im looking for a nice hotel for night before and night after cruise in Fort Lauderdale. We are flying from Canada and wonder if it would work just as well to fly to Miami because flight times to Fort Lauderdale are not great from our city? Thank you

There are many hotels in the immediate area. I stayed at La Quinta in Hollywood, FL which is nicer than you might expect but I chose that hotel for having enough points for a freebie. My Dad and stepmom stayed at the Mariott, also in Hollywood and they loved it. Most, if not all hotels in the area can set you up with a shuttle to/from the cruise terminal.

Regarding your question about flying into MIA, it's only ~27 miles from MIA to Ft Lauderdale so if the prices and schedules are more convenient then that might not be a bad idea.

Enjoy your cruise.

I've stayed a few times at hotels along I-95. Twice at the La Quinta Inn and Suites Ft Lauderdale Airport. Once the Best Western Plus FL Airport. I like the La Quinta better. The BW was a bit of a cluster in the morning at breakfast.

None of these are in great neighborhoods, but they work for a night.The LQ is walking distance to the nearby Oakwood Plaza Mall if you need to pick up some items for the cruise.

I find better flights from the west coast into FLL and find MIA to be pretty much horrible.

I live in Fort Lauderdale. When you say "nice" in terms of hotels would that include a place located directly on the beach or very close to it?

Yeah please define nice and how much you want to pay for the night!

I’m sorry, I should define ‘nice’ for one night - clean, safe and close to cruise terminal

Hyatt, Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, Embassy Suites, Renaissance, Crown Plaza are all within 5 to 10 minutes of the cruise port.

Nothing is really within walking distance. Decide whether you plan to go to the beach.

Then read the reviews on how the hotels handle check-ins, breakfasts and shuttles on cruise departure morning. Some do a better job than others.

I find it helpful to actually call the hotel and confirm these things and the hours of airport pickup service if you plan to use that. If you stay close enough a taxi may be a better option.
I'd avoid Uber because of the potential for surge pricing.

We have used B Oceans several times. It is handy. About 10 minutes via Uber to the port. Sometimes you can find deals for this hotel on TravelZoo. It is on the beach.

My friend and I flew into Miami and stayed at the Element Hotel near the airport. It was a great hotel with free breakfast. It was a great location because we could get the South Beach Flyer bus at the terminal for a few dollars. The hotel had a shuttle that that takes you back and forth to the airport.
On the day I was to be at the terminal in Fort Lauderdale, I just went to the airport MIA and got a shuttle, there were tons of them with no reservations. When the ship came back, our driver, who gave us a card was there very early in the morning because we had an early flight in Miami.

There are no problems getting to the terminal at Port Everglade.

Depending on your budget, there are many good choices. Pick one that has both airport shuttle and cruise terminal shuttle. That would save you money.
We have stayed at the Best Western Airport Cruise Port a few times, from $99 to $159 depending on season. The hotel is okay but the location is in the middle of nowhere. Everything you will need for the night but not walking distance to any shopping. They used to run a shuttle to a nearby mall at a cost of $5 return.
I am from Canada as well and I have no problem getting decent flight schedule to Fort Lauderdale. Think outside the box with connections not from Toronto or Montreal. I live on the west coast and I fly to Houston for my connector, especially in the winter. You fly to Toronto or Montreal, you may be stuck if the weather is bad there. One thing to remember, flying from Canada to the US and making their domestic connection may necessitate a security screening again, which mean allowing for extra time. You know what airport security in the US are like. I typically likes to land at Fort Lauderdale around 6 pm, get o the hotel, dinner, rest and the next morning shuttle to the dock.