I have two separate questions:

1. I need recommendations on where to stay precruise night in Fort Lauderdale. I am trying to decide between the Marriott Renaissance Hotel on the 17th street corridor or the The Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Blvd. I will not have a car so would need a hotel where I could closely and safely walk to restaurants, shops, etc. Which area would be better?

2. When returning from the cruise, I will be taking Amtrak. Since I would have approximately 3-4 hours, any suggestions on what to do or where to go instead of just sitting in the train station?

Thanks!

I stayed in Fort Lauderdale without my own wheels a few years back & think I would prefer the Las Olas option of the two you wrote. I stayed in the 17th Street corridor for one night before a cruise & found the area less pedestrian-friendly and sort of boxy. I did similar to you that visit, arriving & leaving via Amtrak but I spent 2 nights at a near-beach hotel after my cruise.

As far as the few hours before the Amtrak train, my 2 favourite things to do in Fort Lauderdale were riding the water taxi and biking in the Taylor Birch State Park. The former might be easier if you can't ditch the luggage? The train station itself is not near anything and, unless it's changed in the interim, feels more like a commuter rail stop than a grand station with amenities, as it's mostly used by Tri-Rail passengers. So I'd definitely try to spend 2 of those 3 hours nearer the beach, Intercoastal Waterway or Las Olas activities. Then, catch an Uber when the time comes to go to the train.

Good advice from Daniel. With just 2-3 hours and a train to catch, you may not have much time to do more than walk the beach or maybe poke around the shopping area on Las Olas.

There are a couple historic houses, a science museum, a small art museum, and the Swimming Hall of Fame, but you may not realistically have enough time for these.

For what you say, definitely stay on Las Olas. I haven't been to the Riverside in years, but it's the perfect location for just hanging out and wandering. Those 17th Street places are really not very "walker friendly".

I'd also agree that having 2 or 3 hours doesn't safely offer you the time to do much of anything. Traffic alone can be horrible and it's pretty hard to schedule an arrival time to the train station.

I have to agree with what was suggested above.

The Amtrak station sits basically outside of the regular "downtown" area where Broward Boulevard crosses I-95. You can forget about doing anything other than waiting for your train there, and I do mean anything.

IMO you'd be better off hanging out at someplace along the beach and then taking a taxi to the station. Even my POOL would be better than the Amtrak station.