|
A frequent question for cruise passengers wishing to purchase a pre- or post-cruise night through Priceline is "which zone should I select?" Hopefully this will give you a bit of
guidance.
If you find this
information useful, I hope you will place your bids through http://cruisediva.com/bid.htm.
Fort Lauderdale Hotels
Fort Lauderdale has several zones which are appropriate for cruise passengers. The closest zone to the port is the Downtown Fort Lauderdale zone. Most of the hotels in this zone offer airport and/or cruise shuttles, but none are more than a $10 taxi ride (per cab, not per person) from either the airport or the cruise port. Most are closer to $5 to the port.
Another popular zone for cruise passengers is the Fort Lauderdale Beach zone. On both Hotwire and Priceline, this zone encompasses the properties just north of the port on the east side of the intracoastal waterway. As the zone goes farther north, it does widen a bit farther west, but if you're seeking a property like the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort or the Hyatt Pier 66 - since they are on the east side of the 17th Street bridge, they're in the Beach zone. Most properties in this zone do not have shuttle service, but they should be less than $15 cab ride from the airport, and $10 or less to the port.
The final zone in extreme close proximity to the port is the Fort Lauderdale Airport zone. This zone is a bit farther west, and slightly south of the port, but the properties in this zone generally have both airport and cruise port shuttles. Taxi to the hotel should be less than $5, and to the cruise port around $10-12.
For those who will be driving to the port, I've noted
below which hotels have free parking during a cruise.
Here is a listing of the reported Priceline Hotels:
Fort Lauderdale Downtown:
4* - Renaissance
3* - Embassy Suites
(Embassy Suites - $6/night parking)
2.5* - Amerisuites
- Free Parking
Fort Lauderdale Beach:
Resort - Marriott Harbor Beach Resort
4* - Hyatt Pier 66
3* - Doubletree Oceanfront, Doubletree Suites Galleria, Sheraton Yankee
Clipper, Sheraton Yankee Trader, Holiday Inn Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Fort Lauderdale Airport:
3* - Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport,
Wyndham Fort Lauderdale
Airport (Formerly Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport)
2* - LaQuinta Fort Lauderdale Airport
- Free Parking, Springhill Suites - Free Parking.
On Hotwire, many of the hotels have also been identified. In the
Fort Lauderdale Beach zone, the Hyatt Pier 66 frequently comes up as a 4* hotel offering. The specific icon in the amenities list which can help you identify this property is the "Spa" icon. Full amenities list: Restaurant, Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center, Golf Course Nearby, Tennis Court Nearby, Spa
Additionally, the Sheraton Yankee
Trader has been identified as the 3.5* property in
the beach zone with Beach Access, Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center, Tennis Nearby,
and Laundry icons. Key to identifying this property at this time is the
new 3.5* designation (previously at 3*) in combination with the Tennis Nearby
icon.
The 3* Sheraton Yankee Clipper
is a true beachfront hotel. The full amenities list is: Beach
Access, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center, Laundry.
One other identified beach zone property is the
Holiday Inn Fort Lauderdale Beach. Listed as
a 3* (newly upgraded), the amenities Icons are Beach Access, Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center.
Be careful here, as these are fairly common icons for a 3* hotel, though none
other in this zone to date show only these features at this time.
There are 4 hotels which have been identified in the Fort Lauderdale Downtown zone on
Hotwire, 2 of which are what I consider "safe" identifications and
two which are a bit more risky. The 3.5* hotel (now seems to be
appearing as a 3* - be sure to exactly match up the amenities below for full
identification) with the red "S" (for suite) icon in the amenities list is the
Embassy Suites (full amenities list: Suite, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness Center, Complimentary Breakfast, Kitchenette, Business Center), while the 2.5* hotel with the same red "S" (for suite) icon is the
Amerisuites (full amenities list: Suite, Pool, Fitness Center, Complimentary Breakfast, Kitchenette, Business Center, Laundry). One other hint about the Amerisuites is that it is currently coming up listed as a "Customer Favorite" on Hotwire.
