Ft. Lauderdale Q&A/FAQ

[texkan]

we are booked by our TA and can't change it but we are at the above hotel.

what is around nearby or within a taxi ride away to purchase some wine before boarding?

thanks!

 

 

http://www.totalwine.com/StoreList.aspx?state=FL&store=904

 

I read that this place is great for wine and is close to the Hyatt.

 

Also try http://www.publix.com/

Edited March 19, 2010 by texkan

[cruzisme]

thank you for the info

we will try to get to the Publix store around 1.5 miles (one way) before we board

sure miss our last stay the Embassy Suites!

[mdls22198]

I will staying at the Hilton Marina Hotel, can you recommend any seafood/steak restauants nearby.

[royalcruz]

I will staying at the Hilton Marina Hotel, can you recommend any seafood/steak restauants nearby.

 

Bimini Boatyard

Kelly's Landing (seafood)

Grill 66 at Hyatt Pier 66

[mrspaper]

Sorry for popping in on your thread, but I saw Royalcruz made a post, as I was searching for something on the East Coast.

 

How are you Sue? I'm sure you and Paul are still cruising. Stu and I got back last week from the Panama Canal. Left from your homeport.

 

Everyone here, I know that Sue that is very helpful for all of you about Ft Laud. She's got lots of info.

 

Linda

[royalcruz]

Sorry for popping in on your thread, but I saw Royalcruz made a post, as I was searching for something on the East Coast.

 

How are you Sue? I'm sure you and Paul are still cruising. Stu and I got back last week from the Panama Canal. Left from your homeport.

 

Everyone here, I know that Sue that is very helpful for all of you about Ft Laud. She's got lots of info.

 

Linda

 

Thanks, Linda. My name is Sharon, but you can call me Sue because I like you! I hope that the Panama Canal was great for you and Stu!

Sharon & Paul

[mrspaper]

Thanks, Linda. My name is Sharon, but you can call me Sue because I like you! I hope that the Panama Canal was great for you and Stu!

Sharon & Paul

I think I always did that on the threads and in person. I think I "often" called you Sue, but I do know it's Sharon. Hey, I got Paul right. 50%:o

 

Where are you cruising next, I'm sure you have one planned.

[royalcruz]

I think I always did that on the threads and in person. I think I "often" called you Sue, but I do know it's Sharon. Hey, I got Paul right. 50%:o

 

Where are you cruising next, I'm sure you have one planned.

 

It's so nice to hear from you, Linda.:) We did Solstice in January and are returning in December. We are planning a land vacation with friends in Paris in June, but I'm having trouble walking (long story), so we may just have to cancel and do a cruise instead. :eek: We only do the Caribbean on cruises because it is so convenient from here, and otherwise we prefer land vacations.

[mrspaper]

It's so nice to hear from you, Linda.:) We did Solstice in January and are returning in December. We are planning a land vacation with friends in Paris in June, but I'm having trouble walking (long story), so we may just have to cancel and do a cruise instead. :eek: We only do the Caribbean on cruises because it is so convenient from here, and otherwise we prefer land vacations.

Enjoy yourselves. We've always done land visits, until the last 2 years. got on a new kick. Anyway, Paris is beautiful, I hope you get there. Hope your foot gets better in time.

[lawskool10]

Is Hyatt Place North within walking distance of a water taxi stop?

[OttawaCountess]

Thank you to the local Fort Lauderdales for taking time to answer all of these questions. Your info is very valuable.

Here is my question.

Flying into Fort Lauderdale in November, 2 nights before sailing out of Miami. A group of 6 or 8 women who want to enjoy the beach & shopping and of course some good drinks & food.

Would you recommend staying in Ft Lauderdale for the 2 nights or going to Miami? I think we will be renting a van, but will have to price out the cost difference between booking transfers.

Where will we get a better bang for our buck? Where is the nicer place to stay (we haven't been to either place). We are also thinking of staying one night post and flying out of FLL again.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to your input.

[just having fun]

Is Hyatt Place North within walking distance of a water taxi stop?

 

Yes it is...go right up 10th ave to the rt17,take a right and it`s only about 1/2 mile or so at the bridge or you can take the #40 bus for about 1.50$..ask any one at the hotel and i`m sur they will direct you better then I .....

[robinp]

My wife and I will be flying in for a Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale on Independence of the Seas on Saturday April 10th from the UK. We should be arriving at the Hilton Marina around 7/8PM but it will feel like 1 AM to us with the time change from the UK! I plan to nip out for quick fast food and back to bed. We will have been travelling for around 16 hours!! :D

 

I quite fancy some nice takeaway Pizza. Having used the joys of Google and Streetview, I think I have narrowed it down to Vitos Gourmet Pizza (South) on SE 17th Street, reviews look quite good, as does the menu/food photos and it's 0.5 miles from the hotel....and it's close to Subway for my wife's Plain footlong with only cheese!!! Would you reccomend Vitos or, if not, somewhere else within similar walking distance of our hotel.

