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GALLERYone - DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Fort Lauderdale Hotel Review

3/13/2025

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Port Everglades Cruise Hotel Review

GalleryOne a Double Tree Suites by Hilton in Fort Lauderdale photo review

After disembarkation day from our Southern Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, we checked in to  GalleryOne a Double Tree Suites by Hilton in Fort Lauderdale for a few days. 
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In This Post: 

Port Everglades Cruise Hotel Review
  • Location - Water Taxi Stop 7
  • Outdoor Space - Bar, Pool, Games
  • Lobby Cafe Menu with Prices
  • Vue on the Water Restaurant Menu with Prices
  • Lobby Bar
  • Gallery One Double Tree Room Photo Tour
  • Double Tree Cookie Review
  • PF Changs Review - Fort Lauderdale Restaurant Takeaway 
  • GalleryOne Ft. Lauderdale Hotel Review
  • Check Current Prices
  • How to stay here for FREE! 

If you're looking for a hotel near Ft. Lauderdale's Port Everglades for an overnight stay before or after your cruise, hopefully this photo review will help you decide if GalleryOne DoubleTree is the right fit for you!
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Water TAxi Stop 7


Gallery One is located conveniently on the Water Taxi line at stop 7. 

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​You can purchase a water taxi ticket for $38 that gives you unlimited rides. They also offer multi-day passes and annual passes.  


Outdoor Space 


One fun thing outside of the hotel was the placement of outdoor games to pass the time along the water. 
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Would you be playing corn hole or jenga?!
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Outdoor Bar


There is a nice outdoor bar if you would like to enjoy a drink along the waterway with plenty of palm trees in view!
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​This area gets lively in the evenings and when the hotel holds events. 

Pool 

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GalleryOne Double Tree Ft Lauderdale has a handicapped accessible outdoor pool. 

Lobby Cafe


There is a small cafe counter in the lobby of the Double Tree where you can order a latte if the in-room coffee isn't cutting it for you. 
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Cafe Menu with prices


​Below you can see the menu with prices for some non-coffee beverage options including Julius Meinl teas. 

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You can also grab a quick breakfast yogurt parfait, fruit cup, piece of fruit or croissant/bagel. 
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Vue on the Water Restaurant Menu with Prices


Inside the Ft Lauderdale Gallery One Hotel there is a restaurant called Vue on the Water. 
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If you're wondering what the prices are like at the restaurant and what kind of foods they offer, here is the menu for Vue on the Water. 
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How much are cocktails at Vue on the Water Ft Lauderdale? Cocktails range from $12-16. 

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Smoothies for $10 and beers are $7.50/8.50.

Lobby Bar


If you'd like to enjoy pre-dinner drinks with your friends, there is a bar in the lobby. 

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Second Floor Views


​With some time to kill before check in, we explored the public spaces of the hotel. On the second floor you can enjoy some nice views from these floor-to-ceiling windows! 
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Checking In at Galleryone Double Tree Ft Lauderdale


It was finally time to check in and if you have allergies you will be happy to know that Double Tree now carries allergy friendly cookies for their guests! 
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More on the cookies later.. 😉
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Room Tour 


The GalleryOne Double Tree in Fort Lauderdale offers suites, meaning the rooms are very spacious as you will see!
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Kitchen


Upon entering the suite, the kitchen was located to the left. It is well equipped with a dishwasher, microwave, and small refrigerator. 

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Coffee Station


The in-room coffee setup was a cuisinart double brewer. There were coffee pouches, sugar and sweeteners, creamers and some tea bags. 

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Dining And Living Areas


A dining table that seats four makes eating a meal or working on a laptop very convenient at this hotel. 
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Of course there is also a couch to lounge upon as well as an oversized chair in the opposite corner. 
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​A pocket door separates the living/dining space from the bedroom. 

bedroom


The spacious bedroom includes a large king size bed, 2 night stands and a dresser, Tv, recliner and closet space. 
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​If you have hanging clothes, you will appreciate that there is a closet. 

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The hanging height is a bit short as there is an upper shelf in the closet which houses the in-room safe and iron. There is also an ironing board. 

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The closet doors offer full sized mirrors which is a great and often overlooked detail in accommodations. 
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Bathoom


A tiled walk-in shower with rainfall shower head await.  The DoubleTree also provides shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower. 

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There is a spacious countertop surrounding the sink and a large mirror. 

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The View

Being on an upper floor, our suite had nice views!
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In one direction you could see the Fort Lauderdale Skyline as a backdrop to the Galleria Mall. 
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In the other direction you could see the intercostal waterway and the ocean! 
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​Looking straight down you could see the pool area along the waterway. 

The Doubletree Cookie


​One of the highlights of staying at a DoubleTree are the cookies! 

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And this is definitely one of the best backdrops you can get for your Double Tree Cookie!
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We opted for the original cookie as we don't have any relevant allergies and my is she a beaut! 
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Not only is this cookie a looker, but it's actually an absolutely delicious cookie.

​As a big chocolate chip cookie girl, I was actually shocked how good this cookie was! 
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​And I don't mean it was "good for a free cookie".

I mean it was legitimately one of the better chocolate chip cookies I've had ever.  

​Hands down better than the one from this 
French Boulangerie. ​

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PF Changs Fort Lauderdale, Florida


Irrespective of how delicious the double tree cookie was, we were starving and needed to get some real food.

​It had been a long day after disembarkation and waiting around for check-in time so we just wanted to get take out and call it a night. 
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If you're looking for somewhere within walking distance from GalleryOne Doubletree Fort Lauderdale, try PF Changs! 
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PF Changs Lettuce Wraps Pics


We went for the cult favorite chicken lettuce wraps.
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PF Changs Spicy Chicken Pics


​PF Changs Spicy Chicken bowl. 

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Mongolian Beef


​PF Changs Mongolian Beef
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The only disappointment was that we could not eat our meal outside as we were shooed away by the restaurant management. 

We assumed the outdoor tables and chairs were available for hotel guests.

The sign was promptly pointed out to us. 
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Good thing our suites have nice dining tables! :) 
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Galleryone Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel REview


The GalleryOne by Hilton near Port Everglades can be a great choice before or after a cruise. It's conveniently located, the rooms are spacious, and the access to a kitchen is convenient. 
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And we can't forget the cookies! ;) 
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If you have time to kill you can take the water taxi all over creation as a DIY excursion, visit the mall next door, or walk to the beach.

