bhageerah Posted September 30, 2020 Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 For me it all depends, and it will depend on where the cruise leaves from, and the distance that it is from our home in VA, if the cruise leaves from Baltimore then we are definitely driving, if the cruise is leaving from Miami or Fort Lauderdale then we are DEFINITELY flying. I just flew from VA to WA to assist my niece in moving to CO, so getting on a plane does not worry me as much. I do not fear COVID 19 but I do respect it, and take all the necessary precautions in order to keep those that I love the most as well as those around me safe. I actually must say that I was surprised with how packed the plane was as well as the airports that we stopped at, but once again mask was worn, hand sanitizer was used, and I definitely socially distanced prior to sitting in my seat on the plane. WAAAYTOOO and WannaCruise 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WannaCruise Posted September 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 12 hours ago, bhageerah said: For me it all depends, and it will depend on where the cruise leaves from, and the distance that it is from our home in VA, if the cruise leaves from Baltimore then we are definitely driving, if the cruise is leaving from Miami or Fort Lauderdale then we are DEFINITELY flying. I just flew from VA to WA to assist my niece in moving to CO, so getting on a plane does not worry me as much. I do not fear COVID 19 but I do respect it, and take all the necessary precautions in order to keep those that I love the most as well as those around me safe. I actually must say that I was surprised with how packed the plane was as well as the airports that we stopped at, but once again mask was worn, hand sanitizer was used, and I definitely socially distanced prior to sitting in my seat on the plane. For the highlighted, what a great saying...or way to think of it... bhageerah and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beccaball Posted September 30, 2020 Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 We could drive to Florida,.... but we don't want too lol We are in Indiana.....so depending on the port thats a 16-20 hr trip one way.... then there's the dreaded drive home when the fun of vacay is over...... SO that being said we choose to fly if we can.....but i the cost of flights aren't in our budget then we would drive. WannaCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkertoy Posted September 30, 2020 Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 We live in NC and have driven to ports in Bayonne, Baltimore, Canaveral, Ft Lauderdale, Miami and New Orleans. It will be a good while before we cruise again, probably 2023 for my 80th birthday and we will for sure drive, no matter where we depart from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJS2766 Posted September 30, 2020 Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 I'm maybe an hour drive away from Baltimore, Md. but not sure I would ever want to cruise from there. I prefer flying down to FLL or Miami. I have no concerns with flying. I just want to cruise!!!!! LOL WannaCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted September 30, 2020 Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 We are also in close proximity to Baltimore and always drive. It is not a glamorous port but it's close and convenient. Enough for me !! I just wish we had some better ships...but I understand the limits of the port. WannaCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Jensen Posted September 30, 2020 Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 We live in New Jersey, currently we have two cruises scheduled for this coming summer, one out of Baltimore and the other out of NJ, we'll drive the night before just to be close. Our Dec 21 cruise is out of Miami so we'll fly. Comfortable with both methods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhayka Posted September 30, 2020 Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 We are flying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baked Alaska Posted October 1, 2020 Report Share Posted October 1, 2020 Nope. Smack dab in the middle of the Ozarks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose City Cruiser Posted October 1, 2020 Report Share Posted October 1, 2020 On 9/29/2020 at 1:26 PM, Lovetocruise2002 said: I am 100% with @monctonguy on this one. The border is the biggest problem right now. That and insurance coverage for COVID-19. Just spoke to my travel agent. There is COVID-19 coverage available to purchase as a stand-alone policy but any form of cruise travel is excluded. crisgold52 and WannaCruise 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YOLO Posted October 1, 2020 Report Share Posted October 1, 2020 Our Nov 1st cruise is out of Port Canaveral and we won't be driving - too much add-on for us - extra vacation days, extra dog care (3 dogs), added hotel cost, wear and tear on car, etc. I align with @twangster - I think flying day of (embark/debark) is our best option under the current conditions. But we are 31 days out today and have not booked our airfare - we still don't know if we are sailing... crisgold52 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted October 1, 2020 Report Share Posted October 1, 2020 On 