 

Also, is there a store near the hotel I can stop off and stock up on some american chocolate/soda (Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Root Beer and I want to try some Mountain Dew!). :D

 

Many thanks for your help.

 

Robin

Edited March 24, 2010 by robinp

[barbnbrian]

I won two rooms at the Riverside Hotel on Priceline for my family of 5 (me, hubby, son (21) and daughters (16 & 13). We'll be arriving on Saturday late afternoon for the one night before we sail on the Valor. Is there a liquor store in walking distance you can recommend? What about a good but not expensive restaurant for dinner? We've never been to Ft. Lauderdale, so I'm not familiar with anything in this area. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[lawskool10]

 

Yes it is...go right up 10th ave to the rt17,take a right and it`s only about 1/2 mile or so at the bridge or you can take the #40 bus for about 1.50$..ask any one at the hotel and i`m sur they will direct you better then I .....

 

Perfect. Thanks!

[aarep]

My wife and I will be flying in for a Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale on Independence of the Seas on Saturday April 10th from the UK. We should be arriving at the Hilton Marina around 7/8PM but it will feel like 1 AM to us with the time change from the UK! I plan to nip out for quick fast food and back to bed. We will have been travelling for around 16 hours!! :D

 

I quite fancy some nice takeaway Pizza. Having used the joys of Google and Streetview, I think I have narrowed it down to Vitos Gourmet Pizza (South) on SE 17th Street, reviews look quite good, as does the menu/food photos and it's 0.5 miles from the hotel....and it's close to Subway for my wife's Plain footlong with only cheese!!! Would you reccomend Vitos or, if not, somewhere else within similar walking distance of our hotel.

 

Also, is there a store near the hotel I can stop off and stock up on some american chocolate/soda (Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Root Beer and I want to try some Mountain Dew!). :D

 

Many thanks for your help.

 

Robin

Vitos is very good. Not sure exactly where the Subway is located. As you leave the hotel you would walk to your right and past the Renaissance about a block to Vitos. Also nearby Vitos is Einsteins Bagels which is excellent. Also a Starbucks. Directly across the street from the Renaissance is a Walgreens Drug Store which has candy and just about anything else you would want or need.

[jmps]

A few years ago my daughter and I had breakfast at a small diner in the strip mall on 17th St. just east of the Embassy Suites. It was in the east corner of the strip. We are going back for another cruise this weekend and would like to eat there. Does anyone know its name and if it is still open?

 

Thanks.

Edited March 24, 2010 by jmps

[terpla]

I have two questions for the 2 cruises I have booked out of Fort Lauderdale.

One we have bid on Priceline and got the Renaissance Hotel. Has anyone stayed there.:confused: The reviews on Trip Adviser have been pretty good. How much is the taxi to the Hotel and from the hotel to the pier.

Secondly for our cruise next Feb. we booked as a safety the Comfort Inn Airport and Cruise, 2520 Stirling Rd. I plan on bidding when they let us. It's too early yet. Has anyone stayed there and what is it like.:confused: It also got good reviews on Trip Adviser and it has a hot bkft. and shuttle from airport to Hotel and Hotel to pier. It is certainly about $100 dollars less expensive than the other hotels mentioned on this thread.

PS the reason we have a safety hotel we have heard there will be about 25,000 people leaving our of Port Everglades when we are.

Thanks so much to all the locals that have helped us all out on this thread.

[4totravel]

I don't hear to many post on this resort. It looks great with excellent reviews. How far is it from the airport/port? Can you walk to restaraunts/shopping from there?

 

Thanks:)

[aarep]

I have two questions for the 2 cruises I have booked out of Fort Lauderdale.

 

One we have bid on Priceline and got the Renaissance Hotel. Has anyone stayed there.:confused: The reviews on Trip Adviser have been pretty good. How much is the taxi to the Hotel and from the hotel to the pier.

 

Secondly for our cruise next Feb. we booked as a safety the Comfort Inn Airport and Cruise, 2520 Stirling Rd. I plan on bidding when they let us. It's too early yet. Has anyone stayed there and what is it like.:confused: It also got good reviews on Trip Adviser and it has a hot bkft. and shuttle from airport to Hotel and Hotel to pier. It is certainly about $100 dollars less expensive than the other hotels mentioned on this thread.

PS the reason we have a safety hotel we have heard there will be about 25,000 people leaving our of Port Everglades when we are.

 

Thanks so much to all the locals that have helped us all out on this thread.

We stayed at the Renaissance last October. It is a nice hotel and was remodeled not too long ago. Great location near restaurants, across street from Walgreens. Also across street from entrance to port. Cab fare from airport was in the 15.00 to 20.00 range and to the port about 10.00 or 12.00.

