Ft. Lauderdale Q&A/FAQ

[royalcruz]

What time are the shops in Harbor Shops open until on Sat. night? We only land at 4:00 and then have to check in at the Sherton.

 

Total Wine is open until 11 PM...not sure about the other stores. There isn't much else there other than Publix and restaurants and a few little stores.

[royalcruz]

When we arrive back from our cruise in late January, we will have until 10pm when our flight leaves. Would you suggest renting a car and going to Sawgrass Mills or is there a local hotel that would have 'day rooms' where we could store our luggage and take a cab to the shops in town. Thanks for any help. We are staying at the Crowne Plaza pre cruise and I understand there is really nothing around there to walk to. Is it possible to walk to 17th street or would you recommend taking a cab to a nice, reasonably priced restaurant and if so, which one?

Appreciate any assistance.

 

You can walk from Crowne Plaza to 17th St restaurants. It's about a mile and I wouldn't walk it after dark. Anthony's Pizza and Ernie's Barbeque are a really close walk and have table service. I'm not sure what would be both nice and reasonably priced...that is very subjective.

 

After the cruise, renting a car to go to Sawgrass is a good idea (if it's a sunday they open late and close early though). I don't know of any hotels that consistantly offer day rooms...it is often first come, first saved on the day of the stay.

[aarep]

Right accross the marina is the Bahia Cabanna( Sp). You NEVER want to rent a room there but the food is good and on the cheaper side,locals eat there:). When you leave your hotel walk to your left go down past the fire station, it is there on a side street.

 

Enjoy Fort Lauderdale:D

Reader

I agree with your recommendation but I think you mean walk to your right.

[Reader0108598]

OOPS !!! :D Thanks aarep! I was using CC as a diversion from the Fall Snow storm we got in the Northeast and was not thinking straight or "Right" !!!!

 

Thanks for catching that

Reader

[royalcruz]

When we arrive back from our cruise in late January, we will have until 10pm when our flight leaves. Would you suggest renting a car and going to Sawgrass Mills or is there a local hotel that would have 'day rooms' where we could store our luggage and take a cab to the shops in town. Thanks for any help. We are staying at the Crowne Plaza pre cruise and I understand there is really nothing around there to walk to. Is it possible to walk to 17th street or would you recommend taking a cab to a nice, reasonably priced restaurant and if so, which one?

Appreciate any assistance.

http://www.bravoitaliano.com/

This Italian restaurant is very reasonably priced and is nice enough for a casual evening. Menus and photos are on the website. Entrees come with garlic rolls, soup or salad, and spaghetti.http://www.kellyslandingseafood.com/index.html

This place serves very reasonably priced seafood, in a Boston sports bar atmosphere, if that's nice enough.

It's no more than a $10 cab ride to these places.

Edited November 3, 2011 by royalcruz

[polarman]

Thanks for the info!

[whoareyou2000]

We are a group of 16 going on Allure and need a shuttle from FLL to an area hotel (Renaissance) and then from the hotel to the pier at Port Everglades. After the cruise we need a shuttle from Port Everglades to FLL. So does anyone have a recommendation for a good shuttle service that can handle 16 people and luggage in Ft. Lauderdale?

 

Thanks for the help.

[royalcruz]

We are a group of 16 going on Allure and need a shuttle from FLL to an area hotel (Renaissance) and then from the hotel to the pier at Port Everglades. After the cruise we need a shuttle from Port Everglades to FLL. So does anyone have a recommendation for a good shuttle service that can handle 16 people and luggage in Ft. Lauderdale?

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Maybe the hotel concierge could recommend a service. SAS charges $6 pp to shuttle between the airport and port and might be able to help with the hotel transport also. You are all going such a short distance that taking separate cabs might be more convenient and no more expensive than a shuttle.

