West Coast of Florida, we have stops in Clearwater, Saint Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, Port Charlotte, Ft. Myers, and Naples. Sit Back, relax and let Cruise Port Connections take the stress out of your ride to the cruise Ports.
Cruise Port Connections (cruiseportconnections.com) has 19 customer reviews on The Fair Hearing, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.
Great experience My husband and used to drive to Miami…
My husband and used to drive to Miami the day before our cruise. This required that we do the driving, pay for gas, hotel, food and drinks and transport to the port from our hotel. When a fellow cruiser suggested we try this venue we were delighted to give it a try. We met the bus and Norman at our St Pete stop and were delighted with the bus and Norman. He makes everything a comfortable and fun experience. He takes the time to help us older folks get on and off the bus safely. We have used this transport 8 times so far and I’m booking our next trip tomorrow. I also want to give a great thank you to Maureen and Cinda for helping me with questions and keeping us informed. I continue to recommend this transport opportunity on our Facebook groups and to fellow cruisers that I meet onboard. Give it a try! You won’t be disappointed. ⚓️
By Barbara O.
Response from Cruise Port Connections· Aug 14, 2026
Barbara,
Norman, Cinda, and I are thrilled to have you and your husband as regulars and some of our biggest champions. We enjoy having you both on board. Thank you for having a little adventurous spirit and willingness to give us a try the first time and the continued support in every booking. Can't wait to hear from you again!
Sincerely,
Norman, Cinda and Maureen
Norman is a pleasure to deal with
Normal is a pleasure to deal with. He keeps a clean bus, even plays a movie for us. Venice to Miami was seamless . Return trip, we had delays due to an accident on the highway. We got back to Venice a few hours late. It would have happened if we were in our own car anyway. At least we were able to sit back and relax . We are booked next month for Miami cruise port & will book them in the future without hesitation .
By Terry M.
Response from Cruise Port Connections· May 20, 2026
Hello Terry,
Thank you for your continued support of us. We are so happy that you are happy with our service. We enjoy having you both as passengers. We really appreciate your understanding when things happen that are out of our control. looking forward to seeing you next month.
Sincerely,
Norman, Cinda, and Maureen
Disappointment
My friend and I paid for a transportation service from Port of Miami to Venice, FL, expecting professionalism and reliability. Instead, we got the complete opposite.
We were told to be ready at 9:15 AM for pickup. That time came and went with no driver and no communication. After we reached out, we were told the driver was delayed—first until 9:30, then 9:45, then 10:30, then 11:00. Each time, it felt like we were just being pushed off with no real explanation. We were ultimately not picked up until 11:40 AM—over 2.5 hours late.
What made this even worse was the lack of accountability. The only reason we received any updates at all was because we kept calling.
Customer service was rude, dismissive, and frankly condescending, acting as if our frustration wasn’t justified.
Blaming “traffic” for a delay of this magnitude is not credible—especially when GPS didn’t indicate anything close to that level of delay. At that point, it’s poor planning and mismanagement, not traffic.
For the price we paid, this experience was completely unacceptable. No apology, no attempt to make it right—just excuses and attitude. I would not recommend this service to anyone expecting reliability or basic customer respect.
Making matters worse, our driver was reckless, kept looking at his phone, and almost wrecked on more than one occasion.
By Natalia C.
Response from Cruise Port Connections· Apr 28, 2026
Dear Natalie and Friend,
We at A Blue Charter want to address your concerns regarding the delay in your driver’s arrival and clarify the situation in detail. We understand your frustration and regret that our explanation about traffic and GPS may not have provided the clarity you needed. Please allow us to elaborate.
The delay was due to traffic conditions outside our control. GPS technology offers only periodic updates and calculates estimated travel times based on the starting point and destination. It does not automatically account for extra stops unless those are manually entered, nor does it provide real-time updates unless actively monitored. GPS also only reflects accidents once they are reported and updated on the system. Unless you were continuously tracking the route, you wouldn’t have the full picture of traffic conditions. We apologize for the inconvenience, and as I mentioned directly to you, “I understand your frustration; if I could make the van fly to you, I would.” Norman, your driver, also apologized upon arrival, though this was not acknowledged by your group.
When you expressed concern that you might be left at the port, I reassured you by saying, “We never leave anyone behind. If there was ever a mechanical breakdown or an accident preventing us from reaching you, we would get you home via Uber or Lyft.” You then asked for an Uber or Lyft immediately. I explained that since the delay was caused by traffic—not a mechanical issue—the driver was still en route and only the owner (who was your driver) could authorize such arrangements.
