Driving from NY to Port Canaveral, FL to board ship?

[CosmoLover]

We are thinking of going another cruise since we enjoyed our first cruise on RC a few months ago.

 

I was considering taking another 4 or 5 night Western Caribbean cruise in late 2011 or early 2012 but leaving out of Port Canaveral. We were thinking of maybe driving to FL instead of dealing with the hassle of packing light and flying out of JFK.

 

The cruise would be departing out of Port Canavera on Monday at 4:30

pm. Returning Friday at 7 am.

 

The idea being we leave NYC on Saturday, drive for 8-9 hrs. Sleep somewhere and then drive the remaining hours on Sunday to FL. Possibly arriving in Port Canaveral by 9 am on Monday to do some light sightseeing before boarding the ship at 2-3 pm?

 

Questions: 1- has anyone here done this before, and 2- would you recommend doing this? where would be a good place to stop for rest in NC?

[PH8]

FYI---the cruises that go out of Pt Canaveral are :

 

a) 3/4 night Bahama cruises

 

or

 

b) 7 night Western/Eastern Caribbean

 

Exception is,there is ONE 5 night Western Caribbean cruise Dec 18th..that's the only one(5 nighter) and there is only one 9 nighter for New Years Eve..

[boo214]

We are thinking of going another cruise since we enjoyed our first cruise on RC a few months ago.

 

I was considering taking another 4 or 5 night Western Caribbean cruise in late 2011 or early 2012 but leaving out of Port Canaveral. We were thinking of maybe driving to FL instead of dealing with the hassle of packing light and flying out of JFK.

 

The cruise would be departing out of Port Canavera on Monday at 4:30

pm. Returning Friday at 7 am.

 

The idea being we leave NYC on Saturday, drive for 8-9 hrs. Sleep somewhere and then drive the remaining hours on Sunday to FL. Possibly arriving in Port Canaveral by 9 am on Monday to do some light sightseeing before boarding the ship at 2-3 pm?

 

Questions: 1- has anyone here done this before, and 2- would you recommend doing this? where would be a good place to stop for rest in NC?

sounds like a nice road trip and cruise combo. be sure to go over the chesapeake bay bridge tunnel, its awesome. as far as a place to stop, no place is better than the world famous south of the border. cant miss it. its just off I-95 near the north/south carolina border. cant miss all the signs for it either on I-95. have a great trip.

[Scotty G]

We are thinking of going another cruise since we enjoyed our first cruise on RC a few months ago.

 

I was considering taking another 4 or 5 night Western Caribbean cruise in late 2011 or early 2012 but leaving out of Port Canaveral. We were thinking of maybe driving to FL instead of dealing with the hassle of packing light and flying out of JFK.

 

The cruise would be departing out of Port Canaveral on Monday at 4:30

pm. Returning Friday at 7 am.

 

The idea being we leave NYC on Saturday, drive for 8-9 hrs. Sleep somewhere and then drive the remaining hours on Sunday to FL. Possibly arriving in Port Canaveral by 9 am on Monday to do some light sightseeing before boarding the ship at 2-3 pm?

 

Questions: 1- has anyone here done this before, and 2- would you recommend doing this? where would be a good place to stop for rest in NC?

Monarch of the Seas is the ship that leaves PC on Mondays returning Friday. You can board her at about 11-11:30. You plan is good for that. No need to try to get in any sightseeing, just drive to PC, enter the parking area, drop off your bags, park the car, check in and get on board and enjoy yourselves after your long drive!!!!!

[Stags14]

We are thinking of going another cruise since we enjoyed our first cruise on RC a few months ago.

 

I was considering taking another 4 or 5 night Western Caribbean cruise in late 2011 or early 2012 but leaving out of Port Canaveral. We were thinking of maybe driving to FL instead of dealing with the hassle of packing light and flying out of JFK.

 

The cruise would be departing out of Port Canavera on Monday at 4:30

pm. Returning Friday at 7 am.

 

The idea being we leave NYC on Saturday, drive for 8-9 hrs. Sleep somewhere and then drive the remaining hours on Sunday to FL. Possibly arriving in Port Canaveral by 9 am on Monday to do some light sightseeing before boarding the ship at 2-3 pm?

 

Questions: 1- has anyone here done this before, and 2- would you recommend doing this? where would be a good place to stop for rest in NC?

 

I have driven to Floriday before, and no I do not recommend doing it - I will certainly never do it again. It's 4 days of travel time for basically the same length of days on the ship.

 

I'll take the 5-6 total travel hours from JFK over 2 days of driving anyday. And gas is over $4 a gallon now.

[teajak]

I have driven to Floriday before, and no I do not recommend doing it - I will certainly never do it again. It's 4 days of travel time for basically the same length of days on the ship.

 

I'll take the 5-6 total travel hours from JFK over 2 days of driving anyday. And gas is over $4 a gallon now.

