Driving to port since airfare is getting more expensive... Would You?

[butnzb]

When sailing form FL we usually drive, but leave the day before. Not only the savings vs flying but not having to worry about delays, luggage, shuttles to/from airport etc.

[vossjemi]

Oh yeah, I would drive, no question in the fll to mco situation scenario mentioned above. I have to drive farther than that just to get to my airport! Its a 3 1/2 hour drive. I could fly out of my local airport, but tickets were about $400 more pp...so with 4 people, it was worth it to drive and save $1600. But, if my destination was in the same state, why fly?

[glrounds]

Sure, I would drive if reasonably close by. I'm 40 minutes from the Long Beach port so that's a NO BRAINER. Whereas, I'm 5-6 hour from San Francisco that's marginal, although the run up the coast highway is a vacation in itself. :) I could even imagine driving to Seattle or Vancouver with an overnight stop on the way, if I took someone with me. But I usually cruise SOLO and with my gas-guzzlin' Chevy truck it wouldn't be financially feasible.

 

I think the decision rests on HOW MANY IN YOUR PARTY. Obviously, since I'm alone the gas (SSR getting 18 MPG :rolleyes: )would be a major PER PERSON expenditure , but if I had a SUV or VAN with 4-6 people in my group, it would become more and more financially desirable to drive to the port.

 

I think the cost of gasoline or the cost of air travel is going to be the most critical part of making a decision about whether or not to cruise for many families in the future. :eek:

[lagbunch8]

Yeah I am pretty spoiled I guess lol. I would rather spend 15 mins on a plane than 3 1/2 hours in a car. I did the drive to Miami once and will not be doing that again. Getting off of a cruise and driving that long to get home--no thanks. Just not my thing. I food shop at Sams and Super Wal-Mart though to save a buck. It just depends on what is important to you I guess. With gas, tolls, parking and my comfort the cost difference is not great. ;)

[lagbunch8]

How about a quick reality check. From a time stand point, you have to pack your car for the trip to the airport. Then drive to the airport arriving an hour early, park the car, unload the bags, go through security, then fly an hour to FLL, go back through that airport pick up your bags, put them in a shuttle or cab, ride to the port, unload the cab and join your cruise. Since I have never flown out of MCO but have several mid sized airports, checking in a walking to the gate may be 15 minutes each depending on lines. So if everything goes well, you are still talking about 2 or more hours to use the plane.

 

From a cost standpoint, yahoo indicates a distance of 220 miles between the airports. At 20mpg that would use 22 gallons of gas for the trip at less than $90 for all three people.

 

So for maybe an hour and a half difference in travel time, less hastle, and a savings of over $260 you could drive.

 

You make a lot of assumtions Rich. I don't park my car at the airport-I get dropped off. The flight to FLL from MCO is 15 mins not an hour(I've done it). Does Yahoo tell you that my suburban gets 20mpg? Try more like 15, if I'm lucky, plus tolls and parking fees. I do very little handeling of my own luggage. etc

 

I fly not only to save time but, for my personnal comfort. The OP asked if others found it worth the savings to drive instead of fly. For me it's "no". Others can decide that for themselves. I think it's a waste of money to pay for a balcony when I am never in my cabin. BTDT. Some will not cruise unless they have a balcony.At what point is it worth giving up what "I" am comfortable with. $100-$200 is not that point for me.

[Aplmac]

..who has or who is thinking about driving to a cruise port terminal.

With airfare prices rising, I'm seriously thinking about driving vs. flying.

And as the news keeps getting better and better, like here...

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/04/news/companies/united/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories

you'll be joined by lots more thinking right along your lines!

 

 

 

Here's a tasty chunk of that article at money.cnn.com

 

Michael Derchin, airline analyst for FTN Midwest Securities,

said passengers should expect fares to go up another 5% through 2009,

on top of the 7% increase that's already happened this year.

"The marginal traveler will be priced out of the market, as it should be in this environment," said Neidl.

 

"The consumer's not paying his share with these oil prices.

 

They've got to start pricing the product to reflect the cost of producing the product."

Since airlines are trying to save money by reducing capacity,

 

Derchin said that passengers should expect more crowded planes.

"With this level of capacity reduction, you're talking about load factors in the 90% range

which effectively means full airplanes wherever you go!" said Derchin.

