Help going out of Fort Lauderdale

[jenrand]

I am trying to plan a cruise for March and looking into leaving out of Ft Lauderdale.  I have done many cruises but only out of Port Canavaral so this Port is new to me.  I need help with where to stay pre-cruise, transportation to and from the port, etc.  I am a little nervous bc I am so used to Port Canavral and it is so easy to go out of.  Thank you all.

[mickeygirl78]

The Fort Lauderdale port is very close to the airport, it’s my favorite port to sail out of.  I personally just take a Lyft or taxi for transportation. I like to stay at Riverside Hotel because I like the location of it. 

[A&L_Ont]

Uber to the port and for hotel the Hyatt Place on 17th Street is priced right and has always been a very good place to stay. 

 

The Embassy Suites is over rated. 

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, jenrand said:

I need help with where to stay pre-cruise, transportation to and from the port, etc.

Search the Florida departures section of CC.

[Jam0610]

We stayed at the Hilton on 17th street. You can see the ships from the hotel.

Cab ride from the airport to the hotel is about 15 minutes, and costs $ 20.00 with a tip.

The hotel has a shuttle to ships. Think the cost is $ 7.00 for each passenger.

 

[pilot]

Not sure when Spring Break starts, hopefully you are going early March. Rooms can be expensive during this period and it can get roudy. 
 

We are cruising early April and usually stay at Marriott Harbor Beach, but due to cost and crowds have booked in Aventura south of the airport. Still only a $20-$25 Lyft to the pier. 

[cruisinelmo]

Our cruise leaves Port Lauderdale March 30 and on or near that date a large boat convention ends which means hotel rooms may be hard to find. Be aware

[Liljo22]

It really depends on what your plans are. 

 

If you are coming in a couple of days early, I would stay either on the beach or on Las Olas.  The Riverside Hotel is on Las Olas with restaurants and shops right out the door.  On the beach, I would recommend Lago Mar.  Its right on the beach and has the biggest beachfront of all the hotels in Ft Lauderdale.  

 

If you are coming in the night before, stay on the 17th Street Causeway.  There is a Hilton, and Embassy Suites and a Renaissance there and less than 2 miles from the terminal.  

[deliver42]

Embassy Suites was beautiful in it's day, now quite run down.

[allie3490]

3 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Uber to the port and for hotel the Hyatt Place on 17th Street is priced right and has always been a very good place to stay. 

 

The Embassy Suites is over rated. 

Agree with all your points. We stayed at Embassy Suites 9 years ago and it was a dump then. Love the Hyatt Place

[smokeybandit]

I had no issue with Embassy Suites for a pre-cruise hotel.

[karena1]

We always stay at LaQuinta FLL airport when we stay in FLL.  They offer a shuttle to the ship for around $15 if I remember right.  We only stay in FLL if we fly, but LaQuinta is very close to both the airport and the cruise terminal.  Nothing fancy, but clean, has a pool, continental breakfast, so works for us.

[Starry Eyes]

When flying in, Fort Lauderdale is easier in my opinion than Port Canaveral as airport and cruise port are so close.  For a pre cruise hotel, you can stay at the beach if you’d enjoy some beach time and if it makes sense with your flight times.  Staying at the beach might cost a bit more in Uber/taxi fees, but waking up at the beach is worth it to some people.  Or you can choose a hotel close to the airport/cruise port (they are close together.  You typically can use hotel shuttle from airport to hotel.  We generally choose Uber to the cruise port, but you  hotels often offers shuttles (may not be much cheaper than Uber).  There are tons of airport hotel reviews online and those will tell you the info you need if you just need a clean, safe place to stay overnight.  After the cruise, you can get a taxi or ride share to the airport.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Starry Eyes

[voyager70]

2 hours ago, deliver42 said:

Embassy Suites was beautiful in it's day, now quite run down.

Quite a few people have reported this. What happened? This used to be my favorite pre cruise hotel in Lauderdale, mainly because of location.

 

 

[capriccio]

Two websites I suggest checking out:

 

The official Fort Lauderdale website that contains information on lodging, transportation, restaurants and attractions:  www.visitlauderdale.com

 

The official Port Everglades website that includes a cruise section and has an updated for 2024 Cruisers Guide that also includes hotel information:  www.porteverglades.net.

[capriccio]

15 hours ago, cruisinelmo said:

Our cruise leaves Port Lauderdale March 30 and on or near that date a large boat convention ends which means hotel rooms may be hard to find. Be aware

The annual boat show is this weekend and I don't know of one scheduled in March. 

