Driving from NY to Florida for a cruise (cruise ship, best, rentals)

[monack]

Okay - so my husband and I got the idea that maybe we would consider driving to Florida instead of flying for a cruise that we are taking in the middle of january. We are going to be travelling overall with several other couples, and since we began mentioning this to the other folks we are going with, they have expressed an interest in driving as well...

So, now we're trying to think of a way to do this where we might all be able to travel together. we would need a vehicle large enough to hold us, without it being completely uncomfortable. Would renting an RV be a good option for us? If we do rent an RV, would we be able to do it in two one way segments - meaning driving it down... returning it to a rental place, then picking it back up later in the week to drive back to NY?

Just trying to weigh all of our options... thanks for any thoughts or ideas that other folks might have ...

[younglisa7]

How many people are you talking about? Do you all plan on driving straight through or are you doing any overnight stops?

Why are you thinking about an RV? Do you know how to drive and stay in one? They do not actually have a lot of comfortable seating for passengers. Yes you can get up, walk around, eat something, and use the bathroom which are all great conveniences but they are very expensive to rent and you need to be able to drive them and understand all of the functions. Also if you plan on staying in a park on your way down they aren't so great. Also if you stay overnight in an RV in freezing temps you open up another can of worms.

A little more info would help. I don't think rving is the way to go unless you know what you are getting involved in.

[monack]

We are likely not planning on staying overnight in the RV - we were just looking for options that would accommodate 7 passengers comfortably for the road trip. There would be 3 drivers switching off. And we would be looking to make one overnight stop along the way. As I said - we are trying to weigh all of our options - what would you recommend for 7 folks to be able to travel comfortably for approximately 22 hours total of driving?

[younglisa7]

Maybe a large SUV or a passenger van. The biggest problem I see for all of you would be all the luggage. Maybe 2 larger comfortable cars(?) Try checking rates and options at your local rental agencies.

Here is what Avis advertises.
Avis Renter's Guide - View Cars

and

Avis Renter's Guide - View Cars

Good luck and have a great time.

[island mermaid]

I would agree that a large SUV or a passenger van wouldn't have enough luggage room for 7 adults.

The good news is that because you would be returning it to the original pick up location, you wouldn't be subjected to a "one way fee" or "drop off charge" Most rental companies pass the cost along to the customer of having to retrieve the vehicle, at least in Europe anyway. I'm pretty sure they do that here also.

The bad news is that the rental company might want to charge you for the rental for the entire time you are out on the cruise.

I think it's cheaper to fly down right now anyway and way less aggravating. It's also less expensive once you arrive here to pick up a rental outside of an airport location. Compare prices to one that is just outside of the airport, it's usually way less expensive and just a quick cab trip away. While the others are waiting for luggage, one of you can grab a cab to go pick up a rental. That is if the cruise ship doesn't run a shuttle.


Also, do you really want to spend that much time with your traveling companions? What happens if something goes awry on the cruise? Then you all have to drive home together too? Oops.
Just my 2 cents. Best of luck!

[Crew Chief]

The good news is, that if you take I-95 down to FL, you'll get to see a couple of hundred miles worth of "South of the Border" billboards before you actually get to that tourist trap on the NC-SC border. It's worth a stop, anyway...

[monack]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

The good news is, that if you take I-95 down to FL, you'll get to see a couple of hundred miles worth of "South of the Border" billboards before you actually get to that tourist trap on the NC-SC border. It's worth a stop, anyway...

Heh. We actually did the drive to Florida completely last minute when we missed our flight to Florida to go on a cruise over Christmas 2006. On the way home, we stopped very briefly at south of the border to use the bathroom. That was about all it was good for.

The non-flyer has decided to back out of the trip, so I think we are going to go back to flying again, as she was the motivator to try to get a drive started instead of flying. Thanks for all of your advice, folks

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

The good news is, that if you take I-95 down to FL, you'll get to see a couple of hundred miles worth of "South of the Border" billboards before you actually get to that tourist trap on the NC-SC border. It's worth a stop, anyway...

I know, right? Just in case you missed the first 400 signs, we'll put up just one more! It makes the ride seem so much longer to me.
I always fly home to Maine, but I swear I can still see those signs from 30,000 feet!

[luckysnap]

Try AMTRAk

[Erma]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

The good news is, that if you take I-95 down to FL, you'll get to see a couple of hundred miles worth of "South of the Border" billboards before you actually get to that tourist trap on the NC-SC border. It's worth a stop, anyway...

rofl...yep! Before we were married, I took my SO to FLA for the 40th birthday. All the way it was like "what is up with those signs."
I've driven that route so many times, I got used to the colorful signs. We did stop on the way home, just to see the place, which isn't much, but if you're taking kids, it's worth the stop for them.
We drove to JAX to catch our cruise out of FLA. There are some nice hotels near the airport, which is about 1.8 miles from the cruise terminal. Very accommodating on that part. We traveled with another couple, which out of norfolk, was only a 9 hour drive the day before and on the way home, we had some interesting conversations about the cruise which sped up the trip a bit.