​There are also plenty of great restaurants to try near by! 
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Fort Lauderdale Restaurant Reviews

  • Best Hoagies In Fort Lauderdale - Laspadas Hoagie Review
  • Manhattan NY Pizza in Ft Lauderdale - Delivery Review
  • Primanti's Fort Lauderdale Pizza Review - A Pittsburgh Favorite in Florida - coming soon
  • Padrino's Cuban Cuisine Ft Lauderdale Restaurant Review  - coming soon 

FLorida Hotel Reviews

  • Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel Review with Photos
  • ​Holiday Inn Sebring Florida Hotel Review (HGTV Hometown Takeover) - coming soon
  • Hyatt Regency Miami Cruise Port Hotel Review with Photos - coming soon 


Want to Get a Free Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay?

Check out this post: Hilton Free Night Certificate
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Labadee Haiti Royal Caribbean Review

3/10/2025

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Welcome to Labadee! This is Royal Caribbean's 260-acre private resort on Haiti.
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Labadee - Royal Caribbean's Private Resort on Haiti

When you get off the ship in Labadee you have a great photo opportunity, if you're patient, with the Labadee sign and the ship in the background. 
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In This Post:

  • One Day in Labadee Cruise Port
  • Exploring Labadee
  • Walking Trails on Labadee
  • Souvenirs on Labadee
  • Labadee Beach Bar Menu
  • A Taste of UK Royal Caribbean Dinner Menu
  • Hairspray Broadway Production
  • Labadee, Haiti Royal Caribbean Cruise Port Review
This lovely tropically colored building is a shop "Boutik Logo Store" as well as excursion counter on either side. 

While there are paid activities at Labadee including Kayak Adventure, Sip and Paint, Walking Tour, Aqua Park, Coaser, Flight Zip Line, there is also plenty to do for free, just follow the signs!
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Plenty to do on Labadee - paid and free - just follow the signs!

If you don't feel like walking around the island, you can catch a free tram and hop off at your beach or food establishment of choice. 

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Barefoot Beach Tram Service

There is a special Barefoot Beach Tram Service exclusively for Star, Sky, Pinnacle, and Concierge Suites guests. Guests who have reserved a Barefoot Beach Club Cabana can utilize this particular tram service. 

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Labadee Chair Photo Opportunity

If you decide to wander by foot you will find classic vacation photo ops for your friends and family like this giant Labadee chair. :) 
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Trails on Labadee, Haiti


There are some nice paths to walk around the lush greenery of the island that lead to some 'secret' look out points where you can take in some nice views and get some nice pictures of your crew.


You can get a view of the Aqua Park (paid activity) from this lookout as well. 
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Souvenir Shopping on Labadee


For the uninitiated, on Labadee you have the opportunity to venture into this Market section with local vendors. Many cruisers find the selling culture to be a bit aggressive and you should be prepared to haggle if you want to shop in this area. 
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Shopping from local Vendors on Labadee

Some love this type of shopping and interaction, but if it's not for you there are other options. 
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Cost of Souvenirs on Labadee

If you're curious about the prices for souvenirs on Labadee, here are a few from one of the main shopping options. 

The environment in here is calmer and you are able to pay with Visa, so if you don't bring extra cash but want a souvenir this is a good option. They have all the usual things, some manufactured mugs and some more unique options. They have Rhum Punch (Rum Punch) and T shirts which started at $9.95.
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Larimar Necklaces were listed at $35 and carved Limestone animals were plentiful. The elephant was $15. 
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Labadee Beach Bar Menu

Here is a menu with prices from Labadee Beach Bar. 

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Labadee Beach Bar Menu with Prices

Cocktail Prices

Beer prices


  • Mai Tai - $14 
  • Bombay Smash - $14
  • Hurricane - $14
  • Bahama Mama - $14
  • Island Sunset - $14
  • Castaway - $14
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  • Corona Extra - $7.99
  • Heineken - $7.99
  • Bud Light - $7.49
  • Budweiser - $7.49
  • Miller Light - $7.49
  • Coors Light - $7.49
  • Red Stripe - $8.25
  • Prestige - $7.49
  • Truly Hard Seltzer - $7.49
  • White Claw Hard Seltzer - $7.49

​An additional service charge will be added to these prices unless you have a Royal Caribbean Beverage Package.
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You can also order items not on the menu, of course. Like the Labadoozie - basically a frozen rum punch or even a whisky to sip on the beach. 
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Beach Time on LAbadee


There are plenty of beach areas on Labadee to lounge around or to swim in the ocean. 
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Please Leave Nothing But Your Footprints Sign

​Even on an overcast day, the views are beautiful with calm waters nestled between lush mountains, it's exactly what you're hoping for on a Caribbean Cruise.
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Private Cabanas on Labadee

If you have cash to splash you can rent one of these private cabanas for the day or do an excursion like kayaking in these tropical waters. 
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Free Food On Labadee


When you're hungry on Labadee you can enjoy a beach picnic including things like hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, rice, corn on the cob, fruit, salads, cookies, cakes and the like. The food is included in your cruise fare. 

 

A Taste of UK Royal Caribbean Menu

Enjoy this cruise food photo review! 
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A Taste of UK Royal Caribbean Dinner Menu

​See more cruise restaurant menus here.

Goat Cheese Tart


Seasoned eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes and goat cheese baked in flaky puff pastry.
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Goat Cheese Tart Royal Caribbean Cruise Food

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks


Mozzarella cheese coated with crispy garlic-seasoned panko breading and fried until golden brown, paired with a zesty marinara dipping sauce.
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Clearly that is not mozzarella cheese.

​ Due to a supply chain issue, the culinary crew had to make a cheese swap out. So it was surprising when you're expecting mozzarella, but hey - when you're talking about breaded and deep fried cheese it's hard to go wrong. :) 

Traditional English Fish and CHips

Tempura-battered Atlantic cod fried until golden with thick-cut potatoes, mushy peas, creamy coleslaw and tartar sauce.
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Chicken Tikka Masala

Tender chicken in a spicy tomato-yogurt sauce, served with basmati rice, raita, roti and pappadum.

Indian Food on Royal Caribbean is almost always a home run if you're not sure what to order. I've said it before and I'll say it again. :) 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Warm steamed date pudding with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
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Hairspray Broadway Production

Good Morning Baltimore! 

After dinner we squeezed in a production show. On Symphony of the Seas you can watch the Broadway production Hairspray. It's one of the longer shows you will see on a cruise. 