Totally agree, try Southwest or Jet Blue.95 is a tough drive any way you do it. With the price of gas and your time limits I wouldn't even consider it.:eek:

[K1200S]

I would do the drive over flying any day. It is an easy one day drive for me in NC to PC and even with the price of gas it is still cheaper then flying. The question is do you enjoy driving, do you want to not have to worry about overweight bags, and do you want a couple hundred more in your pocket versus the airlines?

[negc]

I would do the drive over flying any day. It is an easy one day drive for me in NC to PC and even with the price of gas it is still cheaper then flying. The question is do you enjoy driving, do you want to not have to worry about overweight bags, and do you want a couple hundred more in your pocket versus the airlines?

 

From NC to PC is about a one day's drive in each direction, but you need to double that for roundtrips from the Northeast to Port Canaveral so someone doing that will spend almost as much time driving as cruising. Personally, I would much rather fly than drive that distance unless I was staying longer in Florida and combining my cruise with some sort of land based vacation (WDW or Universal for example). The OP knows best how easy or difficult such a drive would be, but I would not strongly recommend it.:)

[bellybutton530]

I always drive from Houston to Fort Lauderdale for my cruises; this past time I pulled a 5X10 trailer containing the luggage.

 

It certainly was cheaper than flying, and we were not limited by airlines with respect to how much luggage we could bring.

 

We had free parking for the 14 days at out FLL hotel.

 

The porters unloaded the trailer; and when we returned, he had most of our luggage on a dolly when we disembarked. He then loaded the trailer for us. He was generously tipped.

 

I have no problem driving the 1100 miles, each way.

[Stags14]

FYI- jetBlue allows you to have a 50lb bag per person for free. Plus, you can carry on 1 personal item, plus a carry-on bag. It's certainly more than enough luggage allowance for a 4-5 nigher, or even 7+ nighter.

[Mewissy]

Have you checked out the Explorer from Bayonne? They have 5-night to Bermuda and 9-night to the Caribbean. It would be a much shorter drive from NY :D

 

We loved our cruise on the Explorer!

[CosmoLover]

Well I love to drive and my husband doesn't mind driving the distance from FL to NY. We both drove from NY to Colonial Williamsburg 2 years ago when we went down there for a few days..We hit DC and did some sightseeing there as well.

 

My concern is mostly whether its worth it or not. I've never driven past VA or MD, I like the concept of a road trip/cruise combo...And I also like the idea of NOT flying. I hate packing, I hate TSA, I hate being forced to stuff half my closet into a tiny suitcase (no matter how "smart" I pack, I always end up missing a pair of shoes or shirt that I left at home). I dont like the idea of paying extra baggage fees either (I know Jet Blue is great and gives you free bags, and I only fly Jet Blue on any trips from NY-Vegas or NY to CA) but we have had to fly Delta or American Airlines to FL because the timing and prices seemed to be a better deal.

 

Gas is expensive, but we drive fuel economy cars (4 cylinder Honda Civics). I presume what we would spend going there in gas/tolls and motel stay for 4 nights (going there and back) would be the same as flying anyway.

 

I looked into cruises leaving from NY but I dont like the idea of having 2 or 3 days at sea. I know the water in the Atlantic NE seaboard (coast from ME to FL) is choppy and if we decide to cruise out of Bayonne, NJ or NYC in the Winter, we can't really enjoy going out on a Deck until the ship reaches warmer climates in FL.

 

Does anyone know how much the parking garages near Port Canaveral charge for leaving a car there for 5 days?

[boo214]

Well I love to drive and my husband doesn't mind driving the distance from FL to NY. We both drove from NY to Colonial Williamsburg 2 years ago when we went down there for a few days..We hit DC and did some sightseeing there as well.

 

My concern is mostly whether its worth it or not. I've never driven past VA or MD, I like the concept of a road trip/cruise combo...And I also like the idea of NOT flying. I hate packing, I hate TSA, I hate being forced to stuff half my closet into a tiny suitcase (no matter how "smart" I pack, I always end up missing a pair of shoes or shirt that I left at home). I dont like the idea of paying extra baggage fees either (I know Jet Blue is great and gives you free bags, and I only fly Jet Blue on any trips from NY-Vegas or NY to CA) but we have had to fly Delta or American Airlines to FL because the timing and prices seemed to be a better deal.

 

Gas is expensive, but we drive fuel economy cars (4 cylinder Honda Civics). I presume what we would spend going there in gas/tolls and motel stay for 4 nights (going there and back) would be the same as flying anyway.

 

I looked into cruises leaving from NY but I dont like the idea of having 2 or 3 days at sea. I know the water in the Atlantic NE seaboard (coast from ME to FL) is choppy and if we decide to cruise out of Bayonne, NJ or NYC in the Winter, we can't really enjoy going out on a Deck until the ship reaches warmer climates in FL.

