Cruising on your mind lately? Probably... and not just because it has been in the news, but also because cruising is one of the most popular vacations around the world today. And we are blessed to have two of the best ports right here in South Florida - Miami and Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades. This gives you more options and itineraries! We have sailed twice from Fort Lauderdale, first on a 10-night trip to the Panama Canal, and most recently on a 7-night vacation to the Western Caribbean.
If you haven't been on a cruise, cruising offers you a terrific vacation value - unlimited food, your hotel, and entertainment all in one place. You unpack once, although you might visit several countries. And because the ships make these same excursions week after week, they pretty much have the process down pat.
For those of you spending extended time in Fort Lauderdale, there are last minute deals and specials that you can take advantage of.
TIP: Florida offers a "Florida Only" driver's license. Perfect for us snowbirds, you keep your home state license, get hassled less if stopped for a traffic violation, and enjoy "locals only" discounts at Disneyworld, cruises, Seaworld and other attractions. (TIP within a TIP: With this license we even became a Notary, which helps our friends when they need this service and brings in a few extra $$$ which we can all use these days.)
Before you decide on an itinerary, decide on the ship and/or cruise line. You might be fine sailing with 4000 others, or you might need as few fellow passengers as possible. So far, we've cruised on Princess, Celebrity, Crystal and Silversea. Those last two are about the nicest, and thusly the most expensive. While sometimes that fits the bill, other times you might be willing to forgo the top-end lines and grab a bargain.
The 7 night Western Caribbean cruise we took, was on Celebrity, with about 2,800 passengers. Even though the ship was full, it never seemed crowded and we never waited very long for anything.
Let us take you through the process.
All Fort Lauderdale cruises start at Port Everglades where you will board the ship. (Keep in mind that usually, the ship has just arrived in port that same morning, and the passengers disembark, the crew swabs the decks and they are ready to board your group lickety split.)
TIP: When you arrive, you might see long lines of people waiting to check in, but spend a few extra bucks and grab a porter who will try his best to skip that line! The arrival hall can look like this:
For $20 we avoided that mess and our porter took us right through. Once onboard, there is usually food waiting and almost all Port Everglades cruise departures are timed to leave at sunset--and this one was no exception--and it was a beautiful evening as we set out to sea.
Outside on the top decks, they had a band and the crew organized a conga line. The staff does this week after week, but tries their hardest to make it seem like the first time.
Working on a cruise ship is hard- the crew often works seven days a week for months on end, with little time off. Then they take a few months and visit their homes or travel. We've never met an American working on a ship, Americans won't work that schedule. But for the foreign crew, at the end of 5 years, they are in the front of the US immigration visa line hoping for their chance at the American Dream (the cruise lines are usually US owned, which makes it easier for them to apply for citizenship.)
The Solstice is very well appointed. The designers took care to make even the largest spaces more intimate by defining them with curtains and sectioned seating options. There is a full spa, health club, casino, shopping mall, medical facility, many restaurants and even an outside putting green with real grass.
We set sail for Grand Cayman and had a day at sea - and there is plenty to do on the ship. Some passengers never leave the ship, others (like us) are excited to explore each port and perhaps take an excursion. We start off any cruise with a self-guided tour of the ship. We happed upon the Penthouse Suite, check out how the other 1% lives:
Our room was a mid-ship veranda suite - mid ship is the most desired location as there tends to be less rocking. While on board this floating city, most of the time you might be unaware you're even at sea, although sometimes when the seas are lively you are very aware. (They always start each voyage with a safety class.)
Let's talk about the food. Yes, there is food available 24 hours a day, both on the top deck, buffet style, and room service (included in your package.) What's not included are your cocktails, beer, wine and coffee - and the staff is eager to sell you as much as they can to get your bill higher.
TIP: You are allowed to bring your own alcohol if you need to watch your spending.
There is a main dining room with both flexible and assigned dining options. We recommend flexible dining so you choose when you want to eat. There are also specialty restaurants where you can dine for a nominal additional fee.
On the Solstice, the crepe restaurant was a lot of fun and only $5 extra! If you are a really casual vacation, the buffet is your best bet - you never have to even put on long pants.
We always remember that the kitchens are making food for the entire ship, crew and passengers, and they often only use the supplies that they start with for food safety reasons. (Exception to this was on an Alaskan cruise where we saw huge crates of fresh King crabs being hauled on board mid-cruise.)
Never have we ordered an item from the menu and been told that they do not have any more. We have seen hundreds of perfect dishes emerge at the same time. Don't worry that the food won't be special, I had the best roasted duck I have had anywhere on this trip:
Just watch out because soon it will seem perfectly normal to have 4 courses at lunch, and 5 or 7 courses for dinner, followed by a midnight ice cream in the moonlight. I guess this is what cruise vacations are for and why all the ships have a state-of-the-art gym.
We ate at the Japanese and Italian restaurant, and both had exemplary food. The service was off at the Italian the night we went, and we actually can say it was the second worst experience we have had at any restaurant - land, air or sea. The creperie made up for it though!
Once you dock at a port, we hope you'll book an excursion. On this trip we snorkeled on an amazing reef, drove a speed boat and rode horses along the beach. If you set anchor, note that it takes longer to get ashore because you take small boats, called tenders, to the shore:
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| Like a cruise within a cruise! |
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| View from the top! |
Remember how we told you that the cruise staff tries to make you feel like you're the first group ever? Well, they also have to prepare for the next group, so know in advance that you will be asked to place your checked luggage outside your stateroom on the last night, before you retire.
Just pack a carry-on and you will be fine. Yes, it might seem like the ship is "closing down", but you shuold feel that you have had your share of it by the end. This is a great chance to explore the ship one last time, most people are in their rooms packing.
Note that there is another reason the staff has been so kind and outgoing - they accept tips (all cruise line staff do, regardless of a "no tips" allowed stated policy).
TIPPING TIP: We always tip in advance. This ensures a higher level of service from the start.
On your last day, you glide back into Port Everglades.
You disembark in groups, and are carefully guided to your luggage and the exits to the cars and vans.
Once back in Fort Lauderdale, if this isn't your final destination on this trip, there are plenty of activities to do before you return home. The ship will make suggestions before you dock - including shopping at Sawgrass, alligator watching in the Everglades, and general city tours. But you guys have seen all of those by now, right?
Finally if you are headed back home away from South Florida Fort Lauderdale International Airport is only a couple of miles away and very easy to get to by taxi.
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