Pre-cruise hotel in Ft Lauderdale - Nothing showing on HAL site for early November cruise

[Euby]

I'm trying to do some comparisons to see what my options may be for a pre-cruise hotel in FLL in early November.  I know that I can get my own hotel in Fort Lauderdale and take an Uber/Lyft.  However, traveling solo with a mobility device made that experience more stressful than I want.  Been there, done that, would like to avoid it in the future.

So I went to 'Manage My Booking' page to see what HAL had to offer.  There was nothing listed on the 'Hotel & Travel Packages' page.

NO HOTEL & TRAVEL PACKAGES AVAILABLE YET

We're as excited as you to book hotel and travel packages. Unfortunately, it's still a bit early. Please check back closer to your cruise departure

 

Does anyone have any guesses when they may have something available show up?

[oakridger]

I recommend booking your hotel yourself.  It would be much cheaper.  

 

 

[HollDoll]

If you’re going to spend more than one overnight, considered the Riverside hotel on Las Olas. It’s a great hotel and there’s just so much to do and so many restaurants and shopping in the area.

[dobiemom]

We stayed at the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port & Convention Center this past December. Clean, very friendly/helpful (Kierre), huge room, free breakfast. Lots of restaurants nearby. Sign up at the front desk for shuttle to the cruise port, $9/person cash only to driver. Parking is $7/night if you park all week. 

Edited February 20 by dobiemom

[3rdGenCunarder]

6 hours ago, HollDoll said:

If you’re going to spend more than one overnight, considered the Riverside hotel on Las Olas. It’s a great hotel and there’s just so much to do and so many restaurants and shopping in the area.

 

1 hour ago, dobiemom said:

We stayed at the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port & Convention Center this past December. Clean, very friendly/helpful (Kierre), huge room, free breakfast. Lots of restaurants nearby. Sign up at the front desk for shuttle to the cruise port, $9/person cash only to driver. Parking is $7/night if you park all week. 

 

I agree that Riverside is nice if you're going to be spending more than the pre-cruise night in Fort Lauderdale. If it's just one night, I stay at the Embassy Suites, which is in the same general area as the Hyatt. There's a Holiday Inn Express in that area. I haven't stayed in that one so I don't know what it's like. 

 

I'm not a fan of hotel shuttles. You can end up in a van that goes to multiple places at the port.  If you're at any of these 17th Street hotels, just get an Uber. You'll have it all to yourself and it's faster. Probably cheaper than the van if there are two of you. 

[Euby]

Thanks for all of the responses.  However, no one answered my initial question.

[Ready2go11]

There are no pre or post cruise hotels showing for my October cruise either. I read somewhere that there is a Taylor Swift concert the day I arrive at FLL. So maybe, HAL could not secure hotels for their program because demand and prices are up. 
 

Is there something going on in the area on your date(s)?

[julia]

On 2/20/2024 at 1:42 AM, Euby said:

I'm trying to do some comparisons to see what my options may be for a pre-cruise hotel in FLL in early November.  I know that I can get my own hotel in Fort Lauderdale and take an Uber/Lyft.  However, traveling solo with a mobility device made that experience more stressful than I want.  Been there, done that, would like to avoid it in the future.

So I went to 'Manage My Booking' page to see what HAL had to offer.  There was nothing listed on the 'Hotel & Travel Packages' page.

NO HOTEL & TRAVEL PACKAGES AVAILABLE YET

We're as excited as you to book hotel and travel packages. Unfortunately, it's still a bit early. Please check back closer to your cruise departure

 

Does anyone have any guesses when they may have something available show up?

Well, no one knows when this will be available, but you've been given some good advice.  FLL is definitely a DIY port!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

On 2/20/2024 at 12:42 AM, Euby said:

I'm trying to do some comparisons to see what my options may be for a pre-cruise hotel in FLL in early November.  I know that I can get my own hotel in Fort Lauderdale and take an Uber/Lyft.  However, traveling solo with a mobility device made that experience more stressful than I want.  Been there, done that, would like to avoid it in the future.

So I went to 'Manage My Booking' page to see what HAL had to offer.  There was nothing listed on the 'Hotel & Travel Packages' page.

NO HOTEL & TRAVEL PACKAGES AVAILABLE YET

We're as excited as you to book hotel and travel packages. Unfortunately, it's still a bit early. Please check back closer to your cruise departure

 

Does anyone have any guesses when they may have something available show up?

