Cruising from Fort Lauderdale, FL
 

Hello,
I am new to this site, so maybe this question has been asked a bunch of times. We are cruising out of Fort Lauderdale, FL in December 06 for our honeymoon to the Southern Carribean on Carnival Legend. We are flying in a day early and need a fairly inexpensive ($100) hotel for the night that would offer a transport to the hotel from the airport, and the hotel to the cruise terminal. Thanks in advance for all your help!

Don't get a hotel based on the criteria that they need a shuttle because a cab from 17th street is $5 max and you aren't on a hotel shuttle's time table. Often you can end up waiting a long time for the shuttles.

Any hotel on 17th Street in FLL would be good. Try the Embassy Suites.

We did a Southern Caribbean cruise last year out of FLL and while you can get lots of good info on www.cruisecritics.com I can answer your question here also.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn-North location. It was fine for one-night. They had free shuttle from the a/p to the hotel and when you check in you sign up for a free shuttle to the pier. We had 12 noon as our time and it worked fine. A cab is more then $5 particularly with the cost of gas going up and up. Tips also need to be factored in (for free shuttle too).

The Hampton Inn room was clean and comfortable and the included breakfast was standard Hampton Inn fare. They also had free internet in the lobby.

Across the street was a Holiday Inn Express and it also looked nice. There is a strip mall also across the street with some fast food places and a Winn-Dixie grocery store. We were tired out from long flight (from west coast) and went there and got sandwiches at the deli and brought them back to our room.

I rather doubt if you will find a hotel in $100 range in FLL area. Embassy Suites is probably closer to $200.

We took a cab from the pier to the a/p when we disembarked and it was $12 plus tip.

Jessica, can't help you with overnight hotel (we stayed at Mother's), but we took the Carnival Legend Southern Caribbean cruise (St. Maarten, Barbados & Martinique) in late March of this year. We arranged our own shore excursions and saved 2/3 of ship prices. We had a fabulous time. This was our first cruise, we had never really been interested in cruising and found a deal we couldn't pass up. If you have any specific questions, let me know. The Legend is a pretty new ship and we found everything to be pretty nice.

The Embassy Suites is only 4 or 5 blocks from the pier. The Amerisuites is also very close. Lots of shopping and dining in the immediate area. Also, water taxi is a stones throw away.

We got a room at the Sheraton in Ft. Lauderdale by calling our family back home, asking them to get on Priceline, and bid. It was something like $150 on Priceline, but you might be able to get it for less, and it was an excellent, newly-renovated, full-service hotel. I think it runs $250 a night regularly.

Priceline is the way to go!

This poster returned from their cruise a year and a half ago!

hahahah, that really funny