Pre-Cruise Hotel Ft. Lauderdale

We will be sailing on the Liberty out of Ft. Lauderdale in December. We are getting in town the day before about 2pm. Any recommendations for hotels and things to do close to the port?

There's lots of great information about Fort Lauderdale under the Florida forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495. Things to consider include whether you want to be closer to the beach or the port, if you want restaurants in walking distance or not, etc. Try the Florida forum -- maybe post the question again over there.

17th street is close to the airport and cruise port. Google hotels there - we always stay at the Embassy suites. Shopping mall and grocery store behind the hotel. Lots of restaurants in walking distance.

We like The Riverside. They have a pre/post cruise package and are on Los Olas with great shops and restaurants. Check them out!

We always stay at the hyatt pier 66. I know it has had some bad reviews on trip advisor lately but if you stay in the tower all is well. The hotel is not on the beach but you can see all of the ships that are in port and see them arrive if you get up early. We just stayed on May27th prior to our Oasis cruise and it was spectacular, as always! We always eat at the fifteenth street fisheries. It has never disappointed us ! The pools are great and heated! It is not cheap however! IMHO it is worth it just to see the ships dock at 4-5am! Don't fall asleep on the balcony, tho and miss the whole show

This past December we stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Cruise Port Hotel. The rates are good and they have a shuttle service to take you to the cruise port and pick you up after the cruise (can't remember the cost but it was inexpensive).

We treated ourselves to an oceanfront room at Lago Mar for the 2 nights before our May 14 Oasis cruise. The place was awesome in all regards and just accross the bridge from the port.

FYI we book thru a link on the ports web site and it looked like the rates were better than otherwise found for all the hotels we looked into http://www.porteverglades.org/hotels.php

I second Lago Mar! The service, pool and location are amazing. If you like to watch the cruise ships enter and leave the port, the beach off of Lago Mar is Perfect!

Do not stay in a classic room on the first floor. Light shines in the room all night long. When we stayed there people were up and down the halls all night long. We should have upgraded to a tower room.

We like The Riverside. They have a pre/post cruise package and are on Los Olas with great shops and restaurants. Check them out!

Embassy Suites. They have a great pool! Grocery store and Outback close by.

We also will be sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale in December on the Allure. We used priceline, requested a 4 star resort, and bid about $120 and got the Westin Beach Resort and Spa...I hear its nice so if this is an option for you...go for it.

We also will be sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale in December on the Allure. We used priceline, requested a 4 star resort, and bid about $120 and got the Westin Beach Resort and Spa...I hear its nice so if this is an option for you...go for it.

We used Priceline for our hotel for a one-night pre New Year's Eve cruise and for a bid of $60 ($75.81 including taxes) we got the Ft. Lauderdale Marriott North. In the past, similar bids have won us the Hyatt Place South and Summerfield Suites in Dania Beach about three miles from the port.

Plenty of things to see and do in the FLL area including a casino or two if that appeals to you.:)

We also stay at the Embassy Suites. There are four of us including our two boys, and they refuse to share a bed, so we like that Embassy Suites has suites with two beds and a sofa bed in the other room so they can accommodate all four of us with one reservation.

We have stayed at the Westin Beach Resort and loved it.

We also stay at the Embassy Suites. There are four of us including our two boys, and they refuse to share a bed, so we like that Embassy Suites has suites with two beds and a sofa bed in the other room so they can accommodate all four of us with one reservation.

I agree with the Embassy Suites. Don't forget the free cocktail

party at night to get your vacation started off right. Also the full

made to order breakfast in the morning is a included. It's a great bargain

especially if you have more than two people in the room.

There's a liquor store right next to the grocery store too.

Lago Mar was a wonderful place to stay. We enjoyed the Lagoon pool and the rocks on which we watched the ships go out. We were lucky enough to see the Oasis go out too which was amazing! Lago Mar has a private beach, 2 pools, a spa, and a Shop (Soda Shop). What a great place to stay!

Useful thread for me because we have also booked the Embassy Suites. Could someone please let me know how far it is to the port and perhaps also tell me how much a taxi would cost?

It is about a 5 or 6 minute ride. I took the hotel shuttle to the port. It was $14, I think. I took a taxi from the ship back to the hotel and is was $7. The taxi driver was upset because the ride was so short, so I gave him a big tip to make it worth his while. They told me there was a hotel shuttle from the pier back to the hotel and we waited about 30 minutes and never saw one.

Useful thread for me because we have also booked the Embassy Suites. Could someone please let me know how far it is to the port and perhaps also tell me how much a taxi would cost?

A free shuttle is available that will pick you up at the airport and take you to the Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale. In addition, you can book a "cruise package" room that includes a shuttle bus to the port. The shuttle starts at about 6:00 am, and can take you whatever time you need/want to get to the port.

The free shuttle from airport to hotel is included in the regular room rate. The "cruise package/shuttle to port" cost a little bit more then the regular room rate.

We have state at the Embassy before, and will again in July when we sail on the Oasis. We like the Embassy, and have used the shuttle services provided in the past also.

The breakfast is lovely as is the cocktail party each evening. Both are free.

The hotel charges $7.00 a piece for their shuttle to the port. About a 10 minute trip. We always arrive at the port around 10:45. Nice seafood

restaurant, Kelly's Landing, right across 17th. Had yummy fried Ipswich clams.

A free shuttle is available that will pick you up at the airport and take you to the Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale. In addition, you can book a "cruise package" room that includes a shuttle bus to the port. The shuttle starts at about 6:00 am, and can take you whatever time you need/want to get to the port.

 

The free shuttle from airport to hotel is included in the regular room rate. The "cruise package/shuttle to port" cost a little bit more then the regular room rate.

 

We have state at the Embassy before, and will again in July when we sail on the Oasis. We like the Embassy, and have used the shuttle services provided in the past also.

Can you give me more info on the free shuttle from the airport to the hotel... do you have to call then and tell them when you are flying in or where do you find the shuttle at the airport?

Embassy does sound nice but $275 is kind of high. I would love to find an affordable hotel that has a views of port everglades and complementary shuttle service. I hear on the boards about people being able to see the ships from their hotel room and that sounds great.

Thanks for all of the recommendations!

Can you give me more info on the free shuttle from the airport to the hotel... do you have to call then and tell them when you are flying in or where do you find the shuttle at the airport?

Once you get your baggage from the baggage claim at the Fort Lauderdale Airport, you place a phone call to the Embassy Suites Hotel requesting the shuttle bus. It should arrive shortly; the hotel will tell you where to wait for the shuttle.

Hope this helps.

Embassy does sound nice but $275 is kind of high. I would love to find an affordable hotel that has a views of port everglades and complementary shuttle service. I hear on the boards about people being able to see the ships from their hotel room and that sounds great.

Try priceline. You can get a 4* hotel for like 80 bucks.