Flymia

I think your idea of one night each place makes sense, unless you really want to see one part over the other more. It makes more sense with your travel schedule. 

For Miami, anything in Downtown or Brickell is a good start. Hampton Inn Brickell is the most popular hotel recommended on the boards. 

There are not many times when its "ok" and personally I would still never do it. But if there was one situation that it was ok, this would be it. I would still never do it, but you are right that the options to get on another plane from New York to Miami is endless. Endless as in you are ready to buy another last minute ticket or you are flying on an airline that has a lot of its own flights (Delta, JetBlue, American) or will put you on another airline to get you there (not Spirit or Frontier). 

If it is winter I would be much more hesitant though. And if its summer you want to make sure your flight is scheduled to arrive in Miami before 12:00 p.m. 

20 hours ago, iRis2015 said:

Thank you everyone for your replies. I don't mind walking all as I will only be carrying a carry on suitcase and backpack. We're staying at the YVE prior to the cruise. I'm no stranger to heat or humidity and walking in both, I just wanted to know if I had that option. 

You have the option, though the police might think you are odd for doing it as does everyone here. 

YVE hotel to the port will be an Uber that is under $10.00. Just grab an Uber/Lyft. 

Plenty to do nearby, and a short Uber/Lyft ride away from Miami Beach and other popular spots like Coral Gables or Little Havana. A great location. 

4 hours ago, red-dragon said:

Thanks.  I was considering that.  We sailed out of FLL once and it was great, loved the area.  I've never experienced Miami airport, but was thinking the same thing as you.

FLL is a mess. Don't pick airports based on them, there is not a huge difference, though any local will tell you MIA is a much nicer airport.

Pick it based on air fare and schedule with the caveat travel from FLL to Miami and back adds a little bit of an extra cost. 

1 hour ago, RobinCruiser said:

nyone know if we can get there easily with public transit?

No. It would only be by bus. You can take a quick and cheap Uber/Lyft there. 

In Brickell, a nice walk from your hotel there are  Cuban food options. 

The post above says Labor day. Not sure if that is when you are coming in but September is not a busy time for hotels in Miami. 

Friday Sept 4 on hotels.com I see the YVE hotel (great location) at $119/night. The Intercontinental (great hotel) is at $191/night/. Hampton Inn Brickell (by far the most popular hotel recommend for Miami on this board) is $145/night! Hampton Inn Midtown (brand new hotel) and a fine location so long as you are renting a car is $119/night. 

Why in world would you go with an Airbnb with these type of prices? 

I have no idea on bed comfort, never stayed at any of these places. But go with a better location with a hotel. 

If you stay Downtown/Brickell you don't need a car. You can walk around and take transit to a lot of places and take a quick Uber/Lyft to Miami Beach if you want to see South Beach/OCean Drive. 

14 minutes ago, Yorkiegirl3 said:

27 minutes ago, Flymia said:

 

Our top pick at the moment looks to be on NE 50th St in Miami.

I would pass. The area is not horrible, but for someone that is not familiar with Miami you will likely not feel comfortable there at night. There is not much if anything walking distance other than a trendy restaurant or two across the street from a retirement health center and an abandoned school. 

If you had a car, then its ok. With no car. This is a no go IMO. 

This is exactly the type of place that might have great reviews, and could be great for 3 20 somethings on a road trip, but terrible for a family or people on vacation looking to walk around. 

"Buena Vista Shops" that is a joke. But it sounds like it would be close to some great shopping/restaurant area. And it is, by car. 

On 2/1/2020 at 1:09 PM, red-dragon said:

Thank you so much John.  Staying near the airport might not work out for us then.  We've never been to Miami and would like to stay close to restaurants, shopping, stores to grab last minute items ...

 Find a hotel in Brickell or Downtown Miami. Don't sweat the cruise shuttle. You can split some Ubers for $10/each. The port is basically in Downtown Miami. Hampton Inn Brickell is a very popular choice, always great reviews and fantastic location. 

For 12-people, again you are talking about 2-3 Ubers/Taxis. Maybe two taxis if you ask for two large SUV/Van taxis. The SUV/van cost the same as a regular sedan. 

If you want to enjoy Miami at all, don't stay by the airport to try to save $50 on transport. 

2 hours ago, Yorkiegirl3 said:

Am I allowed to post links or do you just want the area the listings are in? Also, thank you for being so helpful. 🙂

I think people have posted links before, but you could give us an address or maybe even just tell us the nearest intersecting street. 

5 hours ago, RobinCruiser said:

Is there much within walking distance?

The hotel is in the middle of the urban core of one of the largest cities in the U.S. You have anything and everything you want within walking distance.

Bayside is an easy hop away with lots of dinning options. If you want something a bit more local check out Pollo Y Jarras (3-min walk) or head over to City Centre and Mary Brickell Village (15-min walk/5-min drive/10min mover ride). 

There is not much in between. I would just book something in western Broward County or Northwest Miami-Dade. Check out hotels in Weston, FL or Miami Lakes, FL to start. And see how they compare to hotels near the port in Downtown/Brickell. 

Does your ship leave on a Friday? 

I've had multiple clients had their homes listed on Airbnb in Miami. They were not the ones listing them... 

I am not against it at all. I have used it myself, but I still prefer hotels. Especially in an area you don't know well. If a house is cheaper for a weekend then two hotel rooms it says a lot about the condition and location of the home. 

