Ft Lauderdale

December 15th, 10:30pm - had a very busy day which started out very early in the morning 3:30am. Flew to Milwaukee, the to Ft Lauderdale. I tried to sleep on the plane, but am not sure if I slept or not. My parents were waiting for us in Ft Lauderdale airport, and we took off to check in at our hotel the Embassy Suites on 17th, which, by the way, is the ultimate pre or post cruise hotel in Ft Lauderdale. We are on the 11th floor and have a view of the port, so it will be fun waking up tomorrow morning to see the ships. I made a stop to my favorite bookstore, Bluewater Books & Charts, which has tons of nautical and maritime books. I got the latest Douglas Ward Berlitz 2012 book.

Today I met with Phil Allen, the Executive Director of Port Everglades. I've had him on my show in the past, but only over the phone so it was nice to meet with him in-person and talk with him about this bustling port. Then I met with Uf Tukel, who is the President and owner of iCruise. I talked with Mr. Tukel about his iCruise App which is the best in the cruise industry.

Next we went to our hotel, Embassy Suites to freshen-up before meeting with some friends and family at "The Melting Pot", a restaurant that specializes in fondue. I had never heard of this restaurant, and I was very pleased to experience this fun, creative way to dine. We had great conversation, the food was tasty, fresh and plentiful. So for those looking for an interesting place to enjoy dinner before or after your cruise in and out of Ft Lauderdale, The Melting Pot is a great choice.

Looking forward to a busy day tomorrow as we have breakfast here in the Embassy Suites. I am meeting again with family and friends for breakfast then off to the port to board the MSC Poesia.