 

That is Easter weekend (Easter is the 31st) which means that many schools have a week of vacation either before or after that so hotels and cruises might be hard to find (not to mention expensive).

[Wxman0]

Homewood Suites by Hilton was a very nice hotel for us. Shuttle from airport, shuttle to port. They had a nice breakfast when we were there (but it has admittedly been a few years). Nice big rooms

 

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/fllarhw-homewood-suites-ft-lauderdale-airport-cruise-port/

[DaveOKC]

Hyatt House in Dania Point.  Nice facility, great shuttle from airport, friendly staff.  Shopping/dining right next door.

[LadyBerard]

My #1 go-to hotel before a cruise is the Sonesta on FLL Beach.  Love the location.  I have also stayed at the Riverside in Los Olas which was nice too.  

[philv]

We are cruising on Princess in March. Going down two days early and staying at Marriott on Hollywood Beach. Very cool vibe on Hollywood Beach and great way to start cruise. Check out Hollywood Beach webcam. Will taxi to hotel from airport and Uber to port from hotel. Not a long or expensive trip and easy peasy. There is also a Margaritaville resort hotel on Hollywood Beach we stayed at that has a very cool vibe and great amenities. Hollywood Beach has a long broadwalk and beach that’s great for people watching, dining, bars, and access to water taxi that makes great tour of stops along inland waterway and Ft Lauderdale. The boats and homes are something to see. Highly recommend location. We have stayed at lots of places near port and haven’t enjoyed anything as much as Hollywood Beach before a cruise.

[pilot]

We always stay at the Marriott Harbor Beach. It’s a great property. I have also stayed at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach and the Courtyard on the beach but I would not recommend them. 

[chamima]

On 11/11/2023 at 10:16 AM, philv said:

We are cruising on Princess in March. Going down two days early and staying at Marriott on Hollywood Beach. Very cool vibe on Hollywood Beach and great way to start cruise. Check out Hollywood Beach webcam. Will taxi to hotel from airport and Uber to port from hotel. Not a long or expensive trip and easy peasy. There is also a Margaritaville resort hotel on Hollywood Beach we stayed at that has a very cool vibe and great amenities. Hollywood Beach has a long broadwalk and beach that’s great for people watching, dining, bars, and access to water taxi that makes great tour of stops along inland waterway and Ft Lauderdale. The boats and homes are something to see. Highly recommend location. We have stayed at lots of places near port and haven’t enjoyed anything as much as Hollywood Beach before a cruise.

 

Have you ever stayed at either the Marriott or Margaritaville resort in January? We're thinking of going there as a quick winter getaway vacation and I'm concerned it will be cold.

[pilot]

We always stay at the Marriott Harbor Beach in January.  It is pricy, but very nice.  Resort fee is a rip off.

[philv]

1 hour ago, chamima said:

 

Have you ever stayed at either the Marriott or Margaritaville resort in January? We're thinking of going there as a quick winter getaway vacation and I'm concerned it will be cold.

I have stayed at the Marriott on Hollywood beach and Margaritaville also on Hollywood beach. Both fantastic locations. Easy taxi from airport. We did Uber to cruise port, worked great. Hollywood beach has wonderful vibe, great beach, lots of restaurants, and great people watching on the broadwalk. Weather should be fine, 70s to 80s and dry. Margaritaville has great amenities and costs a little more than Marriott but worth the experience. We are staying at Marriott in March pre-cruise. Going down two days early to have full day on Hollywood beach. Great way to start a cruise. 😎

Edited December 14, 2023 by philv

[chamima]

2 minutes ago, philv said:

I have stayed at the Marriott on Hollywood beach and Margaritaville also on Hollywood beach. Both fantastic locations. Easy taxi from airport. We did Uber to cruise port, worked great. Hollywood beach has wonderful vibe, great beach, lots of restaurants, and great people watching on the broadwalk. Weather should be fine. Margaritaville has great amenities and costs a little more than Marriott but worth the experience. We are staying at Marriott in March pre-cruise. Going down two days early to have full day on Hollywood beach. Great way to start a cruise. 😎

 

Thanks.

Just to be clear. We are NOT going on a cruise. Just looking for an easy last minute, relaxing WARM vacation. Hoping to spend the days at the pool or the beach. When I look at average temps for January it says low 70s, hence my apprehension.