ricktwo

Thanks for confirmation on the taxi fare to Sawgrass Mills. Is the closest Walmart at Lauderdale Lakes (on N. State Rd 7) or S. University Dr or S. Flamingo? Looking at a map it seems LL would be closest, but not sure.

 

We love browsing and getting all kinds of things at Walmart, but love TJM and Dollar tree too. Have never checked out Ross, but have heard there are some good deals on dresses to be had there. Are those in a mall like Galleria or separate?

The Ross is in the Southport Plaza on SE 17th Street.

Wal-Mart is a pretty good distance to/from the port/beach/17th St area.

There aren't many table service restaurants in the airport, but there is a table service Chili's Too in Terminal 3 (you don't need a ticket to get there). There are lots of fast food options in the airport.

The Chili's Too in terminal 3 is (at present time) inaccessible without a plane ticket. The construction in the terminal made it so (sadly). I noticed this last week when I was in the building, as the middle cut through is now an "exit only" for the secure area.

Any comments on the Hampton Inn cruise port or the Comfort inn cruise port?

 

Looking for a hotel that is close to restaurants & maybe some shopping mall

We are flying in so no car

 

TIA

Comfort Inn on Stirling is where I'd stay of those two choices.

In theory, how would the checkpoint person know they were an Uber driver for the drop off? (This is at Port Everglades) - but for pick-up..... the guards usually ask you for the name of the ship and the name of the people you're picking up, so the Uber driver would have to know this stuff before trying to come in.

Hilton Beach has the best location from my local's perspective, but they also charge like it! For a "value" deal, I'd go for Bahia Mar or GalleryOne if Embassy isn't available.

Embassy would be the only one of my picks with free breakfast (and pobably why it is booked up).

We have a 2 night booking for the end of January and I am getting more & more concerned about the hotel due to some of the reviews

...

Booked this through Princess so would ask for a change to the Embassy Suite as this was the other hotel offered any thoughts would be a great help.

I haven't read the specific reviews you speak of, but I would find it hard to compare the two fairly (having been to both many times when friends visit). They both have their pros/cons. I personally would probably choose Embassy for the "perks" (breakfast, happy hour) but the location isn't as good as the Sheraton on the beach (I still want to call it the Yankee Clipper). But if you like the sun/beach/pool - the Sheraton is way better.

Two people? No hotel involved? I'd consider Uber, or pre-hiring a town car type service.

I live in South Florida and when some friends came down to cruise we went on an airboat ride like tourists and it was pretty cool! We saw a LOT of gators. I think we went to Everglades Holiday Park for it.

If you're into shopping, others have mentioned the outlet mall (Sawgrass Mills).

As of my last cruise in May, the Alamo shuttle was still the "county bus" type of vehicle. Toddler-safe is subjective, but it is a relatively short run on the bus from Port Everglades to the airport on the bus.

When I say county bus, I mean it looks like a transit bus (not a mini shuttle).

if I arrive at 11:00 on Monday and depart the garage by 10:00 on Saturday, will I be charged for five days or six days?

That is five "days" - Port Everglades (and the FLL airport garage) use the parking (and rental car) standard definition of days, meaning they all count based on the "start" date/time.

Not sure how Port Canaveral calculates it, but I have heard they use a different method of counting days.

Is it two different locations? Pom and Mia are pretty far apart.... Usually rates do vary on rental cars from location to location, so having a booking at one location may not actually "work" at the other location.

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there is another thread on parking going and a poster did pass on to the OP that you CAN use your Sunpass.

You can't use your SunPass at Port Everglades. It is cash or credit card only.

And here we were thinking we'd be out there for an hour enjoying the coastline!

If you leave on time and you head "south" (for western itineraries especially) you can enjoy the FL skyline for an hour. With that said, eat at the time you want to eat onboard, you're on vacation!

It is a good property - I'm an SPG loyalist and while I may not call it one of their best, it is their best mid-level property on Ft Laud beach.

17th St hands down for me

If you wanted to walk to the inlet, it would be best to walk "on the beach" from the Bahia Mar straight south. It would probably be about 1.5 miles each way so leave with plenty of time. Once you pass the Marriott Harbor Beach resort, there isn't much else "public" so bring refreshments if you're going to make an outing of it on a weekend (in case there are a lot of ships to watch leave).

My wife and I will be arriving Ft. Lauderdale around 7:00 pm and getting to hotel around 8:00. Any restaurants close by where we can get a bite to eat before turning in for the evening? Thanks for your replies.

Chiptole, Shula Burger, Pei Wei, Bravo Italian Restaurant, and Bimini Boatyard, Tokyo Susihi, Giorgio's Italian Restaurant are all right across the street

What water taxi stop would be close to the Hyatt Place on 17th Street?

 

Thank you!

The one at the Hilton Marina would be the "closest" but it is still a decent walk down SE 17th St.

Hello!

 

Looking forward to my cruise out of Port Everglades coming up in 3 weeks. Our last cruising experience happened right in the middle of last year's government sequestration event. We were significantly delayed boarded and for debarkation.

 

Wondering what recent experiences have been like? Trying to mentally prepare if we are to face long delays again!

 

Thanks!

The later you come on embarkation days, the quicker the line moves.

As far as debarkation, it seems times are "back to normal" except for Liberty of the Seas, which always seems to take a little longer than most of the other ships.

Hess or 7-11 are the closest two convenience stores that won't charge extra because your hotel is located in a touristy area

You may be better off to just have the taxi you take from the hotel to the ship stop at Walgreens at 17th and Eisenhower on the way to the port and keep the meter running.

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There is a laundromat in the plaza across the street behind Waxy O'Connors.... I haven't checked the specific laundry room at ES but usually hotel laundry rooms are smaller machines.

If you have a lot of washing to do, the laundromat may be easier? Also there is a grocery store if you don't want to pack laundry detergent or buy it in small quantities.

All of the necessary things are walking distance.

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Easter Sunday? Or the Sunday after Easter Sunday?

If on a holiday, 120 min before departure

The Sunday after the holiday, 75 min before departure

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We'll be staying at the HI Express on SE 17th St? What about Gilbert's 17th Street Grill or Finster Murphys? Or is there somewhere else that's within walking distance that would be better for seafood?

 

Thanks!

Gilbert's has excellent food, but not sure what kind of seafood (if any) they offer. But the burgers--> wow.

I'd walk to Kelly's Landing, Southport Raw Bar, or Quarterdeck for seafood. They are all right next to each other on Cordova Rd.

Finster Murphy's is more like a seafood "market" but they do serve some food for lunch and it is quite good!

However, a great lunch can also be had (non-seafood) at Laspada's Hoagies which is right behind Finster Murphy's in the shopping plaza.

In Dade County, I would be careful of which hotel lot/garage I left a vehicle in for a week if there is anything of value in the vehicle.

That old nasty possibility of the ship being late is always the variable that would keep me booking a slightly later flight! Good job though, you even overcame that (well, the Captain and crew did too!)