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Hairspray on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas
 


​Labadee, Haiti Royal Caribbean Review


I love Royal Caribbean's offerings of Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

Some argue that these cruise line owned resorts or islands are not an authentic experience of the island, and sure I get that. But I view them as a high value "freebie" day where I don't have to plan or spend any extra cash if I don't want to or don't have it. 

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Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas Docked at Labadee, Haiti

Labadee offers a low pressure day where everything is taken care of for you and close by. You have beach chairs and umbrellas included for free at the various beach locations. You have food included without having to go back to the ship or spend extra cash. You have tram service if you're unable or don't want to walk as much. And the scenery is absolutely beautiful. 

While I do love exploring cruise ports and trying local food and having that "more authentic" experience, I am always happy to see either
Labadee or Perfect Day on a Caribbean Itinerary.


More from this Royal Caribbean Cruise Review:


  • Lobster Night On a Cruise
  • Aruba: DIY Walking Tour Aruba Cruise Port
  • Aruba: A Taste of the Caribbean Dinner
  • Embarkation Day: Symphony of the Seas Embarkation Day
  • Sea Day: Exploring the Ship on a Sea Day 
  • Sea Day: â€‹A Taste of Italy Dinner
  • Curacao: Missing Curação Cruise Port
  • Breakfast at Johnny Rockets - Free on Oasis Class Ships
  • Symphony of the Seas: Water Slides & Flow Rider
  • El Loco Fresh Review - Mexican Inspired Food
  • The Royal Night - Royal Caribbean Dinner Menu
 
​You May Also Like: Grocery Store Food Reviews
  • Lidl Reviews
  • Aldi Reviews
​
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One Day In Aruba on a Cruise - Royal Caribbean Cruise Blog

2/28/2025

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Day 4 of our Southern Caribbean Cruise was a port day in lovely Aruba.

We did not plan an excursion in advance and decided to DIY a low key day on the island and revisited a yummy foodie spot. 
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Free Shuttle from Aruba Cruise Port

After waking up to this gorgeous water view from our Oceanview cabin (room tour with photos and review here), we were eager to start our day on Aruba.

Conveniently, after exiting the ship's gangway there were shuttle buses waiting to take cruise ship passengers to the main gate. 
The shuttle buses were ​free (hooray!) and had comical names like "Honey Boy" and "Lady Blue".

They were clearly marked with the name of our ship, Symphony of the Seas.

Aruba Cruise Port


​For those with limited mobility, there is plenty of shopping to do in the main port area. 

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If you're able to walk a bit more you can check out the "local market".

​At the main intersection walk left, and you'll see the sign for the local market right across from the I ❤︎‬ Aruba sign. 
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Souvenirs in Aruba Cruise Port

There are plenty of classic t shirts, ball caps, and magnets available to purchase in port (pics to come), but there are also some more unique items from local artisans to consider!
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The colorful boho sandals were calling my name, but I restrained because I was afraid they were too flat for my feet. :( 
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Knock Off Ray Ban Sunglasses in Aruba Cruise Port

I got a kick out of this sunglasses display which announces that all of the $25 sunglasses are fake items. lol. 
But hey if you want some D&G, Chanel, or Ray Bans ....  
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Cute paintings and decorative signs for your home.

Cost of Souvenir Hats in Aruba


​Loads of souvenir hats and visors were available. As seen below the prices at this shop ranged from $5-8.

The Paddock

The Paddock is located in walking distance from the port in Oranjestad, Aruba. 
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A popular spot due to it's convenient location and vibe, a bucket of 5 local beers would set you back just $20 and a meal consisting of French bread, chicken salad, and fries ran $10. 
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If you want to leave your mark you can leave a $1 bill on the wall and sign your name and where you're from. 
I do believe this was also a spot where you could catch wifi in Aruba cruise port. 
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Walking Around Oranjestad 

Beyond the ornate, colorful buildings when you first enter the town, we strolled beyond the main strip of stores and toward the far end of the marina. 
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A pair of giant flamingos nuzzling stood between the yachts and the cruise ships in the distance. It looks like Carnival was also in port with us on this day. 
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This was just at the edge of the Renaissance Marketplace in the Aruba cruise port where we found a really cool store. 
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Mopa Mopa Aruba


This store was filled with unique and intricately decorated home decor.

​Have you heard of the Mopa Mopa Tree?
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Much to my surprise, these items are not painted. Rather they are decorated using a centuries old technique of extracting resin from the Mopa Mopa Tree. 
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Inside the store you could ask an associate and read other information to learn about this unique art form. They do accept all major credit cards, so if you don't have enough cash on you for one of these treasures, don't worry. 

I think this is a very cool store to walk around and learn about this unique craft even if you're not in the market for a piece. 
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Murals by Armando Goedgedrag


Absolutely incredible art murals can be seen on the sides of buildings in the Renaissance Marketplace which have been painted by the very talented Armando Goedgedrag. 
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It's very cool to see support for local artists like this and it really adds to the vibrance of Oranjestad, don't you agree?! 

Wilhelmina Park, Oranjestad


​Wilhelmina Park in Oranjestad is a well-manicured park with a nice walkway stroll through. 

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Here in this park you will see a statue of Anne Frank. 
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As well as Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands whom the park is named after. She reigned from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. 
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Queen Wilhelmina was the longest raining monarch in Dutch history. Apparently she was also the world's first female billionaire. 

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Her park is also full of iguanas!! It's hard to tell from the photo, but they are quite large!
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Mangroves and Beaches

There is a wooden boardwalk from Governors Bay Beach in Oranjestad which allows you to enjoy views of Banyan Trees. 

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These cool trees have aerial roots that grow into accessory trunks. Over time a Banyan tree can cover several acres - isn't that insane?!

It was hard to pass up an opportunity to walk down through this banyan tree and onto a beach via this sort of secret path. 
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The beach area here was quite narrow, but felt private. There was no one in sight although it was not that far from the main Governor's Beach area. 
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​When traveling, very often you are rewarded when you're willing to take just a few extra steps. 

Continuing on toward Surfside Beach, we passed some more incredible trees like this Acacia tree. 
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​And I found it fascinating how this tree looked like it was currently caught in a violent windstorm although the weather was calm. :) 

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We finally made it to Surfside Beach! 
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There were just a few families there.  With plenty of trees to catch some shade from or sit on, I really enjoyed this beach! 

​By the way, all beaches in Aruba are free. :) 

The Pastechi House


There was one last stop we wanted to make before heading back to our cruise ship after this day in Oranjestad.

That stop was The Pastechi House. 
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We visited The Pastechi House on an ABC islands cruise back in 2017 or around there and were thrilled to see it survived through the pandemic, though it was a struggle the owner shared. 

