Need a hotel for the night before cruise.
 

My hubby and I are going on a cruise and need a place to stay when we arrive. We don't have to be on the ship until 4 p.m. the next day (Sat.) and are flying into Ft. Lauderdale the night before, arriving about 9. We like South Beach and would like to be able to have a drink and hang out for a bit there but are not sure if we should get a hotel in FL and cab it to South Beach and back, then cab it to the ship the next day. Or fly into FL, cab it to South Beach, stay in a hotel there, do our thing, then cab it to the ship the next day. (I hope that makes sense). I am opting for staying in South Beach but from a cost perspective, if there is a huge difference, I will do the latter. Also, from a time perspective since we don't arrive unitl 9 p.m. we would like to be able to get to our hotel to freshen up before going out. Thanks in advance for any input.

Let me get this straight. You are arriving in Ft. Lauderdale at 9pm and have to be at the ship by 4pm the next day and want to spend the night in South Beach????

The cab ride would cost a fortune! A car rental would be cheaper and they probably can shuttle you to the Port.

As a note, if you have to be ON the ship at 4pm, don't they want you at the Port a couple hours earlier?

Personally, I'd stay in Ft. Lauderdale, it would be cheaper and less stressful. Besides, I wouldn't want to be driving to SoBe late at night. Do yourself a favor and get a nice place in Ft Laud on the beach. You'll save on the transportation expenses.

I drove through SoBe one Saturday and swore never to go there again, it's just not my "thing", but I've lived in Ft Laud all my life.

Have you considered leaving a day earlier so you can enjoy South Beach without having to rush around?

If you do stay in Fort Lauderdale, consider using Priceline or Hotwire to get a decent hotel for a good price. Last fall I got the Embassy Suites for some family and friends. I got the first rooms on Priceline for $57/night + tax/fees. Then some other friends wanted to stay at the same hotel so, seeing Hotwire listed a hotel with a suite and a free breakfast, we got another room at the ES for $20 more. Excellent hotel, I was told, great wine reception, free shuttle to port and from the airport. A nice, relaxing way to enjoy the night before their cruise.

Andrew

Here's is what I would do......arrive FtLauderdale a/p...pick up a car from Enterprise..drive to SoBe....check into your hotel..yoour timing will be just right....next day,get up drive back to FtLauderdale a/p to drop off the car...They will take you to the pier for your cruise....voila! You will have accomplished all your goals...HTH...S

Lugging all that luggage around sounds like a lot of work to me. We stayed in Ft Lauderdale and took a boat tour. Had a great time. There are many hotels that offer free shuttle to the Port and will even take you back to the airport when your cruise is over.

Andrew has the right idea, arrive a day early and really enjoy your time in SoBe.

BEACHBOI: their plane arrives at 9PM, by the time they get their luggage, grab a shuttle to the car rental location, rent a car and get on their way, it will most likely be close to 11PM. Figure another 45 minutes to an hour to get to SoBe and find their hotel. Check-in and get into their room at midnight or later. Let's say they get up at 8 or 9AM, they have about 3-4 hours to enjoy SoBe before they have to head back up to FLL to turn in the car and then head to the ship for check-in (they usually want you there about 2 hrs early.)

Here's the Ft Laud scenario:
Arrive FLL 9PM, be at the hotel by 10PM, grab a few drinks &/or something to eat. Relax until beddie-bye. Get up at 8 or 9AM, enjoy Ft Laud for 5-6 hours before catching a shuttle or cab to the port.

AJEVAN, this is YOUR trip, select the itenerary you think will make you happy. You might prefer to head to SoBe and spend the morning enjoying the area and having lunch and some drinks before heading to the cruise ship. Enjoy your trip, whatever you decide! I'm sure you'll have a wonderful vacation.