 

"The choice for consumers will be reduced

meaning fewer flights and fewer destinations."

 

 

 

God how I love Air Travel! :eek:

[richwmn]

You make a lot of assumtions Rich. I don't park my car at the airport-I get dropped off. The flight to FLL from MCO is 15 mins not an hour(I've done it). Does Yahoo tell you that my suburban gets 20mpg? Try more like 15, if I'm lucky, plus tolls and parking fees. I do very little handeling of my own luggage. etc

 

I fly not only to save time but, for my personnal comfort. The OP asked if others found it worth the savings to drive instead of fly. For me it's "no". Others can decide that for themselves. I think it's a waste of money to pay for a balcony when I am never in my cabin. BTDT. Some will not cruise unless they have a balcony.At what point is it worth giving up what "I" am comfortable with. $100-$200 is not that point for me.

 

A note on my assumptions-

According to several online sites, the flight from MCO to FLL is a little over an hour. (eg Spirit Airlines Flight 311 10:10am Orlando, FL (MCO) 11:15am Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) 1hr 5min - Nonstop) Although if you would rather you could connect through Atlanta and spend four and a half hours. Based on my experience with Augusta and Athens to Atlanta or Charlotte I don't see how you can claim 15 minutes, when the taxi out to the runway usually takes at least that long. Then you have the taxi at the other end to the gate and waiting in line to get off the plane.

 

As to the 20mpg, I had to start somewhere and many vehicles, including my van, get that much or more. If you get less, sorry.

 

If you are more comfortable waiting in several airport lines and getting luggage out of cars and back into them, more power to you. I'd rather pack my car once and drive, taking out only a small bag when I stop for the night on the way south. I have more room to move around and I am more comfortable that way.

 

Rich

[rdenee]

In November 2005 we drove from Fargo, North Dakota to Galveston, TX for our cruise. It took us two days to drive down there. There were four of us and we drove about 12 hours each day. Going down wasn't bad, as we had the cruise to look forward to, all that energy and excitement.

 

Coming back was the pits, both because we pulled into port Saturday morning and had to be home in time for me to go to work Monday and because the temperature was 92 degrees when we got off the ship and -22 when we pulled into the driveway the following night. :(

 

If we ever drive to a port again, which we have talked about with the Splendor cruise, since flying from Fargo is crazy expensive, I will take the extra day off work so that I am not rushed coming back.

 

Rhea

[SelectSys]

Just wondering who has or who is thinking about driving to a cruise port terminal ... With driving, I just don't want us to be tired out the day before the cruise. It will be a 12 hour drive and I'm really weighing pros and cons.

 

What is the longest distance you have driven to get to a cruise terminal?

 

You just need to do the math and see if it is worth it. My quick calculation is that your driving costs will be about $1190.00 assuming:

 

1) 20 MPG in your car

2) $4.00 / gallon gas

3) Maintenance expense of $.10/mile

4) 2 nights hotel @ $100/night

5) Food $75 each way.

 

The costs can really add up quickly and the differences aren't really all that great. It would be even more expensive if you factor in your own time (e.g., possibly needing to take two extra vacation days for drive time).

[nho9504]

The flight time listed, is PADDED - it is gate to gate, including "reasonable" time spent on the taxiway.

 

The ACTUAL flight time is much less, especially on a short flight MCO/FLL.

 

Personally, anything longer than 4 hours drive is not worth to us, in today's gasoline price, and the hotel cost.

 

For those who opt to drive long distance, PLEASE allow enough time to get to your destination. We have had a tradegy a few years ago - a grandma decided to pay for a family re-union (over a doz people) on a RCCL cruise. Several families were driving in from various places to Miami. One family was from either Georgia or Carolina, (forgot), the grand-daughter's mother lived in Tampa, so that particular family decided to make a stop at Tampa before they drove to Miami. The family left Tampa shortly after 12pm, to drive to Miami on the day of cruise, tried to make a 5pm sailing time. I dont know what was in the man's mind to cut it so close. Long story short, they had a fatal accident on Aligator Alley (I-75). The father and one daughter were dead on the scene, the rest of the family severely wounded. The extended families waited and waited and waited and did not see this family to show up. RCCL set sail. The ship found out what happened several hours later when officials on land finally found out the IDs of the family and started trying to contact the next of kin... When the newspapers reported this, it was said, no-one had the heart and nerve, to tell the Grandma what had happened.

