Drive to FLL

[Davidlmc]

Hello fellow CC posters.... I am looking for some opinions on driving to FLL from West Central FL/North Tampa Bay area. We are booked on Allure Nov '19 to West Caribbean from FLL and we were just going to drive down the morning of embarkation and save the money for a hotel. Thinking leaving around 5:30 am so we would have plenty of time. Some friends of ours recently traveled down to FLL from our area and said traffic is pretty rough before you get to the port, So I am wondering if it is better to get a hotel rather than drive and have to worry about accidents or heavy traffic.

[mafig]

We make the "day of" drive all the time.

 

We're in Punta Gorda, so we're about 100 miles closer.

We leave around 7:30 am and usually get there before 11 am (with a rest stop on Alligator Alley).

 

However.....

 

Isn't Allure moving to Miami by the time you are going?

 

Miami is a little farther, and I think the traffic is worse.

We still do it, but we prefer Ft. Lauderdale.

[HillBilly Bob]

Hello fellow CC posters.... I am looking for some opinions on driving to FLL from West Central FL/North Tampa Bay area.

 

We will be driving from East Tennessee to Tampa in one day....your drive would be a piece of cake! Have fun on your cruise...we are looking forward to our trip.

[cello56]

We live in the Orlando area and leave at 6:30AM for a cruise out of Port Everglades. That gets us arriving at the Park and Cruise lot right around 10AM and at the port by 10:30. Give or take. For our transatlantic next spring we are coming in the night before.

[boatseller]

They are likely referring to rush hour on 595 East as 19 Nov is a Monday.

 

For the next 2-4 weeks, check your preferred route in Google Maps every Monday morning to get a feeling for what the actual travel time would be.

[lazydayz]

Always safer to drive down the day before, but we have done this several times on the same day. Our traffic issues are usually around Sarasota, but after that, clear sailing. Last time, left the house around 8:00 and were on the ship before cabins were ready.

 

Our next cruise, on the Allure, we are driving to Naples and will spend Saturday night there, then do the short drive to FLL.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Biker19]

They are likely referring to rush hour on 595 East as 19 Nov is a Monday.

Allure sails on the weekends - I assume OP meant Nov 2019.

 

Allure will be back to PE by then.

 

OP, driving down the day of should not be a problem on a weekend. The traffic you may have heard of was at the entrance to the port - yes, that can get backed up, but by then you are within sight of the ship.

[awestover89]

Seward in Alaska is the only one I typically recommend not risking driving to the day of (there's only one road between Anchorage and Seward and if there's an accident it shuts down for hours or days)

 

My general rule of thumb is to take the estimate from Google and times it by 1.5, and then give an extra hour to be safe. So if Google says your drive is typically 3 hours, leave early enough that you'll still be safe if it takes you 5.5 hours. Usually Google gives really good estimates based on typical traffic, not just posted speed limit like some other resources.

[villager70]

Hi Fellow Cruiser. We live in the Villages and have made that drive around 20 times in the last 4 years. We made it last in April and have 5 cruises booked but coming to Tampa in a couple weeks to Cuba, and then Oasis in oct and nov. so will not return until Jan. Im not sure if you are going 75 to Alligator Alley or I 4 or 75 to Turnpike. We get directly on Turnpike at wildwood and if driving in that morning stay on Turnpike to 595 and straight into PARK & GO lot right as you get to port. If you come 75 Alligator Alley goes directly into 595 to terminal. If using Parking at pier 18 no problem either.If you get a chance check out Park & Go. have used them in FL many times. They have 23 shuttles and are much cheaper,have locations in other states,unload your bags and drop you at Terminal. Always a couple sitting there when we walk off. If you use them get a member card and get a free days at every 10 days you park. Enjoy Bob & Nancy

 

bookparkngo PARKING FT> LAUDERDALE

[mafig]

Again, I repeat, Allure will be in MIAMI in November, not Ft. Lauderdale, if that makes a difference.

[Biker19]

Again, I repeat, Allure will be in MIAMI in November, not Ft. Lauderdale, if that makes a difference.

I think we are talking about Nov 2019, not 2018.

