Port Everglades

Friday - We headed east then south towards Port Everglades which is located north of Miami. Quite a long drive at 387 miles. Further than I thought. We could’ve shaved 20 minutes by taking toll roads through Orlando but we decided on the non-toll route through the outskirts of Daytona Beach. We stopped at Buckees for lunch which is always a win. 

The first couple of hours were all secondary roads, which was fairly relaxing. From Daytona Beach south, it was all I-95 much faster but more stressful. It was much warmer while heading down the Florida east coast with most of the drive in the mid-80s (°F).

As we approached Fort Lauderdale, the traffic became horrible. Lots of accidents on the highway probably from people driving too fast and not paying attention. When you look at other drivers, a significant number of them are on their phones.

We had dinner at a casino a short walk from the hotel. I had carnitas tacos and they were pretty tasty. The back parking lot at the casino is being run as discounted cruise parking. Less than half the daily rate at the port. We’ll see how well the shuttle service works tomorrow. 

Saturday - Parking was easy and the shuttle ride to the terminal was quick as they didn’t use the normal vehicle entrance. The priority boarding was quick and straightforward and we were in a “special” waiting area until the ship was ready. 

We were on the ship by 11. And we finished our required tasks pretty quickly. There is a special lunch at noon that is supposed to feature some really good food. 

Later - The wild mushroom soup was wonderful as was the fillet mignon. The mac and cheese was lukewarm but creamy. It was a nice lunch. Way less hectic than the buffet.

Now it’s time for a nap. We don’t leave for a couple more hours. We have a port side, ocean view, balcony room on deck 6. Time to relax…

Below is the Princess cruise at the next terminal.