Va4fam

I wouldn't put too much thought into the shuttle if you opt to stay at the Embassy Suites on 17th street. The shuttle is a hassle and you are stuck waiting on someone else’s time schedule. The port is literally 3 minutes East of Embassy Suites and a $10 Uber ride. La Bamba is fantastic Mexican & Spanish food and a South Florida institution (we have been dining there since the early 90’s). As far as things to do for 20 something’s, let me know what they have in mind and I can make local recommendations. 

It is a fantastic Mexican restaurant with the best fried ice cream and fajitas! And the price is decent. It’s also right next to Publix and Total Wine. The perfect pre-cruise dinner! We go to the one on 17th Street (Cordova road) 

The chocolate chip cookies at the Snack Shack are the best!   Way better than the ones on the ship (when you can find them).
The "in pool" loungers at the Oasis Pool are close enough to the dj/music/party to enjoy but far enough that you aren't overwhelmed.   Also a great spot for servers to bring you drinks.
The floating bar is fun the first time but a little hard to climb aboard (slippery ladder) or depart with drink in hand.
The zip line at Labadee is expensive but amazing.   Do it early in the day before it gets hot.
 
 

this is one smart kid!!!! huey lewis is MEANT for the aqua show!!!!
 
we typically watch the aqua show on the port side, deck 7. usually there are chairs there; i don’t think we’ve ever seen the show from the starboard side, which was interesting as it gave me a different perspective when they would send things out from the section by the rock wall, and also i could crane my neck up to the tip top and see the lighting and sound booth, which was pretty cool.
our family works in live events/production, so i tend to pay more attention to that at times than the show itself 😂 thankfully the aqua show more than held my attention.
there are even newer elements and things that weren’t here when we saw it last…. oh gosh was that 2019? 😅😬😂
 
i will say, without reservation, aqua 80 is the very best of them all. 
the other aqua shows are very good, but the music in aqua 80 and the engagement is so delightful and easy to follow. there’s no obscure storyline to try and make sense of. it’s just pure FUN. 
between the stunning lighting and aerial work, the dives and the water effects too — i don’t really understand how this would translate to the smaller, enclosed dome on icon.
i am sure it is impressive, but there is something to be said about the magic of the open air aqua theater and the starry night sky.
you truly cannot beat it.
just magical. ✨ 
 



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I highly recommend eating at La Bamba! 😋
But you all know that already lol

Yes, Dania Pointe is a great option for the OP as well considering they have a car and it’s a 10 min drive to Port Everglades. 

Park at the terminal for a quick, convenient and relatively cheap option. Embassy Suites on 17th Street is within walking distance of a Publix shopping center with plenty of dining options. Prices are going to depend heavily on the time of year and expect heavy premiums from Oct - March 31.  

I have stayed at the Fairfield Inn in FLL. I believe they have free hotel parking for cruises, there is an airport shuttle but its hit or miss, and they have a shuttle to the port but it is $20pp. It was clean and convenient to a couple of places.

We stay at the Embassy Suites on 17th a lot. It hits the close to port, airport, and shopping/dining. 
The hotel itself is meh and overpriced for an Embassy Suites, but it's convenient for cruising.
We drive and park at the port for convenience. It's cheaper than the parking at Port of Miami by far.
There are quite a few hotels in that area. Most have airport shuttles for free and offer a for-fee port shuttle. 

We recently stayed at Marriot at Dania Pointe.  A bit more expensive, but Dania Pointe is an area built for social activities with several bars and numerous restaurants ranging from cheap to pricey.  Walk out of the hotel and it’s all within a few minutes walk.  We’ll stay there again if we go out of Fort Lauderdale again.

We have not sailed on Celebrity either, but 2025 will be our first experience with a trip on Beyond in February and Xcel in November.
The Xcel should be nice!
 

Just returned from 11 days on Anthem.   Met our cabin attendant the first night and when he asked if we needed anything, we requested the daily compass.
Problem solved!
 
Other items we requested:  extra blanket (it was cold leaving and returning to NYC), wine glasses.  
We encouraged our attendant to take a "day off" from servicing our cabin and provided a nice tip at the end of the voyage.
 

Also bummed about the absence of tribute bands.  

We have not sailed on Celebrity either, but 2025 will be our first experience with a trip on Beyond in February and Xcel in November.
The Xcel should be nice!
 

We have not sailed on Celebrity either, but 2025 will be our first experience with a trip on Beyond in February and Xcel in November.
The Xcel should be nice!
 

We booked the maiden voyage on Xcel.   Should be interesting and fun.

We booked the maiden voyage on Xcel.   Should be interesting and fun.

Since the pandemic, we have booked JS for all trips until prices skyrocketed this year.
JS get double points unless you Royal UP to them
JS on Odyssey with the split bathroom are the nicest bathrooms we have seen on a ship.   Odyssey is a phenomenal ship.
JS on Quantum and Oasis  ships have limited access to CK.
JS on Navigator we booked was one of the "new" JS at the front of the ship.  The room was tiny, very little closet space, regular bathroom, but the balcony was big enough to play half court basketball.   Didn't like the extra glass above the railing.   
 

Since the pandemic, we have booked JS for all trips until prices skyrocketed this year.
JS get double points unless you Royal UP to them
JS on Odyssey with the split bathroom are the nicest bathrooms we have seen on a ship.   Odyssey is a phenomenal ship.
JS on Quantum and Oasis  ships have limited access to CK.
JS on Navigator we booked was one of the "new" JS at the front of the ship.  The room was tiny, very little closet space, regular bathroom, but the balcony was big enough to play half court basketball.   Didn't like the extra glass above the railing.   
 

Heated pool, and it’s adult only. 

Just returned from 11 days on Anthem.   Met our cabin attendant the first night and when he asked if we needed anything, we requested the daily compass.
Problem solved!
 
Other items we requested:  extra blanket (it was cold leaving and returning to NYC), wine glasses.  
We encouraged our attendant to take a "day off" from servicing our cabin and provided a nice tip at the end of the voyage.
 

$19.99 seems like a great price.  Besides the cool party vibe, what else do you get when you book Hideaway?

Just returned from 11 days on Anthem.   Met our cabin attendant the first night and when he asked if we needed anything, we requested the daily compass.
Problem solved!
 
Other items we requested:  extra blanket (it was cold leaving and returning to NYC), wine glasses.  
We encouraged our attendant to take a "day off" from servicing our cabin and provided a nice tip at the end of the voyage.
 

We are taking train from Virginia to NYC (Penn Station) and spending night near Times Square.   Anyone have a good suggestion for best way to get to port from Times Sq?
When ship returns to Bayonne, we plan to UBER from port to Newark train station for the ride back home to Virginia.   Will report back on how it went!

We are taking train from Virginia to NYC (Penn Station) and spending night near Times Square.   Anyone have a good suggestion for best way to get to port from Times Sq?
When ship returns to Bayonne, we plan to UBER from port to Newark train station for the ride back home to Virginia.   Will report back on how it went!