What to do in Fort Lauderdale

[Papermouse17]

After our cruise ends and docks in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, January 24th my husband and I have some time to kill. Our flight back to Canada is at 8 pm. Any suggestions on what to do? We assume we will be tired and would like to just relax on a beach (weather permitting) What can we do with our luggage? Perhaps a boat tour? Any suggestion would be great. Thank you

 

 

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[donaldsc]

Ignoring the beach, there is absolutely nothing to do in Fort Lauderdale.

 

DON

[78232]

We took an excursion which included a city tour and a boat ride past all the waterfront mansions..they were really beautiful. That being said, it only it only took 2-3 hours. Maybe one of the hotels would rent a room for the day at less than the overnight rate.

[capriccio]

Ignoring the beach, there is absolutely nothing to do in Fort Lauderdale.

 

DON

 

That's neither helpful nor true.

 

OP: start your research with http://www.sunny.org. It has lots of tourist info including attractions, transportation, restaurants, etc.

 

Some of the most popular attractions, in addition to the Beach, are:

 

 

• water taxi (http://www.watertaxi.com) - It is a HOHO boat with narration and the absolute best way (short of having your own boat :D) to see the mansions and mega yachts on the intra-coastal waterway.
  
• Take a bigger boat ride on the Carrie B (http://www.carriebcruises.com/) or the Jungle Queen (http://www.junglequeen.com/)
  
• Las Olas Blvd for the window shopping (galleries, boutiques, etc.) and lots of good restaurants (www.lasolasboulevard.com)
  

For transportation (in addition to the watertaxi): http://www.suntrolley.com. It has routes connecting the beach. Las Olas and the 17th Street corridor. The price is cheap: $1/ride or $3/day pass.

 

 

You didn't say what you were doing with your luggage but here is a suggestion: you can store your luggage (for a fee) at Bags to Go (www.bagstogo.net) in each terminal. They need to be retrieved by 5 or 5:30 in the evening. Then, if it is a weekend, you can take the free Sun Trolley Airport Link (www.suntrolley.com). If it is a weekday, take a taxi back into down.

 

 

Check out the Florida Departures Board for lots of info including information on hotels with day rooms (that info is also at http://www.sunny.org).

Edited September 16, 2015 by capriccio

[Keith1010]

I would post this on the Florida Departures Board where this question comes up from time to time.

 

In fact, I think someone asked about this just the other day so there might already be a thread for you to read on this subject.

 

There is a lot to do in Fort Lauderdale.

 

Keith

[chemmo]

Most cruise lines run a variety of post cruise, airport drop offs. Check on the website or telephone to find out what they are offering.

 

The beauty of booking these rather than doing something independent is your luggage remains locked on your tour bus from ship to airport.

 

Boat ride and lunch by the beach is the obvious one. I think we have also seen one that included a quick trip into the Everglades with an airboat ride (but that could have been from Miami).

 

Another alternative is to simply hire a car for the day and tour part of the coast, Everglades....independently dropping your car off at the airport.

 

If we do have a long day, as you have we try to organise a pay lounge at the airport if we are not flying business. Not only does it give you a quiet place to sit and relax and have a drink but some have showers and it is great to freshen up before flying. I do not know Fort Lauderdale airport well but it may be worth your while to search.

[Papermouse17]

Thank you. These are great suggestions.

 

 

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[Bonnie J.]

Cruise ships often have tours on the day the ship returns to port. These are for people who have late flights. If the ship has them you should be able to find them in the booklet of tours for the cruise that will be in your cabin when you arrive. Or ask at the tour desk.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The cruise ships do offer excursions where the luggage goes right on the bus with you. The only problem here is that the tours are short and they get you to the airport by around 2 PM.

You might consider going to a hotel -- some offer a day rate for a few hours. That way you can leave your luggage in the room and tour around for awhile on your own. Or just relax by the pool, eat and then head to the airport.

[Hlitner]

My family lived in the Ft Lauderdale area for many years and we spent more then our share of time in the area. What is surprising to some folks is that there really is not a lot to do in Ft Lauderdale unless you want to spend your days at the beach or shopping.

 

As to what to do for a single day we often suggest renting a car so you have both transportation and a place to store your luggage (in the trunk/boot). If the weather is good, a relaxing day at the beach (with a nice relaxing lunch) is a nice way to unwind from a cruise. If you are a shopper then Ft Lauderdale has many options which can mean spending an entire day inside malls (such as the Sawgrass Mills which has over 350 Stores) or you could just drive around and enjoy many of the so-called "Outlets" found in the region. There are also some nice areas for just walking and browsing such as Los Olas Blvd, although we do not consider this a destination to kill more then a few hours.

 

Hank

[brunello22]

Ignoring the beach, there is absolutely nothing to do in Fort Lauderdale.

 

DON

 

Huh??? That is like saying, ignoring gambling, there is nothing to do in Las Vegas.

Edited September 16, 2015 by brunello22

[cb at sea]

I would hate being sandy and sweaty and having to fly after that. I would book a day room at a hotel...shower/bathroom and a place to keep your stuff would be worth the $$! That's assuming you can't get an earlier flight.....I'd go with the option that was cheaper.

12 hours "to kill" is horrible, unless you have someplace "to be".

Edited September 16, 2015 by cb at sea

[Papermouse17]

Thank you :)

 

 

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