Fort Lauderdale Port Everglades

Fort Lauderdale, called the "Venice of America" for its extensive canal network, is a popular cruise destination with beaches, nightlife and many outdoor activities.

By air -- the large cruise terminal is about 2 miles (5 minutes) from Ft. Lauderdale airport. A taxi to Port Everglades costs about $17.

If arranged in advance, cruise-line buses meet arriving flights for the transfer to port. Port Everglades is also about 30 minutes north of Miami International Airport, giving cruisers another option.

Port Everglades sits conveniently near downtown Fort Lauderdale. The cruise-terminal to downtown distance is approximately 4.8 kilometers (3 miles), or about a 10-15 minute drive.

A taxi is virtually the only way to travel to or from the cruise terminal.

Parking costs $15 per day. Other companies offer cheaper rates with shuttle transport to the port. The Port Everglades exit is off I–595.

Port Everglades' new Heron Garage uses solar power and moving walkways to take passengers from cars to Cruise Terminals 2 and 4.

The port is in a large industrial area.

There is a webcam.

Recast as a family-friendly resort town, Fort Lauderdale combines golden beaches and Venice-like waterways with South Florida's relaxed sophistication.

As the world's luxury-yachting capital, Fort Lauderdale's Intercoastal Canal and winding waterways are lined with mega yachts, revealing astonishing wealth to casual explorers.

Its glittery neighbour Miami and hot Latino beat cannot match this waterfront showcase. Greater Fort Lauderdale stretches 37km (23 miles), from Palm Beach in the north to Miami in the south: one continuous band of beaches and more than 480km (300 miles) of inland waterways.

One attraction to visit is Billie Swamp Safari on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation.

Butterfly World, in Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek, Florida, United States, opened in 1988. It is the world's largest butterfly park and the Western Hemisphere's first such park, with around 5000 live butterflies.

Water taxis are an excellent way to get around for shopping or restaurants; all-day passes cost just US$20.

Activities focus on the beach, Riverwalk and Las Olas Boulevard, all within walking or cruising distances. The city is safe and family-friendly.

Local buses and trains cover greater Fort Lauderdale and South Florida. A hire car is needed to explore the state's coastline and beaches, or make a day trip or longer to the Florida Keys.

Fort Lauderdale's 5km (3-mile) ribbon of clean sandy beach meets the urban streetscape of highway AIA, known as Beach Boulevard, where open-air cafes and bistros face palms and the Atlantic. Add kilometers (miles) of lagoons to a city of bridge-linked waterways and water taxis, and its appeal to water lovers is clear. Since the spring break crowd was banned in the 90s, the promenade has drawn runners, walkers and cyclists, while the beach remains a principal attraction. Try kite surfing, waterskiing or scuba diving on offshore wrecks…

Downtown's stylish shopping street is broad Las Olas avenue, lined as it runs beside the river with fashion boutiques, art galleries, notable restaurants and sidewalk cafes. Window-shoppers speak a dozen languages, while others rest and watch passers-by from shaded cafes.

For busier shopping, go about 10 miles (16km) west to Sunrise Boulevard and enter the Swap Shop Circus. More than 12-million shoppers each year search 800 open-air canopied vendor stalls for bargain brand-name goods. The circus also has shows and the world's largest 13-screen drive-in movie theater.

Nearby is Florida's largest retail and entertainment center, Sawgrass Mills: almost two miles (three km) of mall with more than 400 stores and kiosks. Its Oasis food court contains more than 30 popular eateries.

Antique collectors can browse dozens of shops in the Dania Beach Historic Antique Shopping District, including the Antique Center Mall.

The official U.S. currency is the United States dollar (symbol: $). ATM's are everywhere.

Visa, MasterCard and other major credit cards are widely used, even for purchases of only a few dollars, and may sometimes be the sole way to pay. Overseas visitors should remember that prices often appear lower than they are because taxes and gratuities are seldom included.

Most states levy sales tax from 2.9% to nearly 10% of retail price; 4-6% is typical. It is almost never included in displayed prices, except for gasoline and, in most states, alcoholic drinks consumed on-premises, and is added when you pay.

Tipping is common and expected in America. Americans may debate the right amount and who should receive it, but these are generally accepted standard rates:

• Full-service restaurants: 15-20% (Often this is the only income of the wait(ress). Tips may be left in cash or added to the credit card slip.) Note: Few restaurants add an automatic service charge; if one does, it is your choice how much extra to tip. Check your bill!
• Taxi drivers, hairdressers and other personal services: 10-15%.
• Bartenders: $1 per inexpensive drink or 15% of total.
• Bellhops: tip $1-2 for each bag, with a $3-5 minimum regardless.
• Hotel doorman: give $1 for each bag if they assist, and $1 when they call a cab.
• Tour guides: amounts depend on tour length, size and overall guided-tour quality; give $5-10 per person for half day tours or less, and $10-20 per person for longer tours.
• For private car & limousine drivers, a 15-20% tip is standard.
• For hotel housekeeping, allow $1-2 each day on long stays, or a $5 minimum for very short stays (optional).
• Food delivery (pizza, etc.) normally receives $2-5, perhaps more for very large orders.

Terminal 18, Port Everglades' largest cruise terminal, has free WiFi.

Broward County provides several free wireless Internet "hotspots": the Las Olas Boulevard section between Andrews Ave and 10th Ave., every county library and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Emergency number: 911.

In large metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles, drugstores and supermarkets commonly stay open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Department stores, shopping centers and most other large retailers usually operate 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, often with shorter Sunday hours of 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. On holidays, they tend to stay open, except on the most important holidays such as Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when stores generally close.