How to get to Port. How do you?

[CBTwi]

My family has decided that end of July/Early August we are going on a Cruise. We are going from Port Canaveral and we live in very Upstate NY. With 5 people, I keep telling my parents that we should rent a comfortable car and drive it the 20 some odd hours 1 way, rent another one on the way back and save probably well over a thousand dollars as opposed to flying. We have the time to drive, and 4 legal driving adults who could rotate shifts. I don't see how that would be too bad. Plus, spending 300 minimum round trip per person for flying, when then you'd have to find transportation from airport to coast is kind of silly.

 

How do you get to your port when you are going on a cruise and don't (fortunately) live close enough to just have someone drop you off or something haha

 

Thanks for any input!

[waldocruiser1]

My family has decided that end of July/Early August we are going on a Cruise. We are going from Port Canaveral and we live in very Upstate NY. With 5 people, I keep telling my parents that we should rent a comfortable car and drive it the 20 some odd hours 1 way, rent another one on the way back and save probably well over a thousand dollars as opposed to flying. We have the time to drive, and 4 legal driving adults who could rotate shifts. I don't see how that would be too bad. Plus, spending 300 minimum round trip per person for flying, when then you'd have to find transportation from airport to coast is kind of silly.

 

How do you get to your port when you are going on a cruise and don't (fortunately) live close enough to just have someone drop you off or something haha

 

Thanks for any input!

 

planes, trains, and automobiles?

[matj2000]

We have always flown from Tx to Fl. For the past 5 years we have been able to get direct airfare on Continental for around $200 per person. This year their prices never dropped and we flew Airtran with connections.

Without elaberation, I have had it with the airlines. It has become more of an expensive hassle than a convienence.

From now on, we will probably be driving the 15 - 18 hours.

[Fourseventeen]

I fly into the closest airport to the cruise terminal then hire a private sedan or limo service to get me to the ship. Screw driving for 2 days.

[cb at sea]

True...it MIGHT be cheaper, and going TO the cruise is so exciting...it's the coming home part....all of that driving after a perfect vacation....that sucks!

Take a flight...get cheap tickets somewhere....it's totally worth it, at the end of the cruise!

[Frank12]

We have always flown from Tx to Fl. For the past 5 years we have been able to get direct airfare on Continental for around $200 per person. This year their prices never dropped and we flew Airtran with connections.

Without elaberation, I have had it with the airlines. It has become more of an expensive hassle than a convienence.

From now on, we will probably be driving the 15 - 18 hours.

 

Not to hijack this thread, but I agree with you. Air travel has become a huge pain in the azz. Thank GOD I live close to 5 ports. Just another benefit to being a Floridian!

[danacline]

We have driven from KC to Miami, to Port Canaveral, and to Galveston for cruises. When we lived in Denver, we have driven to Vancouver, Ft. Lauderdale, LA, and Galveston for cruises. Most of those cruises were with our kids, up to 4 for several cruises, less as they got older (and left behind to manage the house).

 

We don't mind long drives. And, there's one great reason to drive...you can literally bring back as much booze as you can carry. When I fly, I'm willing to bring back one bottle in checked luggage, well packed. When we drive, we bring back as much as we want to. I'm a big fan of rum, and you can get much better rum in the Caribbean that you absolutely cannot buy even in the largest liquor store stateside. In January, we brought back 9 liters (3 for each adult). Customs says anything over 2 liters per person is subject to duty, but they've never charged us (it costs then $10-15 to do the paperwork).

 

And the way last winter went, I would much rather drive my 4x4 Durango than attempt to fly.

[golfadj]

We live in a small town and airfare is very expensive.

 

As a result we will drive to Florida 900 miles each way and can come and go as we choose.

[CBTwi]

It would only be a 20 hour drive. I checked flights on all airlines, no real specials from any airport.. about 200 one way with taxes. Ew.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

True...it MIGHT be cheaper, and going TO the cruise is so exciting...it's the coming home part....all of that driving after a perfect vacation....that sucks!

Take a flight...get cheap tickets somewhere....it's totally worth it, at the end of the cruise!

 

any suggestions where to get cheap tix? I have been checking multiple times a day for our upcoming trip and havent found anything yet.

 

Bill

[Cruiser1547228475]

I would say drive, sure is a beautiful coastline to see all the way down.

