How to Turn a Pre-Cruise Stay in Miami into a Mini Vacation

Post-cruise, with an entire day free between our required 8 a.m. disembarkation and our 7 p.m. flight, we freed ourselves of our luggage. We parked it at a secure site booked through Bounce, one of a number of efficient luggage storage apps (others include LuggageHero and Stasher) that connect you with convenient, privately run storage facilities with prices ranging from $3.50 to $12 a piece per day.

Heading for Little Havana, we planned to spend our time feasting on the requisite Cubano sandwich and taking in the street life along the main drag, Calle Ocho (sometimes shown on maps as Eighth Street), and possibly peeking into a cigar shop. But that was before we discovered Calle Ocho Murals, a community-run art collective with multiple gallery rooms showcasing local painting and sculpture and a huge backyard lined with murals by artists from around the country and Latin America. After chatting with several artists about the progress of their work, we headed for the airport with a new sense of the city’s vibrant global energy.

Murals created by artists from around the country and Latin America can be found at Calle Ocho Murals.

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Curious to get a sense of the variety of Miami’s distinct neighborhoods, we based our next stay in Wynwood. It’s the epicenter of Miami’s arts district and even closer to the cruise port, about 10 minutes away. Colorful and informal, Moxy Miami Wynwood immerses you in the area’s design-forward ambiance with the plus of a convenience store on-site to pick up any items still needed for your voyage.

Newly opened in May, Wynwood’s Niño Gordo imports the boundary-pushing blend of Asian flavors and Argentine grilling of the Buenos Aires flagship. Seafood is a specialty here, and the scallops, dumplings, and prawn fried rice are standouts. For something homier, Wynwood boasts one of a few outposts of New York’s beloved Joe’s Pizza.

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens is an antique-filled seaside mansion located about 15 minutes south of Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.

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A highlight of that trip was a visit to the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, a 70-room, antique-filled seaside mansion. Located 15 minutes south of Wynwood, it features 10 acres of fountain- and statue-filled Renaissance-style formal gardens where every turn of a path reveals an arbor or shady nook.

Now, with next year’s cruise in the planning, it’s time to pick a new Miami neighborhood to highlight. Coconut Grove? Biscayne Park? Maybe back to Miami Beach to explore the north end of the island? The choice may still be up in the air, but what’s certain is that our days before and after our cruise will only extend the excitement of the trip.