Lots of questions!!!

Hi All,

First of all, I will apologise as my questions are probably in the top most asked questions but whilst I begin to navigate CC for answers, posting them is the most logical step!

We are taking our first cruise from an American port, Fort Lauderdale, next year. As such, we are a tad nervous and considered booking everything through Celebrity. Thankfully we are coming to our senses and will arrange hotel (one night pre and post cruise) and transfers ourselves.

I am looking for advice on pre/post hotels, our inbound flight (UK to Miami) is late (arriving after 21:00) so pretty much just need to sleep but not sure if booking near the airport or near the port is more sensible. We are also going to stay one night post cruise as outbound flights are late evening (19:30) so we might as well make use of our time.

We also would appreciate advice on transfers. Reading briefly through, cabs are often recommended. Are they easy to come by? We will need 4 journeys (airport to hotel, hotel to port, port to hotel and hotel to airport).

Water taxis- do they go to the cruise port?

Recommendations for what to do post cruise. We will have one whole day (from disembarkation) and most of the following day.

Thanks for reading +/- commenting.

I can't help with most of those, but I would prefer get to a hotel near the port, sure you will get into your room a bit later but probably less noise and you can sleep a little later the next morning without worrying about transport disruptions and f you are close enough to the dock just a morning stroll to board :D

Well that's me 2 cents anyway.

Thanks GUT, appreciate the reply. You make a good point :)

Fort Lauderdale is easy to get around in a cab. I think the port is about 10 minutes from the airport. There r plenty of hotels in that area with various prices. I can only recommend the higher end price. Can't help with post cruise as I usually go straight to the airport. But u can't go wrong with cabs.

Thanks GUT, appreciate the reply. You make a good point :)

No problem.

also love a hotel where I can watch the ship berth in the morning.

Oh I like that idea!! Thank you once again :)

I would stay near Miami airport then get a shuttle to Port Everglades the next morning

Check SAS or Go shuttle

A taxi will run $80+ usd (more at night)

Embassy suites is close to the airport & have a shuttle from the airport

After the cruise maybe rent a car or get a hotel in Ft Lauderdale

Others will have more info for you to spend your day there

Fort Lauderdale is easy to get around in a cab. I think the port is about 10 minutes from the airport.

I think they are flying into MIA it is 45-60 min from FLL

Arriving that late I would opt for a hotel close to the MIA airport with free shuttles - budget options often suggested include the La Quinta East and Comfort Suites North. Better hotels in nicer areas close to MIA are found in the Blue Lagoon area - Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, etc.

To get to the port the next morning (as mentioned above, a 45-60 minute trip) you have options:

* taxi for about $80+tip on the meter

* private car service (check Larry's Limos and Go Airport Shuttle)

* shared shuttles - many of the popular FLL shuttles are not licensed to service the MIA airport :( check with Super Shuttle, American Shuttle, and Go Airport Shuttle

* take your hotel shuttle back to the MIA airport and catch the Celebrity transfer bus from the baggage claim level

If you decide to stay in the FLL area instead of near MIA the same transport options apply, except for the Celebrity bus.

Post cruise I would opt to stay in the FLL area - www.sunny.org has lots of FLL area tourist and hotel info. If you are up for driving on the "correct" side of the road :rolleyes: you could rent a car for the day and then drop it at the MIA airport when you fly home.

If any of this helps you owe me a pint! :) Have a great cruise!

There is actually a hotel right in the MIA airport. Our UK friends enjoy staying there for the convenience.

There is no water taxi stop in the port but sometimes they will ride into the port just for fun since there is a stop right before it (maybe that's just on days when there aren't any ships in). The port area is at the southern end of the route.

You are coming a long way, just book it all through Celebrity.

If Celebrity offers all that you need.

Wow, thanks everyone so much for the replies!!

Johnindc-if we ever cross paths, you can most certainly have a pint on us ;)

Still undecided but lots to consider and as you say fireofficer, we still have the option of using celebrity.

Johnindc-if we ever cross paths, you can most certainly have a pint on us ;)

 

.

I have family outside of Manchester - I may take you up on it when I need a break from my mother-in-law. ;)

Hi Sara and Lyn.

My wife and I have been to Miami a lot over the last 10 years as we have family living there.

Firstly if you are landing at 9 pm, is this a direct flight from the Uk ?

If it is then you need to add on at least an hour to get out of the airport, immigration can be a nightmare.

I would definitely stay at a hotel at Miami airport. Use the hotel shuttles etc to get there.

Taxi drivers often dont know where they are going, have experienced this many times, they have trouble getting to Down Town Miami let alone to a hotel in Fort Lauderdale.

Definitely use a shuttle service like SAS etc, or if you want to splash out a bit a limo, to be honest they are not that expensive! Ask the hotel you are to stay at to get a price for a car service to take you to Port Everglades.