NC, SC , Florida. Take your time pick your stops ,makes a far more relaxing vacation and builds up to the day you cruise :D

[aquasox]

Also if you have the extra days you can almost make it 2 vacations in 1.

[Bert64]

With all adults, I'd say it's doable. I'd check the price of the rental car and gas it'll take and hotels if you plan on breaking up the trip to get a real idea of cost savings. I saw a couple places had deals on one-way rentals OUT of Florida, so you may want to see if any places are doing that when it comes time to go because those rates were ridiculously cheap.

 

Being from Northen Virginia, I can fly out of Dulles, National (Reagan now, whatever...) or Baltimore and can usually find a decent deal if I plan ahead. And with kids, I just refuse to be in a car with them for hours at a time for my own sanity.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

drop off fees are a killer. Probably cheaper to just rent the car for the whole time and pay for parking while on the cruise.

 

Bill

[Ehpride]

I prefer to fly because of the distance and the convenience, but I would just look at the cost of rental car (or cars)/your own car, gas, parking at the port if necessary, any additional time off work and compare that to the cost of the airfare for everyone.

 

I like to fly in a day or two before, get a hotel and take a taxi there and then take a hotel shuttle or taxi to the port.

[matj2000]

What the airlines started doing is jacking up the fairs out of Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando on Sat/Sun after 10AM because they know that there is a tremendous amount of Cruise pax departing.

Like I said, I will do like my parents did "drive"!!

[vacruizer]

One way rentals are usually pretty expensive. It might actually be cheaper to fly or rent for the whole week. Just double check with your rental agency - when I was renting cars a lot for business trips a few years ago they often did not allow you to go out of state with it on the round trip rentals.

 

You might check into some of the lower cost airlines. We flew Allegiant a few years ago to Sanford (right outside of Orlando) for something like $49 each way. Well worth the airport hassle to not haveto drive for 14 hours each way, lose four days of vacation to driving if you split it up, plus the wear and tear on the car, watching out for crazies on the road, and then paying to park at the port.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

If you owned a business and lost money every quarter would you try to find a way to break even or even make a profit or be happy to keep losing money?

 

I can't find cheap airfare that I'm used to paying but there is no way I'm driving 17 hours. If prices don't come down I'll just have to pay the price.

 

Bill

[big_duck]

What the airlines started doing is jacking up the fairs out of Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando on Sat/Sun after 10AM because they know that there is a tremendous amount of Cruise pax departing.

Like I said, I will do like my parents did "drive"!!

 

Really? Are they jacking up carnivals and circuses too?

[grandmato4]

We always fly to our cruises. We've not cruised out of Port Carnaveral so not familiar with that port but for other ports we've sometimes taken the cruieline transfers, rented taxis, used Hotel shuttles to get to the port. Its not a big deal to not have your own car to drive you to the port as you just have to research your port and figure out what works best for you.

 

What's the longest drive your family has all done together? Does everyone involved enjoy long drives? 1000+ miles one way is a very long drive if everyone isn't happy and even worse if you're not happy and have to get back in a car after the cruise and drive another 1000+ miles to get home. ;) Some people like driving long distances and for them it would be fine but not everyone feels that way. If your families not buying into your suggestion to drive I wouldn't be pushing the point.

 

Personally we will never consider driving to our ports in FLL until we have the time to take our time driving down and back and could stop and enjoy different places along the way at our leisure. We probably wouldn't still be married if we attempted to drive almost nonstop for 20+ hours and then had to turn around and do the same thing again when we left our cruise to get back home;):eek::D

[zdkrempin]

FLY- to easy not to

[acecombatmom]

drop off fees are a killer. Probably cheaper to just rent the car for the whole time and pay for parking while on the cruise.

 

Bill

That's what I am doing. Staying at the raddisson the night before and can leave the car there for the week (no Parking Fees) and drive it back to Ga. Mid size car 300 for 2 weeks.

[pinkbarbie]

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nm, I started a new thread and will hopefully get more ideas there

[CruizinMom2c]

We drive to each port...saves a bunch of money with 3 of us (sometimes 4 if someone tags along) But its easier with a young child.

 

 

I say drive..but whatabout driving your own car? that way you can park it right at the port and not have to worry about how to get to the port.

[lillian marie]

Depending on distance, fly or drive.