 

So, whatever you choose, PLEASE remember long distance driving is tiring. Make ample resting stops, and dont rush. Safety is always first. Leave ample room for "errors" - breakdowns, traffic accidents, whatever. So you would be stressed out by the time you reach the port.

 

A note on my assumptions-

According to several online sites, the flight from MCO to FLL is a little over an hour. (eg Spirit Airlines Flight 311 10:10am Orlando, FL (MCO) 11:15am Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) 1hr 5min - Nonstop) Although if you would rather you could connect through Atlanta and spend four and a half hours. Based on my experience with Augusta and Athens to Atlanta or Charlotte I don't see how you can claim 15 minutes, when the taxi out to the runway usually takes at least that long. Then you have the taxi at the other end to the gate and waiting in line to get off the plane.

 

As to the 20mpg, I had to start somewhere and many vehicles, including my van, get that much or more. If you get less, sorry.

 

If you are more comfortable waiting in several airport lines and getting luggage out of cars and back into them, more power to you. I'd rather pack my car once and drive, taking out only a small bag when I stop for the night on the way south. I have more room to move around and I am more comfortable that way.

 

Rich

[richwmn]

The flight time listed, is PADDED - it is gate to gate, including "reasonable" time spent on the taxiway.

 

The ACTUAL flight time is much less, especially on a short flight MCO/FLL.

 

 

I was using "flight time" as it is commonly used and defined by the airlines -- which is gate to gate. It really makes no difference how you split the hairs, by the time you show up at the airport to check in an hour early, then spend time on the taxiway, in the air, then on the taxiway again, you are still talking about over two hours consumed just from the time you arrive at MCO until you are off the plane in FLL. (Or maybe you can show up at MCO and 15 minutes later be at FLL, most people can't)

 

Rich

[Corndog819]

This is a pretty handy tool. http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com

 

Uses Gas prices for the region you're traveling and the make/model of your car to estimate the one-way/roundtrip cost of driving from most major cities.

[nho9504]

I was using "flight time" as it is commonly used and defined by the airlines -- which is gate to gate. It really makes no difference how you split the hairs, by the time you show up at the airport to check in an hour early, then spend time on the taxiway, in the air, then on the taxiway again, you are still talking about over two hours consumed just from the time you arrive at MCO until you are off the plane in FLL. (Or maybe you can show up at MCO and 15 minutes later be at FLL, most people can't)

 

Rich

 

Drive or fly between MCO & FLL is a split hair to me anyway - the distance is too long to drive for catching a cruise (not for a roadtrip - 2 different things in my book), but the time spent to/from airports also is not justified for such a short flight.

 

We can certainly drive long distance, if we need to - 6 to 8 hours a day is a piece of cake when we are doing a roadtrip. The longest one-day driving record in our going place to place, was over 14 hours, Ft.Lauderdale to Nashville, on our way to Iowa for a wedding. We did it because we were in the mood for a roadtrip and planned to go from Iowa to Chicago and then onto Toronto, Canada.

 

We also once did a drive to ATL then flew ATL to HNL via ORD. But that was because we also wanted to see the new aquarium at Atlanta - we would have made that driving trip anyway.

 

Since there are only 2 of us, driving a full day in order to catch a flight or a cruise, is simply not worth it in our case, when all one could save, might be within $100+, while one has to spend 8 hours on the road each way. The saving is simply too small to justify the hardship.

[Web]

 

We would consider driving to New Orleans, if any of the ships would come back :( . FLL, Canaveral Tampa all too far for us:(

Mobile is fine, but only Carnival's oldest ships at random dates.- not our cup of tea either.

sniff.

[morecruise4me]

We live in north central West Virginia and our closest airport is PIT. When we fly, we have to leave our house 4 hours before our flight in order to arrive 2 hours before our flight for check in. We've flown to FLL and Tampa and we've driven to FLL. At this point, I'm thinking driving may be the better choice. With the hassle of arrival, lost luggage, transfers, etc. and we always arrive a day in advance of our cruise anyway, why not just take 2 days to drive down and not worry about my luggage or missing my flight. The weather would affect us either way, and when we drive at least we head south instead of north to start our trip:) And like someone else pointed out, at least we're in control.