[royalcruz]

Someone recently asked about liquor stores by Fort Lauderdale beach and I mentioned that there is one on Las Olas Blvd just east of the intracoastal bridge. It is part of a good-sized convenience store of a gas station, called Plaza Liquors. I was walking around tonight and noticed another one on Las Olas Blvd on the block just west of the beach. It is VERY small though. You can also purchase wine at CVS at Beach Place and at 7-11 on A1A South, on the block south of Las Olas Blvd.

[alan10]

Hi we have booked the best western oceanside inn 1180 seabreeze

for the night before our cruise March 10th 2012 on the allure

is this a nice hotel and is it far to the port

[sudsca]

Well I've finally gone through the whole thread. Whew! Thanks to everyone who has contributed. Lots of my questions were answered but I still have one.

 

We will be staying at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach pre and post cruise in Feb 2012. We are flying into FLL at around 8pm on Sat Feb 4. Once we check in to the hotel we'll probably want a bite to eat and a few drinks at a casual place. From what I've been reading the Bahia Cabana looks like a good possibility.

 

My question is...is it a safe area to walk around at night. For example if we wanted to walk up to the 7-11 and pick up a bottle of wine for our room?

(We'll be heading to Total Wine Sunday aft for more supplies).

 

We are two women.

 

Thanks

[glennjam]

We are arriving a few day's before our cruise departs in December and wanted to know if anyone could recommend any good seafood restaurants for us, that aren't very far from where we are staying at the Sheraton Ft Lauderdale Airport, And also are there any liquor stores close to this hotel within walking distance?:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the information.

[royalcruz]

Hi we have booked the best western oceanside inn 1180 seabreeze

for the night before our cruise March 10th 2012 on the allure

is this a nice hotel and is it far to the port

 

It's a small older hotel...I haven't been in it and it doesn't look that impressive but it gets pretty good reviews. It is less than 2 miles from the port entrance and is about a mile walk to the main beachfront restaurant/bar/shops area.

[royalcruz]

Well I've finally gone through the whole thread. Whew! Thanks to everyone who has contributed. Lots of my questions were answered but I still have one.

 

We will be staying at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach pre and post cruise in Feb 2012. We are flying into FLL at around 8pm on Sat Feb 4. Once we check in to the hotel we'll probably want a bite to eat and a few drinks at a casual place. From what I've been reading the Bahia Cabana looks like a good possibility.

 

My question is...is it a safe area to walk around at night. For example if we wanted to walk up to the 7-11 and pick up a bottle of wine for our room?

(We'll be heading to Total Wine Sunday aft for more supplies).

 

We are two women.

 

Thanks

It is not a high crime neighborhood so you should be fine. If you are going to walk to 7-11, you will also walk by Coconuts which is casual but nicer than Bahia Cabana (menu ranges from salads and sandwiches to gourmet seafood and barbeque paella). It is across the street from the Courtyard Hotel on A1A South and is also waterfront. You will also walk by Oasis but I would choose the others over that. Don't plan to purchase any alcohol on Sunday before noon, as no one will sell it to you.

[royalcruz]

We are arriving a few day's before our cruise departs in December and wanted to know if anyone could recommend any good seafood restaurants for us, that aren't very far from where we are staying at the Sheraton Ft Lauderdale Airport, And also are there any liquor stores close to this hotel within walking distance?:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the information.

 

No liquor stores, but Rustic Inn crabhouse is very close. Islamorada Fish Co and Tropical Acres are also very close but Rustic Inn has much more atmosphere (very casual).

[glennjam]

Thank you!!

[sudsca]

Thanks Royalcruz. Perhaps we will try Coconuts for dinner and try Bahia Cabana for breakfast.

 

Rae

[alan10]

It's a small older hotel...I haven't been in it and it doesn't look that impressive but it gets pretty good reviews. It is less than 2 miles from the port entrance and is about a mile walk to the main beachfront restaurant/bar/shops area.

 

Thank you very much royalcruz

[lannie180]

We booked to stay at the Hampton Inn post cruise for 3 days. Is it in a safe and good location to be? Is it close to Las Olas and public transportation, water taxi....We are 2 females and unable to rent a car so we need to stay close to everything... If this is not a good one can you sagest any other one. We are trying to stay in budget.

