What is the furthest you have driven to board a cruise ship?

[bride123105]

Currently: 4 hours

 

Would consider 8 hours, but would much rather fly.

[Leo's Rule]

1.5 hours to Galveston from Houston. :D All others have been out of Miami or San Juan and I flew to those ports.

 

I will drive 6 hours from Houston to NOLA in 2014.

[CapeCodCruiser]

Our first cruise we drove from Denver to New Orleans with the kids - 20 hrs - we did stop for a night along the way. On the way home DH wanted to drive straight through but when I couldn't stay awake to make sure he stayed awake we stopped & got a room!

 

We are drivers - we've done the winter pilgrimage from Cape Cod or CT to FL many winters, drives Denver to CT many, many times - well heck, even my home has wheels now - so you figure it out!

 

Nowadays, since we are retired and have more time, we try and find some fun/interesting places to stop along the way - a museum, historical place - one time we drove into DC just long enough to run into the Smithsoneon to see the Hope Diamond when iwas taken out of its setting!

[Blurgh]

My normal pre-cruise drive is 18-20 hours, spread out over 3 drives. And a crash in the Fort Lauderdale area. So yeah, the travel is longer than the actual trip. But, now I'm in a job where I just can't fall off the face of the earth and have people cover me, so it's going to be a couple of years before that happens again.

 

I've done it so many times it's scripted at this point. I will always be at the same Cracker Barrel outside Richmond for breakfast within 10-15 minutes every time. Stay at the same places. Lunch at the GA/FL border at 1:30 PM like clockwork.

 

And I make fun out of the Disney people who regiment their trips.

[altajewel]

From Alberta, Canada and my husband and I plus our 2 teens are driving from Alberta to New Orleans (with stops in St Louis, Memphis, and 2 days prior to sailing in New Orleans) so it will take us 5 days to drive there with the stops :D

[sjn911]

From Alberta, Canada and my husband and I plus our 2 teens are driving from Alberta to New Orleans (with stops in St Louis, Memphis, and 2 days prior to sailing in New Orleans) so it will take us 5 days to drive there with the stops :D

Wow...

 

Used to drive alot..2 long days to college...eastern Montana to Oregon 45 miles from beach.

 

Now I am just terrible about it.

 

My dad drove alone for the first time to Arizona for the winter as mom passed this summer...he is 78..well 79 end of May...and he took a few days..thank God, and made visits along the way. Better wheels and better shape..if I had a lot of time, maybe will do a huge road trip...have one friend who has done it alot in a mobile home..a big one between Oregon and Texas and North and South, alone and retired in her 70's...will just have to see....Sarah

 

All 7 cruises..short drives to the airport...longest...30 minutes..lol..woops..once from San Diego to Long Beach with a TA friend and flew for Portand, Or. to there...and a night in Newport when there was a Four Seasons there and she had a freebee...24 hours of complete pamper and a very fond memory...followed by an Inaugural on the then new Star Princess, 3 nights in a Mini suite and free top shelf Grey Goose cocktails and TA parties etc. The cushiest cruise...and travel time so far and wonderful.

 

But my best cruise really was the Paradise out of Long Beach on my own in 2009....after moving back to Montana...it was heaven..and i stayed in Long Beach night before and LAX one night afterwords due to flight logistics out of here...LOL..fun thread...

 

Sarah

[Weezerwoo]

From Richmond to Miami, nonstop. Have done it several times. 13-14 hours straight thru. Leave at 02am to miss a lot of the traffic.

Use this option when the airfare would be more than the cruise itself.

[sparks1093]

27 hours, Vermont to Miami. Twice. With 5 teenagers in the van both times. I would do it again but DW's back would prevent it.

[Graeme68]

almost a 10 hr plane ride then a 4hr car ride looking forward to its so worth it

[Retired & Loving It]

We always drive. We like having the car available for side trips and we don't run into any baggage restrictions. Our first three cruises we drove from Indiana to Florida, Indiana to Galveston, and Indiana to New Orleans. Then we got smart and moved south of Corpus Christi. Right after we moved, it was a drive from Texas to Tampa. Now it takes us four hours to drive to Galveston

[Fighterone]

Two and a half hours is about the maximum for us, includes stops and parking. Hate riding in a car or even in a comfortable truck!:eek:

We used to drive from Houston to Galveston that was about 1.5 hours. We just drove from Fort Myers to Tampa.