9/29/2020 at 12:34 PM, Dad2Cue said: We just did a short 90 minute flight to visit relatives and to see what flying was like with the new policies in place. I can't say the experience was that much different from flying before the pandemic. The flight was full and the policy was that they "offer" you the option of taking a later flight. On our flight, I only saw one empty seat so not many people took that option. The only difference was that everyone wore a mask while boarding and during the flight. The airlines can't enforce the mask rule in the airport itself and I didn't see any enforcement at the gate but most people were compliant. Social distancing on the plane really didn't happen since the flight was full. In Canada, they will kick you off the flight and ban you for ONE YEAR from flying....even kids under 2 have to wear masks and if they don't they kick them off the plane and cancel the flight, its a hot mess right now and is only going to get worse, i could see our 2 national airlines going bankrupt or need a government bailout by this winter.....you defn don't want to be flying in Canada any time soon..... crisgold52 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickinSTL Posted October 2, 2020 Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 Sorry.. as much as I love my wife.. there's no way I could spend 17 hours in a car with her having to pee once every hour.. lol.. Ill take my chances with flying lol WAAAYTOOO, DJsMrs, bhageerah and 8 others 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDaley Posted October 2, 2020 Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 Florida is a 74 hour round trip driving for me so best believe I will be flying if cruising ever resumes! I flew once already during the pandemic, 6 or so hours each way. I LOVED that the airport was the place I have seen the most masked people all in one spot and never felt unsafe while armed with cleaning wipes. As long as airlines keep up with the middle seat blocked and intensive between-flight cleanings, I am on board. WannaCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted October 2, 2020 Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 We live in North Carolina and always drive to Florida when we cruise. It's a two day trip, but we have friends we can visit in Fl for an overnight visit and stop in Savannah, Ga or Charleston, Sc on the way home for a few days. Flying doesn't work for us.......someone ALWAYS overpacks and brings way too many shoes.....and it isn't my darling wife. I had to say that because she reads what I post and I bruise easily. MaryS, DznyRnr, S.Marie and 4 others 1 4 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverk Posted October 2, 2020 Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 I live 30 minutes from Galveston, so driving is a no brainer. I'd like to try Miami as a cruise port, but that seems silly at the moment. cruisellama, WannaCruise and teddy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted October 2, 2020 Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 We're a 24 hour non-stop drive to Miami depending on traffic/construction. We've done it 25 years ago by swapping off driving, but I don't think either one of us could sit in a car for that long now. WannaCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baked Alaska Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 24, 14, and 36 hours straight with only bathroom breaks and drive-up windows to Miami, Galveston, and Seattle, respectively. As they say under the rocks here in the 'Zarks "Taint werth it." cruisellama, Neesa, Lovetocruise2002 and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 Out of curiosity, I just looked at Cape Liberty....5-6 hours. That would be alright I guess, although I try to live by the words of a long time friend who drives truck...."If you don't have to drive in the NYC Metro area, DON'T". WannaCruise and Neesa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 Nope. Venice is too far. JLMoran, KristiZ, WannaCruise and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CannukCruiser Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 We drove down last new years day from Ontario Canada to St Petes . Stayed with the inlaws a couple of days then drove to Miami on Sunday morning and was in the terminal around 11 30 . On the way back my wife did not want to go back to her parents place so we drove back to Canada , stopping just over halfway home .. Driving don't bother either one of us as we both enjoy doing it , we just switch up . WannaCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 I wish political jabs wouldn't be included in posts here. There are many other websites that thrive on that kind of discourse. Jax, Lovetocruise2002 and FManke 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 1 hour ago, teddy said: I wish political jabs wouldn't be included in posts here. There are many other websites that thrive on that kind of discourse. As per @Matt's simple rules for these boards, this is not the place for politics. Feel free to report and flag any posts that we miss and we will be sure to take care of it. teddy and Matt 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisellama Posted October 4, 2020 Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 It would help if we could get a