Distance from port night before

[LDRaleigh]

We drive from NC and on our past 2 cruises we stopped in Jacksonville once and St Augustine the other time. We had PATs before 12:30 and had no issues making either. My husband and I are both from FL originally so maybe we're a little more comfortable with the distance.

 

[Partyof4LA]

We drive from NC and on our past 2 cruises we stopped in Jacksonville once and St Augustine the other time. We had PATs before 12:30 and had no issues making either. My husband and I are both from FL originally so maybe we're a little more comfortable with the distance.

Thank you!! This is very helpful

 

[auntlynne]

Thanks! Looking closer, I do see that Lake city is not directly on the route. I'm not 100% sure where we are going through yet, was trying to figure out how far from port is a comfortable, safe bet before making that decision. Most likely not Deland, that didn't pull up on the map directions. I'm not sure what the ring (I-295) is. We are likely either taking I-75 to Florida turnpike to 528 (I'm seeing major cities Ocala, Gainsville, Orlando- including MCO airport- along that route) or I-95 (seeing Jacksonville, Palm coast, Daytona, Titusville along that one).
We are comfortable driving fast and with big rigs and don't mind paying tolls.
We will probably park at the terminal, but still considering other options.

(I-295). When you’re looking at the map, it’s the bypass interstate that keeps you from having to go through the center of the city. Sometimes they are severely congested (Atlanta!); in some areas, they are great for finding hotels at lower rates than the downtown lodging for business travelers. I have seen decent rates at Marriott and Hilton properties in the past along these corridors. And there are typically restaurants available, suitable for road-weary families.

It saves some miles, too - think hypotenuse on a triangle. Here you are coming in on I-10 (past Baldwin), then turning South to avoid possibly heavy downtown traffic in Jacksonville.

I call it the ring road, as it is often that shape around a city. Since the ring / loop / bypass road crosses the major interstate, it starts with an even number. This is a controlled access interstate road (it just doesn’t cover a long-distance route - hence 3 numbers. There’s a learning lesson in this for your kids if they are old enough.) They will be traveling on the Southernmost (I-10) and Easternmost (I-95) major interstates if you use the Jacksonville route to Port Canaveral.

This ends my map-reading lecture; my intent was purely fun and education. It doesn’t answer how close you should get to the port the night before embarkation. Personally, I would want to be within an hour or less, in case I need to get alternate transportation to the ship.

 

[Calantha]

r.e. bold - Watched Fantasy pull out at almost 5pm today.

Yes, but you can’t show up at 4:30 and get on the boat. PP likely meant ‘all aboard time’.

 

[lanejudy]

We aren’t risking the whole drive. 12+ hours of driving in one day is a lot with 3 kids, especially when I’m the primary driver who will do majority of it. So we were thinking of getting within a few hours of port the night before then driving the rest the morning of.

I would leave home a day earlier. Split the drive into 2 days. Arrive at/near Port Canaveral the day prior to embarkation. Stay local to the port.

 

[Partyof4LA]

(I-295). When you’re looking at the map, it’s the bypass interstate that keeps you from having to go through the center of the city. Sometimes they are severely congested (Atlanta!); in some areas, they are great for finding hotels at lower rates than the downtown lodging for business travelers. I have seen decent rates at Marriott and Hilton properties in the past along these corridors. And there are typically restaurants available, suitable for road-weary families.

It saves some miles, too - think hypotenuse on a triangle. Here you are coming in on I-10 (past Baldwin), then turning South to avoid possibly heavy downtown traffic in Jacksonville.

I call it the ring road, as it is often that shape around a city. Since the ring / loop / bypass road crosses the major interstate, it starts with an even number. This is a controlled access interstate road (it just doesn’t cover a long-distance route - hence 3 numbers. There’s a learning lesson in this for your kids if they are old enough.) They will be traveling on the Southernmost (I-10) and Easternmost (I-95) major interstates if you use the Jacksonville route to Port Canaveral.

This ends my map-reading lecture; my intent was purely fun and education. It doesn’t answer how close you should get to the port the night before embarkation. Personally, I would want to be within an hour or less, in case I need to get alternate transportation to the ship.

View attachment 807725

Thanks! I didn’t see the ring on the map I’d looked at, I think I wasn’t zoomed in enough. That was a map lesson for me too, I didn’t realize the difference between 2 and 3 numbers, now I do!

 

[Partyof4LA]

I would leave home a day earlier. Split the drive into 2 days. Arrive at/near Port Canaveral the day prior to embarkation. Stay local to the port.

I wish we could. That’d definitely be more ideal. But one of my kids has a school event 2 nights before the cruise that he can’t miss and we don’t do well driving late into the night (we are usually all in bed asleep by 9:30pm).

 

[unrequited23]

The big question is if you are planning on stopping at Buc ee's, cause that will add at least an hour on to your trip.

Seriously, I would leave as early as your family reasonably can the day before and plan on stopping 2-3 hours away from the port, depending on hotel prices. I would give yourself a 75 min buffer of time for traffic/emergency bathroom stop/figuring out a new city.

 

[lanejudy]

I wish we could. That’d definitely be more ideal. But one of my kids has a school event 2 nights before the cruise that he can’t miss and we don’t do well driving late into the night (we are usually all in bed asleep by 9:30pm).

