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. 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. We were also surprised to receive agua de horchata x 2! 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
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Embarkation at Port EvergladesOur 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! Fort Lauderdale blogs:Exploring Symphony of the seasYour 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! 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! ;) 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. 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. Celebrity Apex was also in port in Fort Lauderdale! Embarkation day lunchWe 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. Oceanview Cabin PhotosAround 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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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! |
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.
Laspada's Hoagie Menu with prices
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?
Laspada's also sells a variety of chips which are an ideal crunchy, salty companion to your delicious hoagie!
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
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...
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.
This hoagie was loaded! The cross section is a thing of beauty - carefully constructed, strategically placed layers of freshly sliced Italian meats and toppings.
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.
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. ;)
Fort Lauderdale Blog.
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. |
Our room.
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.
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!
Symphony of the Seas Reviews | Royal Caribbean Cruise Blog.
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.
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!
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.
Fort Lauderdale travel blog.
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! ;)
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!
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Starboard View of Souda Port Chania on the greek Isle of Crete
View from Balcony 11221 Starboard, looking at Chania port toward the left, straight ahead, and to the right respectively.
Crete Cruise Port FAQs
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.
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. =)
Our one day in chania cruise port
Shuttle Bus to Chania Town
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.
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. |
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.
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!
Walking around Chania is enjoyable. From wide shopping and dining streets like this one ..
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. =)
Unique Greek Gift Ideas on Crete
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.
If leather isn't your thing. check out O Armenis for more unique souvenirs from Crete.
O Armenis sells traditional cutlery and you can see how unique these handmade knives certainly are.
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
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!
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.
cretan Cats of chania
In the neighborhood were some adorable street cats and a comical, scruffy little dog.
old venetian port of chania
We had made it to the Old Venetian Port of Chania.
We found more cats hanging around waiting for a fresh catch and this one looked quite distinguished.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tostachi Restaurant Review | Chania Cruise Port Crete, Greece
Tostachi is a cute little restaurant serving bio (organic) foods made from the heart.
Tostachi Chania Menu
Greek Coffee
Cretan Spinach Pie
Stelio's Salad
Kalitsounia with honey - Dessert
By the way, if you're wondering what is mizithra?! It's a homemade traditional cheese made from goats milk.
Fruit Plate
The best part of tostachi.
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!
walking back to the cruise shuttle bus
Cool Buildings in Chania
We walked near the water and the views of the Chanion Gulf were so beautiful.
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.
Wouldn't you love to visit Crete and spend some time in these beautiful waters?!
Sailing from crete on Sun princess
The views...
... were just ...
so so so good!
We couldn't get enough
of the views through souda bay
dinner and Dancing in the Piazza
You will also like:
Sun Princess MEDITERRANEAN Cruise Blogs:
- Is Chania walkable from cruise port?
- What to do in Crete from a cruise ship?
- Is Chania a tender port?
- What is the name of the port in Chania?
- What is the name of the cruise port in Crete?
- Is Chania Crete worth visiting? Yes!!
- 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. ;)
Oh, Hey!
We're Justin and Marissa
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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