Leaving from Ft. Lauderdale - if we arrive a day early, what would be a good, moderately priced hotel to book to easily get to a cruise on Holland America?

What can we expect for taxi fare to the cruise ship terminal?

Lois:
I went from pier to airport on a Sunday for $7.25!

When we left from Fort Lauderdale we chose a hotel that provided pickup service at the airport and the next day drop off service at the pier. This was included with the hotel price and the only extra was a tip to the driver. If you look at AAA book you will find a list of hotels near the airport that does this such as Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, Springhill by Marriott, etc.

Another question -- without going from the airport to the cruise ship, I know at the airport normally a cruise person meets you and handles your luggage then takes you to the aiport -- by arriving a day early, our luggage will be with us -- how is that handled then if we take a taxi to the cruise ship???

Lois

Your would take your luggage out of the taxi and give it to one of the many porters on the pier, who would take it to the loading platform. Don't forget to tip the porter.

Thanks for the info.

There are loads of hotels that have a free shuttle to the port and airport in Ft. Lauderdale.

AmeriSuites
Comfort Inn
Hyatt Pier 66

These are the ones I know have this service. I'm sure there are many others. Check on BiddingForTravel.com for a list of hotels and prices for bidding on Priceline.com & Hotwire.com. You can get some great deals at 3-5 star hotels.

You can call the hotels or check their websites to find out if they have a shuttle. Some of them are also close to the Water Taxi route, which is nice for getting around ($5/day/pp)

Hello,

When my cruise clients need a pre-cruise hotel night, I usually check the cruise line's brochure for their preferred hotels in the port city. You can take a taxi or private car to this hotel and then, take the cruise line's ground transportation to the ship the next morning. The cruise lines, especially Holland America, work with very, very good hotels and I don't hesitate to use these hotels.

Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions!

Best Regards,
Julia

Lois,

I've always preferred the Marriott Marina. You can see the ships from there.

Jack