Ft. Lauderdale Q&A/FAQ Part 2

[diane.in.ny]

 

I was looking at Rodeway Inn as the rate is only 140 dollars (with taxes etc.) for two nights for the four of us.

 

I don't know anything about this particular Rodeway Inn, but in general, I would never stay at one anywhere in the U.S.

 

I just booked the Galt Village Inn for us. No shuttles or breakfast but the price is good enough (and the Tripadvisor reviews great enough) that the extra costs are OK. Certainly when compared to other hotels offering all the services at more than double the price. Some of the rooms have efficiencies so you can do meals in the room. And it is within walking distance of the beach.

[cruiserFIN]

I don't know anything about this particular Rodeway Inn, but in general, I would never stay at one anywhere in the U.S.

 

Oh no, is it (the hotel chain) that bad! I can tell from the photos it's not a 5* hotel but I thought it would be ok for a couple of nights. It has 3,5 Tripadvisor stars and the reviews a bit mixed but mainly good.

[capriccio]

Oh no, is it (the hotel chain) that bad! I can tell from the photos it's not a 5* hotel but I thought it would be ok for a couple of nights. It has 3,5 Tripadvisor stars and the reviews a bit mixed but mainly good.

 

Do a search on this Board (on the Florida Departures home page, click on Search This Forum on the top menu/right side, enter Rodeway, click Go.) Those threads may help you make your decision.

 

Since you will be in Fort Lauderdale for a couple of nights, in my opinion it would be better to stay downtown, along the Beach or along 17th Street. There are lots of hotels to chose from, lots of nearby restaurants, and those locations are on the sun trolley (http://www.suntrolley.com) route for cheap transportation. In addition downtown, beach and some 17th Street hotels are very close to the water taxi (http://www.watertaxi.com) for transportation and sightseeing.

Edited February 2, 2016 by capriccio

[capriccio]

Oh no, is it (the hotel chain) that bad! I can tell from the photos it's not a 5* hotel but I thought it would be ok for a couple of nights. It has 3,5 Tripadvisor stars and the reviews a bit mixed but mainly good.

 

Have you looked at Hyatt Place thru valuetrips.com? It is in a great location off 17th Street and gets really good reviews on this board (just do a search). According to the valuetrips website, the rate is $115/night from June 1 to the end of August.

[capriccio]

Do a search on this Board (on the Florida Departures home page, click on Search This Forum on the top menu/right side, enter Rodeway, click Go.) Those threads may help you make your decision.

 

 

Here are some of the recent results:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2260924

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2275301

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2268123

Edited February 2, 2016 by capriccio

[royalcruz]

Hotel prices shouldn't be too high in June as that is off-season. Book something now that has a great cancellation policy and keep checking around. See if Hyatt Place, La Quinta, or Hampton Inn in Plantation offer a good shuttle package, as they are close to Sawgrass and easy to get to airport and port from there.

[Marylandteachergirl]

Sailing on Allure in May - already have everything squared away thanks to all the help here!! :)

 

Just booked a short, 5 day cruise to give Princess a try on Royal Princess for October. Happy to see a great rate on Southwest today - and I see there are some packages to book a one night pre-cruise hotel with my tickets. One of the hotels that looks ok is Hyatt Pier 66. It's one of the rooms on the waterway (the two story buildings). It's just for one night - should I run far away, or is it okay? Any opinions? Tripadvisor looks okay....

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[muse_clio]

Thanks to a pedicure recommendation on this thread, I booked a spa day for myself and for my husband. Based on my experience, I wholeheartedly recommend Toi Spa in Ft Lauderdale. Toi Spa is located at 1489 SE 17th St, just down from the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina, just across from the port.

 

The recommendation on this thread was for a pedicure from Amanda. She did both my manicure and pedicure. She provided excellent service, was friendly, careful, well spoken, and very talented. I gave her a challenge of a design for my pedicure, and she nailed it (pun intended). I also had a most excellent massage, and my husband said his Thai massage was the best he's ever had. My waxing service provider, Masha, was the best service provider for waxing that I've had in 20 years. We were offered us tea, coffee, and other beverages. The atmosphere was calming, the décor quite lovely. Each worker was friendly. Several hotels were near, so if you are staying near the port, this might be a great place to stop for a mani/pedi, massage, or waxing. Certainly the mani-pedi was better than that I had at the ship's spa, and the massage rivaled those of the best masseuses we've had around the world.

