Update: we may be flying in the day before after all. Our nice convenient AC flight has been cancelled, and right now we're scheduled to leave Toronto at 7 a.m., routed through Cleveland. So much for a 3-hour flight! So, we may decide to deviate and come down the day before. If so, what hotels are in the offing? Something convenient to the ship would be nice, and not too expensive, since we don't have alot of points lying around.

Re: Wendy's Update -
We are flying in the morning before (Sunday) on the direct flight which arrives around 1 pm.

Folks on the board have suggested using Priceline to stay at the Hyatt.

Tina, we have been bidding on 4 stars in both the downtown and beach zones on Priceline. The Renaissance is the 4 star hotel in the downtown zone and the Hyatt Pier 66 is the 4 star hotel in the beach zone. So far I am up to $101 per night in bidding, but to no avail. Last year about this time, we got the Renaissance for $70.

Hi Don!

Please let us know when you are sucessful as I am in the process (procrastinating) of booking our hotel. We did book our air and are flying in the night before (its along haul from N Idaho) We are flying out late afternoon.

We're going to talk about the deviation this weekend, David's really busy right now. I'm looking at hotels on tripadvisor. Anybody know if there are hotels that are convenient to the cruise port?

(I see it's close to the airport. But I know that area is important in FLL, we had a bad experience once, stayed in a Day's Inn or something such, and it was like a prison--the area was a bit nerve-wracking. So want to make sure we're in a nice area, where we can walk perhaps.)

Edited again: I'm looking at the Holiday Inn Express Ft. Lauderdale Air / Sea Port. It looks reasonable, convenient to the port and airport, and gets good reviews on Tripadvisor. Well, we'll settle our air first.

We booked the Traitor Bay Sheraton. Don't have all the details since I am stuck in Anchorage at the moment. Close to the ship in the beach zone and heavenly Starwood Sweet Sleeper Beds. I got an AARP rate I think.

Kathy:

We may also switch over to the Sheraton Yankee Trader - has had all rooms renovated in the last year and is closer to everything than the Atlantic.

Tina

I keep trying Priceline, but to no avail. I may just go ahead and book a refundable deposit in hopes that as the cruise gets closer, we can get a better deal.

In my experience, we are way too far away from the date for Priceline to accept our lower bids. The nearer the date, the cheaper the rate so Don's idea is a good one. Book a refundable room and then cancel after we can Priceline it a week or two before we go.

Don't forget, we're in "High" season for Florida too, so the low rates may not go as low as you'd hope for

OK, so I'm cancelling the RSSC air, and have booked my own flights, coming down on Sunday afternoon. I'll worry about the hotel in a few days, but it will be something modest and convenient to the cruise port.

Kathy, I have been at the Pier 66 for 3 Decembers and 1 Febuary and I think I have never paid more than $80 for the room on Priceline.

Editing to add: with Priceline, you usually get a pool/garden view room, which we prefer. If you want a tower room, I would not use Priceline. Though one time, we did receive a tower room and we did ask to be switched to a garden room with no problem.

We're at the Yankee Trader - $179.00 per night with late checkout and Starwood Upgrade.

Kathy, we may have discussed this before but what's the difference between the Clipper and the Trader?

Editing to add, I am looking at the Clipper and the Trader at Starwood and I can't tell if they have a balcony or not? It looks like they don't in the pictures?

OK, here is what we are doing. We are flying into Palm Beach and staying at the Marriott Ocean Pointe in a 1 bedroom villa for 4 days pre-cruise. $199 total for all four days, and includes free water taxi and $50 in a dining certificate or 5000 Marriott points. There is a catch though. We have to take a tour of the property and listen to a brief presentation.

We will rent a car and drive down for the pre-cruise dinner. If anybody is going in earlier and would like to get together, just let us know.

Not sure what is going on in FLL that weekend (the boat parade isn't until the following weekend), but the rates seem a lot higher than we have ever seen them before. The Renaissance lowest rate was $309! :eek:

Wendy:

Are you on the direct flight in the morning on Sunday?

Tina

I don't know the difference between the two properties. The reason I booked was location was acceptable, I am Starwood Preferred Guest GOLD and get automatic upgrade and I love the Sweet Sleeper beds. We're only there for two short nights and aren't expecting a whole lot - 3.5 stars on a scale of 6. I think it will be better than the Embassy Suites we stayed in last on our forced overnight.