[josey1964]

Can anyone tell me if you get a choice of rental cars from FLL airport, we will be booking with Alamo.

I know that at MCO you pick from a line up, is FLL the same or do you just get given one.

many thanks.

[Kendallkat2]

Hi, I have been looking through this thread and just overwhelmed. We want a pre-cruise hotel for March 3, 2011. Don't want to spend much $150 or so is fine. Don't want a dump but don't need high class accomodations. Just clean and a comfortable bed. We stayed at La Quinta a few years back. I believe the plantation one, it was nice but wanted to try something different. Would like to have a nearby restaurant, shuttles from the airport to the hotel and then another shuttle in the AM to Port Everglades. Oh, and breakfast in the am would be nice.

I have been thinking about:

Homewood Suites

Fairfield Inn and Suites

Best Western Plus

 

Any other suggestions or which one would you pick?

 

Thanks, Beth

[megr1125]

Can anyone tell me if you get a choice of rental cars from FLL airport, we will be booking with Alamo.

I know that at MCO you pick from a line up, is FLL the same or do you just get given one.

many thanks.

 

not sure what you mean...some companies will let you pick any car (national comes to mind..) most others will either give you the keys to a specific car or give you a space number...

 

any time i've rented (avis and hertz...and i'm in their frequent renter programs_ i am given a car in, say spot C-32 and i go there, get in and off i go...unless for some reason i don't like the car assigned, then i go back and get something else...

 

not sure how Alamo works, but in the past, i wasn't give the run of the lot, i was given a specific car....however i haven't rented from them in several years..

[josey1964]

Thanks. I know at MCO you get to choose from a line up, so just wondered.

[royalcruz]

We booked to stay at the Hampton Inn post cruise for 3 days. Is it in a safe and good location to be? Is it close to Las Olas and public transportation, water taxi....We are 2 females and unable to rent a car so we need to stay close to everything... If this is not a good one can you sagest any other one. We are trying to stay in budget.

 

What is the address of the Hampton Inn? There are several in and near Fort Lauderdale. This is what I said a week ago about the downtown location on Andrews Ave:

"it is not in a good area for walking after dark so go out before dark and take a taxi back. They will shuttle 2 people per room to the port for free, not sure about airport....It's fine around there during the day. It is in the business district of downtown and is isolated at night and on weekends and it is close to a very bad part of town. There is a CVS about 2-3 blocks away on N. Federal Hwy that sells wine. Publix on S. Andrews (about 8 blocks away)might sell liquor and has a great selection of wine. The Riverwalk and Las Olas Riverfront is about 4-5 blocks south of the hotel, where you can get the water taxi. There are lots of restaurants in the area on Las Olas and SW 2nd St and a few at Riverfront (mostly take out type foods and nightclubs there). " Downtown area of Las Olas is about 5-10 blocks away.

Edited November 5, 2011 by royalcruz

[royalcruz]

Hi, I have been looking through this thread and just overwhelmed. We want a pre-cruise hotel for March 3, 2011. Don't want to spend much $150 or so is fine. Don't want a dump but don't need high class accomodations. Just clean and a comfortable bed. We stayed at La Quinta a few years back. I believe the plantation one, it was nice but wanted to try something different. Would like to have a nearby restaurant, shuttles from the airport to the hotel and then another shuttle in the AM to Port Everglades. Oh, and breakfast in the am would be nice.

I have been thinking about:

Homewood Suites

Fairfield Inn and Suites

Best Western Plus

 

Any other suggestions or which one would you pick?

 

Thanks, Beth

The hotels you mentioned are cruiser favorites. Also look at Hampton Inns FLL north and south, Sleep Inn Dania Beach, LaQuinta Hollywood, and Holiday Inn Express Convention Center (not sure if there is a free port shuttle from HIE but it's only $10 cabfare). Springhill is also popular but not sure about the shuttles or breakfast offerings. and Spring Lastminutetravel has great Fairfield rates.