Pastechi House Menu with Prices

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Pastechi is an ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) version of an empanada and they are tasty!!


We also nabbed ourselves a fresh orange juice which was a tad bit more expensive than in Portugal. 
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​Just outside The Pastechi House was this spectacular rooster ... 
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Even more exciting was the exotic black, white, and orange bird in this palm tree! It appears to be a Venezuelan Troupial!
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Downtown Oranjestad


It was time to make our way back through downtown Oranjestad and to the cruise ship terminal, past the blue horse ... 
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Beyond all the cute buildings ... 

Took one last look at the cutest souvenirs for anyone who loves a cultural touch!
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Probably should have gotten a Where's my Pastechi at!? mug.

It was a cool honor system sort of set up where when the artist wasn't there in person (like the day we were there), you could snap a picture of what you wanted to by, message her on whatsapp and then send the payment to her! 
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I Heart Aruba Sign


Don't forget, you can't leave the island without snapping a pic of the I ‪‪❤︎‬ Aruba sign, can you?
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We got back on board Symphony of the Seas and headed to our room to get ready for dinner - Caribbean Night!
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We returned to a cute little towel animal welcoming us back and I put on the closest thing to a "Caribbean" themed outfit as I had for dinner in the main dining room.  

Outfit: Quince European Linen Long Sleeve Shirt, Etsy Skirt, Nisolo Bag, Melrie Jewelry 

A Taste of the Caribbean Menu

After a lovely day exploring Aruba, we were ready for dinner in the main dining room onboard Symphony of the Seas.  Tap the menu to see what we ordered! 
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A Taste of the Caribbean Menu
  • A Taste of the Caribbean Dinner Menu
  • Wonder of the Seas Review
  • Utopia of the Seas Review
  • Symphony of the Seas Embarkation Day
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El Primo Red Taco Review - too Good To Go Miami

1/24/2025

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Before sailing on our favorite cruise ship yet, we found ourselves with a few days in Miami. 

Miami isn't necessarily the cheapest city to eat in when you're on a shoestring budget so we made great use of TooGoodToGo and Happy Hour Menus to enjoy some of the culinary offerings without completely breaking the bank.  Enter El Primo. 
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El Primo Red Taco in Miami
El Primo Red Tacos is located at 179 E Flagler St in Miami, Florida. A short walk from where we stayed at the Hyatt Regency. 

​Check out the Hyatt Regency Miami Review Here
​
The pick-up window was between 9:30 and 9:45 pm. The restaurant was clearly empty by that point and you can see they offer plenty of seating both inside and outside. 
How much is a Margarita in Miami?
​
​Well, at El Primo Red Tacos they are serving $6 margaritas and cerveza (beer) all day, every day! 
​

what we got. 

We ordered 2x Surprise bags from El Primo Red Tacos at $5.99 each. Each container had 2 tacos, topped with cilantro and a fresh radish slice as well as some tortilla chips, salsa, and a lime wedge. 
Tacos at El Primo Red
Tacos at El Primo Red
We were also surprised to receive agua de horchata x 2! 
Horchata at El Primo Red Tacos
Tortilla Chip at El Primo Red Taco
Close up of taco at El Primo Red Miami

What we Thought. 

It had been such a long time since we had tacos period, that I was so happy to eat these tacos! Even after carrying them back to the hotel they were still so tasty.

​Small corn tortillas are my favorite and home made tortilla chips can't be beat! The tacos at El Primo Red Tacos are birria and the only problem that I had with them was I wanted more. lol ​
​

The Horchata was unbelievably tasty. Typically made with rice, flavored with cinnamon and sweetened with sugar, this horchata was refreshing and a nice balance to the savory tacos and spicy salsa. 

To pay $5.99 in Miami for 2 quality tacos, chips and salsa, and a drink was a great deal!

​I could have easily eaten more, but I was happy for the opportunity to try El Primo Red Tacos at a discount while in town and I wouldn't hesitate to return next time I'm in Miami! 


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It's hard to beat eating tacos with this view of Miami from Hyatt Regency

More Miami Food & Travel Blogs: 

Click here for all Miami Food and Travel Blogs 
  • Hyatt Regency Miami Review
  • Meraki Greek Bistro Review - Miami Happy Hour
  • A Family Review - Argentinean Delights in Miami
  • Dumpling Mi Amore Review - Ramen and Dumplings in Miami 
  • Marabu Cuban Cuisine - Miami Happy Hour Review
  • Raccoon Coffee & Kitchen Miami Food Truck Review
  • Versaille Miami's Most Famous Cuban Restaurant Review
  • Azucar - Little Havana's Best Ice Cream
  • Miami Slice - Overrated?
  • Free Public Transportation in Miami - Trolley, Metro Mover  

More too Good To Go Reviews:

Explore more Too Good To Go Reviews 
  • Rei do Churrasco Review - Quarteira, Portugal
  • Too Good To Go Portugal Review 
  • ​A Family Miami Too Good To Go Review
  • Raccoon Coffee & Kitchen Miami TooGoodToGo Review
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Embarkation Day on Symphony of the seas | Royal Caribbean Cruise Blog

9/10/2024

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It's embarkation day for a Southern Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas!
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All Aboard Symphony of the Seas!

In this post

  • Embarkation at Port Everglades
  • Exploring Symphony of the Seas Ship
  • Lunch at Solarium Bistro
  • Our Oceanview Cabin Photos
  • Dinner in the Main Dining Room
  • Dare to Dream - The Royal Theater
  • Royal Caribbean Booking Agent
 

Embarkation at Port Everglades 


​Our 8 night Southern Caribbean Cruise departed from Port Everglades, the cruise port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We arrived 2 nights in advance (free flights - thanks to Chase Ultimate Rewards Points!) and stayed at a nearby cruise port hotel. Uber (actually Lyft) from our hotel to the port only cost $4.17 thanks to a Lyft discount I had. 


