Fort lauderdale hotel w/shuttle from airport and to pier/oceanside?

[DrivesLikeMario]

Yes, people have been known to walk from Renaissance or Holiday Inn to pier 2 and have done so since the January incident at FLL.

I, however, would never consider walking, when riding in a cab is so much more convenient.

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I thought the question was about whether to walk to the airport from the cruise ship, not the hotels. That I can understand a little more. Walking to the airport is out of the question IMO. ;)

[4cats4me]

I thought the question was about whether to walk to the airport from the cruise ship, not the hotels. That I can understand a little more. Walking to the airport is out of the question IMO. ;)[/

 

 

I've never heard of anyone walking from FLL to the cruise port. [emoji33]

It is just too far, so I extrapolated from his question that he must have meant walking from a hotel to the cruise port, as has been done semi-frequently by some who post on CC.

 

 

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[GweninTX]

We stay at Hampton Inn Airport North cruiseport on 12th St. Free shuttle from airport. Right next door to Winn Dixie and restaurants. They have a shuttle to port for $8 pp, but we use Lyft as it is cheaper and less hassle. Hot breakfast & fresh baked chocolate chip cookies! Nice van driver will take you anywhere for tips. Favorite other than Embassy suites. Usually is much cheaper as we are Diamond with Hilton.

 

 

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[GlamorousGirl]

I'm in Hilton Honors, and stayed at Homestead Suites. There was a shuttle but not free - $10 each way. It went to both the cruise port and the airport. Was a designated parking area for those cheap extended-parking websites so we were able to leave our car there during the cruise without paying a fortune. Suite was large and comfortable. Most of the people staying there were cruising; everyone was talking about their cruises - it was more hectic than I usually want in a hotel but it was comfortable and convenient. Had a view of the airport out the window. Free breakfast, and there are some restaurants close by. There's also a K-Mart nearby if you forgot something from home you need to pick up before the cruise (we did!)

[GweninTX]

A Lyft to the pier was only $8 last week. I would not even bother with a shuttle!

 

 

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[jb008]

We stayed at Hampton Inn Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation in Feb. Free shuttle from airport and free shuttle to cruise port. Mall is walkable from hotel, restaurant options in the area are limited for dinner though. Free breakfast was nothing fancy but more than adequate.

[mhurdle127]

We are staying at the Crowne Plaza Cruiseport which as I understand offers a shuttle from the airport but not to the cruise port. How easy is it to get an Uber on an embarkation day? Also, thinking we may take an Uber to the Winn Dixie nearby to get 2-3 bottles of wine (we think this is probably cheaper than paying for it on the ship). Anyone have any suggestions on this?

[crawford]

We are staying at the Crowne Plaza Cruiseport which as I understand offers a shuttle from the airport but not to the cruise port. How easy is it to get an Uber on an embarkation day? Also, thinking we may take an Uber to the Winn Dixie nearby to get 2-3 bottles of wine (we think this is probably cheaper than paying for it on the ship). Anyone have any suggestions on this?

 

Have walked from the Renaissance to the pier before with no issues - about 15-20 minutes.

[senior lady]

There are no hotels that offer free shuttle to the cruise port, but some hotels do offer free shuttles to and from hotels. Many times taxis are just as cheap. For example, Embassy Suites charges $10 pp just to ride the shuttle from FLL to their hotel, while Hyatt Place charges $2 per room. Crowne Plaza charges nothing.

I think Holiday Inn convention center has a free shuttle, also.

Not sure what time of year you're talking about, but good deals can be had from a May-Oct, $129-225 range, but rates skyrocket from Nov-Apr, where you can expect to pay anywhere from $250-350 per night for motels in the 17th street region, and $300-450 per night for ocean beach hotels and rooms. Good deals can be found on Hotwire and Priceline, too, bidding blindly or using Priceline Express, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $7-10 pp for hotel shuttles to the port vs. $10-12 for Uber vs. $15-20 bucks for a taxi to the port. I highly recommend against taking a shuttle to the port if more than 2-3 ships are in port. If there are six ships in port you could potentially wait for an hour until you are delivered to your ship even though you only traveled one or two miles.

Been there, done that. Never again.

 

Oh, one other thing, you might have to wait anywhere from 30-60 minutes waiting for a "free" shuttle to get from airport to your hotel.

Since the hotels aren't that far away, like 10 minutes away, you'd be much better off taking a cab or Ubering or taking Lyft.

Also, check TripAdvisor to get a good feel for Ft Lauderdale hotels.

 

My personal favorite hotels are Hyatt Place Convention Centrr due to its fabulous location being next door to a shopping center where we can buy all our last minute things to being onto the ship, and Total Wine is there, too. We always wait to buy all our suntan lotions and toiletries since we don't like to pack all that due to weighing too much, so we always shop in Ft Laud. Hyatt Place has free breakfast and many here on the board get a good deal when booking HP through valuetrips.com.

