Would you drive 9-10 hours after a cruise?

Hi everyone,

We (family of 12, with the youngest child being 11) are sailing on the Oasis labor day weekend Sat. Aug 30th and returning Monday, September 1st.

According to our 2 day schedule, we will be arriving in FLL at 6:30am.

I'm not sure what time we will need to be off the ship.

We will be driving back to Atl, GA which is about 9-10 hours from FL counting breaks.

Within our family, DH and I are the only drivers.

From your experience after a cruise, do you think we will be too tired after the cruise to drive back from FLL to Atlanta?

Or do you think we will be fine?

Would you do it?

We are newbie cruisers LOL so I don't know what to expect.

Thank you!

I'm sorry, I just realized this is the Roll Call forum.

I will start a new thread in the RC forum.

Can you please close this?

Don't close, this is the right forum! Sorry about that!

Yes, I would. If you allow for a several pit stops along the way and alternate drivers, you should be fine. The last day of a cruise is as hectic and busy as you make it. Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

Trying to understand. Thinking of 12 people, does this mean there are two vehicles, so you and your husband each have to drive the entire way home?

Assuming you go to bed at a reasonable hour the night before and don't over indulge, you should be fine.

Since it's a holiday weekend, there might be a ton of traffic. We were so tired after a cruise once, that we only drove for about four hours and then had to get a hotel.

Shirley, Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I havent cruised out of Ft Lauderdale but I live about an hour north of the ATL I can tell you that the drive from Pt Canaveral or Tampa is a LONG one after the cruise. I tend to stay up late the last night so that makes it tough.

I remember driving back home after a short 3 night on Monarch from Port Canaveral and it was very tiring drive because I didnt get much sleep on that short cruise.

If you can split it up between the two of you, it might not be so bad.

Hi everyone,

 

We (family of 12, with the youngest child being 11) are sailing on the Oasis labor day weekend Sat. Aug 30th and returning Monday, September 1st.

 

According to our 2 day schedule, we will be arriving in FLL at 6:30am.

 

I'm not sure what time we will need to be off the ship.

 

We will be driving back to Atl, GA which is about 9-10 hours from FL counting breaks.

 

Within our family, DH and I are the only drivers.

 

From your experience after a cruise, do you think we will be too tired after the cruise to drive back from FLL to Atlanta?

 

Or do you think we will be fine?

 

Would you do it?

 

We are newbie cruisers LOL so I don't know what to expect.

 

Thank you!

Hi sierra77!!!

My Husband and I live in Alabama and we always drive down to FLL and back for our cruises. It is about a 12-13 hour drive for us, but it really isn't that bad if you stop and stretch, etc. Last year we disembarked carrying our own luggage at 5:30. We were in our car and on the road by 6. It really isn't that bad. Plus it beats the outrageous airfare!

Ashley

Plus it beats the outrageous airfare!

 

Ashley

I do have to agree. I will never fly when the trip is less than 12 hours by car. And even driving a full sized 4X4 truck, I can still drive it cheaper than I can fly two of us even with gas as high as it is now.

Probably a bit subjective.

We drove to Port Canaveral for our cruise last year and are doing it again this fall. We're a few hours further from you in TN. But then again, we don't have 12 people to shuttle.

Last year we stopped at a grocery store after we got off the ship, grabbed some food and that helped minimize longer stops.

Worst case, you can play it by ear and get a hotel on the way back. :)

Thank you everyone for the replies! I do appreciate it. :)

I'm sorry, I should clarify...it is a group cruise with family and friends.

Within this group, we are family of 4 (DH, Myself, DD (13) and DS (11).

When the cruise is over, each family will go there own separate ways and make their own drive.

I do have to agree. I will never fly when the trip is less than 12 hours by car. And even driving a full sized 4X4 truck, I can still drive it cheaper than I can fly two of us even with gas as high as it is now.

+1. We've decided if we can drive it in a day, we will do it. The cost of air fare otherwise becomes prohibitive (especially once the kids are involved!).

Thank you everyone for the replies! I do appreciate it. :)

 

I'm sorry, I should clarify...it is a group cruise with family and friends.

 

Within this group, we are family of 4 (DH, Myself, DD (13) and DS (11).

 

When the cruise is over, each family will go there own separate ways and make their own drive.

In that case, with alternating drivers, then there should be no problem.:)

We have made a 10-hour drive back from PC to NC many times on disembarkation day. Since your kids are older, you should be fine.

We are on the Indiana/Michigan line and have driven back from NOLA a couple times and even Miami once. Definitely doable. We planned on driving for our upcoming cruise out of NY, but opted to fly this time instead.

We have made the apx 11 hr drive from Miami or Ft Lauderdale a few times. One time I even had to go to work the next morning. That sucked! We have 3 drivers but dh insists on doing it all. It's not that bad. Last trip we encountered delays and ended up getting a room on the way home. Its worth saving the airfare.

WE normally fly for our cruises living in Minnesota it is a long drive to any cruise port.

We did drive one cruise from New Orleans. Day we got off the ship we drove from New Orleans to Little Rock Arkansas with no problem

For our cruise Oct 2015, Quebec to FT Lauderdale, we are planning to drive to Quebec City pre cruise following a couple days in NYC, but staying in Newark. This should save us around $500 + per couple if we flew from Newark to Quebec city. There are 5 of us.

We live in West Central Illinois and we always drive. Last year we got off the ship in PC and drove to Clarksville, TN. DH and I drive 2 hour shifts. It works out great. The secret is do not party too hard the last night of the cruise...:)

Facing a long drive (10-11 hours) after a cruise is not fun. But I choose that over paying for airline tickets. And you as a family are going to save a substantial amount of moola by choosing to drive. It would be a no brainer for us.

When I lived in the Atlanta area I have driven from south Florida back to the big Peach after a cruise, more than once. At that time we were driving from Miami and it was not a problem at all.

we always stop somewhere. After the cruise we are going to drive to Kentucky, and do the 4 hour mammouth caves, and stay over. No we cant drive THAT long.

You can definitely do it, especially with 2 drivers. Last February I got off the Brilliance in Tampa about 7:30am.My daughter drove us to her house outside of Orlando and we unpacked her car. I then packed up my car and left at noon to drive to PA.

I was trying to make it home between winter snowstorms. I made it to just south of Richmond,VA in 9 1/2 hours, stopped for the night and drove the rest of the way home the next day. Good thing I left when I did because the Carolinas got slammed with an ice storm and we got 16 inches of snow the day after I got home.:eek:

We drove 14 hours back to Maryland after our cruise arrived back in Port Canveral. Next time, we'll break it up or wait until the next day to drive back. Oh who am I kidding...I'll be flying next time :D