Ft. Lauderdale Q&A/FAQ

[royalcruz]

hello my question is that our flight leaves @4:30 from fort lauderdale but we get off the ship from miami early that morning and we also coming back the sunday after thanksgivng. any suggestions on how to fill the time in between would be appreciated. we are thinking of eithe renting a car @miami for the day or going some where in ft. lauderdale until we go to the airport. really donot feel like staying @ airport for several hours with 13 and 10 yr old. thank you for any suggestions:o

 

With kids that age I would rent a car and go to Boomers. It's very close to FLL airport. Check with them regarding the hours of operation. If the kids are both girls, Aventura Mall is nice and is halfway between Miami and Ft Lauderdale. Malls open at noon.

Edited October 3, 2010 by royalcruz

[royalcruz]

Can you see the ships in port from this hotel?? We want a hotel where we can do this and it seems like they are all around $200/nt in February.

Thanks!!

 

 

Better yet, what hotel offers the best ship/port view. Thanks again

 

This hotel offers the best view of the port. Ask for a high floor with a south facing view.

[ragu]

we are flying into west palm beach. cruising out of fort lauderdale. could you please advise us on transportation to/from airport and cruise ship? do you know of any hotel that would have a shuttle to the pier? thank you so much for any advise you may provide.

[royalcruz]

we are flying into west palm beach. cruising out of fort lauderdale. could you please advise us on transportation to/from airport and cruise ship? do you know of any hotel that would have a shuttle to the pier? thank you so much for any advise you may provide.

 

There is a Go Shuttle service from PBI.

These hotels in Fort Lauderdale provide free pier shuttles (check with hotels before booking in case services have changed):

Hyatt Place North

Sleep Inn Dania

Hampton Inn airport (2 locations)

Comfort Inn airport/cruiseport south

Springhill Suites

Cambria Suites

Hilton Garden Inn

Courtyard

[ragu]

Hyatt Place North, Sleep Inn Dania, Hampton Inn airport (2 locations), Comfort Inn airport/cruiseport south, Springhill Suites, Cambria Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard

is one motel perferred over another ie:free breakfast? any of the above on the beach so we can watch the ship come in? Again, thanks for the help.

[royalcruz]

is one motel perferred over another ie:free breakfast? any of the above on the beach so we can watch the ship come in? Again, thanks for the help.

 

Beachfront hotels in Fort Lauderdale don't have shuttles. Most of the hotels that I listed have free breakfast but you should check individually (their websites will give details). Best Western Oceanside is by the beach and is very close to the port (about $15 cab fare) and has free breakfast. The closest hotel to the port on the beach is Lago Mar but no free breakfast or shuttles.

[Jules2]

We arrive in Ft. Lauderdale around 6:00PM the day before sailing.....so not much resort time to be enjoyed this time! We'll just need dinner and Total Wine and More :D When I looked on Google Maps, I could see that Total Wine is about 6 or 7 big blocks away.....I think we can walk it....can't we?

[royalcruz]

We arrive in Ft. Lauderdale around 6:00PM the day before sailing.....so not much resort time to be enjoyed this time! We'll just need dinner and Total Wine and More :D When I looked on Google Maps, I could see that Total Wine is about 6 or 7 big blocks away.....I think we can walk it....can't we?

 

It is about the same distance by the main road as Pier 66 from the Crowne Plaza, about a mile. But during the day you should look for the shortcut off of US1(S. Federal Hwy) to cut the distance by a few blocks. I think 20th St might go through if you are on foot. It could get creepy after dark though if you veer off of the main roads. The hotel looks really nice.

[Jules2]

Thanks for the tips royalcruz! Maybe we'll just take a cab :D

We ate dinner at a decent place last year that was in the same parking lot as Total Wine....can't remember the name, but if it's still open then we could kill two birds with one stone! Or maybe walk there, and take a cab back to the hotel...

[zil]

When you speak of the Hyatt, are you talking about Hyatt North of South?

I am booked into Hyatt Place North and hope that is the one close to the piers.

greatly appreciate your helpful lauderdale info.................

[Nasmas]

Can you see the ships in port from this hotel?? We want a hotel where we can do this and it seems like they are all around $200/nt in February.

Thanks!!

 

 

Better yet, what hotel offers the best ship/port view. Thanks again

I'm not sure about the 'best' but we stayed at the Hilton Marina last year and the view of the ships from the tower balcony were awesome. I also don't know about the price in Feb. We paid over $200 in Jan 2008 for a dump (Bahia Mar, avoid it like the plague)

[royalcruz]

Thanks for the tips royalcruz! Maybe we'll just take a cab :D

We ate dinner at a decent place last year that was in the same parking lot as Total Wine....can't remember the name, but if it's still open then we could kill two birds with one stone! Or maybe walk there, and take a cab back to the hotel...

http://www.theharborshops.com/

These are all of the current restaurants there. Duffy's and Lauderdale Grill opened since last year.

[royalcruz]

When you speak of the Hyatt, are you talking about Hyatt North of South?

I am booked into Hyatt Place North and hope that is the one close to the piers.

greatly appreciate your helpful lauderdale info.................

