How far are you willing to drive for your departure port?

[momof3cruisers]

We've driven from the St. Louis area to New Orleans, and it's not so bad. In fact, I prefer driving because then you can enjoy the port city without having to hassle with taxis and such.

 

Exactly. The one thing I don't like about cruising is the last day, waiting for your flight etc. I would much rather be able to hop in our own car and handle the day however we want.

[gelo7]

I live in East Central Florida and have five cruise ports within easy dirves. Port Canaverla is 45 minutes away, Jacksonville just 75 minutes, Tampa one hour forty-five minutes, Ft. Lauderdale 3 hours, and Miami four hours. I can find all the cruises I want here.

I am blessed!

Yes, you are.

[okwriter]

When I flew to Orlando for my first cruise, we got hung up in Atlanta on the way home. I could have almost driven home (to Oklahoma) and got here sooner. :rolleyes: Plus having a sick traveler (bronchial) was not fun...

 

We're about 11 hours if we drive to Galveston, which isn't bad. But hitting every casino between here (north central-ish Oklahoma) and the Texas state line adds hours and hours to that trip. Boy, they are fun hours, though! :D

[PA2CRUISE]

This summer I drove down to Charleston from Pittsburgh which was an 11 hour drive but since DH couldn't come, I was the only driver. So I broke up the drive and drove 8 hours then stayed at a hotel in Rock Hill, SC. It was a 3 hour drive in the morning to get to the port from there. I did the same thing on the way back but we made a stop at Carowinds Amusement Park on the NC/SC border and stayed at a hotel right in the area. This definitely also gave the kids something to look forward to again and the 7-8 hour drive home wasn't too bad at all.

 

But even if DH could have came with us, we probably would have did the same thing. It just doesn't make sense to drive 11 straight hours then be too tired to do anything once we get on the ship. Airfare would have been too much money with the kids. My SIL (who doesn't drive) also came so we split the costs of gas and tolls which was really nice.

 

We have flown to Florida with the kids but it's just too much money for my large family when you add it all up and I vowed to never do it again. So the next family trip to Florida we'll be driving. Orlando is 16 hours which is doable. But driving to Miami, which is another 4 hours just seems a lil too out of reach for me. I think that extra push would just annoy me to no end. If it's just me and DH, we definitely fly because it's more cost effective.

[patrickiii]

We drive from syracuse NY to miami in 23 hours . will be leaving in 3 days for the imagination then the miracle . long ride buts its great

[cincyman]

We have driven from Cincinnati to Tampa the last 2 years and it takes us about 13-14 hrs. We come in at least a day or two before our cruise. I like to drive so we just treat it like an extra couple days vacation.

[Joaljoe]

I love the fact of getting on a plane and being there in a short time. Especially since hubby usually can only take 1 week off of work. But if we had the time, I would definitely drive the 24 hours in takes from Toronto to FL. I LOVE road trips!!! :)

[sjn911]

1500--2000 miles....time, money and good weather permitting...

[amichel]

We are driving from Kansas City to New Orleans -- 14 hours.

[C&THollings]

In March, we drove from Danville Illinois to Miami for our Cruise. We were going to drive down to New Orleans for our next cruise coming up in November, but the Amtrak is the same cost as driving. The time is only a couple hours more, not worth it to drive for this one :)

[dickinson]

Check out that option you mentioned of driving a rental car one way. The drop off charges are exhorbitant! We have driven many times down to Florida. The good thing about it is you are not driving in major cities once you get out of Northern VA so traffic is not bad at all (nothing like the northeat corridor!). We would normally drive 12 hours and make it to Kingsland, GA which is right near the FL border. The next day we have a shorter drive (no more than about 5 hours to Miami). Your main problem is your dh doesn't like to drive so if you have the time you can break up the trip in both directions by visiting your relatives and friends.

[Betsybill]

We have driven from South Mississippi to Miami a couple of times. We make it to the start of the Florida Turnpike in one 7 - 8 hour day, and get on the turnpike around 7am and are at the port by 11am.

[Dee777]

Well if it were up to me, we would drive all the way to Florida or California from Saskatchewan Canada to cruise! (I hate to fly, just HATE it) But, DH doesn't always see things my way lol

[Homosassa]

We have driven back up to Columbia, MD from Florida. Picked up DD, and gone up to Philly to board a ship for a cruise to Bermuda.

[lyttleone1977]

Were driving from michigan to Seattle next year. Over 3k miles round trip.

[brainfreeze987]

Morgantown, WV to Miami, Fl is the longest. 18 hours per Mapquest, but usually takes at least 20 to 24. Must allow for fuel stops, food and bathroom breaks. Every now and then a nap might be in order.

[Shelbyjane56]

Hubby travels all over the world, and one of the perks is being able to get free airfare even for cruising, so we always fly given that we are in north Indiana and getting first class of which is Diamond status we would be crazy to not take them up on it, including hotels. I know our parents liked driving no matter how far...we prefer to just fly and relax before a cruise.

[cruiserami]

I live in East Central Florida and have five cruise ports within easy dirves. Port Canaverla is 45 minutes away, Jacksonville just 75 minutes, Tampa one hour forty-five minutes, Ft. Lauderdale 3 hours, and Miami four hours. I can find all the cruises I want here.