It has been my experience in the past 12 months that it is taking HAL longer to give hotel options.They have been showing up between 5 and 7 months out instead of 9 to 10 months out. If you are flying into FLL or MIA getting HAL hotel is good because not only do the take you to the pier on embarkation but they will pick you up from either airport. For me it was great having a HAL Rep there and then we had a Private car transfer it was actually quite nice. The hotel we were placed in by HAL was Renaissance Fort Lauderdale - Plantation. We went out to dinner by getting a Lyft that only cost $5.00 and went to J. Alexander's that was near by. For breakfast there was a fairly good buffet with typical hotel breakfast food offered but the coffee was very good.We did not think breakfast was included we charged our buffet breakfast, a few days after we got home from the cruise the hotel refunded the charge to our credit card minus the amount I tipped So guess breakfast was included..

[Vict0riann]

For our cruise in April we were offered (waitlisted) four hotels, one was the Embassy Suites. another the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, I'm afraid I don't remember the other two, but Renaissance sounds familiar.   We had asked about HAL hotels as we were late booking the cruise, but eventually did find our own hotel, so didn't need to take what they offered.  The one advantage would be being met at the airport and then transferred to the ship from the hotel.  

[Love the beach]

21 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

 

I agree that Riverside is nice if you're going to be spending more than the pre-cruise night in Fort Lauderdale. If it's just one night, I stay at the Embassy Suites, which is in the same general area as the Hyatt. There's a Holiday Inn Express in that area. I haven't stayed in that one so I don't know what it's like. 

 

I'm not a fan of hotel shuttles. You can end up in a van that goes to multiple places at the port.  If you're at any of these 17th Street hotels, just get an Uber. You'll have it all to yourself and it's faster. Probably cheaper than the van if there are two of you. 

We booked a night at Embassy Suites for one night last August....had seen it mentioned here so many times and didn't bother to check the reviews....I don't know if it was because it was off season or if there was some sort of convention staying there but it was party central all night....alcohol even being sold at the front desk. We couldn't wait to leave.....probably check reviews before booking.  We had stayed there years ago and liked it.

Edited February 21 by Love the beach

[3rdGenCunarder]

30 minutes ago, Love the beach said:

We booked a night at Embassy Suites for one night last August....had seen it mentioned here so many times and didn't bother to check the reviews....I don't know if it was because it was off season or if there was some sort of convention staying there but it was party central all night....alcohol even being sold at the front desk. We couldn't wait to leave.....probably check reviews before booking.  We had stayed there years ago and liked it.

 

Wow! I haven't stayed there in a few years so that's a surprise. I've seen large groups pre-cruise, but they don't stay up late and party because they want to be up early to get to their ship. 

 

Is it even legal for the front desk to be selling alcohol??? That's what the bar is for. I would not have been happy, either. 

[POA1]

The zip code for the area is 33316. That zip includes the beach, so you will see some super expensive hotels. Any brand name property should be fine.

[Loreto]

On 2/20/2024 at 12:42 AM, Euby said:

I'm trying to do some comparisons to see what my options may be for a pre-cruise hotel in FLL in early November.  I know that I can get my own hotel in Fort Lauderdale and take an Uber/Lyft.  However, traveling solo with a mobility device made that experience more stressful than I want.  Been there, done that, would like to avoid it in the future.

So I went to 'Manage My Booking' page to see what HAL had to offer.  There was nothing listed on the 'Hotel & Travel Packages' page.

NO HOTEL & TRAVEL PACKAGES AVAILABLE YET

We're as excited as you to book hotel and travel packages. Unfortunately, it's still a bit early. Please check back closer to your cruise departure

 

Does anyone have any guesses when they may have something available show up?

I have the same concern!  I plan to fly to FLL 2 days early for my 42 day transatlantic Med cruise Nov. 9.  Since I will be doing this as a solo I want to stay at a HAL Hotel, expensive as it will be.  DH and I always used HAL hotels for Alaska in Seattle which were open for booking way in advance, and it relieved a lot of stress.  In Ft. Lauderdale we always used Spring Hill Suites and took their paid shuttle to the pier.

 

My TA called HAL and was told they were still working on contracts and to keep checking.  Another wrinkle is that flight ease, which a few weeks ago had offerings posted now when I click on "find flights" nothing happens.  I plan to book air on my own, but still like to look at options .

[Loreto]

4 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

It has been my experience in the past 12 months that it is taking HAL longer to give hotel options.They have been showing up between 5 and 7 months out instead of 9 to 10 months out. If you are flying into FLL or MIA getting HAL hotel is good because not only do the take you to the pier on embarkation but they will pick you up from either airport. For me it was great having a HAL Rep there and then we had a Private car transfer it was actually quite nice. The hotel we were placed in by HAL was Renaissance Fort Lauderdale - Plantation. We went out to dinner by getting a Lyft that only cost $5.00 and went to J. Alexander's that was near by. For breakfast there was a fairly good buffet with typical hotel breakfast food offered but the coffee was very good.We did not think breakfast was included we charged our buffet breakfast, a few days after we got home from the cruise the hotel refunded the charge to our credit card minus the amount I tipped So guess breakfast was included..