How long did embarkation take? Not long at all! We were in the terminal at 11:43 and by 12:04 we were onboard! 
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That Embarkation Day Buzz
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Fort Lauderdale blogs:

  • Fort Lauderdale Travel
  • ​Laspadas Original Hoagies
  • Hyatt Place Cruise Port Review
 

Exploring Symphony of the seas


Your first time onboard a new cruise ship is so much fun - there is so much to explore! You probably spent months researching and learning about every nook and cranny of the ship (okay, a certain bunch of people do this... I'm assuming you're part of the club since you're here? ☺) 

Today is the day to see if you can remember literally anything from all your research. haha! 
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Symphony of the Seas Pool

Embarkation Day Tip: Lifeguards are posted so have your swimwear handy and you can enjoy the pool during one of the few times that it will totally empty! ;)

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Central Park Neighborhood

Above you can see a view of the Central Park Neighborhood - yes, those are real trees! Symphony of the Seas also has 3 water slides and multiple pools including a saltwater pool. 
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El Loco Fresh Mexican Restaurant on Symphony of the Seas

El Loco Fresh is the popular Mexican casual dining restaurant on Symphony of the Seas where you can get things like grab and go tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Be sure to load them up with fresh pico de Gallo, salsa, and guacamole! You can also find fresh fruit cups here. 
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View of Celebrity Apex in Port Everglades from onboard Symphony of the Seas

​Celebrity Apex was also in port in Fort Lauderdale! 
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Embarkation day lunch 


We traveled in a group of 8 relatives for this cruise and only 2 people in the group knew we were coming. It was a really fun surprise seeing the reactions of aunts and uncles. We met up in the Solarium Bistro and snagged a large round table for lunch. This smaller buffet area was a nice spot to meet and I was soaking in the novelty that I only managed to get 2 pics of my lunch. 


I have to say the Indian food was excellent and I also thoroughly enjoyed this little carrot cake dessert cup! It would make a perfect individual dessert idea for a dinner party and someday I hope to replicate it for Home Cooking Inspired By Travel.
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Oceanview Cabin Photos 


Around 2pm we had finished eating and were ready to check out our cabin. It was our first time in an ocean view stateroom. You can see all our cabin 3198 photos here: 
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​Dinner in the main dining room 


We had traditional dining on Royal Caribbean which means we had a table reserved for our group every night at the same time. Our early dining time was 5:30 PM. â€‹Of course we could also dine at another time by walking in and waiting for a table, eating at the buffet or other casual dining venue, or eating at a specialty restaurant. 

Embarkation day Welcome Aboard menu

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Welcome Aboard Dinner Menu on Symphony of the Seas

Different than our experience on Sun Princess, on Symphony you ordered your meal and dessert at the same time. 
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What we ordered.

Caesar Salad. 


A classic caesar salad is a cruise dinner must.. if you're into that sort of thing. :)  Every night your table will be presented with a basket of bread/rolls. The one shown below seemed like an asiago cheese roll and was delicious. You may need to ask for more of these if you like them because each basket will probably only have one of them. 

crab cake. 

Crispy crab cake fried until golden brown with creamy Old Bay sauce and a tomato-cucumber salad.
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Pan Roasted Fish Fillet.

Flaky white fish over sweet peppers, snow peas, corn, creamy potato leek gratin and a saffron butter sauce. 
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Southern Fried Chicken. 

Seasoned, crispy chicken with Tabasco hot honey, buttery mashed potatoes, sweet corn on the cob. 
​

Dessert

Dark Chocolate Custard. 

Silky custard infused with rich cocoa, finished with a fresh tart raspberry. 
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Key Lime Pie. 


Silky key lime custard baked in a brown butter graham cracker crust topped with whipped cream. 

Cruise Food Blog:

  • Wonder of the Seas Cruise Food Pics
  • Cruise Pizza and Hot Dogs on Sun Princess
  • American Diner on Mediterranean Cruise
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royal theater: Dare to Dream


After dinner we went straight to The Royal Theater to watch our first production of the cruise - Flight Dare to Dream. 
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Flight! Dare to Dream

Royal Caribbean Cruise Tip: Reserve your entertainment on the Royal Caribbean App so you can get the best seats. 
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More Symphony of the seas cruise blogs:

  • Symphony of the Seas Reviews
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Laspada's Hoagies Review + Menu Fort Lauderdale

9/10/2024

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In the words of Gordon Ramsay "Wow. Wow. Wow."

If you love a hoagie, give Laspada's Original Hoagies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida a try! 
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Laspada's Hoagies Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Located just a half mile (aka a pleasant 10-15 minute stroll) from our cruise port hotel, Laspada's made up for the disappointing pizza we had the night before. 

Their first hoagie shop opened in 1972 and has expanded to 5 locations in Southern Florida, Laspada's is worth your visit as far as we are concerned! 
​

In this post

  • Inside Laspadas
  • Laspada's Menu with Prices
  • What We Ordered
  • Laspada's Hoagies Fort Lauderdale Review
 

Laspadas - A local hoagie shop in south florida


Loved by travelers and locals alike, this is a classic hoagie shop where you are welcome to dine in or take out. Located at 1495-D SE 17th St Fort Lauderdale, FL 33431. 
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Laspada's Hoagie Menu with prices

In addition to small and large hoagies you can also order deli sandwiches which are smaller and served on a round roll, as well as a variety of side salads and salad platters. 
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What's on an original hoagie at Laspadas?  Tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, sweet peppers, hot peppers, oil and vinegar and seasonings on Italian or wheat bread, and provolone cheese.  Sounds perfect, doesn't it?
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​Laspada's also sells a variety of chips which are an ideal crunchy, salty companion to your delicious hoagie!

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Foodie Blog.

  • Natraj Indian Tandoori
  • Fratelli Neapolitan Style Pizzeria
  • ​O Piri Piri Churrasqueira
  • More Foodie Blogs
 


​what we ordered. 


For the two of us, we ordered one large hoagie, a can of pop (soda), and a bag of kettle chips.
Total with tax: $17.50
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Dr Brown's Natural Flavor Black Cherry Soda - $1.75


Dr Browns Black Cherry Soda With "Other Natural Flavors" Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, cherry and other natural flavors, citric acid, caramel color, sodium benzoate, and red 40. Gah. not red 40... 
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Dr Browns Black Cherry Soda Ingredients


​Dirty Potato Chips Deli Style Salt and Vinegar Kettle style - $1.70


If you want to see the ingredients on these Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips from Dirty you can see the photo below! 

LArge 12" Italian Hoagie - $12.90


Now on to the star of the show! We ordered a Large 12" Italian Special Hoagie - Ham, Genoa, Salami, & Cappicola. 
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This hoagie was loaded! The cross section is a thing of beauty - carefully constructed, strategically placed layers of freshly sliced Italian meats and toppings. 
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Laspada's Hoagies Review


A hoagie may seem like a simple thing. Some bread, "lunch meat" and cheese, maybe a bit of iceberg and a tomato? Forget that nonsense. A real hoagie establishment takes pride in every element from the texture at the bottom of the roll to the pillowy bread to the sliced-to-order Italian meats and fresh toppings - Laspada's knocks it out of the park. 
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Hoagies Made With Love at Laspadas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I mean just look at the care going into dressing and seasoning this hoagie... 