How about this. Let us know where the Airbnb you are thinking about are at or some that you think have good reviews and we can let you know if that is true or not. 

The thing with hotels is we know where they are, you have hundreds if not thousands of reviews. I've seen "high level" host, listing properties they don't even own. And sure a group of 22 year olds who have a car might think a house in Wynwood was awesome. Not sure much for a family etc.. 

I usually don't book with hotels honestly. I like using hotels.com for their ease of use, 10% cash back, and price guarantee. 

However, I have never heard of 123save.com in my life, their website looks like garbage, it just screams "scam" or sometimes you get a good deal sometimes you don't have a room type of place. 

Maybe someone else can provide a review of their experience using the site, but when I see a website that looks like that I RUN away. 

I would just call those hotels directly. 

2 hours ago, canadian girl 77 said:

I assumed that Uber and Lyft weren't able to do pick ups from the airport. Is that not the case in Miami?

You can pick up an uber/lyft anywhere in Miami. Zero restrictions. Most cities in the U.S. don't have restrictions like that anymore. 

Agreed. Saturday and Sunday morning traffic tends to be very easy to get around the Miami area. A google estimate for either route should be pretty spot on IMO given how rare weekend morning traffic is. 

As to which route, all up to you. 95 is pretty simple, A1A is mostly stop lights. The A1A drive is certainly much more scenic, though it is not like you are driving on the ocean. You'll see mostly large hotels and condominiums. There would be one stretch of beach/water views  between Sunny Isles Beach and Bal Harbour. And then if you stick to Collins Ave you'll see the heart of Miami Beach and you can even make a quick detour down Ocean Drive and see the famous art deco buildings there. 

The drive down I-395 from Miami Beach towards Miami is wonderful as well, but you'll get the same view from your ship. 

Personally I prefer street/scenic drives when traveling over just taking the highway. But its all about how much time you have and how quickly you want to get there. 

3:30 a.m. is fine. Airport is not that busy that early, and not of course you should not get any traffic. 

The long term parking is the same lot for short term IIRC, just park the car in the lot and its $15/day. But now thinking that, you want to be walking into the terminal around 3:30 a.m. sometimes its not easy to find a space, even early in the morning and there is a bit of a walk depending on where you park. So I would plan to be there at 3:15 a.m. car in the garage. 

6 hours ago, Noxequifans said:

In Miami, the general suggestion is to park only at the Port. Perhaps someone can suggest a place outside of Miami that meets your needs. 

Parking at a hotel is fine. 

To the OP the options are extremely limited for hotels that offer this. I have only heard of the ones listed above. 

You can of course park at the port for $22/day. 

In August I would check out to see if you can get a good rate to one of the larger hotels in Miami Beach like the Fontainebleau. Hampton Inn Brickell is a good choice, so is Intercontinental Miami. Plenty of other options. Almost any large hotel in Miami will have a pool. Or stay in Miami Beach and walk to the beach. 

I have hear of Larry's Limo as well. 

But why a car service? Why not just take a taxi or even better Uber/Lyft. 

This is really a personal choice. Just see what you find. 

I will say in Miami be careful with Airbnb more so than other places. One, most condominiums do not allow it, so it is not unusual to hear of people out with no where to stay when they can't get access to a condo. 

Two, there are a lot of homes out there that sound like a great location, that I would never want to stay at. In Miami an area can change very quickly to great and busy to not so much. 

There are a ton of hotels to pick from near the port in Downtown Miami/Brickell and plenty of airbnb too. September prices for both should not be that bad. 

But otherwise your request is really to general to give you any advice, there are hundreds of hotels to pick from. 

On 2/15/2020 at 8:50 AM, Pat said:

Well for better or worse we booked "The Mint" in downtown Miami.  We actually got a very good deal and  We have until Tuesday to cancel so if anyone has negative information, I'd love to hear it.  Thanks for your input.

 Never heard of it, but reviews seem good and location is very good. At night you might seem like you are a little isolated. You are not, just a block or two away from a lot, and you might notice a homeless population around. 

But that area is having a lot of development right now, in year it will be even better. No reason to cancel it given the reviews. 

February is a hard time to find good rates. 

Are you looking for transport or just a hotel? 

You can just book a hotel and find transport separately. Will widen your options a lot. Unless you have a huge group just using an Uber/Taxi is usually the way to go depending on which airport you fly into. 

55 minutes ago, Pat said:

We are flying into town on a Wednesday and our cruise doesn't leave until Saturday.  We are looking for a hotel in the $200/night range,  but close to some dining and shopping so we don't have to rent a car,

When are you coming in? $200/night can get you a great place in the summer and a 2 star in the winter. 

As for your needs. If you won't have a car there are only two and two only (no other options IMO as a Miami local) for places to stay. That is either the Downtown Miami/Brickell area or South Beach. For that many nights I would prefer South Beach first for a first timer. Thought Downtown/Brickell has plenty. 

Be prepared to use Uber to get around and see more than just either of those two areas. 

18 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

I'm one that I would have liked Alaska to join with Skyteam.  Not a fan of American Airlines.

That was never going to happen. Alaska and Delta are certainly not buddies. 

This is 100% a move to compete against Delta. American adds Heathrow and to India. Alaska has been fighting with Delta in Seattle, but Delta has the upper hand as they do long haul, bringing in American and joining OneWorld gives Alaska a better shot against Delta along with giving American more power. 

Delta expanding in Miami will be very interesting as well.