Both these identifications are strong and can be relied upon.
At the 3* level, the Riverside Hotel
on Los Olas has recently begun appearing. It tends to be fairly stable in
prices, but do be sure to check other reservation services before bidding - it's
not always the best deal through Hotwire. The amenity icons showing for
this property are Restaurant and Pool. These are fairly generic icons, so
know there is a bit of uncertainty when bidding that another hotel may also be
at this level showing the same icons.
There is at least one other 2.5* property which comes up
in this zone. I have confirmed wins for the Comfort
Suites Airport and Cruise Port on Federal Hwy. The amenity
icons for this property show as Shuttle and Pool. These icons are
extremely general and could apply to more than one hotel in the region, so you
should understand and accept this is not as definite an identification as can be
made with other hotels. While I don't see any other hotels in this
zone which would qualify a the 2.5* level (the Holiday Inn Express would be a 2*
as I evaluate the amenities), it's always possible there's another property
which has yet to be reported. Be careful and aware of the risk when
selecting this property.
Four hotels have been identified in the Fort Lauderdale Airport zone.
The 3*
Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport can be identified
by the Restaurant, Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center, Tennis Nearby icons,
while the other 3* property, the Wyndham Fort Lauderdale
Airport (formerly the Hilton), has similar icons, with the addition of a Shuttle:
Shuttle, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center, Tennis.
Also in this zone is the 2* La Quinta
Inn and Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport. Identifying icons are
Airport Shuttle, Pools, Fitness Center and Complimentary Breakfast. Do
know this hotel offers complimentary continental breakfast, shuttles to the
port, and also free parking during your cruise.
Another 2* in this area is the Days
Inn Fort Lauderdale Airport South. Be
careful, as this hotel looks almost identical to the La Quinta, but it has a
"Laundry" icon as well. Full amenities list: Shuttle,
Pools, Fitness Center, Complimentary Breakfast, Laundry Facilities.
Newly reported at the 2* level in the
Airport zone is the Ramada Plaza in
Hollywood. Very basic icons
showing for this property: Fitness Center and Swimming Pool. While
this property does have a restaurant, the report I've received says it doesn't
appear as an icon.
There are additional hotels which are offered through
Hotwire's vacation product, and likely also offered directly. I will list
them separately here until I have confirmation they've been obtained directly.
Use this information to help identify properties which may come up on a search.
Fort Lauderdale Beach Zone:
Sheraton Yankee Clipper Hotel - 3* - Amenities Icons: Beach Access, Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center, Laundry
Other hotel options which have proved popular with cruise passengers include the Comfort
Inns/Suites (3 nearby locations), the Holiday Inn Express at the Convention
Center and the Springhill Suites. All are very convenient, and offer attractive rates.
If you're looking for free parking, consider the Springhill Suites (click on the "More Travel Sites" button to reserve).
Dining and shopping options in both the Downtown and Beach zones are numerous. Not as many in the Airport zone.
One note about using hotel shuttles to the cruise port. Many hotels in all these zones
offer complimentary shuttles. However, they get full quite quickly the day before you embark, and can be crowded and slow due to 5-6 different families trying to sort out luggage, get it all loaded and unloaded at the proper ship (if more than one is in port that day, which is normal), and get it to the porter with the proper tip. It's usually faster and time beneficial to take a taxi from your hotel. Especially if there are only 2-3 of you (more people and a single taxi may not hold your luggage). So if getting to the port at a certain time and getting onboard early is important, consider a cab. Otherwise, if you're in no hurry, then do take advantage of the free shuttles.
Finally, a tip if you're driving to the Fort Lauderdale Port and looking for an inexpensive parking option. The Amerisuites in the Downtown Fort Lauderdale zone offers free parking during your cruise if you stay there the night before you embark, as does the LaQuinta
and Springhill Suites in the Airport zone. If that makes a difference to you, you might take that into consideration when considering your purchase strategy.
|