[Havingfun2010]

Hello fellow CC posters.... I am looking for some opinions on driving to FLL from West Central FL/North Tampa Bay area. We are booked on Allure Nov '19 to West Caribbean from FLL and we were just going to drive down the morning of embarkation and save the money for a hotel. Thinking leaving around 5:30 am so we would have plenty of time. Some friends of ours recently traveled down to FLL from our area and said traffic is pretty rough before you get to the port, So I am wondering if it is better to get a hotel rather than drive and have to worry about accidents or heavy traffic.

 

So you plan on arriving at 10:30. You hit some traffic, and arrive an hour later. I see no issues. Drive the same day. I do it all the time.

[villager70]

Again, I repeat, Allure will be in MIAMI in November, not Ft. Lauderdale, if that makes a difference.

 

Don't mean to step on any toes but Allure will do he last Miami run April 28th 2019. She will then return to Fort Lauderdale sailing May5th and continuing all summer into Fall. She move from Lauderdale to Miami and then returns May2019.

[mafig]

Don't mean to step on any toes but Allure will do he last Miami run April 28th 2019. She will then return to Fort Lauderdale sailing May5th and continuing all summer into Fall. She move from Lauderdale to Miami and then returns May2019.

 

 

Well I didn't know that. Thanks for letting me know.

Sorry if I caused any confusion.:confused:

[Davidlmc]

I think we are talking about Nov 2019, not 2018.

 

Sorry for the confusion, It is Nov 2019

[Davidlmc]

Thanks everyone for the comments.... It is still a long way off and I think driving day of is fine, just have to convince the others it is ok.

[MaryEBS]

I live in New Tampa and go back and forth to Fort Lauderdale all the time. You can get to Port Everglades very easily well under 4 hours. Traveling on a weekend you have no concern with traffic on I-595 from the end of Alligator Alley to the Port.

[Ourusualbeach]

We drive twice a year and usually stay overnight near Boca Raton and have never encountered bad traffic heading either to Miami or Port Everglades in the morning on a weekend.

[BNBR]

You don't have traffic on 595 anymore, any day of the week. Once the express lanes opened, any traffic delays are very minimal (10 minutes, maybe).

 

Anyways, the cruise leaves on a Saturday or Sunday, right? I would drive down same day, any day of the week, and not worry much about traffic to either Miami or Fort Lauderdale. But considering it's a weekend, total non-issue. I would also echo the suggestion to check Google maps periodically as it updates with real time information, including potential accidents. There is lots and lots of alternate routes, so even accidents aren't going to stop you.

[molly361]

Sorry for the confusion, It is Nov 2019

Not your problem. You gave correct info. Some people don't read

 

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[Desert Cruizers]

Is the Allure scheduled to go into Dry Dock during April 2020. I have been reading on CC that she is. Will Miami be her home instead of FLL.

[Biker19]

Is the Allure scheduled to go into Dry Dock during April 2020. Will Miami be her home instead of FLL.

Yes. Yes, temporarily.

[Ourusualbeach]

Yes. Yes, temporarily.

Well according to one poster she’s headed to Australia.

[chefjrd]

So, I guess I’ll play devil’s advocate here. Last December we made the trip from pasco county (about an hour north of Tampa area) to port of Miami. The entire trip was smooth except when we got just about to the port. There’s two ways into the port, the tunnel or the bridge. The tunnel was closed. Traffic was terrible. Signage was terrible. I actually wound up going into the port, back out of the port and then back in due to poor signage. It took about an extra hour and a half. Traffic was backed up both ways. We were early enough that it was ok, but never again. We’re going to Lauderdale in November and we’re staying the night at a hotel that offers parking and round trip shuttle. For an extra $50-75 dollars above parking, you get some peace of mind and a good nights sleep. Just my $0.02.

 

 

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[ZoeyVictoria]

You didn’t mention which date in November, I hope it is not the weekend after Thanksgiving. Last year we headed from Ocala to Boca Raton the Sunday after Thanksgiving to spend the night there before a Monday cruise out of FLL. Drive was fine from Ocala to Orlando, but we stopped there for ninety minutes. The drive from Orlando to Boca should have been 2 hrs 50 minutes; it took over 6 hours. Worst driving day of my life, we were averaging 16 mph. If that had been the day of the cruise, we would have missed it by hours.