It's been months since I ate this hoagie, but I still think about it from time to time. Laspada's is the kind of place I would actually make a point to return to next time I am in Fort Lauderdale for a cruise. ;) 
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Fort Lauderdale Blog.

  • Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel Review
  • All Fort Lauderdale Travel Blogs
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Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel Review

9/10/2024

3 Comments

 
 

​A photo review of Port Everglades Pre-Cruise hotel - Hyatt Place.


​
​Arriving a day before your cruise is always the wisest course.

​Before our Symphony of the Seas cruise we used Chase Points to book a night at the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel. 
​

In This Post.

  • Our Room
  • Breakfast Buffet
  • Gym
  • Manhattan Ny Pizza Ft Lauderdale Review
  • Hyatt Place Ft Lauderdale Cruise Port Review
  • Best Travel Credit Cards - Free Hotel Nights!
 

Our room. 

The rooms at Hyatt Place are quite spacious and would be great if you're traveling as family or even if you want to split the cost with another couple. Our room had two double beds. 
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Standard Room Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Free Reward Night | Miles and Points Blog

search pre-cruise and post-cruise hotels near Port Everglades:


​living space. 


​There is a large couch with ottoman which converts to a bed. As you can see the couch cushions were a little worse for wear. The room has a mini fridge, individual cup coffee maker, and a small sink in the area directly across from the couch, as well as a desk area. 
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bathroom. 


The sink is outside the bathroom door where you will also find a large mirror and very long counter top above built in drawers. If you're traveling with the circus :p, it can be nice to have the sink outside the bathroom so that while someone is showering, other members of the family can be brushing their teeth, for instance. In the case of this room, there are 2 sinks outside of the bathroom! 
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Symphony of the Seas Reviews | Royal Caribbean Cruise Blog.

  • All Symphony of the Seas Cruise Blogs
  • Oceanview Cabin 3198 Symphony Actual Room Photos 
 


​Breakfast Buffet. 


The breakfast buffet is pretty standard for a US hotel in this category. These pictures were taken at the end of the morning shortly before the buffet closed. They served scrambled eggs, sausage patties, hash browns, bacon, pancakes, cereal, fresh cut fruit, bananas, oranges, a variety of bread and bagels for toasting as well as donut holes.
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​gym.
 


​There was also a small gym at Hyatt Place Ft Lauderdale Cruise Port, in case you want to get a quick workout in before your cruise!
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Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel Gym
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Manhattan Ny Pizza Fort Lauderdale Review


As one does when arriving to a hotel late after a long travel day, we ordered a pizza. Manhattan NY Pizza was nearby and touted their pizza being made with dough from NYC so we were intrigued. 
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One ridiculously long wait and $24 later ... and we were a lot less intrigued... Hopefully this subpar pizza was a fluke for this local shop and if you order you'll have a better experience, especially if you dine in and can eat it when it's piping hot. :)
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Fort Lauderdale travel blog.

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hyatt place cruise port hotel review


We were happy with our experience at Hyatt Place in Fort Lauderdale near Port Everglades. There is nothing particularly exciting about this hotel, but there doesn't need to be - you're going on a cruise! That's the exciting part of staying here. 

The hotel is in a good location and offers the amenities you need for a night before a cruise - a place to sleep and free breakfast. Hyatt Place also offers a free airport shuttle and they do have a cruise port shuttle available  from the hotel for a fee that you can sign up for on arrival. We opted to use Uber for convenience and it being collectively cheaper for us rathe r than pay a per person rate with the shuttle van coming at a set time. Choice is yours! 

Our hotel night was totally free thanks to Chase Ultimate Rewards Points. We used 8,000 points transferred from our Chase Sapphire card. See the Best Chase Sapphire Sign Up Bonus Here so you can get free hotel stays too! ;) 
​

more hotel reviews.

  • Lagoas Park Oeiras Review
  • Turim Saldanha in Lisbon
  • Hilton Free Night Certificate - You can get one!
  • All Hotel Reviews Worldwide

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How we spent one day in Chania Cruise port | crete travel blog | sun Princess Mediterranean Cruise with greek isles, italy, & Turkey - Day 4

8/12/2024

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​On this Princess Cruise Blog we visit the Mediterranean Port of Chania in Crete, Greece and share some things to do in Crete cruise port including souvenir ideas! 

Day 4 of our Sun Princess Mediterranean Cruise landed us on the Greek Island of Crete.  

This was, in fact, an alteration to our original itinerary. Santorini was our original port of call, but it was changed to Chania, Crete.

New Cruiser FYI: If you have never cruised before you should be made aware that ports of call are subject to change. If there is a safety issue, capacity issue, or other unforeseen circumstance a cruise line may stop at a different port or have another sea day. 
 
To start our day on Crete, we ordered the free room service breakfast on Princess. We ordered 2 danishes, 1 pizza muffin, an egg and cheese English muffin, a fruit plate, and bananas along with coffee, of course! â€‹

In this post:

Looking for something specific? Jump ahead:
  • Free Room Service Sun Princess 
  • Chania Port View From Ship
  • FAQs Crete Cruise Ports
  • Cruise Travel Tip - Running Late?
  • Shuttle to Chania Town
  • Walking Around Chania
  • Unique Greek Island Gift Ideas
  • Cats
  • Old Venetian Port of Chania
  • To stachi Restaurant Review
  • Walking Back to Cruise Shuttle Bus  
  • Stunning Souda Bay Sail Away
  • Dinner & Dancing in the Piazza
  • Book a Mediterranean Cruise
  • More Sun Princess Travel Blogs
Princess Cruise Review
 

Starboard View of Souda Port Chania on the greek Isle of Crete

We mused that the "Welcome to Souda Port Chania" sign must have been there since Paul's day based on how worn and barely visible the words were. 
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Welcome To Souda Port Chania | Crete Cruise Port

View from Balcony 11221 Starboard, looking at Chania port toward the left, straight ahead, and to the right respectively.  
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Crete Cruise Port FAQs

Is Chania a tender port?
It can be, but on our Mediterannean cruise we did not tender on Crete with Princess Cruise Lines. Check your cruise itinerary or contact your cruise line to confirm if you will be tendering or docking on Crete. 

Where do cruise ships dock in Crete? 
The majority of cruise ships will dock in Iraklion (Heraklion) port or Souda (Chania) when visiting Crete for the day. 

