Miami vs. Ft. Lauderdale

[MrsTocko]

We are booked on NCL Jade in March 2018 for a 10-day Southern Caribbean. it is round trip out of Miami. I am a planning and I will be booking hotel and air as soon as they are available...

 

I am looking for suggestions/recommendations/opinions for ease of Airport (have heard that FLL is better), as well as an AFFORDABLE hotel. (80-130 per night). Would like a clean hotel, in a neighborhood that is safer for walking (taking common sense precautions).

 

Thanks....and...GO!!!

[roger001]

We fly Southwest, so FLL is always our airport. We then use SAS shuttle form hotel to the POM and return to airport, $15 pp each way. Hotels, just use trip advisor and search. Look for a hotel with FLL airport shuttle. 2018 is a little far out though to get hotel prices and booking I think. Hotels with airport proximity or 17th street seem to be pretty good. Prices vary considerable depending on time of year. $130 is about minimum we've found near the airport area.

[njhorseman]

You should post this question on the Florida Departures Board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

[MrsTocko]

We fly Southwest, so FLL is always our airport. We then use SAS shuttle form hotel to the POM and return to airport, $15 pp each way. Hotels, just use trip advisor and search. Look for a hotel with FLL airport shuttle. 2018 is a little far out though to get hotel prices and booking I think. Hotels with airport proximity or 17th street seem to be pretty good. Prices vary considerable depending on time of year. $130 is about minimum we've found near the airport area.

 

We are going to be hitting right around Spring Break...so I KNOW I will need to book just as soon as available to even think of getting a good price.

[MrsTocko]

You should post this question on the Florida Departures Board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

 

Thank you for the suggestion...will post it there now!

[sanger727]

Either airport is perfectly fine to fly in to, just depends on pricing. If you search on Kayak it lets you choose "nearby airports" so will search both of them. We have flown into both and sailed out of both and would prefer to get a hotel in Miami. More to do and there's decent hotels and restaurants near the port.

[Oldgoat61]

When we cruise out of Mia., we always fly into Fll. Both flights and hotel are less than into Mia. As mentioned by another poster, look for a hotel that provides a shuttle (most are free) from the airport.

 

We use SAS whenever we fly into Fll, but, if you use them, go the their site and check which hotels they service.....there are a select group that they service, all within a certain radius of the airport. :)

[easyboy]

We are booked on NCL Jade in March 2018 for a 10-day Southern Caribbean. it is round trip out of Miami. I am a planning and I will be booking hotel and air as soon as they are available...

 

I am looking for suggestions/recommendations/opinions for ease of Airport (have heard that FLL is better), as well as an AFFORDABLE hotel. (80-130 per night). Would like a clean hotel, in a neighborhood that is safer for walking (taking common sense precautions).

 

Thanks....and...GO!!!

I doubt that you can find a hotel in the 80-130/night range in FLL for the month of March. I have been searching for our own March 2017 booking. The range is $200-250. Good luck!

[roger001]

I just booked Extended Stay, FLL, 17st. for April '17. It is a mid week booking for $166 plus all the additional tax. The Hampton Inn, where we have stayed before under $150, was about $250 this time. Holiday Inn, Embassy Suites and all of that were $250+. Our booking is during Easter break.

[zqvol]

I don't think that it matters which airport you fly into, especially coming from CA, the price is going to be similar. One suggestion is don't book too soon. In spite of what CC people tell you the best price, unless you are booking Southwest is about 60 days out.

 

I booked my airfare for this coming March this week. I was down 50% from what it was back in the summer.

 

Hotels are more problematic. You can start looking for those now, and in fact you can book many of them now. The less expensive hotels are going to be near the airports, though depending on the night of the week you can get good deals anywhere. I find that costs are similar in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

 

I know that for this coming March for a Saturday night stay the best place I could find was a brand new Aloft hotel near MIA, but for the Sunday night after the cruise I found a great Doubletree in Southbeach for about $50 less then the Aloft. You just have to look.

[Lido_Deck]

We are going to be hitting right around Spring Break...so I KNOW I will need to book just as soon as available to even think of getting a good price.

 

It won't matter when you book, the entire month of March will be jacked up BEFORE it is posted online. In fact, it will probably be highest when rates are first posted.

[Still Dreaming]

Quickly apply for a hotel credit card! Many give you a free night every year for minimal fee. We have 2 free nights at the intercontinental in New Orleans this year b4 our cruise. We also have a third night free with the sign up bonus points.