It is not beach area, though.

 

We also love the Riverside Hotel on Las Olas. Not fancy, but it has a real Florida feel and it is near may very good restaurants.

 

On the beach, Lago Mar is on a pretty part of the beach but I don't think it is near very much.

 

 

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There are quite a few hotels that offer shuttles to cruiseport

[skynight]

We are staying at the Crowne Plaza Cruiseport which as I understand offers a shuttle from the airport but not to the cruise port. How easy is it to get an Uber on an embarkation day? Also, thinking we may take an Uber to the Winn Dixie nearby to get 2-3 bottles of wine (we think this is probably cheaper than paying for it on the ship). Anyone have any suggestions on this?

The best place to get wine is at Total Wine in back of the Embassy Suites hotel off of S.E. 17th St. in the Harbordale mall. This is probably too far to walk from the Crown Plaza. There is a Stop & Shop just a few blocks from the hotel and a Walgreens just up the street about 3/4 mile by a bunch of restaurants. Both of these stores should have wine. Winn-Dixie is further away from the hotel, but also on Rd. 84.

Each adult can carry on 1 x 750ml bottles of wine at no charge for use in your cabin. If you bring the bottle to a public area, such as the DR you are charged a $15 corkage fee. Additional bottles can be carried on and are subject to the $15 corkage fee when boarding. These bottles are marked and may be used anywhere on the ship. An inexpensive bottle of wine in a store will cost about $12. To use it in the DR will cost another $15. Compare that to an inexpensive bottle purchased on the ship, which is about $30. For inexpensive wines it is kind of break even. For expensive wines, you probably do better bringing them on and paying the corkage.

I can't tell you about Uber, but it probably will take 15 to 20 mins to order a taxi if none are at the hotel. A taxi fare to the pier from the Crown Plaza would be right around $15/$20. The ride to the port is only 10/15 mins. There may be a pay shuttle from the hotel to the port. Call the hotel to find out.

[Steelers36]

The best place to get wine is at Total Wine in back of the Embassy Suites hotel off of S.E. 17th St. in the Harbordale mall. This is probably too far to walk from the Crown Plaza. There is a Stop & Shop just a few blocks from the hotel and a Walgreens just up the street about 3/4 mile by a bunch of restaurants. Both of these stores should have wine. Winn-Dixie is further away from the hotel, but also on Rd. 84.

Each adult can carry on 1 x 750ml bottles of wine at no charge for use in your cabin. If you bring the bottle to a public area, such as the DR you are charged a $15 corkage fee. Additional bottles can be carried on and are subject to the $15 corkage fee when boarding. These bottles are marked and may be used anywhere on the ship. An inexpensive bottle of wine in a store will cost about $12. To use it in the DR will cost another $15. Compare that to an inexpensive bottle purchased on the ship, which is about $30. For inexpensive wines it is kind of break even. For expensive wines, you probably do better bringing them on and paying the corkage.

I can't tell you about Uber, but it probably will take 15 to 20 mins to order a taxi if none are at the hotel. A taxi fare to the pier from the Crown Plaza would be right around $15/$20. The ride to the port is only 10/15 mins. There may be a pay shuttle from the hotel to the port. Call the hotel to find out.

 

If I may editorialize, there might be one bottle on the ship that is cheaper than buying your own and paying corkage. A wine the ship is selling for about $30 is typically $7 or $8 - not $12.

 

Yes, the shuttle from Crowne Plaza is for fee and also serves other hotels (but CP might be the last stop). I would never choose a shuttle because you have no control over the trip and arrival time at your terminal. An exception is the free Hertz shuttle for car rental customers at the same location which does go directly to the ship terminals. Otherwise, I would cab or Uber the trip.

[canucktrio]

I thought the question was about whether to walk to the airport from the cruise ship, not the hotels. That I can understand a little more. Walking to the airport is out of the question IMO. ;)

 

There is no logic in walking in fear of terrorism when more likely two seniors from out of town walking with luggage from a hotel or the airport are likely to be mugged on their way to/from the ship.

 

Agreed. Take Uber, a cab, or a shuttle. When 3 or more, definitely take a Uber and upgrade to SUV/MiniVan. We've taken Uber off the ship. Fast and comfortable. We've used hotel shuttle to get to ship. OK, but add 20-30 minutes for other passengers to assemble and board bus. We only did it once because for some reason the hotel promo gave it free.

 

If you are arriving a day or more early, stay at any hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. The hotel price is more important than proximity to the cruise terminal. We use points at Marriott brands or at Hyatt brands, but we found that if you stay overnight in a lousy location, you're essentially stuck in a hotel room with nothing to do. Find a hotel with proximity to the beach, dining, shopping, or entertainment. Your holiday starts when you got on your flight, not when you get on the ship!

