We plan on staying at the Howard Johnson across from the Port of Miami. I realize it is not that nice, but we will not be arriving until 10:00pm so I can see staying at a nicer place. Any recommendations for transportation from the airport? Would it be better to stay close to the airport and travel to the port in the morning?

Depends on your preferences. You can take a cab or Super Shuttle to your hotel (assuming it doesn't have free airport transportation) that night, and get a cab from there to the pier the next morning. As there are a lot of hotels near the airport to choose from, that would also be a convenient option, especially if you pick a hotel that has free airport shuttle service that operates at the late hour you are arriving. If you stayed near the airport, you could use the hotel shuttle back to the airport in the morning and connect there to a cab, Super Shuttle or even the cruise line's transfers (those should definitely be booked in advance!) to the pier. See what's available - or have your TA do it - and go from there. I have personally done it the second way (stay near the airport & go to the port the next morning) and found it worked out well. WHatever you choose, have a great time!

I went on Priceline.com to bid for a hotel downtown & am staying at the Sheraton Biscayne Bay for $40/night for 3 nights prior to our cruise. I checked on-line & it is usually $158 per night. Cab fare from a downtown hotel is just a few dollars. This allows me to stay in a nice hotel overlooking the bay for a price I can really afford. It also allows me to spend a couple extra days in Miami. If you have never used Priceline go to biddingfortravel.com & it will help you understand how to do it.