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3 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

When we made this trip we stopped for the night at:

Embassy Suites Savannah Airport

145 W Mulberry Blvd, Savannah, GA

 

It's right off of I-95, lots of places to eat, and other hotels right there as well.

 

We left at the crack of dawn (a bit earlier, actually), stopped for lunch and a couple of snacks, and had dinner right near the hotel.  Got a good night's sleep, and had a medium length drive left.  This allowed us to arrive with time to get settled and get a good night sleep. It was nice to have no driving left after dinner.

 

We like to do as much driving as we can on day 1.  Day 2 we're always more tired, and the driving is always harder. Also, by arriving early on Day 2, we have time to get settled, have a nice relaxing dinner, an early bed time, and be extremely well rested for embarkation day!

 

P.S. Do not stop at South of the Border.  Nothing worth seeing there.

Thanks for the hotel information

5 minutes ago, Candleonwater said:

You don't mention which part of MD, but keep in mind you will probably hit traffic around DC.  Florence is only a 6 hour drive for me (Alexandria), so it could be too early for you guys to stop.  Leaving at the time you are, you could easily have 10-11 hours of daylight driving.  If it were me, and you don't hit any major traffic that slows you down, I would aim for Savannah.  Ideally just before (Port Wentworth area) or just after (Richmond Hill). The hotels closer to Savannah (airport area) are more expensive, and tend to fill up faster.

 

Awesome! Southern MD 10 miles south of MGM. I was looking at maps and found hotels just an exit or 2 north of Richmond Hill GA. There are plenty of options once we get close. Thanks

9 hours ago, MD_Dan said:

Fellow Marylander,

    We did this in November 2022.  Leave early enough to get south of Fredericksburg VA before 7am!  That Northern VA traffic is killer.  You may not have the Southbound express lanes (unless you are traveling on a weekend).  Please leave early!

    The traffic will moderate after Richmond and Petersburg.  North Carolina had a lot of construction sites so keep your speed under +12 mph/

    My DW doesn't like long drives so I asked only that she give me a 3 hour break in the middle of our drive.  And even then, we were almost in an accident!  We ate dinner in Savannah and truly enjoyed a few hours there.  Any sane person would have spent the night there.  But we continued another 3 hours to Palm Coast.  The short 2 hour drive the next morning was easy.

    Every state has a "Welcome to <STATE>" stop with a booklet with a bunch of hotel options.  Stop there (you could probably use the bathroom and the quick break anyway).  Keep them for the trip home.  BEFORE you get too tired to drive, call a hotel and make arrangements.  I wouldn't worry too much about making advance reservations.  I think we just used our cellphone and googled "Find <Chain-Hotel-Name> near here".

    I'd do it again - especially when airfare is so expensive.  But I wouldn't do it if I was the lone driver.

Hope that helps.

Thank You! We will start out by taking 301 South to I95 which I believe will put me just south of Fredricksburg. I drive like an old man lol. Will set the cruise control to about +5 over the speed limit.

54 minutes ago, Candleonwater said:

Have driven from NOVA to PC MANY times.  A word of warning... don't wait until you're dead tired to stop to try to find a hotel, everyone else has already stopped and you might find it tough to find a room.

 

Depending on what time of day, and what day of the week, there can be a big difference on where you probably want to stop.  For us, PC is 13 hours, door to door, and depending the time of day we leave, we have stopped anywhere from Florence, SC to Kingsland, GA.

 

We are actually driving down to Miami in less than 2 weeks and I've just started looking at hotel options. We aren't leaving until 2pm, but are going to try to push to Savannah, so that we can take a little more time in FL the next day.  

 

When we first started making the drive to PC, I would plug in a hotel address of where I thought I'd like to stay (we're Hilton peeps) and see what time it said I would get there.  Then, based on traffic, I would adjust location of hotel as needed. Then around 6-8pm, when I was fairly certain on what time we would arrive at stopover point, I would call and make a reservation.

 

 

 

 

Thank You we plan on leaving on a Friday around 0630 - 0700 {AM} all daylight driving is preferred. You are the second person that has mentioned Florence as a good stopping point.

42 minutes ago, BDevilCruiser said:

It's a long fairly boring drive.  South of Richmond/Petersburg, not much in terms of urban areas until Savannah, especially in South Carolina.  So plan your fuel stops appropriately. (You'll be OK in Virginia and North Carolina, though.)  South of It's almost all four lanes (two lanes in each direction) so it can get a bit crowded in SC at certain times.  It opens to six lanes in Georgia.

Regarding road conditions, I would recommend taking I-295 around Richmond/Petersburg instead of driving through downtown.  A better road and 70 MPH instead of 55/60.  You'll see signs telling you the travel times just before the exit (I believe exit 84 IIRC.)

