fly and stay info needed for Fll

[luke]

Im looking for a hotel with transfures from the airport and to the Oosterdam in december. Any one have any sugestions? and how easy is it to get a taxi from the ship to airport ?
Thanks Luke

[sail7seas]

It is extremely easy to grab a taxi at Port Everglades to go to the airport.


For hotels that offer transfers, you may wish to look into Amerisuites, Embassy Suites and (perhaps?) Rennaissance.

[doone]

I have stayed and would again if Priceline didn't come through for me, at the Comfort Inn on Sterling Road. They have a nice pool area, restaurant, free shuttle from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel to the pier the next morning and a free breakfast buffet. This is not a fancy hotel, but its clean and perfectly fine for a pre or post cruise stay. For the price and what it offers, you cannot go wrong.

[Esme]

WE have stayed at Embassy Suites (OK), Marriott Springhill Suites (won't stay there again) and now we are going to try Amerisuites in December. TA got a price of $99.00 Cdn at Amerisuites for us. They have transfers to the ship and a free "bountiful" breakfast buffet - Embasssy Suites also has transfers and a free breakfast buffet - sausages, waffles, pancakes, eggs, cereal, etc.

Amerisuites and Embassy Suites both have transfers from the airport to hotel and hotel to pier.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have stayed and would again if Priceline didn't come through for me, at the Comfort Inn on Sterling Road. They have a nice pool area, restaurant, free shuttle from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel to the pier the next morning and a free breakfast buffet. This is not a fancy hotel, but its clean and perfectly fine for a pre or post cruise stay. For the price and what it offers, you cannot go wrong.
doone, do you usually buy the Comfort Inn thru Priceline.com? We too will be needing a hotel for Fll next March. We fly in on Saturday night about 7:20, right now a friend that lives in Fll area is suppose to pick us up at the airport and take us to dinner that drop us off at our hotel. So the hotel will be just to barely sleep then leave for the pier in the morning. There for we don't need anything fancy just clean with transportation to the pier. Can I ask what you usually pay? I would like to compare with Expedia.com. I would hate to buy on Priceline and not get that hotel.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Embassy Suites has transfers to and from airport as well as to the the pier.

They used to begin their shuttles to the pier at 11:15 but for some unknown reason they are now not beginning shuttles to the pier until 12:15.

So if you want to get to the pier early you will have to take a cab. Costs about $10 - 12 to go to the pier from Embassy Suites.

[doone]

Laffnvegas, no, I did not bid on priceline for the Comfort Inn, that was BEFORE I tried priceline, now I am hooked on it. I booked the Comfort Inn through their web site. For priceline, read these two web sites before you bid if you haven't used them before: www.biddingfortravel.com and www.biddingforfun.com just be aware, if your bid is accepted, you do not have a choice in hotels, you cannot cancel, change or put your room in someone else's name and your charge card is charged immediately. So far I have used priceline twice and have been very happy with my hotels I have received.

Last year my bid was accepted at $52 and I got the Marriott Hotel and Marina, this was for a Monday night. This year I need a hotel room for a Saturday night, March 19th, which got accepted at $75. I also need a hotel room for one night on Friday, March 11th, have been rejected on this one, but I am still trying, got some time on my side right now.

What I usually do is bid 3* downtown Ft. Lauderdale and I received the Marriott this way. I wanted to extend my area so I added the beach zone, along with the downtown area, hoping for the Doubletree Oceanfront as I have friends staying here the 19th, but I got the Marriott, that's ok, I am fine with that, I will just meet up with my friends later on.

Let me know if I can help you further with the hotels, but do give priceline a try, its a gamble, yes, but its kind of fun as well.

Good luck, hope this helps.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

doone, I have used Priceline.com several time for when I have gone back to my hometown in Iowa where I really did not care exactly where they put me. For this I am just a bit conserned because I want to be able to easily get to the Pier. Plus this will be a Saturday night since the Westerdam goes out on Sunday. I will try the Comfort Inn's website and see how it compares to Expedia.
Those are good prices for Marriot. Does the Marriot have a free shuttle to the Pier? I would be up set if I ended up with a hotel that did not have a shuttle and was quite far from the pier.

doone, are you going out on the Westerdam on March 20th, if so we are going out the week before you.

[Lisaanne]

Why wouldn't you stay at the Springhill suites again? I have a couple of rooms reserved for December, but I can always change.
Lisaanne

[LAFFNVEGAS]

WE have stayed at Embassy Suites (OK), Marriott Springhill Suites (won't stay there again) and now we are going to try Amerisuites in December. TA got a price of $99.00 Cdn at Amerisuites for us. They have transfers to the ship and a free "bountiful" breakfast buffet - Embasssy Suites also has transfers and a free breakfast buffet - sausages, waffles, pancakes, eggs, cereal, etc.

