LAX to MIA
April 29, 2017 (Saturday)
We are now ready for our transatlantic cruise! To give us a little bit more time in Miami before the cruise, we have booked an early flight out of LAX on American Airlines and the price for the ticket was like $132 per person one-way. Our flight was to leave LAX at 6:15 AM, arriving MIA at 2:20 PM, giving us a few hours to see Miami where we have never been before.
To avoid being picked up and dropped off in ungodly hours in the middle of the night, we decided to have family members drop us off at the airport before midnight so they could go back home for a good night rest and we would just spend the night at the airport. It would have been good planning except that the check-in kiosk or counters were not open during the night. I think we should have gone there a little earlier while the check-ins were still open so we could check-in and then go to the gate and wait in comfort instead of waiting at the check-in area and sat on concrete for a couple of hours. There was nothing much we could do except patiently waited til they start the check-in process at 3:30. We managed to use the self check-in kiosk with the help of a courteous AA employee and because we are AA Advantage members, we had one check-in baggage each for free, even for the rest of our group who are not AA members. We had the TSA precheck which also applied to all of them since we all checked in together. The four members who are not AA members traveling with us saved $44 baggage fees each. Not bad at all!
AA check-in counters at midnight. Very quiet!
AA Flight 1297
We waited at the gate for over two hours before boarding the plane at around 5:45 AM. The plane left on time at 6:15 with full capacity. Our seats were way in the back of the plane but it was OK. Complimentary drinks and cookies were served and service was quite decent.
Complimentary drink and cookies served on board.
We arrived MIA on time but it took us a long time to retrieve our bags from the carousel since several flights used the same carousel for all their passengers. Then it took us a while to find the rental car center which is a distance away from the terminal. MOR and I had to walk around the terminal then took the people mover to the car rental center to fetch our rental van. Fortunately, the line for car pick-up was speedy and we just went to the car lot to pick up the van reserved from Alamo. We were told to just pick out any of the vans parked there and go. We decided on a maroon color van and soon driving out of the parking structure to pick up most of the luggage and half of our group to the hotel. Then we came back to the terminal again to pick up the rest of the group on the second run before settling down at the hotel.
We decided that having a rental car would allow us to have more freedom while in Miami. With a rental car from the MIA airport, they offer free shuttles to the port so it all worked out for us without having to deal with transportation from the hotel to the port the next day.
This was the first time that I have booked a vacation rental instead of a hotel. After comparing the prices among hotels in the Miami area, we figured that this is a better arrangement for the 7 of us. If we book hotel rooms, we would need three rooms at the rate of at least $100+ each. Here, for a two-bedroom unit that sleeps seven, we paid only $248 for an overnight stay. The unit came with everything including a full kitchen, two bathrooms, two bedrooms and two couches that turned into beds at night. They also provide free transportation and access to the Trump Vacation property nearby which we did not use.
This Marriott property was nicely run with friendly staff at every corner. Everybody we met was friendly and courteous. I was very impressed from the time we booked and they even let us picked the building where we prefer staying at. I chose the building farthest away from the main area with a view of the lake on the top floor which turned out to be amazing. The only regret was that we were only staying there for one night. Too short a time to enjoy all the amenities there.
Full kitchen
dining room
dining room and living room
living room and balcony
master room
with a big bathroom
balcony with lake view
Versailles, Miami, Florida
After everyone got settled, it was around 5pm and it was about time for us to head out for dinner. Our goal was to have a good Cuban meal at this World's Most Famous Cuban restaurant in Miami. The drive from Marriott to Versailles was easy to navigate on local streets. It was very busy with customers waiting around the entrance but they got us in less than a 10-minute wait. This is a huge operation and worth a try when visiting this city. Good food, reasonable prices with most dishes around $12~15. The portions were huge and we all had leftovers to take home.
As we approached the restaurant.
warm bread to start with
interior
Versailles combo to share as appetizer--Empanadas, Croquettes, and Yuca Fries.
One of Versailles Cuban Sampler--The Classic
Chef's Special--BBQ Spare Ribs
Chef's Special--Ox Tail Stew
Another Versailles Cuban Sampler--The Criollo
I believe this was the Shrimps in Creole Sauce
And a cup of Cuban Espresso to end our delicious meal.
The bakery/cafe next to the restaurant.
Another bakery/cafe across the parking lot.
A very busy place.
With bus loads of people coming in.
After dinner, we drove around the city to take a glimpse of the night life in Miami. There was a lot of activities near the stadium in the downtown area and we were glad to get out of that and back to our comfortable hotel room for the night.
Here is a picture of the washer and dryer in the apartment.
Reception area
Entrance to the reception desk where rum punch was provided.
Tomorrow, we will board the NCL Getaway for our 16-day Transatlantic cruise to Copenhagen. We will then stay one night in Copenhagen before boarding another cruise to Norway and Scotland on the HAL Zuiderdam. Our adventure begins!
