Whilst it’s true to say we stayed at this hotel before, it was ten years ago and pre-cruise on that occasion. Having flown earlier in the day we grabbed a quick dinner and next morning after a short walk we just jumped into a taxi and went to Port Everglades. So it was nice to actually get an extra day, benefit from the relaxed day and enjoy several walks.
Choking over spending $73 on breakfast, we again have time for a walkies, first trying to enter the park opposite, until we learn it’s paid entry, so being British we refuse to pay and head back to the coastal pathway.
The weather is glorious, even better than yesterday, it’s a shame we’re dressed for travel, shorts would be so much more acceptable! Checkout brings a new surprise - another $39 for day charge - what is that all about? Our extra day is proving very costly - over $300 so far, not including the hotel.
Our taxi is on time, yet another Prius, the third in a row, not suitable for us with so much baggage, so we’re squashed with bags sharing the back seat. This journey is the first that the meter hasn’t “gone wrong” yesterday the power wasn’t working, but the real con was on our first journey when the driver really ripped us off - insufficient knowledge at that time! Instead we get a Covid-tírade even a classic London cabbie would have been proud off!!
We’ve plenty of time as the app announces a flight delay as we’re in the Prius, so after checking in by the most polite lady ever, we decide to walk between the terminals, it’s even a designated “pre-flight exercise path” albeit only a mile or so.
Next we’re up in the lounge, involuntarily listening to the outrageous tales of a young couple and parents/in-laws who have just disgorged from Celebrity Millennium this morning. We enjoy some nibbles, champagne, a lovely chicken, broccoli and rice dish and some more champagne before it’s time to wander to the gate, some 50 yards away - it’s a small terminal!
The first-class stewardess has a Texan drawl as looong as Dallas to Fort Worth, and she’s just “gonna find some more champagne y’all know” and she is soon back as promised. As we leave Ft Lauderdale the view over Port Everglades is rather good.
Very quickly we’re in Atlanta terminal A. Our Virgin flight leaves from terminal F, and Atlanta is HUGE, normally we’d take the underground train between these, but with plenty of time we decide to walk, advertised as a 45 minute journey, all underground alongside the train tunnel - it’s about 10000 ft / two miles in total We even find a vending machine for Apple products, just in case of withdrawal symptoms!
Despite the walk we still have ages so pop upstairs for a while, more champagne and more unhealthy snacks!
The flight is surprisingly quick, less than six and a half hours, but we manage to catch a few hours sleep, between dinner of mixed quality and a lovely breakfast. The proper beds on Virgin are great, and we get to keep our PJs.
The baggage takes ages to arrive, but being early anyway we’re still on our way home on schedule, and the punishment for arriving a day late - another £25 parking charge!!
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