We are coming to Miami 4 nights before leaving on a cruise in April and would love some local help.

We fly into Miami at about 9.30pm after more than 24 hrs in the air and airports.

We figure we would do at least 2 nights in Miami but maybe the whole lot? This is where we would like some help from locals.

What area should we stay in in Miami iself?
How far is downtown (if that is where we should stay) from the airport?
Should we hire a car for the 4 days?
Where is the cruise terminal?
Any suggestions for what to do in the 3 days/4 nights - either right in Miami or should we go somewhere else after the first day recuperating from the flights.

All help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi Rel

Try www.cruisecritics.com and click on Boards and then Ports of Call. People on those boards may be able to help if you don't get any responses here. Enjoy your cruise. I'm an Aussie who's just back from an Alaskan cruise.

Mac123

I'm sure you will be exhausted from your flight, so the next day you should spend relaxing. There is a hotel downtown near the Port of Miami called Holiday Inn Marina Park. You can walk to Bayside, where there are stores, restaurants, water taxis, etc. You also won't be too far from the Seaquarium. I'm sure the hotel has a free shuttle to the cruise terminal.
Enjoy Florida!

Wow. After 24 hours of flights, how about checking into a hospital? Only kidding.
But I wouldn't stay by the cruise terminals for 2 to 4 nights. There just isn't much there except the touristy Bayside Mall which will wear thin quickly. And you can take a taxi from anywhere to the port, so don't worry about being right there.

I think the answer is two words -- South Beach!! Do a search here for South Beach hotels and restaurants and you'll find dozens of suggestions, depending on what you want to spend and what kind of atmosphere you want.

Forget "downtown" Miami. THAT IS NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE! And if you go to South BEach (take a taxi or shuttle from the airport, don't think about getting a car after your flight ordeal) you won't need a car there anyway if you mainly want to relax and enjoy the beach, restaurants, shops, and resorts.

Totally agree with Patrick. Go to South Beach and check into one of the bigger hotels like the Loews or Ritz-Carlton (bigger rooms, thicker walls, low noise) and regroup. You will not have to rent a car and when you recover from jet lag, can enjoy the beauty of South Beach.

If you base yourself in South Beach, it's very walkable. Therefore, you can taxi from the airport and most likely won't need to rent a car. Parking in SoBe is a hassle and expensive. You really only need a car if you want to see many parts of Miami that are far from each other. Then when it's time for your cruise, you can taxi it to the port.