hotel recommendation for ft lauderdale

[ladyduarte]

we are thinking of going with are own air and getting there a day early?
what are your thoughts on that
and where do you recommend to stay that is decent and close to port?
thank you so much


Lesa

[CruiseFever]

Great Question

We always book our own air. In most cases doing so has some real advantages. In addition to being able to save money you'll have more flexibility on choosing flight times and airlines, something Princess would do for you if you bought air through them.

Not that buying the cruise line's air is always a bad idea. I think it's quite appropriate if flying into a city that is difficult to navigate on your own Fort Lauderdale is not one of those.

The airport is virtually right across the street from the cruise port and easy to get around. Depending on what time of the day you get in town there are a number of great hotels available.

If you're getting in late the night before your cruise for example, the Wyndham at the airport is a great one that we've stayed at and would stay at again. They'll pick you up at the airport and deliver you the next day to Port Everglades when you're ready to go.

If you'll have more time in town by coming in early in the day you might want to consider a hotel with beach access like the Sheraton Yankee Clipper, Marriott, Holiday Inn or the like. There's one to fit every budget, especially if you go through priceline.com to make your reservations.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Going a day early is the smart thing to do. Most all hotels are withing a 10 minute ride of the pier. I think the closest hotel would probably be Marriott Marina.
Here is a link to my website with hotels at the airport,beach, and downtown with downtown being the closest.
[url]http://www.cruisingthecaribbeanprincess.com/1fortlauderdale.html[/url]

Bill

[mary07054]

We stayed at the Mariott Marina. very nice. right across from the port. you can see the ship from the hotel. we had balcony rooms which were really nice. pool with Tiki Bar. They had closed the Tiki Bar last week when we were there because of winds from the storm. We ate inside the hotel at the Bar & Grill. Good food.

[PeabodyNVL]

I like the Marriott Harbor Beach. Used Priceline and got a great deal. It's a wonderful hotel right on the beach.

[Globaliser]

For hotel recommendations, I did a quick search and came up with [URL=http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=47238]this thread[/URL] and [URL=http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=70252]this thread[/URL] - but I'm sure that there are more out there to be discovered as well. Hope what's in them helps you, too.

As you'll see from those two, my recommendation is the [URL=http://www.riversidehotel.com]Riverside Hotel[/URL] on Las Olas Boulevard - especially for those who (like me) prefer not to stay in chain hotels.

[coolkris666]

definitely choose the marriot marina..u can see the boat from the hotel and the service there is great.

[imsulin]

Another vote for the Marriiott Marina.

[Misty Blue]

I booked the Marriott Marina for the day ahead, and I am not quite as nervous after reading the great things you have all said. Thank you so much, I feel much better now.

[teedee]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS]I always book my own airfare, especially when sailing from Ft Lauderdale, as Chris mentioned the airport is very close to the port. To me there are a couple of reasons for going a day early: 1 - Don't have to worry about flight delays or missing the ship; 2 - I like to get an early start on vacation and be totally relaxed the first day onboard. Nothing like sleeping in, waking up to a nice leisurely breakfast then getting right on the ship![/font][/b]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS]I've had very good luck using Priceline, but would suggest going to biddingfortravel.com for advice if you've never used it before. Lately people are reporting getting Marriott Marina or Renaissance for $75 a night. I got the Renaissance for that much for my next 2 cruises.[/font][/b]
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[b][font=Comic Sans MS]Terri[/font][/b]

[SueSea]

I checked the Marriott website, and I don't see Marriott Marina listed. Can someone give me the name of the street it's on?

Never mind! I just tried again with different dates & viola! I guess it was sold out on the dates I tried first.

[teedee]

[quote name='SueSea']I checked the Marriott website, and I don't see Marriott Marina listed. Can someone give me the name of the street it's on?[/QUOTE][b][font=Comic Sans MS]Here's the address: [/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS]Ft Lauderdale Marina Marriott[/font][/b]
[font=Comic Sans MS][b]1881 S.E. 17th Street[/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS]Ft Lauderdale FL 33316[/font][/b]
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[b][font=Comic Sans MS]Terri[/font][/b]