Between exits 81 (I-40) and 58 in North Carolina approaching Fayetteville, there is road construction (widening from four to eight lanes), and there have been frequent crashes that causes delays.  Check Google Maps or Waze frequently.  US 301 parallels I-95 for most of NC, so that's a possible bailout.  There's other construction projects between exits 40-12 (also widening from four to eight lanes), but I don't think those are too far along, and shouldn't be as much of an issue.  (I don't know as much about South Carolina conditions, other than the pavement's not in as good condition, or wasn't two years ago when I went from NC to Port Everglades.  I think SC has started a project to rebuild the I-95/I-26 interchange, but that's a minor blip on the road for you.)

You've made a really good plan to give yourselves two+ days, so you shouldn't be too rushed.

Thank You

3 hours ago, tw67 said:

We have driven straight through from NJ - Port St. Lucie, Florida with 3 drivers.  There were 4 of us in the car, one wasn't old enough to drive.  We did it at night.  I remember on the drive down 95, that there were places during the night that we thought would be open for gas, but weren't.  So plan your gas stops carefully if driving at night.  We had planned to stop on our way down, but at some point, I think in South Carolina we all agreed that we would just keep driving.  We stopped for a good breakfast in Daytona.  We did the buddy system.  There was always 2 people awake.  The driver and one other, with the other 2 asleep.  We traded back and forth with driving.  It really worked out well.  

 

My in-laws live in Port St. Lucie.  After a few days there we went up to Port Canaveral for the cruise.  On the way home, we did not drive through.  We were all tired, so we did stop about half way.  

 

Let me know if there is anything in particular I can answer for you.  Over the years we have done the NJ - Florida drive many times, but that was the first time we ever drove right through.  

Thank You

Looking for any suggestions about this drive. Three of us in a van. My plan is to leave 2 days before the cruise departs. Not making hotel reservations for the first stop figuring just drive until we are tired, but hoping to make it to Savanah GA (about 9 hours). Then roughly 5 hours to Port Canaveral arriving the day before departure (hotel reservation already set for this stop) Thanks

We are staying in a NEW hotel that recently opened last year. 

TownePlace Suites Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach

605 West Central Boulevard Cape Canaveral Florida 32920 USA +1-321-335-6800

6 hours ago, SteerageJoe said:

 

I’ve not seen the garage 6 full but you can also park in the surface lot next door. There are many folks directing traffic so you will know where to go. Best to drop your luggage first then park.

 

Directions - I use Grills Restaurant in Cape Canaveral as my waypoint to the Port. Then I just follow the cruise ship signs as I get closer. The signage is very good. It will tell you what ship, the terminal and where to turn. Then just let the attendants direct you as you approach tterminal 6

Thanks, SteerageJoe! It has been years since I've been down that way; worked several times on the Coast Guard Cutters just across the way. Looks and sounds easy.

Greetings,

We are departing Port Canaveral on 2 April on Carnival Magic. Is there a specific address/parking garage for Cruise Terminal 6 and is there a chance the garage could be FULL when we arrive?

Thank You

7 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

Which direction will you be coming from?? I-95 north or south or coming from the Orlando area?

Driving from Maryland so guessing I-95 South

Looking for a SAFE place to stay after long drive for 1 night before cruise departs. One person recommended the Days Inn Kennedy Space Center Titusville FL. We will also be looking at what area to stay after the cruise for 4 or 5 days at or near Orlando. Thanks

On 6/8/2022 at 8:31 AM, omalley16 said:

We live in NJ so we only live about 1:15 from the port. That being said, we sail as a family of 4/5 with all of our luggage. If taking a small car, like a sedan, you can park anywhere you choose, both a garage and port will be about the same price unless you do like you say and stay the night somewhere, or are willing to park much further away. If you are taking a larger car, like a mini van or large SUV, the costs at the local garages is actually MORE than the port itself after all the BS fees they add on. On our upcoming Joy cruise on 6/19, we are taking a mini van and parking at the port for $40/day (night?). We have done it before with no issues, and short walk. It is REALLY nice not having to wait for anyone. 

Good to hear parking at the pier should not be an issue. I figure by the time the previous cruisers disembark there should be plenty for new arrivals.By any change do you know how many vehicle the pier can accommodate? All the searching I have done and cannot find the answer lol.

On 4/25/2022 at 5:29 PM, UKstages said:

one oddball piece of advice from recent experience.

 

it is possible - unlikely, but possible - that you could depart from one pier, let's say 88, and arrive at another, let's say 90. no inherent problem there, but people often forget where they parked... and since there are two nearly identical parking decks at these two piers... if you arrive at 90, as the gem did yesterday (alongside the getaway), after having left seven or ten days earlier from the other pier, you might walk around in a panic thinking your car had been stolen, when it was actually parked safely in the adjacent parking structure.

Sounds like there is plenty of parking available when leaving out of Manhattan? That has been my concern. Thanks

13 hours ago, ERLEC said:

That was my goal. Several said to look for a hotel in Ridgefield park area. Some hotel accept to leave the car there while on the cruise. That saves some hassle and money. You just take a Uber the morning on the cruise. Also checking North Bergen area in NJ. Sounds like a great option too. 