After the cruise, staying in Fort Lauderdale area is a good idea, and will be better value than staying in Downtown Miami etc, there are some great Malls to shop at too. Again use a shuttle or car service to get you back to MIA.

Finally if you can tell me how much Celebrity want to charge you for them to arrange it etc, I can let you know if its good value etc.

Ian

Good morning Ladies,

We've been back a couple of weeks now, so will pitch in for what its worth!

We flew into MIA on a Sunday at 1830 and by the time we did immigration (which is always long at MIA) and queued to pick up our hire car and driven the 30 mins to Ft Lauderdale, we didn't get to bed in our hotel (Embassy Suites) until about 11pm (4am UK time)...we were knackered!! So I would definately go for one of the previously mentioned hotels at or near MIA for the first night.

On return, I can recommend the Embassy Suites on 17th Street (free breakfast, free drinks 5pm - 7.30pm, loads of eateries nearby), which is a $10 taxi ride from the port. If you want to do the Water Taxi, walk down 17th Street to the big lift bridge (about 10 mins from the ES) and the taxi picks up under the bridge...loads of signs...its $26 per person for the day. Don't bother doing the Hollywood route to the south unless you have got loads of time to kill! Another idea, do the Segway tour with Jon http://www.segwayfortlauderdale.com/

It starts at Las Olas and would be a $10 taxi ride from ES. There is lots of shopping round Las Olas as well if thats what you are into!

Have fun!

Simon

Thanks again folks, you've been extremely helpful. [emoji8]

If we book flights via celebrity, we have to book hotels too. That doesn't give us a lot of choice but there is 2 possible airport hotels and it does seem logical as we will simply eat and sleep. Post cruise there are 6 hotels so am busy researching them.

As fireofficer said, celebrity do actually meet our needs and it keeps it simple.

Ian, yes, they are direct flights from the UK. At the moment there is little difference re flights and hotel costs if booked through Celebrity. It's the transfers that are ridiculous. (Around £85 from airport to hotel/port to hotel and £130 for the longer Miami to Fort Lauderdale and vice versa).

How easy is it to hail cabs at the airport/port or in general?

Off to look at all the shuttle recommendations now.

Thank you all once again :)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

* take your hotel shuttle back to the MIA airport and catch the Celebrity transfer bus from the baggage claim level

 

 

Transfer bus??? [emoji2]

Hi Sara & Lyn

Are you flying from Manchester or Heathrow ? Before booking your flights with Celebrity check how much they are for you to book your own flights etc.

In general i find it a lot cheaper to book my own return flights, however I use the cruise line to book one way flights when doing a trans Atlantic as they are way cheaper for this.

London to Miami for March 2016 is approx £750 at present with BA

Taxis at Miami are plentiful just make sure you know exactly where you are going, print a google map etc, but as stated use the hotel shuttle buses whenever possible.

Hi Ian, you are quite right. Ordinarily I'd book everything myself, flights (man-mia) are pretty much the same price so with the assurance that X will ensure arrival to the ship if there were delays etc is reassuring.

I think we're going to use hotel shuttle/taxis for the local stuff. A taxi from port to airport is still cheaper than X transfer but am still researching. The X bus would be ideal for getting to the port.

Now debating flying home same day but extending stay onboard as later flight. So much to think about! Must say travelling in Europe is far less terrifying lol

If you did decide to do your own flights and want to fly home disembarkation day, Celebrity do a Ft Lauderdale bus and water tour that takes you back to MIA about 2pm (earliest flights out to UK are about 5pm, so plenty of time), so that can help kill time rather than sitting at the airport twidling your thumbs!

Simon

Oh that's useful too Simon! Thank you!

Lots to consider [emoji1]

* take your hotel shuttle back to the MIA airport and catch the Celebrity transfer bus from the baggage claim level

 

 

Transfer bus??? [emoji2]

 

Most of the cruise lines offer a transfer bus from the MIA airport to Port Everglades for about $30-35+ each. It's not fast as you usually sit and wait for the bus to fill up, but it is a straight shot and should be easy to find in the baggage claim area of the airport. If Celebrity is trying to charge you 85 pounds each for this (about $130+ if my math is correct), skip that and catch a taxi (very easy) or arrange car service with Larry's Limos.

I see! That's useful to know too. I'll speak to them and see as they haven't mentioned buses. I'm basing prices on current website booking proforma and it was GBP 126 for airport to port by car ($200 by my reckoning?) so even a cab from the airport would be cheaper!

Tried a few of the transfer agencies and seem to be coming up blank as they say they don't transfer from Miami. Going to keep looking, we have time to decide :)

 

Tried a few of the transfer agencies and seem to be coming up blank as they say they don't transfer from Miami. Going to keep looking, we have time to decide :)

Check Super Shuttle, American Shuttle and Go Airport Shuttle. Good luck! :)