Where does Sun Princess dock in Chania, Greece? 
On our cruise, Sun Princess docked at Souda Port. Souda is the name of the port in Chania. 

Also note the blue dot on the map below to indicate where Sun Princess was docked in Crete. 

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Cruise Travel Tip


​Cruise Travel Tip: On Sun Princess, there were large screens along the path to exit the ship on port days which featured contact information for the Port Agent. Make sure to snap a photo of the Port Agent Contact Information. It will usually be in your printed daily schedule as well.

If you run into any trouble while in Port, including if you're running late, (ps. please don't run late getting back to the ship!) it will be essential to contact this number for help. It is well known that cruise ships will leave passengers who aren't back on board in time, so always get back to your ship with plenty of time if you are doing your own excursions.

Still, 'unexpected events overtake us all' and if you find yourself in that situation, call the port agent right away and let them know. No guarantee the ship can wait or will wait, but you stand a better chance if you've communicated and they know what's going on. 
​=)
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Our one day in chania cruise port

Shuttle Bus to Chania Town

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Chania is a very walkable and cute port to visit, however you cannot quickly walk to Chania from Souda Port. It would be quite a long walk, something to the tune of 2 hours.

Needless to say, we were very happy that Princess had a complimentary shuttle bus from Souda Port which dropped us off in Chania near the Municipal Garden of Chania. 
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Free Shuttle Bus from Souda Port to Chania Town | Princess Cruise Review
The bus displayed a sign in the front window which said "Sun Princess Shuttle". 

How long is the shuttle from Souda Port to Chania?
​

The ride was between 15 and 20 minutes and gave a good opportunity to check out some key phrases in Greek from The Turquoise Collection. 
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Handy Greek Travel Phrases
 
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A walk through chania, crete


After getting off the shuttle I snapped a pic of this monument and area which was under construction. As it turns out this is the entrance to the Agora, the Municipal Market of Chania.

It is currently being restored and while it was anticipated to reopen in summer 2024, the expectation is now at least spring of 2025. 
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Chania's Agora, or Marketplace, is currently being renovated. A Spring 2025 re-opening is anticipated | Crete Travel Blog

As we walked along the perimeter of the Municipal Gardens of Chania to reach the coastal area, we met two of the loveliest elderly ladies at the cart.  We learned via google translate, it was their custom every week on this day to be there. Modern day Anas to warm our hearts. Although we couldn't speak the same language we instantly felt the special bond that is such a treasure.  

Next we popped into a grocery store to take a peak around. Fully enjoyed this coffee grinder. Nothing like freshly ground coffee beans! 
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A Rustic Coffee Grinder in a Grocery Store on the Greek Isle of Crete

Walking around Chania is enjoyable. From wide shopping and dining streets like this one .. 
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A spacious walking street in Chania | What to do on Crete
... to narrow winding alleys, you'll enjoy exploring this Greek isle on your cruise! 

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A Narrow Street in Chania | Chania Cruise Port In One Day

Here's a cute hotel entrance framed by a blooming bougainvillea which provides shade like an umbrella from nature for anyone sitting at that little table. =) 
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Charming Chania Hotel Bougainvillea in Bloom
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Unique Greek Gift Ideas on Crete

Leather goods make a great souvenir from Crete. This leather shop called Baba Yank Handcraft Leather Workshop sold leather belts, leather purses and backpacks.

Do you see the green and yellow leather bags in the photo? This backpack style is called Vourgiali or Vourgia.

According to their website, this style of bag is used by Cretan shepherds and farmers to store their daily meals. Vourgiali can also be found in Cyprus and the Dodecanese islands. This leather backpack would be a really cool souvenir from Crete - it's useful, it's unique, it supports a local artisan, and it has cultural significance and an interesting story. 


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Greek Cruise Souvenir Ideas - Leather Goods

​If leather isn't your thing. check out O Armenis for more unique souvenirs from Crete. 

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Handmade Knives at O Armenis in Chania

O Armenis sells traditional cutlery and you can see how unique these handmade knives certainly are.

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O Armenis - Traditional Cretan Knives Since 1912 Workshop in Chania

The tall walking sticks / shepherds crooks caught my eye as well. I was curious how much they cost. These cool walking sticks were 80 euros, but I imagine they will be hard to pack in your checked luggage. lol 
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Shopping in Chania, Crete | Mediterranean Cruise Travel Blog
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The store â€‹Cream Of Hippocrates also looked to have some unique items. Bags made traditionally on a handloom, homemade creams, not to mention books and toys. 
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Cream Of Hippocrates Store, Chania
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Handloomed Bag at Cream Of Hippocrates Store, Chania

Walking past the next store, something immediately caught my eye - the colorful coin pouches inside the doorway. They looked Thai, without a doubt. 

This cute boutique, Wipa Silk Shop, has loads of cute dresses and accessories including many authentic Thai goods. It was a highlight of the day to chat with the owner, a kind Thai woman.

​Please stop in at Wipa when you are in Chania! 
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Wipa Silk Shop, Chania Crete
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Authentic Thai Accessories at Wipa Silk Shop

Another great souvenir from Greece would be handmade leather sandals. Typically the sandals will have the family name stamped in the footbed. I much prefer this dignified way to acknowledge the maker than the overly branded items popular today, which can be tacky. 

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Diniakos Leather Sandals | Greek Cruise Souvenir Ideas
 
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cretan Cats of chania


In the neighborhood were some adorable street cats and a comical, scruffy little dog.
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old venetian port of chania


We had made it to the Old Venetian Port of Chania. 
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Old Venetian Port Chania, Crete

We found more cats hanging around waiting for a fresh catch and this one looked quite distinguished. 

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Striking Black Cat at Old Venetian Port Chania, Crete
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There are plenty of restaurants to dine at along the Old Venetian Port where you'll have a view of the water and the Lighthouse of Chania.  

What's so special about Chania's Lighthouse?
It's said to be the oldest lighthouse in the world so we thought it worth the walk down the long mole (the stone pier leading to the lighthouse), but not without first taking in the views.


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Chania's old lighthouse in the distance

Before walking down the pier, take a peak around the corner of this stone wall to see glimpses of the Chanion Gulf in the Sea of Crete. 
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Chanion Sea | Greek Cruise Ports
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Chania in one day on a cruise

The walk to the lighthouse starts out well. The walkway is spacious and affords views of the boats docked along the shore with the Venetian shipyards in the background. 
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View of Chania from the walkway to the Lighthouse
The mountains made a majestic backdrop for the Venetian Shipyards at the Chania Marina. Originally they were to build and maintain Venetian galleys (a type of boat that relied mostly on oars and was used for warfare, trade, and piracy in the European seas. source). Later when the Ottomans invaded Crete, the Shipyards actually became storehouses for food. 
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Mountainous background to the Venetian Shipyards in Chania
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Sadly at this point on the journey to the lighthouse, things took a turn. I have to say the walk to the Chania lighthouse is not for the faint of heart on a blisteringly hot day.  

