Thread: Best Place to stay in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes La Quinta is the best and the safest place to stay, and there is nice facilities you can get.

Thanks Neal - always wanted to try the water taxi but never seem too. Maybe this time.

We stayed at the Hilton Beach Resort - very expensive room but we loved it. This time we are staying at the Sheraton Beach Resort on Seabreeze Blvd - looks really nice. We had our priceline bid of 150 accepted - so about 40% off cheapest room, which is where I expect us to be. Not a fan of priceline, first experience sucked (mainly my fault though) but when we get two nights for almost the price of one...worth a take two.

We have just done the same thing for priceline with a room in Miami right before our cruise. We got a room by the airport, but it is a 4 star hotel so we shall see.

Just paid for a night-before-cruise room at Embassy Suites, Fort Lauderdale, booked it through Princess - it'll include transfers from airport and to port.

Price wasn't great, but also wasn't outrageous for an Embassy Suites. Could we have gotten a better deal somewhere else? Absolutely. Could we find cheaper transfers? Probably, but this way everything's taken care of.

Originally Posted by 61maris61

Just paid for a night-before-cruise room at Embassy Suites, Fort Lauderdale, booked it through Princess - it'll include transfers from airport and to port.

Price wasn't great, but also wasn't outrageous for an Embassy Suites. Could we have gotten a better deal somewhere else? Absolutely. Could we find cheaper transfers? Probably, but this way everything's taken care of.

Sometimes the peace of mind is worth the extra $$.

Originally Posted by 61maris61

Just paid for a night-before-cruise room at Embassy Suites, Fort Lauderdale, booked it through Princess - it'll include transfers from airport and to port.

Price wasn't great, but also wasn't outrageous for an Embassy Suites. Could we have gotten a better deal somewhere else? Absolutely. Could we find cheaper transfers? Probably, but this way everything's taken care of.

Everything booked directly with the cruise line (hotels, transfers, shore excursions, travel insurance, etc) is going to cost more than other ways because they have to add their fees to the cost so they can make some money on the deal.

Yes, there is the 'peace of mind' factor and when taking care of all the details yourself, this is the easiest method. But if budget is tight and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, talk to your agent and they will help you find another way to do it and still get same thing or better.

Sometimes, the differences can be quite alot. For example, we booked an excursion in Aruba for $155 that Princess wanted $355. And it was the exact same excursion where people that booked it with Princess were together with people who booked it independently. Needless to say, those who booked it with the cruise line were very upset that the rest of us paid $200 less for the same thing.

While the differences aren't that dramatic on most items, it can add up. For instance, in one port, the cruise line charges $75 per person roundtrip for transfers. A taxi only costs $50 each way. So, you can spent $300 for 4 people with the cruise line and wait for their shuttle on their schedule or $100 to do your own thing on your own time.

But back to the hotel; the Embassy Suite in Ft. Lauderdale is nice, especially the free happy hour and the free breakfast. Plus, it's just around the corner from the pier. It's also across the street from a liquor store, so you can buy your bottle of wine or champagne to take onboard with you.

Pete

I've got the Hilton Marina booked for Pre & Post Cruise stays in December. A tower waterway view for Pre Cruise. My plane arrives around 10am & I'm gonna try and get a great view of the pier.