ft. Lauderdale or miami for a day?

[amoran7879]

4 teenagers, ages 14-20. Which is better for a whole day before cruise?

[sail7seas]

You want to go to the beach? See Everglades?

What do you/they want to do?

[CruiserBruce]

20 is a teenager? I would think 20 is an adult....

[SPacificbound]

You could also ask this question here........ http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

[amoran7879]

Unfortunately, none of them have ever been there, so they have no idea what they want to do. I was thinking of just exploring around the South Beach area, although I also am not familiar with the area. Alternately, I thought of the air boat rides in the Everglades, but it's quite far from the FLL airport, so we would probably need to rent a van, since we are a group of 8.

 

Regarding someone's response of 20 being an adult....he is currently 19, will be 20 by the time of the trip. Considering he is not arranging OR paying for any of this, he will not be considered an adult with respect of this trip. Not sure why you felt the need to give your opinion on age, this has nothing to do with what I am asking for advice.

 

Thank you to SPacificbound for your tip!!

[Grandma Dazzles]

To me it would depend upon your plans during the cruise and what they like to do. If your cruise involves a lot of beach time, I would pick something different to do in FL. Otherwise FL beaches are a possibility.

 

Is a ball game going off? Check out local tours etc. you might find a trip/tour that suits everyone - Everglades for example.

 

Sounds dumb, but when my kids were teenagers we lived in a very small town - no malls within 100 miles - so going to a "big city" mall was also a treat!

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[SuiteTraveler]

Unfortunately, none of them have ever been there, so they have no idea what they want to do. I was thinking of just exploring around the South Beach area, although I also am not familiar with the area. Alternately, I thought of the air boat rides in the Everglades, but it's quite far from the FLL airport, so we would probably need to rent a van, since we are a group of 8.

 

Regarding someone's response of 20 being an adult....he is currently 19, will be 20 by the time of the trip. Considering he is not arranging OR paying for any of this, he will not be considered an adult with respect of this trip. Not sure why you felt the need to give your opinion on age, this has nothing to do with what I am asking for advice.

 

Thank you to SPacificbound for your tip!!

 

The parking situation in South Beach can be difficult. There are some public lots that you have to pay for, but they are often full. It is best to know where the parking is before going there:

 

http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/parking/scroll.aspx?id=30958

 

There is public transportation in this area, so you might consider taking a taxi to one of the major hotels and then using the public transportation to get around. That's the cheapest way to visit South Beach.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g34439-s302/Miami-Beach:Florida:Getting.Around.html

 

Being underage in South Beach is kind of like going to Las Vegas when you are 20 and can't participate in gambling or go in the nightclubs or strip bars. The main thing for young people to do in South Beach is go into clubs to party, but no one under 21 can enter (without a convincing fake ID.) I guess you are aware that South Beach is topless and the girls tend to wear only g-strings, so if your kids are boys, that would probably keep them busy. ;) Unfortunately, older people on Miami Beach also tend to wear the g-strings. :eek:

http://www.toplessinamerica.com/Topless_in_America/Miami_Beach.html

 

Alternatively, have you considered Adventure World at the Trump Resort in Ft. Lauderdale? I would think this would make a great day for your kids:

http://www.abcadventureworld.com

 

The other thought, the Everglades, is really fun as well. This is where to go:

https://www.evergladesholidaypark.com

 

In Ft. Lauderdale, there is the intracoastal waterway and there are water taxis that take you on a slow tour of Ft. Lauderdale.

http://watertaxi.com

[joellebridgers]

I did this with my daughter when she was 16 and two of her friends the same age. They loved Miami! We stayed the day before at the Holiday Inn across from Bayside Marina. We took a cab to South Beach... They loved the stores. Then we relaxed on the beach for a few hours. After we went back to the hotel, changed, then went to Bayside. There was so much going on there. Lots of stores, entertainment for under 21, and places to eat.

I've never been to Fort Lauderdale, so I can't compare.