backforty

End of June. We expect to be there by noon but of course with traffic etc you never know. 

Thanks! The parking right at the cruise terminal looked full the last time we were there, and we read you can't reserve it ahead of time (it's first come, first served). We would not be able to be there first thing in the morning since we are likely driving up the morning of. Does it typically fill to capacity on cruise departure days? 

Good points. We are coming from the south, so we'll pass right by Newark airport. We have a minivan. I don't pack light either so I'll have full size luggage. The cruise leaves and returns on a Sunday. 

What are parking options (besides the $40 per day at the terminal) for the manhattan cruise terminal? 

Last time we did the hotel package with parking, but don't need or want a hotel this time. We just need parking only- preferably outside the city (neither of us want to drive downtown, so we'd like to park and then get an uber in). Is our best bet long term airport parking ? (cruise is a week long) and if so will the uber be able to get inside the lot to pick us up or will we need to drag all our luggage to the exit? Usually those lots have the arm preventing exit/entry unless you take a parking ticket. 

Thanks! Child is age 4. So the pools and water slides are all free? How much are the pedicabs (or how much should I tip) and where do they take you? I am not against spending a little $, just not $80+ per person for an excursion. 

What 100% safe options are there to do with a young child to do in Amber Cove DR? (not a booked excursion or something that costs a lot)

1. Is there a decent beach within a 5 minute walk from dock? If so , how do you get there? Is it free? 

2. If not, where is the closest decent beach, and how do you get there?

3. What are my other (safe) options that would be suitable to bring a young child to and not cost much? 

What 100% safe options are there for a woman and young child to do in St Thomas? (not a booked excursion)

1. Is there a decent beach within a 5 minute walk from dock? If so , how do you get there? Is it free? 

2. If not, where is the closest decent beach, and how do you get there?

3. What are my other (safe) options that would occupy a young child for the day and not cost much? 

I've been once before, and we took the ferry to St John for the day. It was amazing, but we didn't have a child in tow. Wold like to do something different this time- something easy with less moving parts (less hassle and less things that could go wrong). 

What 100% safe options suitable for a 4 year old child to do in Grand Turk, preferably inexpensive? (not a cruise line excursion)

1. Is there a decent beach within a 5 minute walk from dock? If so , how do you get there? Is it free? 

2. If not, where is the closest decent beach, and how do you get there?

3. What are my other (safe) options that would occupy a young child for the day and not cost much? 

What 100% safe options are there for a woman and young child to do in St Maarten? (not a booked excursion)

1. Is there a decent beach within a 5 minute walk from dock? If so , how do you get there? Is it free? 

2. If not, where is the closest decent beach, and how do you get there?

3. What are my other (safe) options that would occupy a young child for the day and not cost much? 

What 100% safe options are there for a woman and young child to do at Princess Cays? (not a booked excursion)

1. Is there a decent beach within a 5 minute walk from dock? If so , how do you get there? Is it free? 

2. If not, what are my other (safe) options that would occupy a young child for the day and not cost much? 

Thanks! So are the beaches like Ft lauderdale beach/Ft lauderdale beach park and las olas beach (or crystal beach) over crowded? I'm just going off of google maps (never been there) so apologies if the names are not specific enough. 

Also, are the areas that the sun trolley drops people off good beaches, or is it worth driving farther for a better beach? 

So anywhere the sun trolley drops off at a beach will likely be crowded? 

Is there ample free public parking at Dania and at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park/John Lloyd? 

Are there always people at the state park on weekends? (I just don't want to be by ourselves in some secluded area). I assume FL state park beaches are much different than our NE state park beaches, which are often secluded and empty. 

BNBR, why would you prefer/recommend Dania over John Lloyd? 

On 1/29/2020 at 2:11 PM, BlueHerons said:

No new hotels within walking distance of the beach in your price range this time of year.  The only new things opening on the beach because of the traffic limits are super high end condos.

Thank you! You and others provided such invaluable advice! 

End of February/Early March. 

What is the best beach between Port Everglades and Hollywood , FL?

Or is it worth going farther north for Ft Lauderdale/ Las Olas beaches? 

My idea of a great beach is NOT crowded. I don't need bars/drinks, or chairs/umbrellas. Prefer being able to enjoy picturesque, photo-worthy beaches and the natural beauty of the area. 

But of course it needs to be safe, and clean. 