Amerisuites and Embassy Suites both have transfers from the airport to hotel and hotel to pier.
Esme, which Amerisuites did you book? This sounds like it would be a good option too.

[KSCnCA]

If you want Amerisuites try this website: http://www.valuetrips.com/ You would want the 17th St. location, only 2 miles to Port Everglades or the airport!

[Esme]

Why wouldn't you stay at the Springhill suites again? I have a couple of rooms reserved for December, but I can always change.
Lisaanne

There was no nearby restaurants that we could walk to, although our daughter did walk over to a Starbucks for a coffee in the morning. There's a Burger King across the road, but that didn't appeal to us for dinner. :p They do have a van to take you to a nearby Plaza where there are some restaurants but they will only take you if they are not busy - same goes for picking you up.

On the morning of departure they were so disorganized trying to set people up for transfers to the different ships, that we and another couple going to the Volendam, finally gave up and each took a cab. There is no bar, if you want a drink. YOu can make tea or coffee in your room.



We were not impressed with the "Continental Buffet" they served and there were so few tables that we had to stand around and wait for one. This was a Christmas so there were a lot of families there.

Also, we and the other couple we met going to the Volendam, had a bit of a run-in with the girl at the front desk. She left us standing for nearly 20 minutes while she dealt with a woman trying to get quarters to use the laundry machines. Only 1 person at the Front Desk.

This just was not the hotel for us. You may like it.

There are lots of restaurants near Embassy Suites and Amerisuites that you can walk to.


LAFFNVEGAS - we are booked at the one just off 17th Street - around the corner from Embassy Suites.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Well, Just to get it over with I went on line to Amerisuites and booked thru them direct for $79.99 for one night with 1 king bed. I thought that was actually a pretty good deal compared to everything I saw on Expedia. I called the hotel and asked about their shuttle service to the pier and she said just to let them know when we check in what time we want to leave for the pier and they would put our name down on the list. I said what if there is a lot of other cruisers that what to go at the same time. I asked if I could call a few days in advance and she said she did not see why not but but they still want to confirm that we check in.:confused:
Not sure this is right but she said that they also would pick us up at the pier to take us to the airport when we return. That surprised me.

[CruiserBruce]

We have Best Western Fort Lauderdale Inn, for $99 Dec 11. They have free airport to hotel, and hotel to ship transfers. We will be on the Rotterdam Dec 12.

Which Oosterdam sailing are you on? We saw the Oosterdam in SF courtesey of our tarvel agent back in May. Beautiful ship!

Bruce
84 days to the Rott!

[doone]

Laffnvegas, yes the Marriott does have a free shuttle to the pier, but NOT from the airport. Don't worry, if you bid beach zone or downtown zone of Ft. Lauderdale, you can't go wrong, everything is very close there and a taxi ride, if need be, isn't going to be more than $10 - $15. I would bid 3*, downtown and you will probably get the Marriott. Great spot. Good luck, any other questions, please ask away, I'll do my best to help you out.

[ekerr19]

Well, Just to get it over with I went on line to Amerisuites and booked thru them direct for $79.99 for one night with 1 king bed. I thought that was actually a pretty good deal compared to everything I saw on Expedia. I called the hotel and asked about their shuttle service to the pier and she said just to let them know when we check in what time we want to leave for the pier and they would put our name down on the list. I said what if there is a lot of other cruisers that what to go at the same time. I asked if I could call a few days in advance and she said she did not see why not but but they still want to confirm that we check in.:confused:
Not sure this is right but she said that they also would pick us up at the pier to take us to the airport when we return. That surprised me.

Lisa-

A word of caution regarding the AmeriSuites... we stayed there and did not care for it at all. Their "list" for the shuttle is a joke! We waited 3+ hours, and were finally able to get a cab at the last minute! People who were not listed on the "list" just jumped on the shuttle with no regard for others waiting.

We were departing on a Saturday, (pre-Holiday) as was the Grand Princess and it was a zoo.

We reserved two rooms (normally they are together or across the hall) we had them on floors 3 and 7... DH had a hard time getting all the luggage moved - there was no bellman. We arrived at about 6:00pm - there were about 20 people waiting to check in, only one clerk. :( We did not care for the area surrounding the hotel, either.

We won't stay there again. We booked the Renaissance for our 3/20/05 Volendam cruise, hopefully we will enjoy it.