I am blessed!

 

And you have New Symrna Beach! Lucky. We're driving twenty hours straight through to fll in December to be able to cruise. It was either spend the money to fly and see the in-laws or drive and cruise.

[laurenpie]

We like to cruise out of the Port Of Miami, so we fly 14 hours to Los Angeles from Australia... and then another 5-ish hours to Miami from LA.

 

I'd do anytime to get the great experience of Carnival that we do :)

[LadyTenorJD]

I live in East Central Florida and have five cruise ports within easy dirves. Port Canaverla is 45 minutes away, Jacksonville just 75 minutes, Tampa one hour forty-five minutes, Ft. Lauderdale 3 hours, and Miami four hours. I can find all the cruises I want here.

I am blessed!

 

We are neighbors! I, too live in East Central Florida...Brevard County, to be exact...and I am about 40 minutes from Port Canaveral. So we are spoiled. I've cruised out of Port Canaveral twice, Fort lauderdale, and Miami. My next cruise is next month out of San Juan--the first time I'll be flying to cruise. I've never been to San Juan, so it will be an experience!

 

 

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Carnival Miracle December 2011

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Carnival Valor July 2013

Carnival Dream December 2013

[snifflesmcg]

With the exception of my first cruise, my other 5 I drove to. I live in PA and have driven to port Canaveral and new Orleans. It's a great road trip. My suggestion, take your own car and find a "snooze and cruise" hotel where you leave your car there.

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[LadyTenorJD]

I agree with that! I moved to Brevard County in 2004. DH and I finally got around to cruising this past summer. Very convenient to drive 35 minutes to Port Canaveral! We are cruising in December and will be leaving from Ft. Lauderdale; that will be a bit over 2 hours to reach. Not a big deal. We are spoiled here in FL with so many ports from which we can depart.

 

However, after we get tired of cruising in the Caribbean, we will have to fly elsewhere. I'm not into long driving, and DH likes driving less than I do.

 

I've driven from FL to NY once with a friend, and that was about as long as I can take. No one is going to see me driving to CA anytime soon. :) If I want to visit my relatives there, I fly.

 

Happy cruising to all, and to all a good night!

 

So apparently I responded to this thread eons ago...I'm divorced now, and actually have driven to other ports to cruise, as I've mentioned in my newer post...I guessed it would take me 4 hours to drive to Miami, but when I went on a cruise in March, it only took me a shade over 3 hours. And that's because we stopped to eat.

 

 

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RCCL Monarch of the Seas June 2011

Carnival Miracle December 2011

Carnival Ecstacy December 2012

Carnival Imagination March 2013

Carnival Valor July 2013

Carnival Dream December 2013

[LadyTenorJD]

More fun to drive if you don't have a crabby husband ruining the fun. I don't mind driving to ports, and my BF is an adventurer, so he doesn't mind either. I've cruised three times since my divorce (only once out of Pt. Canaveral, the closest port to me), and will be on two more before this year is out. Life is too short not to have fun.

 

Some of my friends don't care to drive to cruise, so when I cruise with them, we pick cruises out of Port Canaveral. I don't mind going elsewhere in Florida, if it means an itinerary I can't get from Port Canaveral. I love to travel!

 

 

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RCCL Monarch of the Seas June 2011

Carnival Miracle December 2011

Carnival Ecstacy December 2012

Carnival Imagination March 2013

Carnival Valor July 2013

Carnival Dream December 2013

[dad son team]

I've gotten to the point that I prefer to drive to a port all the time so that really limits me to NYC, Baltimore or Boston. NYC is only 4 hours so thats not bad and actually faster than flying when you add my drive to the airport, 1 hour for check in, flying time, then time from airport to ship. The down side it that it limits my destinations.

 

Now that said, I am sailing out of Miami in December and driving for that one. Mainly because we are visiting family in Orlando for Christmas for a week before the cruise and when I weighed out all the expenses of flying 3 people (with high Christmas fares), luggage costs, rental car for a week in Orlando, etc. driving is much cheaper. Now I just have to hope for good weather on the way home. We get off the ship on Saturday and have work/school Monday and with 24 or so hours of driving there's not alot of room for a snowstorm.

[Bluemoon319]

We are neighbors! I, too live in East Central Florida...Brevard County, to be exact...and I am about 40 minutes from Port Canaveral. So we are spoiled. I've cruised out of Port Canaveral twice, Fort lauderdale, and Miami. My next cruise is next month out of San Juan--the first time I'll be flying to cruise. I've never been to San Juan, so it will be an experience!

 

I love cruising out of Puerto Rico & going to the Southern Caribbean. :) Puerto Rico is the only port I fly to due to no other choice. My drives have been about 10 to 17 hrs. each way. The one exception was last month when I only had to drive about 3 & 1/2 hrs. to Norfolk. That was such a luxury & it was an exceptionally great cruise. I am sad to see there are no cruises scheduled past April 2014 for Norfolk or Baltimore (only 1 hr. drive for me). :( So it looks like the lengthy road trips will continue.

 

Just makes sense to me.....cheaper, don't have to worry about what or how much I bring on board, don't have to worry about how many bottles of alcohol I want to bring back home, more freedom while near port.....etc.