First, for the purposes of this review, let’s get on the same page when it comes to “best.” Because for some of you, when you think of the “best” hotel you think of the Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton and picture yourself on a massage table breathing in the subtle scent of Eucalyptus oil as a Brad Pitt look-a-like works you over with his equally silky and strong hands, soothing you into a blissful slumber where you dream of the five star meal and martini on the rock (with the rock being an actual diamond carefully positioned in the bottom of your glass) you’ll be enjoying later at the five star hotel restaurant.
In Prof. Cruise’s world – if you’re picturing Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory when I say that, you know me too well – the “best” pre-cruise hotel = inexpensive, convenient, and kid friendly with free wifi, a free airport shuttle, free cruise port shuttle, and free breakfast.
I should also note that I would likely swallow the diamond in my “diamond on the rock” and have to spend the next three days desperately sifting through my poop because I ordered it by accident and couldn’t pay the bill. “Ma’am that’s fifteen thousand dollars, not fifteen dollars.” “Well keep my twenty and I’ll get you the diamond back. Just please don’t call the police. I have a cruise to catch!”
I know that’s a mouthful, but make sure you select this specific Quality Inn and Suites in Ft. Lauderdale (you can book it here). Otherwise you’ll miss your cruise waiting for the nonexistent free port shuttle. When you pay $85 for three people you should adjust your expectations accordingly. Really you should feel lucky it has electricity and a private toilet. And when you factor in the cost of two shuttle rides (to/from the airport and to/from the cruise port) for three people, three breakfasts, coffee, and wifi, the four walls and beds cost you practically nothing at all.
We’ve stayed at the Quality Inn & Suites Ft. Lauderdale Airport Cruise Port South three times. Twice pre-cruise and once post-cruise. It’s our go-to spot whenever we cruise from Ft. Lauderdale. Below are reviews from our most recent two stays, one pre-cruise and one post-cruise.
When we arrived at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, we called the Quality Inn and Suites and they sent over the shuttle. It arrived after a short 10-minute wait. It was around 10am when we arrived and we were immediately checked in and given the keys to our room. We were also asked if we were going on a cruise the next day and, because we were (woot, woot!), we signed up for our preferred shuttle time to the port. There was an early option at 10:30am, which we chose, or a later one around noon. Here are some photos of the room:
Even though this is a budget hotel, it has a very nice pool area with a small bar.
We all slept well:
We woke up early, excited for our trip or, in Prof. Cruise’s case, excited for the free breakfast.
The breakfast choices included scrambled eggs, ham, pastries, bagels, toast, whole pieces of fruit, waffles, yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, and hard boiled eggs. There was also coffee, juice, and milk.
The hotel is also located within walking distance of numerous fast food restaurants so you can acclimate your body to high calorie, medium quality foods before boarding your ship. McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Chipotle are all within a block away. There are also a few nicer options you can justify because you saved so much on your pre-cruise hotel. Shopping is also available in the area, including a Pet Smart where your kid will beg you for a kitten. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
We made our way to the lobby around 10 a.m. to staple on our baggage tags – they do have a stapler they will loan out if you leave them your driver’s license – and wait for the shuttle. It was a little chaotic with dozens of people waiting for different shuttles with evidence of their tendency to over pack, “these bags are all yours ma’am?,” so don’t get there too early.
When our shuttle arrived, the driver shouted out the name of our ship and checked our name off the reservation list. They loaded our baggage into a trailer while we boarded the shuttle. Ten minutes later we arrived at the cruise port where our baggage was unloaded and picked up by the porters. I may or may not have peed a little at the first sight of our ship.
The lines were loooooong to check in at the port, but we made our way through in about 45 minutes. We got lucky because the person checking us in forgot to stamp our boarding passes with a zone number, so we were told to board with zone 2 even though we probably should have boarded much later. I felt a little bad about that, so because of our good fortune, I decided not to intentionally trip anyone on the race to the Lido for lunch. And, go!
If you successfully smuggle those exotic birds through customs (if you don’t, you might consider using your one phone call from jail to cancel your hotel reservation), you’ll be directed across the street, in front of the parking lot, to where the hotel, airport, and rental car shuttles pull up. Quality Inn contracts with a private travel company for the return shuttle so make sure to call the hotel in advance and ask for the name of the company if you’re only staying there for the return trip.
We waited about 30 minutes and were the last of three shuttle stops (the first two were the airport and a park ‘n ride). When we arrived at the hotel we checked in and signed up for the airport shuttle in the morning. It leaves every hour, but you must sign up for a time in advance. Unfortunately, this time our room wasn’t ready. We provided our cell phone number in the event it was ready early, but they never called. We finally received our room key at around 2:30 pm after a boring afternoon of killing time.
The next day we boarded the airport shuttle at 1 p.m., sad and sullen at the end of a fabulous cruise and a comfortable stay in Ft. Lauderdale.
All-in-all, I’d recommend the Quality Inn & Suites Ft. Lauderdale Airport Cruise Port South as either a pre-cruise hotel or as a post-cruise hotel.
If you end up staying there, tell ’em Prof. Cruise sent you (they’ll have no idea what you’re talking about – it just makes me feel influential to say that). But, either way, enjoy your stay in Fort Lauderdale and have a fabulous cruise!
Class Dismissed.
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