We are exploring the same options. There are plenty of hotels within short driving distance to the pier. We are on Magic July 2022

33 minutes ago, mskaufman said:

We live just south of Baltimore and drove the day of the cruise. It was a weekend so traffic was not an issue. We listened to traffic reports along the way in case we needed to adjust our route.  We also left plenty of time in case there was a problem.  End result, we were there plenty early.

Thank You

1 minute ago, mskaufman said:

Absolutely, park at the port

We are in Southern Maryland. Have you driven up to Manhattan the day of or the day before?

5 hours ago, police46 said:

Looking at Carnival Magic , July 06 2022

We are on the same cruise!

29 minutes ago, JillK said:

 

Yes they do still offer the cruise and park option which is what we are booked under.

 

Although we had originally booked under the cruise, park and go rate which included shuttle, they called about a month ago to advise that they are no longer offering the shuttle service. Too bad as it was really well done and we enjoyed the experience when we last used it in December 2018. 

 

We are currently planning on two Ubers (4 people per) unless we can find a service we can pre-book.

I'll reach out to them. I see the Park and Cruise Rate for 7 Days. We would need 10 days. Thanks again!

15 minutes ago, JillK said:

 

Yes they do still offer the cruise and park option which is what we are booked under.

 

Although we had originally booked under the cruise, park and go rate which included shuttle, they called about a month ago to advise that they are no longer offering the shuttle service. Too bad as it was really well done and we enjoyed the experience when we last used it in December 2018. 

 

We are currently planning on two Ubers (4 people per) unless we can find a service we can pre-book.

Thank You for the information.

On 2/22/2022 at 8:00 AM, JillK said:

Hoping someone can provide some recommendations.... 

 

Our hotel (Ridgefield Garden Inn) has stopped providing cruise pier shuttle transportation. 

 

Does anyone have a recommendation on a local car/shuttle service that can get us from the hotel to the pier and back for a cruise in March? We are 8 people with two vehicles.

 

At $40/night, the cost of parking at the pier would be $560 for our vehicles and we are hoping we can get a shuttle at a better rate.

 

Thanks! 

Does the Ridgefield Garden Inn allow you to leave your vehicle on their lot for the duration of the cruise?

7 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

I always take Amtrak from DC for cuises out of New York and Bayonne and I usually go a day early. There could aways be a service disruption. Never happened when I was taking the train to a cruise but over the years had people commiting suicide by train. That could be a few hours delay as they can't move the train until a coroner arrives. 

Thank You!

On 2/8/2022 at 9:54 AM, navybankerteacher said:

If BWI (or any other station)  is convenient to your home,  Amtrak really makes sense because Penn Station (Moynihan Train Hall) is so convenient to the Manhattan cruise terminal.  Avoiding the driving (I 95 and crossing into Manhattan) and the parking fees is great — and the Amtrak fares, if paid well in advance, can be very reasonable.

Thank You. I grew up in Baltimore County and now live about an hour from BWI now just south of DC. Figuring we could park at the garage at BWI/Amtrak. Now trying to decide whether to travel the day of the cruise or the day before. 

On 2/27/2020 at 9:35 AM, kesrya said:

Not sure whether to post this here or in NCL forum, but here goes ...

 

We've decided to take the Amtrak from Baltimore to NY Penn Station because it saves a bunch of time, hassle, and money as opposed to driving up and parking.  I've never done Amtrak before nor have I done a NCL cruise, so I'm having trouble understanding what the timing for disembark will be and how early we need to arrive at the train station (is it like airports where we need to get there 2 hours before departure and clear security?). Please help me determine the best homeward bound train ticket departure time given these factors: 

 

* Our cruise is scheduled to dock at 7am on a Sunday in early September.

* We will have suitcases that we need to check at Penn Station

* We have two kids, so instead of trying to be the first ones off the ship and stand in a long departure line, I was leaning towards taking the last disembark group and just chilling on board. I've heard the line gets shorter at the end???

* We'll take a cab from the pier to Penn Station

* We have nowhere to be, so it doesn't matter to us what time we leave or get home to Baltimore. We are interested in ease of travel - so avoiding lines if possible, and not having to lug our suitcases around NYC for hours after the cruise terminal closes.

* While I've never actually taken Amtrak, I have been in NY Penn Station often many years ago when I lived in Northern Jersey and had a friend that worked near the station ... but I'm sure things have changed in terms of train boarding protocols and procedures since then.

 

The potential train departure times would be: 12:05, 12:55, 1:17, 2:05, or 3:04pm.

I realize your post is 2 years old; but was wondering how you made out with your travels using Amtrak? That is an option we are also considering (BWI to Moynahan Station NY) in lieu of driving.

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

We cruised during fleet week, pier 88 was being used, plenty of parking at 90.

Thank You, sounds like at least a backup just in case