Question..

[Hombre59]

We live in Satellite Beach, about 30 minutes south of Port canaveral and about 2:30 hours north of Fort Lauderdale. We are embarking on December 15th for a 5 night western caribbean cruise aboard the Navigator of the Seas. My question is, would you leave the day before and spend the night in a hotel (we don't really feel like spending 200-400$ for two hotel rooms (7 people)), or would you just wake up early and drive over there the day of embarkation risking the chance of a serious collision or anything that blocks the roadways for a couple hours or so? :confused:

 

We were just wondering what other people would do:)

[Merion_Mom]

We live in Satellite Beach, about 30 minutes south of Port canaveral and about 2:30 hours north of Fort Lauderdale. We are embarking on December 15th for a 5 night western caribbean cruise aboard the Navigator of the Seas. My question is, would you leave the day before and spend the night in a hotel (we don't really feel like spending 200-400$ for two hotel rooms (7 people)), or would you just wake up early and drive over there the day of embarkation risking the chance of a serious collision or anything that blocks the roadways for a couple hours or so? :confused:

 

We were just wondering what other people would do:)

 

Things can go wrong whichever way you plan it.

 

Last month, my friend and I spent a week at WDW, rented a car and drove to Miami to board the Majesty for a week. That was a three and a half hour drive, and involved dropping off a car at the rental agency and getting their shuttle to the cruise terminal.

 

Everything went smoothly and we had no problems.

[tomko2]

We leave around 9:30 in the morning from Naples for the 1 1/2 drive to the port. We figure if anything happens on Alligator Alley (1-75) we would have enough time to re-route back thru Naples to Highway 41 and still make the cruise in good time.

With an 2 1/2 hour drive just leave early enough to have a cushion of time just in case.

Kathy:)

[robtulipe]

I would just drive the day of the cruise if I was only that far away but would leave very early to give yourself a wide margin of time if anything should happen. If you left at 6 or 7 AM you would be in FLL at 8:30 or 9:30 and since most cruises depart at 5 PM or later you will have plenty of time if anything goes wrong. You should be able to board at 11 AM or shortly after so you will be able to enjoy the ship offering more on embarkation day. If you had that serious a collision, I don't think it would matter if it was the day before or the day of your cruise. I have driven that far just to catch a flight while going to a cruise.

[Rancher Dave]

Give a good cushion of time and drive down the morning of...you can always go either 95 or the tollway switching between would take some extra time, so get up early drive down plan a late breakfast towards the destination...no need to go ahead and stay at a hotel.

[Loyal2RCCL]

We've driven from Tampa on numerous occassions and always leave the day of the cruise. It's about a 4 hr drive so we leave around 6am and have never had a problem.

[cb at sea]

No! Just leave home at a reasonable hours--why in the world would you spend that extra money????

Even from a hotel, things can "go wrong"--but it won't!

[crusinmama06]

I wouldn't. When we cruise out of PC we stay in a WDW resort, so that's farther away than your home. ;) I think you'll be fairly safe with a 30 minute drive.

 

Like the others said, just leave early. Have breakfast near the port. :)

[GatorGirl]

I think driving to the ship the day of the cruise is the benefit to living in Florida. Just leave early enough incase there is any traffic. Realistically though, on a Sat or Sun morning, there isn't much traffic on I-95.

[BillB48]

We live in the Melbourne area and over the last couple of years we've cruised out of FLL and MIA a number of times. We travel the day of the sailing and take 95 down to Ft. Pierce and get on the turnpike, have not had any problems. Having said that I won't deny that getting stuck on the road is in the back of my mind and I am relieved when we pull into the port. One of things that I consider as alternatives are; much of 95 in that area has no median barriers, so you could do an illegal U and get off the interstate to allow you to take another route. If you have 7 traveling with you, will you being using two cars? Safety in numbers. Leave early, I'm usually on the road by 7.

[AnotherCruisingKid]

I'd agree with others and tell you to drive day of.

 

That said, you're going into a relaxing vacation. So if you have to get up super early and leave at 6am or what ever time works, and plan to be in FLL by 9am I would go for it. Get there, plan a breakfast for every to wake up once you get there and then get to the port in plenty of time. And worst case, even if you're 3 hours late, you still arrive in plenty of time.

