Being close to port envy!

[dino76]

I am envious of all of you that are within a few hours driving distance of a port! We live in Minnesota and it costs us the same amount or more to fly down to any port as it does for the whole cruise! :( It is such a good deal for you that pay $30.00 or less to drive and then some for parking. It's costing me $450 each for my wife and I to fly from Minneapolis to Orlando... outrageous... but then, that's what I like about cruising... it's such a good value (even with airfare). But I still am jealous of you all that live within driving distance of a port! :D Lucky you!!!!!!

[petel]

Yep, it was great living just 7 hours from Galveston ......... until Rhapsody and Splendour went away.... We're facing the same kind of price problems you outlined. Fewer cruises = same $$$$$. Oh well, we've got the habit :p whatsafellertodo :confused:

[RevSmith]

Although we live near, a little over two hours away, we still drive down a day a head of time, stay at a hotel and pay for parking...but you are correct it is a lot less hassle for us. You could always move to a place near a port.:)

[why2klisa]

I live about an hour from Port Canaveral, 2 hours from Tampa, and 3.5 hours from Fort Lauderdale, and 4.5 hours from Miami, so I have a lot to choose from within driving distance. I never really thought about how much more expensive it must be for those of you that have to fly to get to a port. We probably wouldn't be able to afford cruising if we had that extra expense. Thank you for pointing that out; I do feel very grateful.

[Mydnite]

I share the feeling of Port envy :(

[Emi's Mom]

I am envious of all of you that are within a few hours driving distance of a port! We live in Minnesota and it costs us the same amount or more to fly down to any port as it does for the whole cruise! :( It is such a good deal for you that pay $30.00 or less to drive and then some for parking. It's costing me $450 each for my wife and I to fly from Minneapolis to Orlando... outrageous... but then, that's what I like about cruising... it's such a good value (even with airfare). But I still am jealous of you all that live within driving distance of a port! :D Lucky you!!!!!!

Even though I do live close to Galveston, I know what you mean. I prefer sailing out of Florida and pay the airfare because there are just so many more options.

[n00b_cruiser]

I share the feeling of Port envy :(

 

QFT. It`s around $700 to fly to Miami from Calgary:mad:

[Thing2]

I am envious of all of you that are within a few hours driving distance of a port! We live in Minnesota and it costs us the same amount or more to fly down to any port as it does for the whole cruise! :( It is such a good deal for you that pay $30.00 or less to drive and then some for parking. It's costing me $450 each for my wife and I to fly from Minneapolis to Orlando... outrageous... but then, that's what I like about cruising... it's such a good value (even with airfare). But I still am jealous of you all that live within driving distance of a port! :D Lucky you!!!!!!

 

We live just a few minutes from one Florida port and just a few hours to the others. The nicest part of living close other then being able to have DS drop us off and pick us up to save on parking. But on weekends we can walk to beach and watch our favorite ships sail out to sea!!!!! :D

 

Plus we don't get any snow.................hit 80 today!!!

[Emi's Mom]

We live just a few minutes from one Florida port and just a few hours to the others. The nicest part of living close other then being able to have DS drop us off and pick us up to save on parking. But on weekends we can walk to beach and watch our favorite ships sail out to sea!!!!! :D

 

Plus we don't get any snow.................hit 80 today!!!

 

NICE!!! I'd love to be able to watch the ships come and go!

[TexCruise371]

I'm jealous too. I know we would do more 3-4 day cruises if we lived closer.

[petesweet]

Please, please tell me that when you fly in, you do so a day ahead of time. It's not worth saving that money to risk missing your ship. Use Priceline for air and hotel.

[dagadget]

I am envious of all of you that are within a few hours driving distance of a port! We live in Minnesota and it costs us the same amount or more to fly down to any port as it does for the whole cruise! :( It is such a good deal for you that pay $30.00 or less to drive and then some for parking. It's costing me $450 each for my wife and I to fly from Minneapolis to Orlando... outrageous... but then, that's what I like about cruising... it's such a good value (even with airfare). But I still am jealous of you all that live within driving distance of a port! :D Lucky you!!!!!!

 

 

Well you do have the option to move to Florida, here in Avon Park, Florida it's 2 hours to Port Canaveral, 90 Minutes to Port of Tampa. 2:50 to Port Everglades (Ft Lauderdale) and about 3:30 +- 30 minutes to Miami depending on Miami traffic. What do you do for a living? Look and see if you can transfer :D Then you can be one of the short trip to port crew also......:p

[remixernyc]

I drive past (within yards) of the RCCL ships @ Port Liberty, Bayonne, NJ almost everyday!!!!!!! It's awesome!!!!!! (sorry to rub it in hehehehe);)

 

Matt

[JanineM]

Okay, so I'm one of those that you envy. We live 25 minutes from PC. So we're taking advantage of that and are cruising as much as we can while we live in Florida. With DH's job we never know when we'll be shipped to the midwest, the midsouth, or almost anywhere else in the western world.

 

So yes, it is wonderful ... but we recognize it and are very appreciative!

 

And n00b_cruiser -=-- watch for Westjet sales. We just flew from MCO to YYC for $115 each way. They do have some great seatsales, and there is nothing like flying direct!!!

