Embassy Suites (17th St. FLL) Shuttle Service

[Yellowlily]

Anyone used the Embassy Suites 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale's shuttle service lately? Is it $8 pp or no? How long of a wait is it for them to pick you up from the airport? Worth doing this over a cab or no? And what about going to the cruise port? Do you just call from your room or do they have an actual schedule? Thanks.

[eandj]

Depends how many people you are talking about as far as cost efficiency. If two or three I'd use cabs and not have to worry about other people's schedules.

 

To take a cab to the port from ES is about $15. And you can leave when you want to. Why load into a shuttle with others perhaps stopping at different piers??

[BobT172]

Unless it just started in the last few weeks, there is no Embassy Suites shuttle service from the airport...it was doscintinued serveal years ago. A taxi is fast and cheap...usually about $15 plus tip from airport to hotel.

 

The hotel does provide a shuttle service to the port...was $7pp and you can schedule it thru the concierge desk to the right of the check in counter. Eandj is right however,...with the shuttle you will be stopping at other piers to left folks off.

[Port Everglades Veteran]

I would suggest a taxi and leave the hotel after 12 noon. Since you are so close to the port I would say leave about 2:00pm and there should be no lines at the security gates and minimal lines at the ship. The only exception would be if there is a huge convention at the Broward County Convention Center... then the security gate lines might be long and the taxi time meter will be clicking. Have your ID's ready when you pull up to the gate and if you are using your passport at the gate, open it to the photo page. Everyone should hold their own ID. Don't hand the guard a stack of id's and/or closed passports.... it really eats up a lot of time.

[megr1125]

actually you want to be at the pier as early as possible..

 

first you are paying for that day on the ship..

 

SECOND you MUST be CHECKED IN no less than 90 minutes before you sail..

 

so waiting until 2 is cutting it close..if there is an accident, traffic, whatever, your SHORT FAST trip to the pier will result in you waving at your ship...

[CruiserBruce]

No shuttle from airport to hotel in December. Taxi was $15 w/tip.

There is a shuttle hotel to port. $7pp. Very easy to use, particularly prior to about noon.

[startwin]

actually you want to be at the pier as early as possible..

 

first you are paying for that day on the ship..

 

SECOND you MUST be CHECKED IN no less than 90 minutes before you sail..

 

so waiting until 2 is cutting it close..if there is an accident, traffic, whatever, your SHORT FAST trip to the pier will result in you waving at your ship...

 

Absolutely, I was surprised at the advice to leave it so late. We always head to the port around 11, and enjoy a liesurely lunch onboard.

[eandj]

We too enjoy being on the ship no later than 12:15. We want to be in our stateroom, finished with a light lunch and drink, reading any pertinent info on the balcony, unpacking our carry-ons etc. before heading out to familiarize ourselves with the ship and enjoy some time on deck before the bags arrive.

 

Arriving at 2:00 would be way too late for us. We want to start our cruise vacation asap. ;)

[Camlott]

Ok, I will be calling the Hotel about this for sure because this is the rate package that I booked a month ago and is still listed today as well...

 

Is this not accurate? This is straight from Embassy's website.

 

EDITED TO ADD: Just spoke with the hotel directly. If you book the "cruise & transfers" package, the shuttle company will pick you up at the airport and take you to the hotel and then to the cruise terminal the next day. She did tell me that it is accurate that the hotel itself does not have a shuttle bus, but they have contracted with a local company for this package.

 

Rate Details: Cruise & Transfers

 

Includes transfers from Ft. Lauderdale Airport to hotel and to Port Everglades. Return transfer from the Port not included. Return transfer from the hotel to the airport available at addl charge. Guests can leave vehicle at the hotel for $10 per night of parking. Transfer vouchers are valid for transfer from hotel to Port and are distributed based on number of adults booked in reservation. Child transfer may be purchased at check-in. For airport pickup call hotel after retrieving luggage. Airport tranfers only available by booking this package.

[CruiserBruce]

OK, this is a package, rather than a walk up purchase. We simply booked a room, and then paid for our transfers, arranged when we checked in.

[eandj]

Rate Details: Cruise & Transfers

 

Includes transfers from Ft. Lauderdale Airport to hotel and to Port Everglades. Return transfer from the Port not included. Return transfer from the hotel to the airport available at addl charge. Guests can leave vehicle at the hotel for $10 per night of parking. tranfers only available by .

 

 

 

So what are they charging per person for the transfer from FTL and to the port in the morning?? Often it is more economical by using a cab and going on YOUR schedule.

[Camlott]

So what are they charging per person for the transfer from FTL and to the port in the morning?? Often it is more economical by using a cab and going on YOUR schedule.

 

Lost track of this post... Sorry!

 

There are 10 of us staying in 3 rooms. The total cost for the transfers over the price of the rooms is $75. So that works out to $7.50/pp for transfer to the hotel and then to the port the next day. Not bad!

[Yellowlily]

We ended up using a cab. So easy and so fast. Full cab (3-4 people plus luggage) cost us $15 from FLL Airport to Embassy Suites. We gave the cab driver a $20. From the Embassy Suites to Port Everglades was extremely fast (have your IDs handy for entrance into pier). Came out to $6 on the meter. I think we gave him $12.

 

Embassy Suites had told me (prior to my arrival) it would be $8 per person with their transfer.

 

FYI...we left about 11:15 am from the Embassy Suites and got to Port Everglades around 11:20 (yes, that fast). They weren't letting people on the ship til 11:30 (no biggie) and it went fast.

[DonnaK]

We ended up using a cab. So easy and so fast. Full cab (3-4 people plus luggage) cost us $15 from FLL Airport to Embassy Suites. We gave the cab driver a $20. From the Embassy Suites to Port Everglades was extremely fast (have your IDs handy for entrance into pier). Came out to $6 on the meter. I think we gave him $12.

 

Embassy Suites had told me (prior to my arrival) it would be $8 per person with their transfer.

 

FYI...we left about 11:15 am from the Embassy Suites and got to Port Everglades around 11:20 (yes, that fast). They weren't letting people on the ship til 11:30 (no biggie) and it went fast.

 

Since we're a family of 4, we asked the Concierge to call a taxi for us because it would be considerably cheaper than the shuttle, and then suddenly he reduced the price to $20 for all of us. Still slightly more than the taxi, but the shuttle was ready and waiting.