Suggestions on pre-cruise hotels

We are going on a cruise leaving out of the port of Miami in August and arriving a day early. We have 2 children ages 11 and 15. Is it worth staying in South Beach just for one night? How far is South Beach from the port of Miami. It looks from the maps that the port is close to downtown. Would it be better to stay downtown for one night?

thanks for you help

MD

Suggestions on pre-cruise hotels

Tennis%26gt;

The choice is simple... if your kids would enjoy a day at the seashore, stay on South Beach. August is problematic as it%26#39;s our hurricane season - and it rains a lot. So a day at the beach in the rain is a day trapped in the hotel suite with your kids! YIKES! Let%26#39;s not think about that ...

You can stroll Lincoln Mall and check out the beautiful Deco Skyline on Ocean Drive too. The Mall has lots of kid friendly restaurants and sidewalk cafes, ice cream shops and the usual mall attractions like the GAP, Quicksilver, etc. You might want to take a DUCK TOUR with the kids. The coach actually turns into a boat and drives right into the bay... it%26#39;s pretty cool.

The Port is a 25 minute cab ride from South Beach. South Beach is a 25 minute cab ride from the airport... it%26#39;s all flat rate plus a tip each way (around $40).

If you opt to stay downtown, there are a few spots to check out with kids... Bayside Marketplace is the portside attraction. Built by the folks who did South Street Seaport in NYC and also some aspect of Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market in Boston (I think), the place is a waterfront marina-facing mall with fun shops, Calypso music, frozen cocktails... a food court and some sit-down restaurants as well. Local tour boats sail from the marina offering a look at the stars homes etc.

We also have a nice art museum and a historical museum downtown on Flagler Street along with off-priced shopping, faux-designer handbags that look real, and a few worthwhile restaurants for lunch or supper. Tobacco Road, our oldest and most fun pub is opened late with live music nightly.

Either way - you can%26#39;t go wrong. If your kids are more interested in a city day - shopping and museums etc. stay Downtown and perhaps grab a boat at Bayside in the afternoon. Otherwise, hit the sand and then wander Lincoln Mall in the afternoon and hop on a DUCK boat from the Mall (Lincoln/Washington) if you decide to tour the city from there...

Enjoy!

AG

puffy eye cream