Legend 2/4/07 booked.....hotel in FLL?

[happy cruzin]

Ok...we have the Legend booked - 8 day Western 2/4/07 out of Fort Lauderdale. Now we are looking at air and hotel. :rolleyes:

 

If we fly in on the 3rd (Saturday) does anyone have a suggestion for hotel for the night? Ideally I'd like to find one that provides transportation from the airport and to the port so that we do not have to mess with cabs or rental cars.

 

Any suggestions??

 

Also - any info on the availability and cost of transporation back to the airport when we return? I assume that there will be cabs available, but is that the best way?

 

Thanks :D

[janetz]

We have stayed at Amerisuites on 17th street (there are two) We booked them thru www.valuetrips.com (89.00) Be sure when you book any hotel through sites such as this you cll the hotel directly and confirm. They have a continental breakfast in the am. They pick you up at the airport, and have a shuttle to port. However we had them call us a taxi around 10:30 and got there long before their shuttle. I am sure you will get many posts as to where to stay. There are so many to choose from. www.hotelsbythepier.com

As for returning, when you disbark, get a porter to get your bags and a taxi..Very fast. We always have been to the airport before 9:30. Skip the shuttles, they are slow and FULL of people. We prefer to get to the airport before the shuttles and avoid long lines..Taxi cost about 7.00 from Amerisuites to port and about 10 to the airport. You are smart flying down the day before.Feb can be snowy and cause delays. Book you flights soon as Feb and March are pricey...:p

[CruzVinnieCruz]

You really want to post this in the "hotels pre and post cruise" board. Having said that we stayed at the Renaissance on 17th Street. It's a bit pricey but I used Marriot points. Hotels on 17th Street are the closes to the pier. Again post on the other board there are posters that live there and they can tell you what is good and what is bad. Have a great first cruise and hoping there are many more in the future.

[molme]

The day you are sailing is Super Bowl Sunday and the Super Bowl is in Miami in 2007. Good luck finding a hotel room and if you do it will cost you a few dollars. We are sailing the week before you on the Legend and I have been hunting for a room in the area and they are all very expensive. We are driving down from GA, so will probably stay up the coast a bit.

[happy cruzin]

The day you are sailing is Super Bowl Sunday and the Super Bowl is in Miami in 2007. Good luck finding a hotel room and if you do it will cost you a few dollars. We are sailing the week before you on the Legend and I have been hunting for a room in the area and they are all very expensive. We are driving down from GA, so will probably stay up the coast a bit.

 

YIKES!! :eek: Excellent point - that I had not even considered. Definately something to think about :o.

 

Maybe we are better off leaving our air with Carnival afterall......

 

Thanks!

[sunlover5]

Since you are from Pittsburg, try US air they have been having some good deals. Also, The Sleep Inn in Dania is good. They have breakfast, shuttle, etc. Maybe their cost will be better.Good Luck!:)

[happy cruzin]

Since you are from Pittsburg, try US air they have been having some good deals. Also, The Sleep Inn in Dania is good. They have breakfast, shuttle, etc. Maybe their cost will be better.Good Luck!:)

 

Yes, I was checking out US Air Express today which is what prompted the question about hotel and transportation. But - the best I can do today is 285.00/RT. Which is better than Carnival - but then you have to factor in the room and transporation to the hotel and then to the port, because we would go on Saturday just to be safe. So it does not seem to be saving anything.

 

We have always had good luck with Carnival air. Usually non stops - reasonable times and no hassle - probably because we are in Pittsburgh. I just thought if we could save some $$ it woud be worth looking in to. But if I am going to have to pay premimum for the hotel it is just not going to be worth it.

[janetz]

Your are so right. Once you figure in the hotel, etc, sometimes it is cheaper to go with the cruiseline. I would think being a PA you would get a nonstop? I would book my own air if I could fly nonstop and a "early flight for the same day. :o

[happy cruzin]

Your are so right. Once you figure in the hotel, etc, sometimes it is cheaper to go with the cruiseline. I would think being a PA you would get a nonstop? I would book my own air if I could fly nonstop and a "early flight for the same day. :o

 

Yep - the first time we did air through Carnival was our Southern Carribean trip - Destiny. The air through Carnival was WAY cheaper than anything we could book ourselves. :eek: The last trip was like this one it was not going to save us anything so we left it with Carnival, too.

 

The other two we were able to save by booking our own air - coming in to Orlando the day before and staying with my parents who - at the time - lived about half way between Orlando and Daytona. We then all went to Canaveral together, so there was not hotel or transportaion expense since my parents were going with us anyway :rolleyes:

 

Oh...I will keep looking. ;) But it seems to make since to stick with Carnival for this one too !

[janetz]

Can you get direct non-stop from where you are? Then again, there is always the "winter weather".:rolleyes: Our next cruise is out of NY, close to home. I hope more ships come ouir way.

[happy cruzin]

Can you get direct non-stop from where you are? Then again, there is always the "winter weather".:rolleyes: Our next cruise is out of NY, close to home. I hope more ships come ouir way.

 

Yes we could. That's what I was looking at today.

 

But if I'm going to fly the day of - out of the Northeast, in February I feel better if it is through Carnival. Last year our plane was full of cruisers - not all Carnival but many of them were. So - if weather or delays become a issue at least I am with other cruisers. They will not wait for me if I make my own reservations :( but if I am with 30 or 40 other cruisers all going to the same boat, like last year, I stand a much better chance of making the cruise. If something should happen.....

 

I dunno what we will end up doing. :confused: The Super Bowl thing just complicates the decision :eek: ...that's all.

[Marmarjudy]

We were actually booked on the same cruise and then changed to the 1-19 sailing because of the Super Bowl hassle. We wanted to fly in the day before (we would not consider anything else in the winter) on JetBlue from DC and they don't have their Feb flights available yet. All other flights were outrageous. My sister/travel agent was able to find us a hotel--luckliy--for that Friday night--the Kira Mar off Las Olas for $149 per night. It didn't sound bad, but higher taxi fares were involved. That was IT----no other hotels were available for a reasonable price because of Super Bowl. She checked for Carnival pre cruise hotel and it was not available. When the perfect suite became available last week for the 1-19 sailing, we switched. I'll have to use one more vacation day, but it's worth it to avoid the stress about the airfare and the crowding issue.

 

If you are flexible, I would switch the sailing......just me, and it worked for us.

 

Judy

[janetz]

Your right, flying with Carnival is the safest bet. :)

[serene56]

Booking air with the cruiselines the ship will only wait a reasonable time for flyers-- youcould miss the ship if you run into bad weather--- but the cruiselines will pay to get you to the next port.

 

We are looking at February 18th.. hotels and air are expensive that week also.

You want to check out flights to Miami also.

Hotels with free shuttle should be secondary.. most times we booked a free shuttle they wouldnt get us to the pier til noon-- I want to be on the ship by noon.

 

The lowest day of the week to check flights is Tuesday- with weekends being higher.