 

I certainly did not expect the superior level of service we received, and my husband and I both agreed that we will absolutely make time to do a full spa day at Toi in December when we visit Ft. Lauderdale again.

 

We have no affiliation with the spa, and I haven't been paid to write this. I'm just tickled to share the knowledge of a great Ft. Lauderdale spa. The massage was about half the price of the Coral Princess massages, and that's a great thing in my book!

Edited February 22, 2016 by muse_clio

[Marylandteachergirl]

Sailing on Allure in May - already have everything squared away thanks to all the help here!! :)

 

Just booked a short, 5 day cruise to give Princess a try on Royal Princess for October. Happy to see a great rate on Southwest today - and I see there are some packages to book a one night pre-cruise hotel with my tickets. One of the hotels that looks ok is Hyatt Pier 66. It's one of the rooms on the waterway (the two story buildings). It's just for one night - should I run far away, or is it okay? Any opinions? Tripadvisor looks okay....

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

 

I narrowed my choices down to these three:

Please give me your pros/cons/thoughts...

 

I originally thought we'd just use water taxi, but DH wants to rent a car.

 

1. Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina

2. GalleryOne Doubletree

3. Hyatt Regency Pier 66 (marina side 2 story bldg.)

 

Thank you in advance!!

[capriccio]

I narrowed my choices down to these three:

Please give me your pros/cons/thoughts...

 

I originally thought we'd just use water taxi, but DH wants to rent a car.

 

1. Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina

2. GalleryOne Doubletree

3. Hyatt Regency Pier 66 (marina side 2 story bldg.)

 

Thank you in advance!!

 

You probably want to check how much it costs to park at each of the hotels since that might factor in your decision.

[Marylandteachergirl]

You probably want to check how much it costs to park at each of the hotels since that might factor in your decision.

 

 

$25-30 each location, so really doesn't ,make a difference. I am hoping NOT to get the rental car anyway.

[MiamiSpartan]

Wow. Just got off the Indy OTS, and FL has to fix some crap....on Thursday, we had to wait outside for over 90 minutes prior to entering the ticketing area. Would've been longer, but a huge group of people snuck past the RCI people who were not paying attn....then today, we were supposed to get off the ship at approx 830am....by 945 they were still on groups 1-4.... My hubby had sprained his knee last night, so we needed a wheelchair which got us off at around 1030.....with hundreds more still lined up on the ship to get off, the lines outside were already forming to get on the ship.....is FL not able to handle larger ships? Never had this issue in Miami...can't imagine how they manage with Oasis/Allure....

Edited February 23, 2016 by MiamiSpartan

[Quiltin"Mom]

$25-30 each location, so really doesn't ,make a difference. I am hoping NOT to get the rental car anyway.

 

I have no place to be giving advice because I have never been to Ft Lauderdale, but will be doing an overnight there prior to our cruise in April 2016.

 

Have you heard of the Sun Trolley? it looks like a little trolley that has specific routes around Ft Lauderdale. Most of it is free, but they charge a couple dollars for a ride over to the beach.

[Marylandteachergirl]

Hello!

 

Yes, I have heard of both the Sun Trolley and the water taxi - which is exactly why I do not think we need a rental car. My husband insists he wants to explore, though has NO idea where. I do not think a rental car in FLL for one day is necessary. I went ahead and booked through our Southwest Rewards, but can always cancel it later. At least I got a good rate! :D

 

My daughter and I will be in FLL for one day/night before out Allure sailing this May, so hopefully I can come home and tell him no car needed.

[royalcruz]

Thanks to a pedicure recommendation on this thread, I booked a spa day for myself and for my husband. Based on my experience, I wholeheartedly recommend Toi Spa in Ft Lauderdale. Toi Spa is located at 1489 SE 17th St, just down from the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina, just across from the port.

