Things to do in FL before our flight home

We are going to have a few hours to kill once we arrive back in FL before our evening flight home. It is myself my husband and 4 yr old son. Any recommendations? Is the water taxi near the cruise terminal?

We are going to have a few hours to kill once we arrive back in FL before our evening flight home. It is myself my husband and 4 yr old son. Any recommendations? Is the water taxi near the cruise terminal?

Options include:

• Take a cruise line excursion. Your luggage travels with you and after the excursion (Everglades, Flamingo Gardens, Sawgrass Mall, etc.) you are dropped off at the airport.
  
• Rent a car and use it for both transportation and luggage storage.
  
• Store your luggage at the airport at Bags to Go (http://www.bagstogo.net) and then cab it or take the free (on the weekends only) sun trolley to/from town (http://www.suntrolley.com).
  
• If your airline participates in a cruise line luggage program (for a fee) you can leave your bags out the night before disembarkation and you see them next at your home airport. Then just taxi from Port Everglades into downtown or, for the water taxi (http://www.watertaxi.com) to the nearest stop at the Hilton Marina. If you are disembarking at terminals 2 or 4 used by Princess you can probably walk to the Hilton (the other terminals require a cab).
  

For more info on attractions and transportation check out the Fort Lauderdale tourism website http://www.sunny.org.

Commonly recommended on this board- excursions to places like the Everglades provided by the cruise line.

Also commonly discussed here- closest water taxi stop is the Hilton Marina, less than $15 taxi ride, depending on which dock you are at. But what are you going to do with your luggage? Luggage Direct?

I LOVE Monkey Jungle! But I am an animal lover and so is my husband. We had a blast there!

I asked this same question yesterday. We fly out at 11-30pm so have a long day with luggage. Someone informed me our bags should be picked up by 5-30pm if we leave them at the airport. I was wondering if you could pay for a hotel room for the day ?

Billy.

Flamingo Gardens looks like it would be nice and my son would love it. Anyone ever been there? We are thinking of just renting a car and keeping our luggage with us, seems like the easiest option.