Pre-made trip plan
Charlotte to Port Everglades Cruise
Charlotte to Port Everglades is the perfect 2-day cruise drive — through Savannah for a Mrs. Wilkes lunch, sleep in St. Augustine, easy morning into Fort Lauderdale, board your Princess or Holland America ship by noon.
- Days
- 2
- Total drive
- 760 mi
- Drive time
- 12.0 h
Steve’s take
Port Everglades is the Fort Lauderdale cruise port — Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, MSC, Carnival, and some Royal sailings all leave from here. From Charlotte it's 760 miles south down I-95, which is technically doable in one ugly day but is a much better two-day trip. Day 1: drive to St. Augustine, walk the historic district before dinner, sleep in a downtown-adjacent hotel. Day 2: easy morning, three-hour drive to the port, board by noon. The St. Augustine overnight is what sets this apart from a generic 'drive to the port' itinerary — the oldest city in America is right on your route, your kids get to walk the fort, you eat dinner at a real restaurant, and you don't arrive at the terminal frazzled. Pixie families who add the St. Augustine night never regret it, ever.
Who this trip is for
- ✓Mid-Atlantic families driving to a Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, MSC, or Royal cruise out of Port Everglades
- ✓Cruisers who want a real Florida overnight (St. Augustine) built into the trip
- ✓Anyone shipping out of Fort Lauderdale who's done the one-day grind once and won't do it again
Day-by-day
Day 1
Charlotte → St. Augustine
480 mi · 7.5 hr
Push down I-95 with a Savannah lunch stop. St. Augustine by late afternoon, walk the historic district before dinner, sleep right on the bay.
South of the Border (Dillon SC)
Mile 110 · Stretch / break
The neon sombrero. Genuine American highway weirdness. Stop for a leg-stretch and the photo. Skip the food.
170 mi · 2h 39m to next stop
Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (Savannah)Mile 280 · Stretch / break
Restaurant in Georgia, United States
Family-style Southern lunch since 1943 — fried chicken, butterbeans, the works. Lunch only, no reservations. Time it for 11 AM or wait 90 minutes in line at noon.
80 mi · 1h 15m to next stop
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Florida Welcome Center (I-95 SB)Mile 360 · Stretch / break
tourist welcome center in Florida, United States
Free OJ. Photo opp. Pet area. The 'you're in Florida' moment.
120 mi · 1h 53m to next stop
- Comfort Suites St. Augustine
Mile 480 · Overnight
Five minutes from the historic district. Walk Castillo de San Marcos and the seawall before dinner — the Spanish-built fort is genuinely the oldest masonry fort in the country. Dinner at the Floridian or O'Steen's. Bed by 10 — tomorrow is easy.
Sleep at: St. Augustine, FL
Day 2
St. Augustine → Port Everglades → Embark!
280 mi · 4.5 hr
Easy morning drive south. Eat breakfast at the hotel, hit the road by 8 AM, three hours to Fort Lauderdale, drop bags at the port, park, board.
Daytona Beach quick stretchMile 60 · Stretch / break
Optional 20-minute leg stretch on the boardwalk if you've got time. The Atlantic on your left, palm trees, the 'we're really here' feeling. Skip if you're tight on time.
210 mi · 3h 23m to next stop
Port Everglades Cruise Terminal (drop bags + park)
Mile 270 · Morning of
Drive directly to the terminal, drop bags with the porters curbside, then park. Port Everglades has on-site parking ($15-$22/day depending on terminal). Some cruise lines offer pre-arranged off-site lot shuttles — Pixie can pre-book those for you.
10 mi · 10m to next stop
Port Everglades Cruise Terminal
Mile 280 · You arrive!
Embarkation. Boarding pass + ID. Carry-on only for the first hour. Buffet opens immediately on board. Welcome to your cruise.
Sleep at: Onboard your cruise!
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Pre-fills with: Charlotte (28202) → Port Everglades · 2 adults · get-there-fast pace · $100–150 hotel budget · 2 driving days + cruise
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From the real Griswolds · with Pixie Vacations
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