June 2017

Preparing for a cruise involves many components. One component I always recommend is a hotel stay before the cruise to ensure you are near the port in time for embarkation because flights and other travel delays are always a possibility. I also feel a post cruise hotel stay is beneficial as well.

It can be very risky to schedule flights the same day your cruise is scheduled to leave, but can work out just fine in most cases. You must consider the stress involved though and if it's worth the hassle of waking up to catch a flight, then be transported to the port to wait in line to get onboard by a certain time. Sometimes the stress of cramming it all in during one day can be overwhelming.

On my recent cruise experience, my family and I arrived in the port city one day early. We were supposed to arrive by 4pm (after leaving our house at 6:30am), but because of flight delays, we did not check in to our pre-cruise hotel until after 6pm. I could not have imagined flying in and dealing with delays while rushing to get to the port all in one day. It was a very long travel day as is. It was refreshing to have time to spare and a relaxing night in the port city before starting the cruise (and we were lucky enough to stay in a hotel with a complimentary welcome beverage which definitely helped with relaxation!).

We also chose to stay one night after the cruise in the port city before flying home. This has its' advantages and disadvantages. We did not feel rushed to get off the ship by a certain time and were luckily able to check in to the hotel early and utilize all the facilities. However, one downside was having to slightly unpack again after we had just packed up the night before on the ship. We tried to unpack as minimally as possible to make the next morning easy for getting checked out of the hotel and to the airport. Overall, it seemed to minimize the stress of going straight from the cruise ship to the airport and either rushing to get to your plane on time or waiting for several hours until departure because there never seems to be a plane that leaves at a precisely convenient time following a cruise.

A cruise is a great vacation in and of itself, but make sure to consider if either a pre-cruise or post-cruise (or both) hotel stay is something that will make your next cruise vacation even better.

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Recently, I stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell Downtown for one night before a cruise out of Miami. In my opinion, this hotel is great for a business guest or families looking for a short stay before or after a cruise.

My husband and I were treated with a complimentary welcome beverage following check-in. Our young son who obviously would not benefit from an adult beverage was offered a goodie bag with candy and water. We had a long day traveling to get to Miami so we enjoyed taking a quick dip in the 6th floor outdoor pool before searching for somewhere to eat dinner. There are many restaurants within walking distance and we found one close to the hotel that offered outdoor seating. Then, it was back to the pool and hot tub to relax before getting on the cruise ship the next day. (They don't advertise this, but the pool is open 24 hours which is great for those looking for a late night dip)

Every morning, all guests of the hotel are treated to a wonderful hot and cold breakfast spread, along with a fresh waffle bar. We were able to fill up on food knowing that we wouldn't be on the cruise ship until after lunch.

For cruise guests, the hotel offers shuttle service from the hotel to the cruise port for a small nominal fee which was useful to us.

This hotel is on my recommendation list for anyone traveling to Miami for the fact that it is a short drive from the cruise port and airport, close to restaurants, offers a complimentary welcome beverage and complimentary breakfast, along with the great atmosphere by the outdoor pool. The staff was friendly and attentive which made the whole experience unforgettable.

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