Pre-Cruise Hotel in Maimi

[juneforreal]

My DH and I have just booked a cruise on the Eclipse for February

26th. We will be coming one day early and need hotel advice.

Something with a free shuttle would be great. Any suggestions?

[rigldbrg]

I've stayed at the JW Marriott and Courtyard in Downtown Miami. The JW was A LOT nicer than the Courtyard, but the Courtyard was very functional and relatively clean. Neither offered a free shuttle, but I think it was only about $10-$15 from the hotel to the pier. This Feb we are flying into Miami and staying at the Sofitel near the airport. Price was OK, and they do offer a free shuttle to the pier and from the airport to the hotel.

[Gonzo70]

Just use Priceline or Hotwire; you will get a nice hotel dirt cheap. Even if they don't have a shuttle, a cab to the port is not expensive and you'll still come out ahead. Research on a website like betterbidding.com if not familiar with using these websites.

[LKN-NC]

Marriott Biscayne Bay was nice and you can ask for a room with a view of the cruise port. From left to right: Epic, Carnival Freedom, Holland America (forgot which one?), Century and Eclipse.

[cruzcat]

My DH and I have just booked a cruise on the Eclipse for February

26th. We will be coming one day early and need hotel advice.

Something with a free shuttle would be great. Any suggestions?

 

We're on the same cruise and booked the Holiday Inn Port of Miami. It's a "stone's throw" to the port. It's reasonable and highly rated by other cruisers.

[masonpips]

We used Priceline for our Feb 10 cruise and got the Marriott Biscayne Bay. Very excited to stay there! If you choose that area and a higher star hotel, you can't really go wrong!

[Wisconsin Travelers]

We recently booked a pre-cruise hotel on Hotwire and got the Wyndham near the airport. IT WAS AWFUL!! Met some people on the cruise who booked their pre-cruise hotel through Celebrity and they were also at the Wyndham and were furious!

[hcat]

We're on the same cruise and booked the Holiday Inn Port of Miami. It's a "stone's throw" to the port. It's reasonable and highly rated by other cruisers.

 

that's the one we use from Miami--great location, nice breakfast menu..

 

some nice eateries at the Bayside marketplace for lunch & dinner-- We never miss Los Ranchos!-

[laurieb]

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, very close to port. It was fine for the price we paid. We found a fantastic french cafe very close to the hotel, so good that we ate all 3 of our meals there. We have many fellow cruisers that stayed at the IC and really liked it. The cab ride is easy from MIA, and from downtown to the pier, and not that much. I wouldn't be too concerned about having a free shuttle

[jmb4534]

We stayed at the Intercontinental last year and thought it was great. We had so much fun at the Bayside Marketplace and had a wonderful dinner at a really nice restaurant (maybe Los Ranchos). It was at the end of the marketplace. You walk through a park to get from the hotel to the market.

 

We booked our room by bidding on it at Last Minute Travel and got it for well under $100. I asked for a free upgrade when we got there and we got a room with a view of the ships in the port. I agree with the others, about getting a taxi. It's cheap and quick. Hope you have a great cruise.

[Edward50]

We stayed at the Intercontinental last year and thought it was great. We had so much fun at the Bayside Marketplace and had a wonderful dinner at a really nice restaurant (maybe Los Ranchos). It was at the end of the marketplace. You walk through a park to get from the hotel to the market.

 

We booked our room by bidding on it at Last Minute Travel and got it for well under $100. I asked for a free upgrade when we got there and we got a room with a view of the ships in the port. I agree with the others, about getting a taxi. It's cheap and quick. Hope you have a great cruise.

 

We also booked with Lasrminute travel and got the Intercontinental for $84. Excellent hotel.

 

I am not sure what you meant by bidding for the room. As I recall wiith last minute you choose a 4 or 5 star hotel without knowing the name of the hotel until you book. it is easy to guess the hotels by the number of rooms and general location and pictures.

 

There are some very good threads with lots of detail in the Ports of Call section.

 

Enjoy your trip.