 

The recommendation on this thread was for a pedicure from Amanda. She did both my manicure and pedicure. She provided excellent service, was friendly, careful, well spoken, and very talented. I gave her a challenge of a design for my pedicure, and she nailed it (pun intended). I also had a most excellent massage, and my husband said his Thai massage was the best he's ever had. My waxing service provider, Masha, was the best service provider for waxing that I've had in 20 years. We were offered us tea, coffee, and other beverages. The atmosphere was calming, the décor quite lovely. Each worker was friendly. Several hotels were near, so if you are staying near the port, this might be a great place to stop for a mani/pedi, massage, or waxing. Certainly the mani-pedi was better than that I had at the ship's spa, and the massage rivaled those of the best masseuses we've had around the world.

 

I certainly did not expect the superior level of service we received, and my husband and I both agreed that we will absolutely make time to do a full spa day at Toi in December when we visit Ft. Lauderdale again.

 

We have no affiliation with the spa, and I haven't been paid to write this. I'm just tickled to share the knowledge of a great Ft. Lauderdale spa. The massage was about half the price of the Coral Princess massages, and that's a great thing in my book!

 

I'm so glad that you enjoyed your services at Toi Spa. I wrote that recommendation while speaking on the phone to my friend who was in Amanda's chair getting a pedi. She couldn't praise her enough, and when she told me it was on 17th St I said that I would have to share it with my "online cruise friends". :)

[royalcruz]

I narrowed my choices down to these three:

Please give me your pros/cons/thoughts...

 

I originally thought we'd just use water taxi, but DH wants to rent a car.

 

1. Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina

2. GalleryOne Doubletree

3. Hyatt Regency Pier 66 (marina side 2 story bldg.)

 

Thank you in advance!!

 

I like all of them. Gallery One has the smallest pool but the biggest average rooms. Hilton Marina main building is nice, but I'm not sure about the other buildings. Hyatt is the oldest, I think, and the most isolated so if you don't get that car you might not go anywhere. It's the biggest property.

[royalcruz]

Wow. Just got off the Indy OTS, and FL has to fix some crap....on Thursday, we had to wait outside for over 90 minutes prior to entering the ticketing area. Would've been longer, but a huge group of people snuck past the RCI people who were not paying attn....then today, we were supposed to get off the ship at approx 830am....by 945 they were still on groups 1-4.... My hubby had sprained his knee last night, so we needed a wheelchair which got us off at around 1030.....with hundreds more still lined up on the ship to get off, the lines outside were already forming to get on the ship.....is FL not able to handle larger ships? Never had this issue in Miami...can't imagine how they manage with Oasis/Allure....

 

Disembarkation is not usually that bad in Ft Lauderdale, so I don't know what happened. I got off the Royal Princess a week ago and was off the ship and waiting for my ride curbside at 8:30. We were in one of the first 10 disembarkation groups. We've cruised 35-40 times from Ft. Lauderdale (including Allure) and disembarkation has only been delayed a couple of times. You never know what might happen, which is why I advise people not to book a flight before noontime. Embarkation lines are often backed up.

[Marylandteachergirl]

Disembarkation is not usually that bad in Ft Lauderdale, so I don't know what happened. I got off the Royal Princess a week ago and was off the ship and waiting for my ride curbside at 8:30. We were in one of the first 10 disembarkation groups. We've cruised 35-40 times from Ft. Lauderdale (including Allure) and disembarkation has only been delayed a couple of times. You never know what might happen, which is why I advise people not to book a flight before noontime. Embarkation lines are often backed up.

 

I just booked Royal Princess! First time away from RC. Did you do a trip report? Did you love it? I am getting close to their target demographic age of 50 (shhh) - not quite, but closer each year. Thought it was time. There is a learning curve for a new cruise line for sure. The photos I have seen look lovely.

[Marylandteachergirl]

I like all of them. Gallery One has the smallest pool but the biggest average rooms. Hilton Marina main building is nice, but I'm not sure about the other buildings. Hyatt is the oldest, I think, and the most isolated so if you don't get that car you might not go anywhere. It's the biggest property.

 

 

I have narrowed it down to GalleryOne, where we will be staying in May, and Hilton. We will see. :) Thank you for the thoughts on these properties. Great advice, as always!

[Marylandteachergirl]

If the weather is nice, can I walk from Hilton FLL Marina OR GalleryOne Doubletree to Lulu's Bait Shack? Is that where there is a big, curving sidewalk?

