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| Photo by Freeimages.com/Sergio Castro |
A recent study by Port Everglades consultants AECOM and Dickey Consulting Agency shows that 62 percent of passengers stayed at least one night prior to their cruise, benefiting the Greater Fort Lauderdale economy.
These passengers stay an average of 3.4 nights, with 21 percent planning to stay an average of 2.6 nights after their cruise.
Expenditures before and after the cruise were nearly identical. However, guests planned to spend more money on land tours after the cruise than before the cruise -- $80 spent on land tours before the cruise and $133 to be spent on land tours after the cruise.
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages pre- and post-cruise vacation stays through its "Cruise & Play" section on the sunny.org website. The "Cruise & Play" section has a list of hotels offering shuttle service to and from the cruise port and airport, as well as deals on hotels, attractions and special discounts available just by showing your cruise card or cruise documents.
Another benefit to cruising from Port Everglades includes the Port's proximity to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), the study said. More than 21 percent of the cruise guests surveyed said that they came directly from FLL, and an overwhelming majority (66 percent) said they selected FLL based on its close proximity to the Port.
FLL is located within two miles of Port Everglades and is accessible by taxi, shuttle or bus transfer from the cruise line. The Port is also within 30 miles of Miami International Airport (MIA), which is an approximate 40-minute drive.
Visit porteverglades.net