The Comfort Inn on Stirling Rd. is another story. We missed our flight out of Ft. Lauderdale about 6 or 7 years ago and called this hotel from the airport. I would rate it about a 5 out of ten. The area isnt all that great and the rooms have outside entrances which we did not like. As I recall the breakfast was o.k. and the shuttle was fine. Room was just basic motel room. Anyway I guess it would be o.k. for a night but would not be one that I would choose. Then again it could be in better condition now than when we stayed there. I remember that the Hampton Inn right next door looked much nicer. We much prefer the 17th st. area or the beach area hotels.

[goscudder]

We stayed at the Sleep Inn on SE 5th in Dania. Our free shuttle from the airport did drop off guests at the Comfort Inn before they dropped us off. From the outside, the Comfort Inn didn't appear to be as nice as the Sleep Inn, and it wasn't in as nice of an area as the Sleep Inn was. The Sleep Inn was very adequate for an overnight stay before our cruise. There was a Walgreens next door to it, and a place right across the street where we grabbed a bottle of wine to take with us. They also had a free hot breakfast.

[terpla]

Thanks goscudder and aarep, Looks like I better get on Priceline as soon as it opens up for my dates. Even for 1 night I would like a good area.

Appreciate your input.

[royalcruz]

Thank you to the local Fort Lauderdales for taking time to answer all of these questions. Your info is very valuable.

Here is my question.

Flying into Fort Lauderdale in November, 2 nights before sailing out of Miami. A group of 6 or 8 women who want to enjoy the beach & shopping and of course some good drinks & food.

Would you recommend staying in Ft Lauderdale for the 2 nights or going to Miami? I think we will be renting a van, but will have to price out the cost difference between booking transfers.

Where will we get a better bang for our buck? Where is the nicer place to stay (we haven't been to either place). We are also thinking of staying one night post and flying out of FLL again.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to your input.

In general, you can get a better hotel deal in Fort Laud than Miami. Bear in mind that if you stay in a beachfront hotel in either city you can pay up to $30/day for parking. Riverside Hotel on Las Olas is in the middle of great restaurants, nicer bars, and boutiques. If you love shopping, you will have a great time at Sawgrass Mills Mall, but you need transportation, as it is about 30 minutes west of Fort Lauderdale. If you want to be close to there, you might stay in Plantation or Sunrise. If you stay in the SE 17th St. area, you will be close to the airport, cruiseport, and beach (by car). The airport area hotels are not far from the beach either. A good place to go to the beach is in front of Marriott Beach Place, because there are bars/restaurants/public restrooms/shops. If you are into a really late night party scene, stay in Miami's South Beach, but it is expensive. You can always stay in Fort Lauderdale and drive there (one hour) for some fun.

[royalcruz]

My wife and I will be flying in for a Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale on Independence of the Seas on Saturday April 10th from the UK. We should be arriving at the Hilton Marina around 7/8PM but it will feel like 1 AM to us with the time change from the UK! I plan to nip out for quick fast food and back to bed. We will have been travelling for around 16 hours!! :D

 

I quite fancy some nice takeaway Pizza. Having used the joys of Google and Streetview, I think I have narrowed it down to Vitos Gourmet Pizza (South) on SE 17th Street, reviews look quite good, as does the menu/food photos and it's 0.5 miles from the hotel....and it's close to Subway for my wife's Plain footlong with only cheese!!! Would you reccomend Vitos or, if not, somewhere else within similar walking distance of our hotel.

 

Also, is there a store near the hotel I can stop off and stock up on some american chocolate/soda (Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Root Beer and I want to try some Mountain Dew!). :D

 

Many thanks for your help.

 

Robin

 

I know that Vitos north is good. There is a Walgreens close to the hotel that will have chocolate and soda. If you can't find the sodas that you want there, there are grocery stores (Publix and Winn-Dixie) about 4-6 blocks west.

[royalcruz]

I won two rooms at the Riverside Hotel on Priceline for my family of 5 (me, hubby, son (21) and daughters (16 & 13). We'll be arriving on Saturday late afternoon for the one night before we sail on the Valor. Is there a liquor store in walking distance you can recommend? What about a good but not expensive restaurant for dinner? We've never been to Ft. Lauderdale, so I'm not familiar with anything in this area. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

There is the Macabee Liquor store in the block east of SE 15th Ave. on Las Olas Blvd., about 6 blocks away. If you just want wine or beer, there is a closer CVS by N Federal Hwy and Broward Blvd. The hotel staff can direct you. For not expensive restaurants I would recommend Cheesecake Factory, Big City Tavern, Mangos, Smith & Jones, or Noodles Panini. Most have sandwiches, pastas, and salads along with some more and less expensive entree options.