The old sea wall going out to the lighthouse has sort of an upper level and lower level. At one point we took stairs to the upper level, which was more narrow and because I started to feel uneasy we turned back in order to continue on the lower level a la Proverbs 22:3. 

Shortly thereafter my sandal proceeds to break in an irreparable way while we are on the middle of this long walk to the lighthouse in the blazing heat. We had no choice but to turn back and let me tell you it was an even longer walk back trying to hold onto my flipflop by scrunching up my toes while walking. 

Tired, overheated, frustrated, and hungry we hobbled our way to a place called Tostachi. 
​
 
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Tostachi Restaurant Review | Chania Cruise Port Crete, Greece

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Tostachi Restaurant Chania

​Tostachi is a cute little restaurant serving bio (organic) foods made from the heart. 

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Inside Tostachi Restaurant on Crete

Tostachi Chania Menu 

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To Stachi Menu
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To Stachi Drinks and Sweets Menu
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To Stachi Main Menu

Greek Coffee

We started off with a greek coffee which is made in a pot called a Briki and is reminiscent of the Armenian coffee we had at Ararate Restaurant in Lisbon.

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Greek Coffee at to Stachi in Chania

Cretan Spinach Pie

We ordered the Cretan spinach pie with "handmade phyllo pastry, wild seasonal greens & large variety of herbs."
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Cretan Spinach Pie at To Stachi Chania
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Greek Spinach Pie on Crete

Stelio's Salad

While we actually ordered a Greek Salad, in the end we seemed to have received Stelios's salad "with tomato, cucumber, onion, lettuce, rocket, herbs, coriander, avocado, olives, mizithra cheese & balsamic vinegar".
​

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Stelios' Salad at To Stachi Chania

​I absolutely loved this salad. I thought it was so flavorful and exciting. So full of colors and textures that you couldn't possibly call this a boring salad. 

This kind of salad makes eating healthy fun! =) 
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A stunning salad on the greek isle of Crete

Kalitsounia with honey - Dessert

For dessert we decided to try the â€‹kalitsounia with honey. This is "handmade phyllo pastry with mizithra cheese with Cretan thyme honey & cinnamon" 

By the way, if you're wondering what is mizithra?! It's a homemade traditional cheese made from goats milk. 

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Cretan Dessert Kalitsounia with Honey at To Stachi restaurant

Fruit Plate

At the end they brought us this lovely fruit plate of fresh honeydew and strawberry with their compliments!
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Fresh Fruit at To Stachi Restaurant

The best part of tostachi. 

Chef Stelios, shown in photo wearing his apron, was the absolute highlight of our visit to Tostachi. He was passionate about all of the food he made, eager to explain each menu item, happy to take a video while he made our dessert and show it to us, and he just had a warmth and kindness about him that is rare to see these days. 
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Stelios touched our hearts!

The kind of guy who would repair a sandal for a total stranger :) and as if that wasn't enough, even  provide extra wire in case the first fix didn't stay. What a legend! 
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Thanks to Stelios, I was able to walk back to the cruise shuttle bus with ease!
 
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walking back to the cruise shuttle bus 

With a newly repaired sandal, we could start the walk back to the shuttle bus pickup point, remembering to factor in the 20 minute bus ride and then walking to the actual ship so we wouldn't miss all aboard! 
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View across from To Stachi Restaurant in Chania

Cool Buildings in Chania

For some reason this red building was so intriguing.. 
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Architecture of Chania

​We walked near the water and the views of the Chanion Gulf were so beautiful.

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Chanion Gulf

​Once I saw these steps I knew I had to run down them real quick and dip my toe into the water - it was my last chance! When would I be on Crete again?! It was soooo refreshing on such a hot day. 

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Where locals dip their toe in - Chania Cruise Port

Wouldn't you love to visit Crete and spend some time in these beautiful waters?! 

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Beautiful waters surround Crete
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Sailing from crete on Sun princess

Once we got back on Sun Princess we grabbed a little strawberry-topped donut snack and returned to our balcony for the sail-away views of Crete.
 

The views...

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Sun Princess leaving Souda Port, Chania

... were just ...

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Outstanding views Starboard on Sun Princess Greek Isles Cruise

so so so good!

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Balcony Views from Souda Bay on Sun Princess

We couldn't get enough

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Sailing away from Crete on a Mediterranean Cruise

of the views through souda bay 

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Cannot get over the views of Crete in Souda Bay | Greek Isles Cruise Travel Blog
 
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dinner and Dancing in the Piazza

To wrap up a roller coaster of a day we grabbed a most random dinner from The Eatery on Sun Princess consisting of asian food and a dessert plate of greek sweets like baklava. 
In the Piazza, the band was bringing out some smooth moves from fellow cruisers. 
Day 5 of this Mediterranean Cruise on Sun Princess is a Sea Day so get ready for more cruise food pics and let us know if you think the food on Princess Cruises is good!
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​You will also like: 

Sun Princess MEDITERRANEAN Cruise Blogs:

  • Embarkation in Rome
  • Pizza in Naples
  • Naples Photo Diary
  • Americans Try Americana Diner At Sea
  • Sun Princess Deluxe Balcony Room Review
  • How to Get from Rome Airport to Port of Civitavecchia 


In this post we hope we gave you some helpful tips for visiting Chania Port Souda on a cruise and that we answered some questions you may have had such as: 
  1. Is Chania walkable from cruise port?
  2. What to do in Crete from a cruise ship?
  3. Is Chania a tender port?
  4. What is the name of the port in Chania?
  5. What is the name of the cruise port in Crete?
  6. Is Chania Crete worth visiting? Yes!!
  7. What currency do they use in Chania?
    ​Bring euros! The currency in Chania Crete is euro since Greece is part of the European Union. Cards are also widely accepted. Our favorite travel cards do not have foreign transaction fees either. ;)
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    Traveling Through Food

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    We love to travel and eat! 
    Traveling Through Food is a place to share some of our adventures in travel and food so you can find inspiration for your next big trip whether it's around the world or down the freezer aisle at the grocery store. :p 

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