As outlined in the confirmation email sent to your friend, all relevant terms and conditions were provided. The most pertinent section reads:
Other Liability Limitations and Disclaimers – While Cruise Port Connections will make every effort to make timely conveyance of passengers to their points of embarkation, Cruise Port Connections shall not be liable for any expenses, losses, or other damages due to any delay in conveying the passenger to the point of embarkation. Cruise Port Connections reserves the right to send any sized vehicle deemed necessary for your transportation depending on passenger load. Cruise Port Connections reserves the right to cancel any scheduled bus conveyance prior to departure, in which case a full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger and will terminate all liability on the part of Cruise Port Connections and its agents relating to that Bus Transportation.Cruise Port Connections reserves the right to make any changes to the schedule (time, location, etc.) in order to accommodate our schedule in any way necessary to complete the scheduled transportation.
The driver periodically checked his phone to monitor GPS for any reported accidents, so he could possibly detour and bring you back to Venice in less time. This was done with your convenience in mind.
If you believed the driver was reckless or nearly caused accidents, we urge you to contact our dispatcher immediately so such issues can be addressed in real time. Safety is our highest priority, and we would have spoken to the driver at his next stop to avoid any distractions while driving. Addressing concerns promptly helps us maintain the standards you expect.
I want to thank you for taking the time to give us a review. I hope you have a better understanding of the occurrence.
Sincerely,
Maureen
Co-Manager
If I could give this company a 20 star…
If I could give this company a 20 star rating I would. We boarded our ship & my husband fell & cracked his head open so we had an emergency situation. Unfortunately, we did not get to enjoy our vacation. I phoned Norman that same night & explained the situation & he came the next day to pick us up & take us home. I was so happy to see him. I was so worried we were going to have to stay in Ft Lauderdale until our pickup date which would have been another 4 days in Ft Lauderdale without transportation, more hotel cost, etc....
This company is very personable and caring. I am highly recommending them. :)
By Linda
Response from Cruise Port Connections· Oct 28, 2025
Linda,
Norman, Cinda and I are pleased to have your glowing review. We were so sad that you all missed your vacation. Norman was glad that he had a opening in his schedule to accommodate you all with the medical emergency quick return. We strive to give each customer 5 Star Service from the first phone call all the way to the moment we hand them their luggage back at the end of their cruise vacation.
We hope that your husband has recuperated fully. You and your family are always welcome to ride Cruise Port Connections.
Vacation and leave the driving to us. This was my first time using this…
This was my first time using this service. I was going solo from Sarasota to Miami to meet friends for our cruise. The van with Norm driving conveniently picked me up and delivered me right to the cruise ship with great instructions for the trip back to Sarasota after the cruise. The terminal was extremely busy but Norm had everything under control and I would definitely recommend for a carefree trip to and from the ship.
By Sharon Z.
Response from Cruise Port Connections· Sep 26, 2025
Sharon,
Norm and the team are so happy that you had a wonderful experience with us. I am pleased to hear you were able to relax and enjoy the trip with Norm behind the wheel. That speaks volumes to us. We know that it can be trying to place your cruise transportation into someone's hands. We thank you for putting your trust in Cruise Port Connections. Looking forward to seeing you abord again soon.
Safe driver.
Easy to book. On time arrival. Safe driver. Personable. Made bathroom stop exactly when I needed!!
By Mari F.
Response from Cruise Port Connections· Jul 26, 2025
Hello, Mari, We want to thank you for entrusting us with your cruise transportation needs. A Blue Charter puts and emphasis on safety and all our employees to have great personalities. Norman would love to hear what we could do better to make sure that all rides in the future are a 5 star. Please call our office at 727-454-8603 to help us better our service.
Thank you,
Norman, Cinda and Maureen
Great people to deal with really nice…
Great people to deal with really nice buses. This is the kind of company that you look forward to doing business with.
By robert H.
Response from Cruise Port Connections· Apr 9, 2025
Robert,
We are so happy that you enjoyed your experience with Cruise Port Connections by A Blue Charter. We look forward to seeing you again for your next cruise vacation. You were a pleasure to have aboard.
The Cruise Port Connection Team.
Safe and secure booking!
Excellent service and Norman was by far the best driver! He was always keeping a sharp eye open on surrounding drivers! Made sure I got to a comfortable and safe location while waiting for my family to come in from France! Maureen, who took my reservation was so kind and made sure I was informed and comfortable with my reservation Great experience from beginning to end! The price! Oooohlala!
By Deborah D.
Response from Cruise Port Connections· Apr 9, 2025
Deborah,
We at Cruise Port Connections by A Blue Charter are so very excited to hear that you enjoyed your ride with us. As well as all your interactions with our staff was top notch from the reservation team to your experience with our driver Norman. We hope that we will be your first call for your future Cruise Port Connection needs.
The Cruise Port Connection Team.
