To Drive or Fly...THAT is the question:)

[jaguarstyper]

I would drive the whole thing and not have to deal with airlines, baggage handling and TSA. I have made the drive from Pittsburgh to Ft Lauderdale 12 times now for cruises and will do it again in December. But then again, I love to drive and I find flying to be a pain in the butt. I usually drive to Jacksonville the day before then on to FLL the following morning and it doesn't even phase me. I've never had a problem driving and have had many problems over the years with flights.

[Granny DI]

jaguarstyper,

My husband could have written your post. He hates the TSA and worrying about luggage missing the flight etc. He will do anything to avoid flying. We're flying to Europe in Oct but he's knows he has no choice but to fly.

[pcvtmom]

We, too, are from VA (northwest part...Shenandoah Valley). We have driven to Port Canaveral and Tampa multiple times. This summer, we are driving all the way to Fort Lauderdale (for us, 16 hours!). We have, however, flown out of BWI on Southwest Airlines. They also have limited service from Norfolk and Dulles, I believe. Is it possible to find a flight from one of those other airports, other than RDU? Whatever you decide to do, good luck and have fun on your cruise!

[royalcruz]

I would not choose any of these options. Driving straight through is too long and you have to do it both ways. If you do a short layover in Orlando your bags might not make it to your cruise. If you drive from Orlando, you have to allow time to get your bags, get a car, drop off the car, and get to the port, and you could actually miss the boat! Plan a flight that gets you to FLL by noon and that doesn't involve such a short layover, even if it means you have to pay for the flight. You can find a way to use miles on the way home, or save the miles for another trip.

[jaybird from SC]

I would check with Charlotte.....Also check to see where Allegiant Airlines flys from. They have super deals and non-stop flights to FLL. I know they fly from Greenville/Spartanburg SC but not sure about airports in NC. On our recent cruise, we flew SWest from FLL back to SC but there was only one 11:50 AM flight. We were a little concerned about getting of the ship in time to make that flight but it all worked out. We also had a short return layover in Orlando and our luggage made it too. You might want to consider driving to GSP in SC if Allegiant/ or SWest's schedule worked for you from that airport. Even if you have to spend the night there, there are hotels which let you leave your car for "free" and they shuttle you to GSP. I would never ever drive that long ddrive. Have done it a few times but never again.