 

Hyatt Place north and Hyatt Pier 66 are close to the pier.

[gmcwalker]

I started this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=26155129#post26155129

 

but maybe this is a more appropriate place to figure out what hotel is on hotwire for 3 stars, with seven amenities (non smoking, shuttle, breakfast, fitness center, swimming, restaurant, business center, laundry) in the FLL Hollywood Airport area, $62 a night on Dec. 22nd and 100% approval by hotwire customers.

 

I have been checking hotwire for this date for a few weeks (drug my heels and missed the $59 for the Hyatt Place deal for the same night) and I don't recall seeing this listing until today!

 

Any ideas on the hotel?

 

This hotel is the Holiday Inn Express FLL/Seaport on 1150 W. SR 84.

I booked it on Hotwire 2 weeks ago. There is a complimentary Airport and Port shuttle.

Edited October 4, 2010 by gmcwalker

[beetle9]

i know if i look far enough it is on here what we need is a place to stay for two nights coming in on oct 29th and sailing on the 31st we want to go to flea market on sunrise and to the beach between mia and fll and a little shopping will be renting a car and dropping it at miami port area. thanks in advance :) free brakfast would be nice nothing fancey tho.

[royalcruz]

i know if i look far enough it is on here what we need is a place to stay for two nights coming in on oct 29th and sailing on the 31st we want to go to flea market on sunrise and to the beach between mia and fll and a little shopping will be renting a car and dropping it at miami port area. thanks in advance :) free brakfast would be nice nothing fancey tho.

 

Since you are renting a car, you can stay almost anywhere, as it is easy to get around. CC members have enjoyed the Sleep Inn in Dania, and the airport area Hampton Inns, all which have free breakfast and good prices, not fancy.

[themnms]

we are going to stay at the Sleep inn for the night before the cruise. Still trying to figure out where to find the car rental shuttle to pick up our Alamo car ast ther cruise

[royalcruz]

we are going to stay at the Sleep inn for the night before the cruise. Still trying to figure out where to find the car rental shuttle to pick up our Alamo car ast ther cruise

 

I have seen the shuttle bus in the shuttle parking area just outside of the terminal, but you might want to post this question as a separate thread to learn of people's experiences.

[UAcruiser]

Hello,

 

Do you know how far the beach is from the Ft Lauderdale Holiday Inn airport? Also what shopping/restaurants are within walking distance? Thanks so much for your help!

[royalcruz]

Hello,

 

Do you know how far the beach is from the Ft Lauderdale Holiday Inn airport? Also what shopping/restaurants are within walking distance? Thanks so much for your help!

 

Is this the one on Sheridan St or S.R. 84?

[KarenandBruceG]

Have enjoyed all your help before.

 

We are booked through Priceline for the Hyatt Place near 17th Street for March 2010 so cann't cancel. I have read on another thread there might be problems with the hotel. Have you heard of anything.

 

 

The recurring complaint that I have read about the Hyatt is that the air conditioners are noisy. Seeing as DW and I are taking our cruise in December I don't think the AC will be much of and issue as we will most likely sleep with the window/slider open.

[spyro1952]

There is a Go Shuttle service from PBI.

These hotels in Fort Lauderdale provide free pier shuttles (check with hotels before booking in case services have changed):

Hyatt Place North

Sleep Inn Dania

Hampton Inn airport (2 locations)

Comfort Inn airport/cruiseport south

Springhill Suites

Cambria Suites

Hilton Garden Inn

Courtyard

 

Best Western Cruise/Air port provides free airport and cruise port shuttle service.

[katiel53]

Royalcruz,

We are staying at the Hyatt Pl N before our cruise. We have two rental cars and are trying to decide if we should return them Sunday night for our Monday cruise, or to return them Monday morning.

 

If we return them Sunday night, we would like to have a shuttle (not the hotel shuttle) for 7 people pick us up on Monday morning. Do you know any shuttles that are reasonably priced? Or, if we need to rent cabs, about what is the cost? Is the cost based on number of people in it or by distance?

 

Do you have any suggestions for us? We are arriving in Fort Lauderdale next weekend. Thanks,.

[Nana G]

Have posted this on a separate thread but no takers, sooooo, does anyone know if water taxi is seasonal? We have enjoyed it before but never this late in April. Web site has 2009 info. Called and was told they don't have a clue for 2011 yet. Trying to choose a hotel and wonder if water taxi stop is going to be of any good? Thanks for any help.

Melody

[vinoblanco]

Hi, I wonder if you could help me. We arrive in Fort Lauderdale by ship at 7am and fly home from Miami airport at 21.35. Jan 6th 2011. Our cruise ship offers a tour of the Everglades, with transfer to Miami airport, which we would like to do, but pick up is at 8.30am and it only lasts 4 and a half hours so would be at the airport way too early. Does anyone know of any tour firm who would take us out for longer and deposit us at the airport, or, would we be better renting a car for the day picking it up at FL dock and leaving it at Miami Airport. Is this possible, if so, which rental company? Any info greatly appreciated.