The 8 best cruises from Miami for your next epic voyage

In 2021, Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady embarked on its maiden journey from Miami. An 18-and-over vessel that holds less than 2,800 passengers, its all-season offerings have been a hit since. In many ways, it’s the anti-cruise experience: no buffets, set dinner times or tacky performances. Instead, it has more than 20 culinary options with menus concocted by Michelin-starred chefs, sunrise meditation classes, a two-story nightclub and a sleek vibe as you’d expect from the Virgin brand. Among its four key itineraries are regular treks to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Key West.

The largest cruise ship in the world is scheduled to arrive at its Miami home in January 2024. From Royal Caribbean, this mammoth towers 20 decks, spans nearly 1,200 feet long and can carry up to 7,600 passengers. It’s family-friendly cruising at its pinnacle, boasting a massive glass AquaDome with acrobatic shows like “Pirates Vs. Mermaids,” a live jazz club, a Chill Island pool area with a swim-up bar and Thrill Island water park. Preliminary itineraries for Icon of the Seas include Eastern and Western Caribbean options.

Believe it or not, 2024 marks 20 jammin’ years of the Groove Cruise. Since its inception, other big-time music cruises have emerged to set sail from the 305, but the Groove Cruise remains king of them all. For the big anniversary jaunt (January 24–28, 2024), beats will emanate from the Norwegian Encore, the event's largest vessel to date. Headliners include Diplo and John Summit and, upon docking, Tiesto hits the decks at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. In total, there are 96 hours of non-stop jams, so start warming your ears up now.

Fun fact: Famed chef Giada De Laurentiis is the godmother of a cruise ship, the ultra-luxe Vista from Oceania Cruises. Earlier this year, the 791-foot ship was completed and in May, it made its maiden voyage from Rome to Venice. In total, it holds an intimate 1,700 passengers. Among its Miami routes are 17-day excursions through the Caribbean and seven-day beach-fests along the Mexican Caribbean and Central America. With Oceania and de Laurentiis aboard, it promises the “Finest Cuisine at Sea” spanning a vast and elegant Sunday Brunch to internationally flared poke bowls at its Waves Grill.

Here's a new cruise experience that's poised to satisfy in more ways than one: Chefs Making Waves will make a March 2024 debut aboard the Norwegian Pearl with a four-night, all-inclusive journey to Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau. A who’s-who of Food Network stars—including Robert Irvine, Michael Symon, Andrew Zimmern and Buddy Valastro—will be on board for cooking demos, walk-around tastings, dinners and parties. So if you can’t make SOBEWFF in ’24 or want some bonus time with your favorite toques, this is it.

There are six zones aboard the Carnival Celebration that keep party squads and families alike entertained all cruise long. Within them, you’ll find the onboard rollercoaster BOLT, a live version of Family Feud, a Havana, Cuba-inspired bar and culinary delights like Emeril’s Bistro 1397. A standout route with a Miami departure amid its Caribbean slate is the Southern Caribbean trek, taking passengers to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

Alright, so you’ll have to fly to Rome for this one and it ends in Miami. But business-class airfare comes with the ticket and it's an all-inclusive transatlantic journey like few others. It happens once a year and the 2023 voyage launches November 13, spanning 21 days. Stops include Toulon, France; Barcelona, Spain; Arrecife in the Canary Islands; and San Juan, Puerto Rico before carrying it home through Bahamian waters. As you’d imagine, it’s a lux vibe with unlimited beverages, pre-paid gratuities and even valet laundry service.

For the long weekend crew, Norwegian Cruise Line has options galore that won’t break the paid-time-off bank. Its three-day cruise option that takes guests to Key West and Great Stirrup Cay is a steal, too, with options often under $500 inclusive of an open bar, free wi-fi and included excursions like a zipline adventure in the Bahamas and golf cart tour of Key West with your new cruise buddies.