I would try to push through to be within 2 hours of the port, then. I personally wouldn't be comfortable any further away. As PP mentions, the ship may not leave until 5pm or later, but all aboard isn't delayed for anyone except possibly DCL Transfers. If there is any way another driver can help spell you even for an hour here and there so you can rest your eyes that would help.

 

[rainbowredpanda]

Personally, I don't like anything more than an hour or so. I don't like to board the cruise already exhausted as then I feel we can't really enjoy the first day. When we fly, we arrive at minimum the day before when it's domestic and a few days before when it's international. Anything more and I just find it exhausting and stressful.

 

[lscrivan18]

4 hours away is my comfort zone for driving the day of. I also don't like to get to the airport early so it tells you a bit about my risk tolerance.

 

[emmabelle12]

For driving in the morning of the cruise, how far is too far? What’s your comfort zone as far as distance to drive to port the morning of the cruise?

We are driving from Louisiana the day before our cruise out of Port Canaveral. It’s our first time driving instead of flying in. With stops, the drive will likely be 12-13 hours. We are thinking of splitting the drive up. Instead of getting a hotel very near the port, we are considering stopping somewhere else along the route to sleep and driving the rest of the way the morning of the cruise. I don’t want to be so far that we stress about making it on time, but am not sure where we should stop. For those who’ve driven in the morning of, what is your comfortable time cushion?

I would be comfortable staying within an hour of the port. Any further would be outside my comfort zone. I would worry about potential car trouble (flat tire, unexpected traffic jams/slowdowns, accident, etc.)

 

[nancipants]

We live about an hour and a half away from Port Canaveral with no traffic. We always make the drive that same morning.

 

[CarolynFH]

We live a hour and a half to two hours from the Galveston cruise terminal and plan to drive down the morning of our cruise, which is a Sunday so traffic won’t be bad like a weekday. However, we’ll also be watching the weather forecast, and if morning fog is likely, we’ll book a hotel and drive in the day before. If we lived farther than two hours, or if our departure was on a weekday, we’d plan on driving in the day before no matter what.

PS we’ve driven I-10 to I-75 to the Turnpike to Orlando many times. If our destination was Port Canaveral, we’d drive I-10 to Jacksonville and then down I-95. Traffic on I-75 is horrendous.

 

[auntlynne]

We live a hour and a half to two hours from the Galveston cruise terminal and plan to drive down the morning of our cruise, which is a Sunday so traffic won’t be bad like a weekday. However, we’ll also be watching the weather forecast, and if morning fog is likely, we’ll book a hotel and drive in the day before. If we lived farther than two hours, or if our departure was on a weekday, we’d plan on driving in the day before no matter what.

PS we’ve driven I-10 to I-75 to the Turnpike to Orlando many times. If our destination was Port Canaveral, we’d drive I-10 to Jacksonville and then down I-95. Traffic on I-75 is horrendous.

That is useful info - I find I-75 can be a madhouse. Never did the JAX route and wondered about it. I expect heavy traffic in Orlando, especially.

 

[CarolynFH]

That is useful info - I find I-75 can be a madhouse. Never did the JAX route and wondered about it. I expect heavy traffic in Orlando, especially.

Google Maps says going through Jacksonville to PC is 30 minutes longer than driving through Orlando. We’ve been in enough traffic jams on I-75 that we wouldn’t mind that 30 minutes!

 

[hrhdhd]

That is useful info - I find I-75 can be a madhouse. Never did the JAX route and wondered about it. I expect heavy traffic in Orlando, especially.

The issue with the Orlando route is that the Turnpike is under construction for quite a ways (starts around the Villages and goes to at least the 408 interchange, which is where I usually exit). The speed limit is still 70 but for some reason a lot of people drive 55 in the left-hand lane. That clogs it up.

 

[CamColt]

While this isn't exactly the answer you are looking for I can add we once drove from Boston, the day before a cruise. We left at 10:00 am, expecting it to take about 24 hours.

We made such good time we stopped that morning, somewhere in FL, maybe a couple hours away from the port, rented a cheap room at a Days Inn to shower and change, and the kids even got a bit of sleep in a bed(better than what they got in the car). We then continued on to the port. We only spent about 2 hours in the hotel but it was worth the nightly rate for us.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

PS we’ve driven I-10 to I-75 to the Turnpike to Orlando many times. If our destination was Port Canaveral, we’d drive I-10 to Jacksonville and then down I-95. Traffic on I-75 is horrendous.

Not done I-75, but I-95 to PC is easy peasy. Most of the time we go around on 295 and save a little time. Only time we've ever hit traffic was when a sudden thunderstorm dropped buckets on us & visibility dropped to zilch.

Bonus! 2 Bucc-ees! One in St. Augustine & one in Daytona!

 

[Skippyboo]

Not done I-75, but I-95 to PC is easy peasy. Most of the time we go around on 295 and save a little time. Only time we've ever hit traffic was when a sudden thunderstorm dropped buckets on us & visibility dropped to zilch.

Bonus! 2 Bucc-ees! One in St. Augustine & one in Daytona!

2 Bucees that’s going to add 2 hours just looking at all the stuff