1st timer after a long time!!

[AnnaM]

We finally booked a cruise for next February aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. I came across these boards before booking and learned about the "hump" cabins.. not that I really know why they are so great.. but i did book one!

 

DH & I cruised years ago (1993!) on Carnival... now we have two kids, 14 and 12 at time of cruise. We are not into the "party" and loud scene so after careful research decided on Celebrity. Also, my kids are up and coming foodies so we picked Eclipse also because of Qsine.

 

We are a little concerned about flying in on day of the cruise due to all the snow we have been experiencing in NY during the winter. I think we will come in the day before, but fly into FLL. Should we stay overnight at a hotel there or rent a car (or taxi) to Miami and get a room near there?

 

Also, when do I start booking dining or excursions? I know it's a long way off, just trying to get my calendars together!

 

Thanks for all the help!

Anna

[trudle]

Welcone to CC boards. They tell so many things. Do more research before you do anything.

 

Flying in the day before is great, you never know what the weather will be. you might want to rent a car, Miami is about a 45min drive to Ft L. Someone else might have better ideas. I myself would stay in FtL, then drive down. Or look for a hotel in Miami, that will also bring you to the cruise port .

 

I think as soon as you have a booking number, you might be able to book excursions. Read the boards a little more and they will give you great info. A lot of people book off the ship and they will give you great people to book through. Dinning----I booked about a month before. Hope this helps and I am sure more CC will give you some more answers.

 

Have a great Cruise.

[Essiesmom]

There are boards here for your ports of call, where you can research excursions/attractions. Also, join the roll call for your cruise. Go back to the main boards page, scroll down to ROLL CALLS-Members Only, click on Celebrity, then find your ship, and look for a thread with the dates for your cruise. There you will find other CC members who will be cruising with you, and they will be discussing excursions, as well as where to stay in Miami/FLL and how to get there from the airport. EM

[cb at sea]

If you're arriving at night, then just stay somewhere inexpensive near the airport....drive to port (or shuttle/car service...whatever) in the morning. If you're arriving early enough to enjoy Miami, go ahead and head there for the night....Generally, Miami will be more expensive (hotel-wise) than Ft. Laud...so there's no use spending the money, if you don't have time to make use of the area!

[KirkNC]

Wow, 1993 is a long time, welcome to CC and back to cruising. ;)

 

Another place to check about where to stay in Fla is on the departure part of the forum under North American Home Ports.

 

I would come in a day early for sure.

 

Kirk

[Krazy Kruizers]

welcome to cruise critic

 

you certainly are going to see a lot of changes in cruising after all these years

[whciv]

Welcome back to crusing Anna! You made the right choice in Celebrity. My family (son who is 15) have cruised many cruise lines and we really like Celebrity. They are a little classier that others, but have great facilities and entertainment.

 

I completely understand your concern about flying in on the day of your cruise. We left out of Miami a couple of years ago and all was well until we reached DFW airport. American had a problem with the plane and we started to panic. I actually called the cruise line from the airplane, but they said if you miss the departure then you have to meet them at the next port. They also informed me that we needed to be at the dock 2 hours prior as US Customs requires them to submit a passenger list well before cruising. We made it to the cruise, but just by the skin of our teeth. It made for a very stressful first day or so.

 

I highly recommend staying over 1 night in the Miami area. There are several hotels in the FLL area that will pick you up and even give you FREE transportation to the port of Miami in the morning. You can use any of the online booking companies or just Google FLL with free cruise shuttle. My folks did this last year and swear it was the easiest solution.

 

Have a great time!! Your kids will I'm sure. :)

 

Smart-Travelers

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[bessinfl]

Fort Lauderdale is lovely, and there's plenty to do there -- no reason to fight the traffic to get to Miami. There's a beautiful boat tour of the canals in Fort Lauderdale, and it's also fun to stroll along Las Olas Boulevard and window-shop or eat in one of the restaurants along there. Plus there's a nice beach. You'll be a lot more relaxed for your cruise -- and in cruise mind-set -- if you stay in Fort Lauderdale and don't get yourself tied up in South Florida traffic.