Pre-Cruise

We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale one day ahead of the cruise. As we exited the baggage claim area at the airport we were approached by a man offering taxi service directly outside the door. He had some kind of taxi ID card, but no meter in his car, which was a very nice and expensive SUV. I think it was some kind of gypsy cab. The minimum taxi fare from the airport or the port is $10, and he took us to our hotel about three miles away for $18.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on 17th East Causeway, in a king room for $160. This hotel is quite nice and well-located for cruisers. I would rate it a 3-star. It has free Wi-Fi throughout and free computer internet access in the lobby, also a very nice free full breakfast. There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance. This hotel is within walking distance of the entrance to Port Everglades. I would not, however, recommend anyone with luggage try to walk into the port and then to a pier. It is quite a distance from the port entrance to most of the piers, over a mile in some cases. The hotel offers a pier shuttle for $8 per person, but we opted for a taxi which cost $12 to Pier 29, the farthest pier from the port entrance. Read more