[capriccio]

If the weather is nice, can I walk from Hilton FLL Marina OR GalleryOne Doubletree to Lulu's Bait Shack? Is that where there is a big, curving sidewalk?

 

Sure if you are up to the distance. From Gallery One it is about 1.5 miles - and once on A1A (4 blocks after crossing the intra-coastal bridge) you can walk along the wide sidewalks on the beach side or the inland side (with restaurants, hotels, condos, etc.). From the Hilton Marina it is longer - 2.7 miles - all with sidewalks but the beach section of the walk is the last mile only. You also have a much taller bridge to cross (17th Street Bridge) over the intra-coastal walking from the Hilton Marina than the Sunrise Blvd Bridge over the intra-coastal next to the Gallery One. Don't forget that during the day both routes are accessible via the Sun Trolley.

[Marylandteachergirl]

Sure if you are up to the distance. From Gallery One it is about 1.5 miles - and once on A1A (4 blocks after crossing the intra-coastal bridge) you can walk along the wide sidewalks on the beach side or the inland side (with restaurants, hotels, condos, etc.). From the Hilton Marina it is longer - 2.7 miles - all with sidewalks but the beach section of the walk is the last mile only. You also have a much taller bridge to cross (17th Street Bridge) over the intra-coastal walking from the Hilton Marina than the Sunrise Blvd Bridge over the intra-coastal next to the Gallery One. Don't forget that during the day both routes are accessible via the Sun Trolley.

 

 

I think GalleryOne is pulling into the lead! We like to walk after dinner - just walked back from dinner to our hotel in San Juan, PR - about 2 miles. We are happy to use the water taxi and/or Sun Trolley for one way maybe - unless it's raining. Just trying to get some extra steps in for each day.

 

Thank you!!!

[royalcruz]

I just booked Royal Princess! First time away from RC. Did you do a trip report? Did you love it? I am getting close to their target demographic age of 50 (shhh) - not quite, but closer each year. Thought it was time. There is a learning curve for a new cruise line for sure. The photos I have seen look lovely.

 

Royal Princess is a beautiful ship. I haven't done a full report. The entertainers were fabulous and there were always so many activities to choose from in the evenings. They have a great buffet. Dining room food and service was nothing special on anytime dining. Alfredos (free) was very good as was the steakhouse. We had a regular veranda cabin and it had a very large tv right across from the bed with lots of free on-demand movies (I love that!). I am 50 and was one of the youngest people on the ship. The wine bar tends to get a younger crowd but when I say younger I mean 50s. If you sail November through February this seems to be the demographic...it may be much different in the spring and summer.

[royalcruz]

I think GalleryOne is pulling into the lead! We like to walk after dinner - just walked back from dinner to our hotel in San Juan, PR - about 2 miles. We are happy to use the water taxi and/or Sun Trolley for one way maybe - unless it's raining. Just trying to get some extra steps in for each day.

 

Thank you!!!

I wouldn't bother using the Water Taxi for transportation...it is not that convenient (it takes too long) or cost effective...it's great for a water tour of the city though. If you want a nice walk, take the trolley or bus 40 to the Bahia Cabana and walk back. You'll pass Beach Place along the way which is where Lulu's is. IMO MUCH better than Lulu's is Coconuts...you'll find it along that route also, on the marina across the street from Doubletree Hotel (not the oceanside). Uber also works great in Ft Lauderdale and that would be a great way to get to Las Olas Blvd if you'd like to stroll downtown! A nice short walk is to walk west (away from the beach) on Sunrise Blvd to Gateway Plaza. It's one block west of the bridge that is under construction. The plaza and the streets just east and west of it are interesting and there is an old movie theater there that often plays some independent films.

[janetz]

I just booked Royal Princess! First time away from RC. Did you do a trip report? Did you love it? I am getting close to their target demographic age of 50 (shhh) - not quite, but closer each year. Thought it was time. There is a learning curve for a new cruise line for sure. The photos I have seen look lovely.

 

The Royal is a beautiful ship! :D We sailed over Halloween which was fun. Having a cabin in the back, aft or forward is an advantage as there are no elevators in the middle.

The food in the NDR was great and is was the first time we found to buffet to be very good also.

You wont be disappointed

Edited February 28, 2016 by janetz