 

Does anyone know how much the parking garages near Port Canaveral charge for leaving a car there for 5 days?

from the port canaveral website, parking is $15 per night for vehicles up to 20 feet in length, $26 per night for vehicles longer than 20 feet. the website is portcanaveral.com.

[CosmoLover]

from the port canaveral website, parking is $15 per night for vehicles up to 20 feet in length, $26 per night for vehicles longer than 20 feet. the website is portcanaveral.com.

 

 

thanks!! Wow thats cheap!! My friend paid $ 160 to park his car for just 4 nights at JFK airport a few weeks ago!

[BKJK]

I have priced driving over flying.....Even with gas prices its still comes out cheaper...We are driving 16 hours straight through to Port Canaveral...Gonna pack the cooler with sandwiches, snack and drinks...

We save money packing the cooler bringing our own stuff. The cheaper flights usually are not at the best times so you have to spend extra time waiting for flight. We could be down the road that far already..Saying that if I had extra money that I could just spend and not use for other stuff I needed I might think different. But you make the best out of driving. The way home sucks because vacation is over no matter how you go... , the way there is exciting...

[skrufy]

I have driven this route many many times. Its an easy drive and will take you about 20 hours if you make just gas stops. Driving 8-9 hours then rest will leave you a long ride on the day of the cruise. I would leave at least 3 days before the cruise incase any unforseen problems arise. My wife and I drive from Illonois now and we plan 4 days to travel. We go different routes, enjoy the ride and the sights. Choose a 7 day cruise if you can, driving 6 days for a 5 day cruise is not worth the ride. For a 5 day or less cruise I would consider flying down.

[Eng23]

We are thinking of going another cruise since we enjoyed our first cruise on RC a few months ago.

 

I was considering taking another 4 or 5 night Western Caribbean cruise in late 2011 or early 2012 but leaving out of Port Canaveral. We were thinking of maybe driving to FL instead of dealing with the hassle of packing light and flying out of JFK.

 

The cruise would be departing out of Port Canavera on Monday at 4:30

pm. Returning Friday at 7 am.

 

The idea being we leave NYC on Saturday, drive for 8-9 hrs. Sleep somewhere and then drive the remaining hours on Sunday to FL. Possibly arriving in Port Canaveral by 9 am on Monday to do some light sightseeing before boarding the ship at 2-3 pm?

 

Questions: 1- has anyone here done this before, and 2- would you recommend doing this? where would be a good place to stop for rest in NC?

Hello. If you enjoy driving go for it, my one suggestion would be to leave so that you arrive in Port Canaveral on Sunday instead of the day of the cruise. I suggest this because there is not really alot to do sightseeing wise at Port Canaveral with the exception of the Kennedy Space Center. Anything else you might want to sightsee is over towards Orlando which is about 45 minutes to 1 hour away. I think you will find that after making a two day trip driving it would be better arriving a day before the cruise so that when you board the ship you are rested and can enjoy getting to know the ship. Be aware that on departure day you will need to be checked in and on the ship at least 90 minutes prior to the ships sailing time which would mean you need to be on board by 3pm.

[Capt_BJ]

AutoTrain

 

drive some ... ride some ....

 

and there is a new off site parking option at PC ... 50% of the port's daily charge. Only 5 minutes away . . .

[cruiser-007]

To drive or not to drive. That is a great question and I figured the opinions might be split on that one. Personally, I love driving and would do that over flying. If you find yourself to anxious while driving to get there and end up frustrated then flying would be better. But remember, you have more control over your schedule when you drive and the cost is simple math, (total milage/ MPG = gallons used). then add on food and lodging. We've taken Autotrain to Disney already and it was fun but the cost may be getting close to airfair, don't know 'till you check. Have fun whatever you do and enjoy your trip!

[temple1]

From NY I would add an extra night and spend it at Coco Beach or Port Canaveral. Our first cruise out of Port Canaveral we left from Myrtle Beach the afternoon before the cruise and spent the night near Savannah Ga. The drive from there to Port Canaveral felt like it took forever! I was a wreck by the time we got to the port. Never again!

 

I would never recommend spending the night at South of the Boarder unless you are adding an extra day to your trip down. It would be a good stop on your drive home. Unless you are planning to take 3 or 4 days for the trip - skip the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel also.

 

As you know - once you get past DC it is not a bad drive. No major urban areas except Richmond (and there is now a bypass) and Jacksonville (will always be under construction).

[NC-CRUISERS]

I would do the drive over flying any day. It is an easy one day drive for me in NC to PC and even with the price of gas it is still cheaper then flying. The question is do you enjoy driving, do you want to not have to worry about overweight bags, and do you want a couple hundred more in your pocket versus the airlines?

 

Pete, we are on the Freedom the week after you go. I was thinking about driving down. How many hours does it take to get to Port Canaveral from NC?