RCI transfer Miami-FLL who has done it? Where to shop?

[Sultan84]

We will be arriving in Miami at about 7 am and have booked the transfer to FLL through RCI. I would like to get some clothes/shoe shopping done before the cruise, but I need advise on where and how to do it.

We would like to take the earliest transfer to Ft. Lauderdale and ask the driver to let us off in town. We hope he would then go on to the ship and leave our suitcases with the porters there.

Problem 1: since we have electronic tickets, we do not have ship's luggage tags. Will the driver have them so we can put them on at the beginning of the transfer? If not, I prefer to stay with the cases until the porter in front of the ship have put the luggage tags on.

Problem 2: does the transfer go via a shopping area where the driver could let us off?

If it is not possible to hop off the transfer bus, what are our chances of walking back into town/to the mall or other shopping places? We will be at the port fairly early and disembarkation of the previous cruise will probably be in full swing. I guess our chances of getting a taxi quickly to go back into town will be slim. We are Europeans; we are used to walking, so anything fewer than 3 miles is absolutely feasible (especially after having sat in an airplane for many hours before).

Is there anyone who has done this before? Is there shopping close to the ship?

Thanks for your help