repositioning cruise from Galveston to Miami and back again. That way we could easily drive to Galveston and have a B2B2B. Rose City Cruiser and teddy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoski Posted October 4, 2020 Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 We live in PA and can easily drive to Baltimore or NJ. With a family of 5 airfare gets expensive so this year we booked all our cruises from those two ports only to have them canceled so far. We will always consider ports we can drive to instead of flying for cost alone. WannaCruise and USCG Teacher 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DznyRnr Posted October 4, 2020 Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 I LOVE road trips, but I am very familiar with the exits between ATL and Orlando, so it's easy for me! Our next cruise is Dec 13th out of Miami. I NEED a vacation....60+ hour weeks for 7 months has been a blessing and a curse. We have jobs and are SO grateful for that. BUT, my husband and I are exhausted. ! We need a vacation and if it can't happen on a ship we are going camping in the woods somewhere so no one can get at us and we can recharge! We would LOVE to do it at sea, but if that isn't possible, we will find a way! JLMoran, Baked Alaska and WannaCruise 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted October 4, 2020 Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 8 hours ago, Hoski said: We live in PA and can easily drive to Baltimore or NJ. With a family of 5 airfare gets expensive so this year we booked all our cruises from those two ports only to have them canceled so far. We will always consider ports we can drive to instead of flying for cost alone. This whole thread has made us rethink our future departure ports. For some reason we never even considered NJ or MD as ports. They are 5-6 and 7-8 hours from us respectively if we drive. Flying from Maine is an all day affair...non-stop flights are like unicorns unless you leave out of Boston, and that adds to the logistical difficulties for us. We’re not worried about flying (COVID or any other reasons), but Portland to MIA or FLL is exhausting. It seems like all flights in our budget tend to go through the hell that is La Guardia. We’ve left Portland at 530 am and never got to our hotel room in Florida until 1 am. We’ve decided that when we book our 2022 cruises, we’re going to try some that leave from Cape Liberty. WAAAYTOOO, JLMoran, MaryS and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 4, 2020 Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 3 hours ago, teddy said: We’re not worried about flying (COVID or any other reasons), but Portland to MIA or FLL is exhausting. As I was reminded in an earlier post, there is also the "car train" from Amtrak, which I want to say runs from Baltimore to Florida. They load up your car into one the train cars, you get a sleeper cabin, and have a more restful trip down to Florida than you'd get on a plane going through LGA. Takes a day longer, yes, and not sure if it saves money vs flying. But another option to explore. You could also look at repositioning sailings out of Boston as another option. At least when those become a real option again. Royal and Celebrity both have ships ported there in the fall for CA / NE sailings and then move them down south for the winter. teddy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted October 4, 2020 Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 1 hour ago, JLMoran said: As I was reminded in an earlier post, there is also the "car train" from Amtrak, which I want to say runs from Baltimore to Florida. They load up your car into one the train cars, you get a sleeper cabin, and have a more restful trip down to Florida than you'd get on a plane going through LGA. Takes a day longer, yes, and not sure if it saves money vs flying. But another option to explore. You could also look at repositioning sailings out of Boston as another option. At least when those become a real option again. Royal and Celebrity both have ships ported there in the fall for CA / NE sailings and then move them down south for the winter. The repositioning sailings out of Boston have caught our eye. We'd love to take one, but any vacation over 7 days is tough for my wife. Her career has been plagued many times with "restructuring" over the past 20 years, and every time this has happened, she has had to start over with the "new" company. When she starts over, her paid time off is that of a new employee. She currently has three weeks of pto to my seven and doesn't want to use that much of it at one time. