I was hoping to get some advice on how easy it would be if we rented a car upon arriving in Ft. Lauderdale to get us to our hotel in Miami., and how we would go about getting that rental back to the airport prior to getting to the pier to catch our cruise.
Is the airport close enough to catch a fairly cheap taxi to the port of Miami?
Have never done the car rental thing, but thought it might be worth a try if we could easily arrive at the port.
Thanks!!car rental

You might consider a limo service. I think the rental costs may be higher. You obviously don't want to rent a car for the whole cruise time and pay for parking in Miami. So you are looking at two one way rentals (and I'm not sure if you can drop a rental off at the Port of Miami. SO, you are looking at the cruise line transfer costs, a taxi fare, or a limo service. Price all three and see which is the best option. There are other cruise chatters that have done this, so maybe someone with experience can shed some light. But don't make your transport overly complicated just to save $20 on it (rental pick up / drop off hassles etc..) The taxi or limo are probably you best bet unless there are a large number of you in your party.

Check with Thrifty Car Rental. The last time I used them, I picked up a car in Ft. Lauderdale and dropped it off near the Miami airport. They provide us with free shuttle service to the port.

Sonny