[canucktrio]

The best place to get wine is at Total Wine in back of the Embassy Suites hotel off of S.E. 17th St. in the Harbordale mall. This is probably too far to walk from the Crown Plaza. There is a Stop & Shop just a few blocks from the hotel and a Walgreens just up the street about 3/4 mile by a bunch of restaurants. Both of these stores should have wine. Winn-Dixie is further away from the hotel, but also on Rd. 84.

Each adult can carry on 1 x 750ml bottles of wine at no charge for use in your cabin. If you bring the bottle to a public area, such as the DR you are charged a $15 corkage fee. Additional bottles can be carried on and are subject to the $15 corkage fee when boarding. These bottles are marked and may be used anywhere on the ship. An inexpensive bottle of wine in a store will cost about $12. To use it in the DR will cost another $15. Compare that to an inexpensive bottle purchased on the ship, which is about $30. For inexpensive wines it is kind of break even. For expensive wines, you probably do better bringing them on and paying the corkage.

I can't tell you about Uber, but it probably will take 15 to 20 mins to order a taxi if none are at the hotel. A taxi fare to the pier from the Crown Plaza would be right around $15/$20. The ride to the port is only 10/15 mins. There may be a pay shuttle from the hotel to the port. Call the hotel to find out.

 

Most ships have wines starting in the mid $20.00 range, and some have decent wine packages if you want several bottles during your cruise. If you have a bottle opened anywhere on the ship, you can take it back to your cabin, or send it to your dining room to enjoy at dinner, or hold from one dinner to the next. Since you have to pay corkage on most ships to bring aboard wine that you don't drink in your own stateroom, then you better be bringing really good wine aboard. We've found many enjoyable wines to select between $25 and $40.00 USD when cruising.

 

If you look around the net with google, you should be able to see the wine list for your ship with all the pricing.

[PoohUnderstands]

You don't want to walk from the airport anyway, but if you are at a hotel on 17th street near Eisenhower Blvd., you can easily walk to Terminal 2. Unless it is raining..........

 

Pooh

[mhurdle127]

If I were to pre-order wine from Total Wines, would an Uber driver take me there on the way to the port and wait for me to pick up the wine? My son drives Uber in Nashville and I know he regularly will wait for someone to run into a store if it is only 5-10 minutes and then take them on to their final destination, but I don't know if that is Uber policy or just my son going the extra mile for his passengers.

[Steelers36]

If I were to pre-order wine from Total Wines, would an Uber driver take me there on the way to the port and wait for me to pick up the wine? My son drives Uber in Nashville and I know he regularly will wait for someone to run into a store if it is only 5-10 minutes and then take them on to their final destination, but I don't know if that is Uber policy or just my son going the extra mile for his passengers.

 

I don't see why any driver would not wait a few minutes, especially if tipped or directly compensated.

[Steelers36]

Most ships have wines starting in the mid $20.00 range, and some have decent wine packages if you want several bottles during your cruise. If you have a bottle opened anywhere on the ship, you can take it back to your cabin, or send it to your dining room to enjoy at dinner, or hold from one dinner to the next. Since you have to pay corkage on most ships to bring aboard wine that you don't drink in your own stateroom, then you better be bringing really good wine aboard. We've found many enjoyable wines to select between $25 and $40.00 USD when cruising.

 

If you look around the net with google, you should be able to see the wine list for your ship with all the pricing.

 

I respectfully disagree. It isn't necessary to bring on "really good wine" to save money. Often it is the lower priced bottles that have the most egregious mark-ups. At he other end, champagne is really marked up. The thing is not to buy the exact same wines offered on board, but to buy good value wines and drink ones you enjoy at a far better price point than the ship would have them at (if offered at all) and to have more enjoyment for the same investment. Don't forget that every bottle on board comes with a 15% gratuity tacked on.

 

I analyzed the entire wine list a couple of years back and virtually every wine offered could be brought on board for less money than Princess price + 15% - even considering paying corkage on every bottle (and you might get some N/C ones in there after a while or by having some in the room and bring an open bottle to dinner).

[4cats4me]

There are quite a few hotels that offer shuttles to cruiseport

 

 

 

Yes, I know, but not for free. OP is interested in “free” shuttle from airport and wants a shuttle to the cruise port, but he doesn’t state if he expects a free shuttle to the cruise port, so one can only extrapolate that OP might be interested in a free transport to the port. Almost every hotel offers a shuttle of some kind in Ft Lauderdale, but most charge anywhere from $7-$10 pp

[Todd320]

You don't want to walk from the airport anyway, but if you are at a hotel on 17th street near Eisenhower Blvd., you can easily walk to Terminal 2. Unless it is raining..........

 

Pooh

 

I agree, we have walked many times from the Renaissance on 17th St. As long as your mobile and your luggage is on wheels its not a problem. We don't walk to save money, we walk because we enjoy it, which is enhanced with the anticipation of the cruise.