I'd be willing to broaden my search radius to include Hollywood beach, Dania Beach, etc (preferably the southern end of Ft lauderdale as opposed to northern end). Still hoping for a new (2019-2020) hotel within walking distance of the beach, max $250-300. Surely there's been new hotels built along that stretch of coastline within the past year? 

I know Le Meridian is in Dania Beach area, but not within walking distance (what type of public transportation is available there?). The Delmar and Fairfield downtown have beach access via the sun trolley so that's an option if I can't find one within walking distance (although downside is they are twice as far from cruise terminal). 

I'm not interested in nightlife, bars, or shopping. I will need to eat meals (so nearby restaurants are a plus). Prefer to enjoy the natural beauty of the area (uncrowded beach, gardens, etc) as opposed to clubs and bars. 

Thanks everyone! Checking out the other suggestions now. 

Travel is a little over a month away (Feb/Mar). So June openings won't work 😞 

Thanks everyone for the replies so far!  Hard Rock looked promising until I saw the dates I need are $500/night! I need something with a $250/night max. The Ascend hotel was built in 2018 so that's on my list of possibilities unless I find something newer. Conrad was 2008 so that's not an option (it's 12 years old). Any other ideas please send them my way! I could also go +/- a half hour or so from FLL. 

I'm specifically looking for hotels that were built in 2018 or newer (preferably 2019) in or around Ft Lauderdale. Bonus if it's within walking distance of the beach. Any suggestions? 

Thank you for all those who replied with helpful answers! 

We are departing from NYC to Bermuda in a few weeks. 

Need to book a hotel, but we need it to be a NEWLY CONSTRUCTED hotel (preferably within the last year or two). Not newly renovated, but recently built from the ground up. Preferably within an hour or so South of the cruise port (we are driving from MD to NY). 

Short of calling very hotel within a 1 hour radius (impossible) and asking when their hotel was built (most of the time the receptionists won't even know), I figured some of you probably know of new hotels in the area. Could even be in northern PA or NJ, doesn't have to be in NYC. 

Thanks everyone for the replies! I honestly dread getting an inside cabin... and agree with Tapi that getting a balcony room in the past ruined us for life! Now that we have a taste of balcony life, going back to an inside room feels like a closet. But I assume we would probably be on the go a lot, and if it's just a place to sleep, it won't matter as much. Still haven't pulled the trigger on a booking, but hoping to soon! 

My husband and I have taken about 6 cruises (not newbies)- however it's been at least 5-6 years since our last cruise. 

We now have a 3.5 year old, so that changes a lot when it comes to vacationing! However we feel like our kid is at a good age now for their first cruise. 

We have narrowed it down to two cruises (based on departure port, length, and price). 

Option 1 is a 7 day cruise on Carnival Pride, going to Freeport Bahamas, Half Moon Cay, and Grand Turk. 

Option 2 is a 9 day cruise on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas, going to Bermuda, Nassau, and CoCoCay. 

I am having a hard time deciding between the two. Typically we would prefer RCCL over Carnival (based on past experience, but that was without a kid).

One big benefit of the Carnival choice is that we could upgrade to a balcony room, but due to cost we'd have to get an inside room on the RCCL cruise.

We think the itinerary is better on the RCCL cruise (especially since CoCoCay just got a MAJOR overhaul). We have been to Nassau and didn't like it, and have never been to Bermuda (but wanted to). The other ports I can't remember if we've been there or not. 

In the past we always research and plan grand wild adventures at every port, but hubby said this time we are staying within walking distance of the ship. We have not been happy with ship excursions in the past (overcrowded, overpriced, etc), so we always planned our own. Doing that was a lot of fun (and economical!), but admittedly we had many close calls (safety issues, transportation issues, etc). Now that we have a kid he wants the extra security of staying near port. Honestly all we need is a nice beach, but I doubt that will be available within walking distance to the ship. 

Please help me choose, we need to book it soon! 

We will probably be going in October, in case that makes any difference in weather, water temperature, etc. 

I need to get from the cruise port to:

McKinney Drive Off Carmichael Road (the Bamboo Shack Restaurant is on the Corner).

What is the cheapest form of reliable transportation to get here (from the cruise port)?

Is there a local reliable bus system that can get me here inexpensively? I read something on here about jitneys that charge $1.50 each way?

If I have to take a taxi, any idea how much it will cost? Google maps shows it takes about 20 minutes.

Is there usually a lot of traffic/gridlock in that area on a Friday?