Flying into FLL - cruising from MIA port...

[magicd30]

January 14 we will be flying into Fort Lauderdale airport but our cruise leaves out of Miami on the NCL Jewel. I realize they are fairly close but we arrive at 9 pm and I am traveling alone with my two young children and wondered if we should just stay in FLL for the night and then take a cab to the port or find a hotel closer to the port that night - any suggestions are appreciated!

 

This is my 10th cruise but my first alone with the kids and I don't want to be in any kind of "seedy" neighborhood alone!!!!

 

Diane

[Lois R]

Hi Diane:) since you arriving on the late side and I am assuming you

are sailing from Miami the next day, my opinion would be to just

stay at one of the hotels near the FLL Airport. I know there is a

Sheraton (it might be a Wyndam now).

There are some very nice hotels on 17th Street too (about

a 10 minute cab ride).

 

There are transportation companies that can take you to the Port

of Miami the next morning.

I know one is called Tri-County. Maybe someone can post the link.

 

Everything is quite close to the FLL airport though (hotels).

 

Have a great time:)

[Bequia]

From FLL to Port of Miami hotels it's about 45 minutes to an hour barring any traffic jams.

I'd get the travel portion of my trip finished up front and enjoy a 5 minute ride to the port from my hotel the next day. Less stress and worries. ;)

[Bequia]

There are transportation companies that can take you to the Port of Miami.I know one is called Tri-County. Maybe someone can post the link.

 

Tri County/ Airport Express http://www.floridalimo.com/Pages/sharedr.html

 

When you arrive at the airport, collect your luggage and go outside the baggage claim area, lower level, curbside, contact one of our starters (customer services reps.) wearing a white shirt with "AIRPORT EXPRESS" in red on the back of the shirt and an emblem on the sleeve and over the breast pocket. Let the starter know what service you are interested in and he/she will assist you.

Great company, safe and very reliable. ;)

[volleymasha]

We arrived in FLL after 10 pm. By the time we got our luggage and everything, we really didn't want to think about driving all the way to MIA with sleepy kids (3, 5, 8, and 10 at the time in our group of 10). We rented a van at FLL, drove it to the nearby hotel (we stayed at Courtyard) and then had breakfast and drove to Miami the next morning, with part of our group dropping the rest off at the port and then returning the van to the Miami airport.

 

While this worked fine, separating our group to return the van made things a little more stressful than they would have been had we all stayed together and just used a van service to take us to MIA the next day -- with just you and the kids, that would be my vote. With that said, with such a big group we save quite a bit of money by doing the rental.

 

Really can't go wrong either way -- it's just personal preference. Have a great trip!

 

volleymasha

[Bequia]

There are transportation companies that can take you to the Port of Miami.I know one is called Tri-County. Maybe someone can post the link.

 

Tri County/ Airport Express http://www.floridalimo.com/Pages/sharedr.html

 

When you arrive at the airport, collect your luggage and go outside the baggage claim area, lower level, curbside, contact one of our starters (customer services reps.) wearing a white shirt with "AIRPORT EXPRESS" in red on the back of the shirt and an emblem on the sleeve and over the breast pocket. Let the starter know what service you are interested in and he/she will assist you.

Great company, safe and very reliable. ;)

[FunCruiser56]

There are lots of hotels near the airport that will come and pick you up and take you to the hotel, there are phone banks near the luggage pick up area.

You are going to be tired and your kids probably cranky- I know mine are by the time we get to the destination. Stay close to the airport and arrange for a town car to pick you up at your hotel and drive you to the port of Miami set it up to pick you up after the cruise also they will be waiting for you when you get off the ship.

We used Larry's Limo service last year, stayed in FLL and he picked us up at our hotel and picked us up after the cruise. It was all very smooth and took the stress out of that part of the trip. A nice way to start and end a great vacation.

 

Funcruiser

[cruisedirector1]

Hi well not to boost my company but the best thing would to stay at either the intercontinetal or the holiday inn downtown miami cost from there to port of miami is 10.00.from ftl airport to that hotel in a cab is 75 i would do it for you for 60.00 total,if you would like you can check my web site out and i would be happy to help you i am not begging for jobs we have been in business 15 years you can check our web site out just looking to help you out or you could also stay at any hotels near airport in ftl for about any where from 75-100 free transsportation to hotel then go with a group down next morning and get a better price to port of miami i have a group going down to port of miami from ftl on jan 15 so i can put you with them as save you money here is our web site. http://www.almtransportation.com

[turquoisesea]

Here's another option. Call me crazy, but I'd stay at one of the FLL airport hotels with shuttle service. Through your travel agent, buy the cruise line's transfer from the FFL airport to the port in Miami. Then the next morning, just take the hotel shuttle back to FLL airport and get on the cruise bus from the baggage clain area. You didn't say what cruise line, but last Jan. we flew into FLL and our ship (Radiance of the Sea) sailed from Miami. It was a 40 minute + trip and I was glad we were on the bus and not in a taxi.

[TrentS]

The cruise line transfers are a major pain, and in almost every case, more expensive than taking Tri-County/Airport Express' van service... http://www.floridalimo.com/

 

You do NOT want to take a taxi between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, you can get a limo for the same price as a taxi.

 

Larry's Limo is another good, reliable, reputable local company... http://www.larryslimo.com/