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Curtis Posted October 4, 2020 Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 It would be impossible to drive to our favorite port, San Juan, our last three cruises have been out of San Juan, as far as state side ports, I guess Tampa or Orlando area would be around a 15 hr drive, which is doable, but I usually try to fly if over 5 hrs. Usually don’t mind driving to vacation, but always that dread to drive home when vacation is over, give me that 2 hr flight anytime. Baked Alaska, Neesa and WannaCruise 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zacharius Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 17 hours ago, Dan Curtis said: It would be impossible to drive to our favorite port, San Juan It's definitely impossible with that spirit! Dan Curtis, WannaCruise, Yo2slick and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 On 10/4/2020 at 8:16 AM, teddy said: This whole thread has made us rethink our future departure ports. For some reason we never even considered NJ or MD as ports. They are 5-6 and 7-8 hours from us respectively if we drive. Flying from Maine is an all day affair...non-stop flights are like unicorns unless you leave out of Boston, and that adds to the logistical difficulties for us. We’re not worried about flying (COVID or any other reasons), but Portland to MIA or FLL is exhausting. It seems like all flights in our budget tend to go through the hell that is La Guardia. We’ve left Portland at 530 am and never got to our hotel room in Florida until 1 am. We’ve decided that when we book our 2022 cruises, we’re going to try some that leave from Cape Liberty. We fly out of Maine every chance we can get and thank our lucky stars that we can..and it takes us 5-7 hours drive to get there, plus it adds a night there and back....and its still WAY cheaper than flying out of Canada......I would love to be in your situation! We have done a cpl direct flights out of Portland to Orlando..and then cruised out of Port Canaveral..wasn't bad at all..... Be glad you dont have to do what we do and/or fly out of Canada to cruise! Baked Alaska, teddy and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 1 hour ago, monctonguy said: Be glad you dont have to do what we do and/or fly out of Canada to cruise! Very good reminder to appreciate what we have rather than complaining about what we don't, thank you. My in-laws live near Fredericton...not as far away as you, but they always come to Maine to fly anywhere as well. monctonguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJsMrs Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 Coming from Vancouver to FLL is long enough when we fly (usually a 15 hour day with a connection either in Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, or Houston) - driving would be 50 hours if we didn't stop. It'll be a while before we get to board a ship. Hoping Dec 2021 isn't too optimistic (fingers crossed!) WannaCruise and Baked Alaska 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo2slick Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 I will drive 100% of the time. I booked a refundable first class airline ticket this year that I was suppose to be able to cancel or change for any reason... My wife lost her job because of this Covid crap and she decided to travel with me. So I canceled the ticket for a refund because we decided to drive and make a vacation out of the trip. BAM, airline won't refund my money. They gave me a credit to rebook a flight between now and December 2021 but it has to be in my name! Screw the airlines, Ill never give them another penny of my money. I also like having the freedom to do whatever I want on a road trip vs being herded into a tube like cattle for a few hours. crisgold52 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveinSC Posted October 15, 2020 Report Share Posted October 15, 2020 Interesting... https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/10/15/coronavirus-study-finds-jetliners-safer-than-operating-rooms/3665469001/ WAAAYTOOO and WannaCruise 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted October 15, 2020 Report Share Posted October 15, 2020 1 hour ago, SteveinSC said: Interesting... https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/10/15/coronavirus-study-finds-jetliners-safer-than-operating-rooms/3665469001/ USA Today will print anything for the right price. They would print that portable toilets are cleaner that operating rooms if the industry paid them to. It's one of the reasons why I refuse to read their trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveinSC Posted October 15, 2020 Report Share Posted October 15, 2020 20 minutes ago, twangster said: USA Today will print anything for the right price. They would print that portable toilets are cleaner that operating rooms if the industry paid them to. It's one of the reasons why I refuse to read their trash. Wow.....guess I shouldve put a trigger warning on there? Just thought it was fascinating and people might be interested to know that its being looked at and talked about....as it relates to flying to cruises. RickinSTL and whitsmom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrimsonCruiser Posted October 27, 2020 Report Share Posted October 27, 2020 Driving to the port is something I started tossing around even before the pandemic, just to save on the stress of luggage weight limits. Coming from Chicago, we have to fly to any port, and so far our favorite ports are in Florida. To Florida, according to Google Maps, is just over 20 hours on ideal traffic - and we aren't the most used to long road trips so we would split this over 2 days just to be safe. Which means two days of food, two hotel stays (because we'd probably aim to still get there a day early), gas and toll costs. *shrug* It's still an idea, and if by the time of our next booked cruise things haven't worked out for the better, it may be the more comfortable option. WAAAYTOOO and USFFrank 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.