[kel3120]

I am envious of all of you that are within a few hours driving distance of a port! We live in Minnesota and it costs us the same amount or more to fly down to any port as it does for the whole cruise! :( It is such a good deal for you that pay $30.00 or less to drive and then some for parking. It's costing me $450 each for my wife and I to fly from Minneapolis to Orlando... outrageous... but then, that's what I like about cruising... it's such a good value (even with airfare). But I still am jealous of you all that live within driving distance of a port! :D Lucky you!!!!!!

 

I am also in MN and know exactly what you mean! Cruises would be such a great value if you just had to drive a couple of hours to a port. There always seems to be great last minutes specials for Florida residents too.

[remixernyc]

...... on the other hand........ living so close to cruise ports.... I'm 10 minutes from Port Liberty, 20 mins to the Brooklyn port, & under an hour to Manhattan ports, but so wat..... we've sailed out of NYC the past few times, been there, done those itineraries.... and the prices are much more expensive from here. We're flying to LA & doing the Mexican Riviera, the cruise is about half the price, (yes then we hafta add in airfare, but it still comes to cheaper)..... so other than seeing ships sailing several times a week, its not a big deal :)

 

Matt

[KillaFee]

I live about an hour from Port Canaveral, 2 hours from Tampa, and 3.5 hours from Fort Lauderdale, and 4.5 hours from Miami, so I have a lot to choose from within driving distance. I never really thought about how much more expensive it must be for those of you that have to fly to get to a port. We probably wouldn't be able to afford cruising if we had that extra expense. Thank you for pointing that out; I do feel very grateful.

 

I am soooooooo jealous!!!! That's awesome! I think I'd just cruise once a month If I lived where you live. :D

Laura

[dino76]

Because of our distance, we only cruise every other year... I see so many posters doing 2, 3 or 4 a year... WOW... what a life! If you live close by the port, it's such a inexpensive way to have fun, see new places and meet new people!

 

And no... we have always flown in the day of the cruise... never had a problem. I suppose there is always a first time, but isn't that what cruise insurance is all about? We actually have a hotel in Minneapolis the night before, just in case we have a snow system coming in, so we can go up early the day before and camp out and wait for the flight out!!!! Our last cruise, we left home in late March, with a perfectly clear sky... lots of stars and suddenly we were driving through a blinding snowstorm... For 10 minutes, we could barely see or stay on the road, and then it was clear again! Very freaky, but this IS Minnesota.

 

Wish we could move closer to a port, but I own my own business and can't just transfer or sell it. And, my kids all live in Colorado now... I guess i would move there if I moved anywhere, and i don't think they are putting any new ports in Colorado Springs or Denver! :)

[K1200S]

I'm 800 miles from the port of Miami and still drive it rather then fly. I drive it because I like to drive and I don't like the rules for flying that have been put in place since 9/11.

[psblin99]

I am envious of all of you that are within a few hours driving distance of a port! We live in Minnesota and it costs us the same amount or more to fly down to any port as it does for the whole cruise! :( It is such a good deal for you that pay $30.00 or less to drive and then some for parking. It's costing me $450 each for my wife and I to fly from Minneapolis to Orlando... outrageous... but then, that's what I like about cruising... it's such a good value (even with airfare). But I still am jealous of you all that live within driving distance of a port! :D Lucky you!!!!!!

 

You probably dont want to know I rode my bicycle to Port Canaveral this afternoon, had a cold beer and watched a Carnival, a Disney, and a RCI ship sail. I still had envy for all those people waving at us as they sailed by!

[Aquahound]

There's a down side, and an up side. Driving to the port for quick getaways is great. But living near another port where I always see the ships come to call, I get jealous!

[uksimonusa]

You probably dont want to know I rode my bicycle to Port Canaveral this afternoon, had a cold beer and watched a Carnival, a Disney, and a RCI ship sail. I still had envy for all those people waving at us as they sailed by!

 

Nothing better, except cruising, than being on our boat, going through the lock at Port Canaveral, then following the Mariner thru the channel, to the ocean.:D

[mb61408]

I'm in MN too...the airfare makes the trip so much more expensive. Right now we're looking for airfare to Europe. It's going to be as much as we paid for the cruise! :(

 

It doesn't help that I'm a teacher so my vacations are during the most expensive times to cruise. Oh well. FI and I make it work...we'll just have to go every other year. ;)

[critterchick]

You probably dont want to know I rode my bicycle to Port Canaveral this afternoon, had a cold beer and watched a Carnival, a Disney, and a RCI ship sail. I still had envy for all those people waving at us as they sailed by!

 

Hope you were able to wobble home safely after that beer!;)

 

I love living 12 minutes (if I hit the lights right) from the port of LA. I used to drive by the port every day on the way to work and could check out who was in port. Now I just do it occasionally. I'm getting in all the 3/4 night Monarch sailings I can until she leaves us next year. Then I think we'll have to try Carnival, which will be a whole 25 minutes away in Long Beach. I need my little cruise fixes!

[lori450]

If it's any concillation, I do appreciate the opportunities I have to cruise. Living about 15 min from Port Everglades and 25 min from Port of Miami, I consider myself quite fortunate.