If you are staying at AmeriSuites and it is not holiday season, you may have better luck than we did :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lisa-

A word of caution regarding the AmeriSuites... we stayed there and did not care for it at all. Their "list" for the shuttle is a joke! We waited 3+ hours, and were finally able to get a cab at the last minute! People who were not listed on the "list" just jumped on the shuttle with no regard for others waiting.

We were departing on a Saturday, (pre-Holiday) as was the Grand Princess and it was a zoo.

We reserved two rooms (normally they are together or across the hall) we had them on floors 3 and 7... DH had a hard time getting all the luggage moved - there was no bellman. We arrived at about 6:00pm - there were about 20 people waiting to check in, only one clerk. :( We did not care for the area surrounding the hotel, either.

We won't stay there again. We booked the Renaissance for our 3/20/05 Volendam cruise, hopefully we will enjoy it.

If you are staying at AmeriSuites and it is not holiday season, you may have better luck than we did :)
It is not holiday season but during the first part of Spring Break:eek:
I was just talking with DH yesterday I think I will cancel and try Embassey Suites.
Thanks for the word of warning.

[ekerr19]

We are also going during Spring Break 2005 - that is why I am booking it now. I booked the Renaissance this time - I was unable to get a room on Expedia, so I booked directly through the hotel's site. I think rooms are going fast for next March.

I am glad you are looking at something else, it just wasn't the kind of place we expected it to be - and we are not that picky. :)

If you look at www.tripadvisor.com, the Embassy Suites is rated about the same as AmeriSuites, but it seemed to me that many reviewers seemed to have more positive experiences there...

[Esme]

After reading all the bad comments on this board and on Travelocity, we also have decided to cancel our reservation at Amerisuites and book elsewhere.
Think we will try the Hampton Inn on Stirling Road.
Anyone stayed there?

[ekerr19]

Esme-

I looked it up on tripadvisor... it did not have too good of rating on tripadvisor- but found another in the same area that has received consistently high reviews - La Quinta Inn and Suites at Ft. Lauderdale Airport... it also has free shuttles from the airport/cruiseport, etc. and appears to be about the same price range.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Ouch!! I have just been doing some more checking around. The Embassy Suites may be a little bit nicer but for the price it better be the Pent House Suite. The cheapest I can find it for is $300 per night. Has anyone ever stayed at the Ramada Inn Port Everglades. They say it is newly remodeled. Bear in mind we will only be there for 14 hours, We get in late Saturday and go to the ship in the morning. My other thought was Hyatt Rengency Pier 66, I know I have heard many from this board say they have stayed there. Do they have shuttle service to the Pier? And Shuttle pick up from the airport?
I may actually stay with the Amerisuites for the price of $79.00 as long as the sheets are clean and the breakfest in the morning is eatable I can pay for a taxi to get to the pier if their shuttle service is packed. We do go out on a Sunday morning and I do not believe there are as many ships that day as there is on Saturday.

[ekerr19]

Lisa-

What day are you there? We have stayed at Pier 66 - we liked it, but there is no shuttle. We were lucky to get their car & driver to take us to the pier, but he wasn't busy at the time. Pier 66 is a nice hotel, a bit pricey and some of the rooms have not been updated yet, but we still liked it.

We got the Renaissance for about $200 - I want a concierge level room, so I am waiting to hear back from them.

I posted above about the La Quinta I found on tripadvisor, you may want to take a look at it...

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lisa-

What day are you there? We have stayed at Pier 66 - we liked it, but there is no shuttle. We were lucky to get their car & driver to take us to the pier, but he wasn't busy at the time. Pier 66 is a nice hotel, a bit pricey and some of the rooms have not been updated yet, but we still liked it.

We got the Renaissance for about $200 - I want a concierge level room, so I am waiting to hear back from them.

I posted above about the La Quinta I found on tripadvisor, you may want to take a look at it...
We will be needing it for March 12th a Saturday night. I found Pier 66 for $148.00 and the cheapest La Quinta is $145.00 for the price Pier 66 might be nicer. Yet like I said before for the price difference and the fact that we are only in the hotel for aoubt 14 hours that Amerisuites may be OK. I really do't need it to be fancy. I don't mind paying more but if I am it better be nice.

[vbacht]

Just Got Back From Our Cruise And We Stayed At The Comfort Inn, This Hotel Is Also Connected To The Hampton In. I Agree With Doone ,clean, Nice Pool Area With Bar And Restaurant. Shuttle From The Airport Picked Us Up Within 15 Minutes, Nice Complimentary Breakfast In The Morning And Our Shuttle To The Pier Left At 10.45am. They Seemed To Be Very Organized And There Is Shopping Within Walking Distance. ALSO, WE PAID $72 PER NIGHT THROUGH SIDESTEP.COM.