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No, I’m not on a cruise. Just wish I was!
I love cruising. I’ve been on many cruises all over the world, mostly in my former role as contributing editor and cruise columnist for Newsweek’s travel magazine. But I was reminded again this past weekend what a cruise mecca Fort Lauderdale really is.
On Saturday, I hopped into my old Mustang and headed for the beach. It was a glorious day, sunny and warm. I counted at least seven ships in Port Everglades at around noontime, and that was just a quick tally as I motored north over the 17th Street Causeway drawbridge. (I know, I know… What was I doing counting ships when I should have been driving, right? Hmmm, ok, good point.)
And this got me thinking about how lucky I am to live in a place where I can just board so many different ships from so many different cruise lines so simply – and how lucky those vacationers are who decide to embark or disembark in Fort Lauderdale. It’s much quicker and easier than most ports to drive into or out of, for one thing. There’s plenty of parking, for another. As a cruise veteran, I can tell you these are big advantages.
But maybe best of all, there’s so much here in town to do before or after the cruise. It’s one of those home ports that really justifies some extra time. And extra time is worth the extra money. That’s been my pattern whenever I’ve left from overseas ports, for example. A couple days in Rome before leaving from Civitavecchia, or in Istanbul or in Stockholm. It’s like two vacations in one.
I always find that spending some additional days ashore at one or both ends of a cruise serves another purpose too. As much as I love cruising, I sometimes feel that there isn’t enough time to explore some of the ports adequately. But I don’t have that problem from the home port because I can arrive early, or extend my vacation, by as many days as I like. This gives me the opportunity to enjoy a more concentrated experience in one spot so I don’t feel that my whole trip raced by me in a seagoing whirl.
There’s too much to take in around Broward County during your stop here, too many possibilities, to even mention some of them today. That’s what this blog is for most of the time anyway, really, some good advice from locals about what out-of-towners might want to see and do or great places to eat and drink.
But as someone experienced in cruising, I can tell you this much. If Fort Lauderdale is the home port for your cruise, you’ve made a good choice. Just plan to spend some extra time at one or both ends of your trip to explore the area for yourself, a mini-land vacation included with the shipboard adventure. It really adds that much more to the whole experience.
Oh, and let me say one more thing I can’t resist adding today: Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you’re all doing something special around town with your sweetie!
I love cruising. I’ve been on many cruises all over the world, mostly in my former role as contributing editor and cruise columnist for Newsweek’s travel magazine. But I was reminded again this past weekend what a cruise mecca Fort Lauderdale really is.
On Saturday, I hopped into my old Mustang and headed for the beach. It was a glorious day, sunny and warm. I counted at least seven ships in Port Everglades at around noontime, and that was just a quick tally as I motored north over the 17th Street Causeway drawbridge. (I know, I know… What was I doing counting ships when I should have been driving, right? Hmmm, ok, good point.)
And this got me thinking about how lucky I am to live in a place where I can just board so many different ships from so many different cruise lines so simply – and how lucky those vacationers are who decide to embark or disembark in Fort Lauderdale. It’s much quicker and easier than most ports to drive into or out of, for one thing. There’s plenty of parking, for another. As a cruise veteran, I can tell you these are big advantages.
But maybe best of all, there’s so much here in town to do before or after the cruise. It’s one of those home ports that really justifies some extra time. And extra time is worth the extra money. That’s been my pattern whenever I’ve left from overseas ports, for example. A couple days in Rome before leaving from Civitavecchia, or in Istanbul or in Stockholm. It’s like two vacations in one.
I always find that spending some additional days ashore at one or both ends of a cruise serves another purpose too. As much as I love cruising, I sometimes feel that there isn’t enough time to explore some of the ports adequately. But I don’t have that problem from the home port because I can arrive early, or extend my vacation, by as many days as I like. This gives me the opportunity to enjoy a more concentrated experience in one spot so I don’t feel that my whole trip raced by me in a seagoing whirl.
There’s too much to take in around Broward County during your stop here, too many possibilities, to even mention some of them today. That’s what this blog is for most of the time anyway, really, some good advice from locals about what out-of-towners might want to see and do or great places to eat and drink.
But as someone experienced in cruising, I can tell you this much. If Fort Lauderdale is the home port for your cruise, you’ve made a good choice. Just plan to spend some extra time at one or both ends of your trip to explore the area for yourself, a mini-land vacation included with the shipboard adventure. It really adds that much more to the whole experience.
Oh, and let me say one more thing I can’t resist adding today: Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you’re all doing something special around town with your sweetie!
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 2:09 PM
I love cruising! One of the best vacations, in my opinion. My family and I come down about once a year and we all look forward to it!
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