HELP ME ! Hotels and Transfers Flying into FLL Day Prior crusing out of Miami 2/17

[markcruising]

I got some time off at the last minute and called my "personal cruise counselor" or more correctly he Actually called me. He found some space for me ( I usually travel single my wife hates cruises, on HAL and I love them) But he found some single space on the CCL Victory out of Miami on Feb 17th and I snatched it up. Nice upgrade and I need to just be on a ship, ypu know I had a three year break fron cruising and I'm, at the point where ..Lets just say it's time for me to get away... I just want to be at sea and away.

 

So I got a lousy Air Tran Flight thats going to get me into FLL after midnight so I arrive very early morning on the 17th or really late night the 16th. I usually never travel during peak times.

 

So I'm now in Fort Lauderdale I cannot ( it's been about three years since I have cruised ) remember or I've forgotten or they have changed or just due to it being peak season. I cannot find a decently priced hotel motel room. Like $120 bucks area. Anywhere and I'm wondering is it smart for me to just head right out to Miami from Fort Lauderdale and try and pick up a place right by the port? and if so what would the best way to ( remember it's like 12:30 Am so I guess no shuttle service)get from FLL to Miami as cheaply as possible ( I'm short on cash for this one but trying to make it work) and what hotels or motels are close enough that are secret enough or just lousy enough that I can find somewhere to rest my bones for say 10 hours before I board the ship. I need a bed and a TV and an Ashtray and possibly a Pepsi machine that works and I'm golden. Then the next morning if I'm in Miami I suppose I'll just make my way to the port by taxi or shuttle if the motel has one and but a transfer for the CCL agent.

 

Or alternatly Do you know a decent hotel motel in Lauderdale that I can get that is close enough so that the next morning I can go back to the airport and meet with the CCL folks there and buy some transfers to the victory in Miami or do you have a better suggestion on how I Should be getting to the port. This cruise is really important to me and I'm trying to be as stress free as possible about it. I already bought an air ticket ( non refundable that was for the wrong date. My wife wants to kill me but I have this time and thats it.) So I got a partial refund which will hopefully show up within a week from Travelocity because I called them the second I pressed the buy button and caught it in time . But I'm calling everywhere and some places the price is right but it;s $100 to get to Miami or $50 to the hotel and then again back to the airport or the hotel is $300 a night.

 

 

Heeelp please any advice so appreciated

[arlodog]

If you go to the departures threads and click on Florida you will find great information on where to stay and how to get around. Bequia is one of the frequent posters and even has set up her own little FAQ area. Good Luck! We haven't stayed in FLL before, but with advice from CC we booked a room that has already gone up in price $50 since I booked. Just waiting for airfare to go down now so we can at least get to Florida!

[markcruising]

Actually I ended up deciding that I would take the Go shuttle into Miami for about $18.00 at 1:00AM and then I got an $85 hotel rate at a place called Motel Blu which is about a 20 mile drive to the port directly and so I'll just not buy the transfers and though I'll have killed the 16th flying at least when I wake up on the 17th I won;t have to worry about getting to Miami on Presidents day weekend.

[funeralbabe]

I have stayed in Fort Lauderdale twice pre cruise, check out Comfort Inn and Suites South about 85 the other Sleep Inn is great but more pricey as I've noticed. Both offer shuttle to and from airport and port as well as free breakfast. Comfort Inn is walking distance to Oakwood Plaza where there is a Kmart,Dollar store, Taco Bell, etc.

[funeralbabe]

I have stayed in Fort Lauderdale twice pre cruise, check out Comfort Inn and Suites South about 85 the other Sleep Inn is great but more pricey as I've noticed. Both offer shuttle to and from airport and port as well as free breakfast. Comfort Inn is walking distance to Oakwood Plaza where there is a Kmart,Dollar store, Taco Bell, etc.

[funeralbabe]

I have stayed in Fort Lauderdale twice pre cruise, check out Comfort Inn and Suites South about 85 the other Sleep Inn is great but more pricey as I've noticed. Both offer shuttle to and from airport and port as well as free breakfast. Comfort Inn is walking distance to Oakwood Plaza where there is a Kmart,Dollar store, Taco Bell, etc.