Driving to Port

[BusyFLmom]

We live in Jacksonville and driving to the Tampa port for our March cruise. It's less than a 4 hr drive so Im wondering if we should drive down the day before or just do it the morning of. It's a Sunday so Im not anticipating any traffic :)

[crewsweeper]

We live in Jacksonville and driving to the Tampa port for our March cruise. It's less than a 4 hr drive so Im wondering if we should drive down the day before or just do it the morning of. It's a Sunday so Im not anticipating any traffic :)

 

I think you can do this easily enough. We've done it from Tallahassee to both Tampa and Port Canaveral on departure day. I suggest you do leave early enough to target a 10 AM arrival. That gives wiggle room for delays and "coffee-induced stops". Have your car serviced, if close to time for it, and especially have air pressure in tires checked a day or two before so any delays won't be due to your own vehicle breaking down.:eek:

 

We do enjoy hitting ports like Tampa the night before, especially when family from out of town are joining us. We like wandering around Ybor City and using the trolley system. Our biggest hangup driving to Tampa is the cost of port parking. Unlike PC, there aren't any nearby "off site" cruise parking venues in Tampa.

 

Enjoy your cruise.:)

[mystone99]

We live in Jacksonville and driving to the Tampa port for our March cruise. It's less than a 4 hr drive so Im wondering if we should drive down the day before or just do it the morning of. It's a Sunday so Im not anticipating any traffic :)

 

DW and I live in South Carolina and when we cruise out of Fla., we drive to St. Augustine the day before and then to port morning of the cruise. If your in Jacksonville and on are on the road by 7:30 a.m. morning of cruise, you'll be fine.

Have a good time. Legend is a great cruise.

[golfadj]

We drive all the time and plan to get close to the port the night before just in case something unexpected happens.

[Oskial]

We live in Jacksonville and driving to the Tampa port for our March cruise. It's less than a 4 hr drive so Im wondering if we should drive down the day before or just do it the morning of. It's a Sunday so Im not anticipating any traffic :)

If you check the price of parking at the port vs. staying at a nearby hotel the night before with parking included, I think you'll see that the price isn't much different. A lot of hotels near the port offer parking and shuttle to and from the port at a very reasonable price. Plus you'll be able to start your vacation a day earlier.:D:rolleyes:

[gogetter]

the day of sounds good. You save on a hotel and you may sleep better in your own bed than a hotel...who knows....some like to do it the day before for peace of mind, being there the day before avoiding any possible glitches....

 

We live in the Orlando area and have never had a problem driving down the day of to Tampa, Ft Lauderdale or Miami. Adds to the excitement for me, personally.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[nwcruiselover]

It's just a personal decision because either way works fine. I like to be close to the port the night before just because then I don't have to worry about anything unexpected that might cause delays. It also feels like the vacation is starting a day early and that adds to the excitement. Nancy

[BusyFLmom]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and ideas :) We do have family flying in the day before so I like the idea of visiting Yarbor City. Never heard of that or the trolly system.

[crewsweeper]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and ideas :) We do have family flying in the day before so I like the idea of visiting Yarbor City. Never heard of that or the trolly system.

Google Ybor City trolley and get the details and a map. Great way to go by the port and the Aquarium if you're there early. In Ybor City there are a number of small restaurants, but two very popular ones are the Columbia (similar to the one in St Augustine) and the Acropolis Taverna, a great Greek restaurant. Hilton Gardens and Hampton Inn will have park n cruise deals which, though expensive for a single night, are savings versus other hotels and parking at the port. Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott and Embassy Suites have decent hotel rates but not parking.