 

I flew once from Houston to Fort Lauderdale but the luggage restrictions and airport hassles are no longer worth it to me. We live closer to some major cruise ports now.

I just won't cruise if I have to fly or drive more than 2.5 hours.

[MrPete]

22 miles.

 

The local port is closer than the airport.

[bitemyfly]

4.5 hrs....

[lovebelle]

I'm curious to see the responses to this. We have made the crazy decision to drive about 20 hours to our cruise port next month. :eek:

 

We could still change our minds and fly, but we have always liked to drive to see the country. I'm excited, but just a little bit nervous as we are not as young as we used to be :p

 

Cross country...Tampa Fl to Seattle WA. For some reason that summer airfare was more than the cruise fare!!! But I wouldnt do that again, next time I would bite the bullet and just fly.

[ladylikes2cruise]

New Jersey to Miami, with a overnite somewhere south of the border:D

[Socref124]

I'm curious to see the responses to this. We have made the crazy decision to drive about 20 hours to our cruise port next month. :eek:

 

We could still change our minds and fly, but we have always liked to drive to see the country. I'm excited, but just a little bit nervous as we are not as young as we used to be :p

 

250 miles to Miami. It took us 4 hours to get there. I was exhausted when we got to the port and had to hurry on the ship on get "Two Pina Coladas, one for each hand".(Garth Brooks lyrics:D)

[taragl]

I drove 2,900 miles from northern Vermont to Long Beach, CA! With a two-year-old and a teenager. They should give you a ship on a stick just for that!

 

We do love a good road trip, though...

[Tapi]

We draw the line at 7 hours. That gives us Tampa, New Orleans, Port Canaveral, Charleston, and Jacksonville.

[michiganirish]

We drove from Detroit to Philly - (ds lives there), then from Philly to NYC - was fine precruise - excited about going etc.... however the 12 hour drive back from Philly to Det - arrrghhhh - way too long after 5 relaxing days on the Glory - never again - the short drive from PA to NYC - yes - but will fly to PA

[sweetsixteencruisers]

Long Island to Miami. We drive most of the time. Have it down to a science. Lol... The ride home is the worst. Next cruise out of Port Canaveral. Piece of cake!!

[gusandgidgetsmom]

Drove from Indiana to Seattle, by way of Oregon. We wanted to go back home (for me) and stay for a month so we drove stayed on the Oregon coast for a month then drove to Seattle for our Alaskan cruise. Not so bad on the beginning of the trip, but going home seemed very long. Especially after a disappointing Alaskan cruise.

[RWolver672]

I drove for our last cruise and DW navigated. We drove from Michigan to Lexington, KY and stayed overnight. Left there and drove to Greenville, SC to spend the night with DS. Next morning got up and drove to Ft. Lauderdale. Couldn't get in to the hotel we were staying at for the next two days so we got one about 15 miles away.

 

Got up the next morning and drove the rest of the way. Spent two days there before the cruise. Cruised for eight days, then stayed in Ft. Lauderdale two days after the cruise.

 

Left there and drove to Savannah, Ga and spent the night. The next day we went back to Greenville, SC and spent the next twelve days there. Left there and stopped in Tipp City, Ohio for the night. We ran into a downpour that lasted through NC, TN, KY, then part of Ohio. Next morning went the rest of the way back to Michigan.

 

I will NEVER do it again. Florida (Ft. Lauderdale area) has the worst expressway system that I have ever seen. You will be driving along a five or six lane expressway and with no warning it becomes an exit and you can't get over because of the bumper to bumper traffic. Once you get off, you drive for miles to get back on. We learned that in the FLL area, you don't stop for stop signs. You slow down and then take off before the other guy does.

 

We thought because we are retired that we could take our time by driving and save some money over flying. The airline tickets would have cost $800 for the two of us. We spent over $600 on gas alone. Then factor in hotels and meals, we could have flown first class and rented a car in SC for a lot less money. Not to mention I was a nervous wreck driving through FLL.

[cv322]

In 2007 we drove from NY to Charleston, SC for a New Year's Eve cruise. We took 2 leisurely days to do it....stopping in VA on the first night. It was fun except for the major traffic around the beltway in Washington DC!

[ncbeachteacher]

North Carolina to Florida.... different parts.

WNC area to Tampa takes roughly 9 to 10 hours. I-75 a breeze!

From Eastern NC takes 13 hours. I-95 backed up, and very painful.

[camper49]

From Augusta Maine to Miami...