looking for a great hotel within a reasonable distance to boarding a cruise in Ft. Lauderdale

What's your budget? Give us your definition of "great". Define "reasonable distance? FYI - no hotels are within walking distance of the cruise ship piers but there are scores of places with a 5 to 15 minute taxi ride.

Don't want to spend more than $250-300 pr nt; distance within reasonable cab ride- 15 min or so-

Embassy Suites is close to the cruise docks.

Pier 66 Hyatt - 5 minute ride to the cruise ship dock.

We like the Hampton Inn. I don't think there are any "great" hotels, just good clean ones. Depends on your definition of "great" - mine says there aren't any.

Pick a hotel that offers free shuttle service from airport to hotel and free shuttle from hotel to cruise port.

The hotels around the Causeway Quay area are quite nice, reasonable priced, and walking distance to lot of places, and only $5 cab fare (or less) to the pier although free shuttle is offered by almost all of them.