Christmas Day in Miami -What to do?

[wongri]

Our group of four adults will be disembarking the Navigator of the Seas on December 24th and spending 3 days in Miami before boarding the Summit. Any ideas what we can do in the 3 days which include Christmas day.

Will everything be closed on the 25th?

Thanks for your assistance.

Rita

[Melissa_A]

go to the beach! your friends back home will be so jealous. Yes, everything will be closed on the 25th...except movie theaters and many restaurants will be also be open.

[wongri]

Thanks Melissa.

Sounds like a relaxing day at the beach for us!

[judyzoo]

The zoo (Miami Metrozoo) will not be closed Christmas Day; it is open 365 days a year. It's not just for children; it's a nice, relaxing place to spend a day. Animals without cages; new aviary; monorail; safari cycles for getting around. And it's usually nicely decorated for Christmas (Christmas lights in the palm trees and such), sometimes with even a small skating area (but that's for the kids). Santa is often around, even though he gets a bit warm in his furry red suit.

[wongri]

Thanks for the info on the zoo Judyzoo.

Would you know if any of the flea markets will be open on Christmas day?

Someone from my office suggested going to one of the markets as we are staying in downtown Miami. May even pick up a few bargains!

Rita

[judyzoo]

The OpaLocka-Hialeah Flea Market will be open Christmas Day; it is open 365 days a year (like the zoo). I think that's the closest flea market to downtown Miami; it's at 12551 N.W. 42 Ave. It's mostly outside and not terribly pretty, but who knows -- you might find lots of bargains there. Whatever you do, I hope that you enjoy both Miami and your cruise!

[judyzoo]

I just had a thought. If you want to try for something Christmas-like (by Miami standards), you might want to visit Santa’s Enchanted Forest at night. It’s a medium-sized area right off one of the main highways, with millions (and I think that’s not an exaggeration) of Christmas lights strung in the trees. Other than the lights, it’s sort of like a carnival midway, with some small rides and games and carnival-type food. IMHO, the lights are worth a visit.

[wongri]

HI Judyzoo,

 

Do they have new items in the flea market and is it in a safe area if the ladies go there on their own?

 

Santa's Enchanted Forest sounds interesting. May check it out in the evening - something diiferent to do. It will seem strange to have Christmas without snow for us.

 

Are there any seafood restaurants that you would recommend in the downtown area or not too far from downtown?

 

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Have a super weekend.

Rita

[judyzoo]

The flea market has both new and used items, but mostly lower value items. The area isn’t the best, but the market itself is usually safe; however, about a year ago one of the sellers was shot. It’s definitely not as upscale as a mall.

 

Surprisingly, there aren’t really a lot of seafood restaurants in the Miami area, and even fewer around downtown. However, here are a few suggestions: Monty’s Stone Crab in Coconut Grove (a bit of a drive from downtown), Joe’s Stone Crab on South Beach (open seasonally, and when it’s open there’s usually a long line waiting to get in, but it is well known and very popular; and has great stone crabs during the crab season), Rusty Pelican on Key Biscayne (not too far from downtown; it serves seafood in addition to other items, and it has a great view of the bay and the Miami skyline, especially if you go around sunset and get a window table). You might consider something in Bayside Marketplace, which is right on the edge of downtown and near the cruise port. Lots of shops and restaurants and some boat rides and sometimes some entertainment. At the moment, it seems that there are 3 seafood restaurants in Bayside -- Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Captain Joe’s Seafood, and Snappers Bar & Grill; I think they’re all chains and casual, and it’s possible that some of them are just part of a food court, although I think that Bubba is an actual restaurant. In any event, Bayside is sort of a fun place to wander around.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

[wongri]

Judyzoo - thanks for your advice and suggestions.

 

This January we stayed at the Radisson downtown and took the shuttle from the hotel to Dolphin Mall. We only stayed 1 day post cruise as there were no direct flights back to Toronto.

Do you have any idea if there are shuttle services from the hotels to Sawgrass Mills?

We have not been there before . . . is it worth the effort to go out there?

 

This trip we are staying at Intercontinental. I guess we will have Christmas dinner at the hotel as I presume 99% of the restaurants will be closed except for the ones in the hotels. Is there an exceptional restaurant in any of the hotels we should not miss?

 

Someone suggested the Fishbone Grille for seafood in my office. Have you heard of it? I was thinking of going to Bayside Marketplace to walk around so will check out Bubba Gumps. We have never been to one of their restaurants.

 

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. You have been a great help.

Have a super day.

Rita

[judyzoo]

Rita,

 

I tried to reply before, but can't tell whether it went through, so this may end up being a duplicate.

 

Unfortunately, I have no idea whether there is shuttle service to Sawgrass Mills, which is quite a distance from downtown. But it is huge; you could probably find a lot of bargains there.

 

I haven’t heard much about Fishbone Grille, but the little that I’ve seen has been very good, so that might be a good seafood choice.

 

The not-to-be missed hotel restaurant in that area is probably Azul in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, with a good view of Biscayne Bay; it gets consistently high ratings and has prices to match. Maybe you can put what you save at Sawgrass toward dinner at Azul!

 

Hope this helps.

[wongri]

I like the way you think Judyzoo.

Think of all the money I would save at Sawgrass for dinner at Azul.

I will check to see if they are open Christmas day for dinner.

Thanks and have a suoer evening.

Rita