Hi Lisa,

I am hoping the Marriott close to the cruise pier is offered as I plan to fly in 2 days early just to be safe..  If it is the one in Plantation I looked at the hotel online and the dining options are limited at the hotel, and I am not getting in an Uber alone to go to lunch.

Karen

[LAFFNVEGAS]

14 minutes ago, Loreto said:

Hi Lisa,

I am hoping the Marriott close to the cruise pier is offered as I plan to fly in 2 days early just to be safe..  If it is the one in Plantation I looked at the hotel online and the dining options are limited at the hotel, and I am not getting in an Uber alone to go to lunch.

Karen

Hi Karen, I kind of doubt it will be the Marriott close to the pier,  in the last several years it has been further out and most I have seen were Renaissance in Plantation.

[amandas friend]

We stayed at the Tru near the airport. Great hotel and close to cruise terminal. Bfast was good 

[Loreto]

58 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Hi Karen, I kind of doubt it will be the Marriott close to the pier,  in the last several years it has been further out and most I have seen were Renaissance in Plantation.

Thanks Lisa!  It seems to me that the world cruise participants this year stayed and gathered at the Rennaissance close to the pier.  My cruise is 42 days and I must be on the ship for the transatlantic.  The itinerary was amazing until the tragic conflict in Israel.  There have been a number if itinerary changes.

[kazu]

4 hours ago, Love the beach said:

We booked a night at Embassy Suites for one night last August....had seen it mentioned here so many times and didn't bother to check the reviews....I don't know if it was because it was off season or if there was some sort of convention staying there but it was party central all night....alcohol even being sold at the front desk. We couldn't wait to leave.....probably check reviews before booking.  We had stayed there years ago and liked it.

 

4 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Wow! I haven't stayed there in a few years so that's a surprise. I've seen large groups pre-cruise, but they don't stay up late and party because they want to be up early to get to their ship. 

 

Is it even legal for the front desk to be selling alcohol??? That's what the bar is for. I would not have been happy, either. 

 

it sounds to me like there was some convention and may even have had a special liquor license?  I’ve never seen ES selling liquor at the front desk.  

 

It was my go to hotel in FLL but rooms need some serious update/renovations.  If their price drops enough I would stay there but I don’t think it is worth the full price currently. 

[globalgertie]

I love The Riverside hotel for pre-cruise stays.

[Mary229]

As to the initial question HAL may have already sold out once and is trying to secure more rooms.  Get waitlisted and book your own cancelable reservation to be sure you have some.  FLL can sell out of hotels 

[RSWBADGER]

We are currently on the Eurodam,  sailed out of Port everglades last week, we stayed 1 night at the Embassy Suites 

.

The front desk did not have a "Bar setup ", what they had was a selection of small bottled wines and beer for sale to purchase for your room.

[57redbird]

We were looking for a hotel in San Diego in December - everything was Sold Out - turns out there's a medical convention in town ...

You might do a Google search for conventions in town for your dates.

Edited February 22 by 57redbird
Typo

[Taters]

On 2/21/2024 at 2:49 AM, Ready2go11 said:

There are no pre or post cruise hotels showing for my October cruise either. I read somewhere that there is a Taylor Swift concert the day I arrive at FLL. So maybe, HAL could not secure hotels for their program because demand and prices are up. 
 

Is there something going on in the area on your date(s)?

We will arrive into Ft. Lauderdale on Volendam on October 19, 2024.  We wanted to spend one night there before flying home and I was stunned to see rates for IHG hotels (Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, etc.) in the $500 per night range.  I did a quick search and found that Taylor Swift is performing at the Hard Rock Arena on October 18th and 19th.  Needless to say we decided to just fly home.

[FlaMariner]

2 hours ago, Taters said:

We will arrive into Ft. Lauderdale on Volendam on October 19, 2024.  We wanted to spend one night there before flying home and I was stunned to see rates for IHG hotels (Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, etc.) in the $500 per night range.  I did a quick search and found that Taylor Swift is performing at the Hard Rock Arena on October 18th and 19th.  Needless to say we decided to just fly home.

 

That's an example of "Swiftonomics" (economic lift when Taylor Swift concert comes to town)...........smart move to just get on a plane and head home.