Kathy, do they have balconies? I can't tell from the description or pix on the hotel's website and I can't live without one, lol.

Karen:

I have stayed at both properties, the Clipper is on the beach, and the trader is across the street,
some of the Clipper rooms have balconies, I have been upgraded to a suite on some stays which are wonderful: good beach and you can walk down to Beach place and a little further down to Las Oslas Blvd..

Karen:

Also if you have the Amex Platinum you are SPG Gold, if you have the SPG Amex then you are Preferred Plus, really no difference, upgrades a subject to availability, and this property is pretty good about upgrades: I am SPG Platinum and always been treated pretty well at this property.
only 7k starpoints for a free night, which is a pretty good deal..

Frank

Thanks Frank. If we use Starwood points for the Clipper, we won't be guaranteed a balcony, right?

It depends, starwood has an option for another 1k points you can usually guarantee an upgrade to a better room type, I would agree that it would be worth it to do so, sometimes the Clipper has some really good rates, I have stayed in the past for $159 per night with breakfast: Remember upgrades are always subject to there inventory, but I do not really see that being a real busy time for them.

Frank

Frank is my "male" land TA as Marcie is my female land TA!!! Both so smart -

LOL, I agree! And don't forget Peter and Marc as our in the sky TA's!

We get SO much travel help on this board from lots of smart people who are always willing to lend the time to post!

Hi Tina, no, we're going on the afternoon flight, about 3 p.m., gets in about 6:45. I like Florida, but a day in a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale doesn't do a whole lot for me, so I decided to be civilized.

Hi Wendy:

We used points for the air so are stuck with early morning.

Tina

Oh nice, well that makes up for it! (We're still at the gathering points stage, not the spending point stage! :rolleyes: )

By the way, we've decided to go with Kathy's suggestion for a hotel, and stay at the same place. We'll have the morning to stroll on the beach if we like, before embarkation.

Great...so we will likely all be in the same hotel.

I am still trying to decide which hotel I want to stay at. The Clipper and Trader didn't get the best reviews at Tripadvisor and I can't live without a balcony so I have been researching other hotels. Does anyone have any experience with the top 10 of this list? I wanted to try something closer to the beach but if all else fails, I may just stay at the Pier 66 again.

Several of these hotels in the top 10 do look charming, though.

Ft. Lauderdale hotels

Last time we stayed at Pier 66 via Priceline. We were upgraded to Tower room (we just asked) and had an awesome view of the ships from our large balcony the next morning. It was great!

How funny Marcie! When we got a tower room once, we asked to be moved to the pool view non tower rooms, lol.

Yikes, Karen....I just read the reviews. Don't know FLL well at all. I thought the rooms had been renovated but it doesn't seem like it from the reviews. Let us know what you decide to do.

I am sad to report that my Mom and I have found it necessary to cancel this cruise. My Dad had a bad accident (fell and broke shoulder at 85 years old) recently. I am disappointed to miss meeting the group of LCT cruisers....also missing a fun cruise :( However, I will look forward to "sandy" reports!

Cheers, Pam

Oh Pam, I am so sorry to hear about your dad. I hope he recovers quickly! I will look forward to meeting you and your family on a future cruise.

Tina, when I read that the Clipper or maybe it was the Trader had the "best spring-break bar" I got a little nervous, lol. That and the lack of balconies has me searching around today.

Pam - so sorry to hear about your Dad. He is such a sweetheart and we so enjoyed meeting both your parents last year. Please give him our regards, and we too hope for a speedy recovery. Give your Mom a hug too, sure this is hard on her as well. :hug: :hug: :hug: There is one for each of you!

Pam,
I'm so very sorry to hear that you have had to cancel SAND, because of your dad's accident. We send him our best wishes for a rapid recovery and hope to meet you on another cruise soon.

Pam - I am sorry that we will not get to meet you and your mom.

We wish your Dad a speedy recovery. Those senior fall are hard on everyone. It's hard to watch our elder loved ones when they are so helpless. We had similar to deal with with my husband's mother; She broke her hip and had several other falls that scared us more that it hurt her. She passed away earlier this year at age 95.

Pam/Tom:

We were distressed to hear of your Dad's bout with the medicos. May he have a speedy but thorough recovery and may you have peace.

Ray & Penny
p.s.: We miss you guys!