[squeeks]

I wouldn't. When we cruise out of PC we stay in a WDW resort, so that's farther away than your home. ;) I think you'll be fairly safe with a 30 minute drive.

Like the others said, just leave early. Have breakfast near the port. :)

 

 

its a lot longer than a 30 minute drive from PC to port everglades...i believe the OP said 2:30 hours?

 

 

anyway, we live in orlando, and are going on the same cruise as you are, Dec 15th Nav. we will be leaving here about 9am as always, and are usually there by 12:00 giving us a good 3 hours incase anything happens, you should be fine, i believe you have several highway options driving down the coast, correct?

[Hotelfixer]

For my two cents worth.... I'd say if it's only a thirty minute drive and I was sailing out that day...... I would find a way to get there even if I had to walk. What could happen that major to shut down every single road.

 

 

PS Hey Cruisinmama...aka my imaginary friend

[newbiecruiser09]

Another 2 cents. You said you are traveling with 7 people. Do they all live with you? If not, tell the ones who have to get to your house (or ones that are a little slow moving) that you are leaving an hour earlier than you really want to. That way if they are late, you will still be one time (I may be a bit jaded but I have to travel with someone who is "time challenged" and never seems to be ready when we need to leave :rolleyes: )

[squeeks]

For my two cents worth.... I'd say if it's only a thirty minute drive and I was sailing out that day...... I would find a way to get there even if I had to walk. What could happen that major to shut down every single road.

 

 

PS Hey Cruisinmama...aka my imaginary friend

 

 

ok, again, the OP lives 30min from Port Canaveral, BUT, they are sailing outta Port EVERGLADES

 

the question is about the 2hr 30min drive to PE NOT the half hour drive to PC

[uksimonusa]

We live in Satellite Beach, about 30 minutes south of Port canaveral and about 2:30 hours north of Fort Lauderdale. We are embarking on December 15th for a 5 night western caribbean cruise aboard the Navigator of the Seas. My question is, would you leave the day before and spend the night in a hotel (we don't really feel like spending 200-400$ for two hotel rooms (7 people)), or would you just wake up early and drive over there the day of embarkation risking the chance of a serious collision or anything that blocks the roadways for a couple hours or so? :confused:

 

We were just wondering what other people would do:)

 

We live just over the causeway from you, and have sailed out of Miami a number of times, althought never FLL. We normally leave the house around 7:30am stop at Dunking Donuts at Eau Gallie and I95, then head south. Normally at the port before 11:00, although on one trip, there was a bad accident on 95 that delayed us about an hour, still parked and inline by noon.

 

Unless you yourself are involved in an accident, you can pretty much say that what ever happens, be it breakdown, flat tire or accidents along the way, you will always make the ship if it departs at 5:00pm

[karena1]

We live in ORlando and when we leave from a Florida port we always leave in the morning. Going out of Canaveral we usually leave by 10 or so which leaves lots of time in case something happens.

 

When we left on Liberty out of Miami, we left our house at 5 am and hit South Beach at around 9 that morning. So again plenty of time.

 

I would rather get up and go early than to pay for a hotel.

 

Now totally different when we go to San Juan to board. Then we always go a day early as I dont' ever trust the airlines to get me there on time:p

[Hombre59]

Thanks for all the information, really appreciate it. We will probably be waking up around 7 am and driving there, get on the road about 8 or 9. Yeah, we have many roads we can take, so we always have the option of turning around and finding a new route.

 

Another quick question though, we are going to reserve a night at Chops, does anyone know which night is the formal night on the 5 day navigator western cruise?

[Cruisenouvelle]

Formal night is normally the 2nd night on a five nighter. You will enjoy Chops. I'm not a big steak fan, but my filet mignon there was dee-lish. I ordered well done, which could end up like a shoe sole, but the chef butterfly'ed the cut and it was just melt-in-your-mouth. They have a great bread pudding, too - with apple-raisin compote on the side. Just a great evening all around. I envy you !!

 

We live near Daytona Beach, and we just leave early for the drive down. Even if 95's a mess, you can take US 1 as an alternate.

Enjoy the cruise!