Why in the world would RCCL stop at Port Canaveral as a port call?

[Dreamin]

Two questions:

- What is Ron Johns, and

- can you recommend a good water park closer than Orlando?

[ruttie]

Ron Jons is a workd famous surf shop there is a huge Rin jons shop about 4 mikes away in cocoa beach plus there is a ron jon resort near the port.

Orlando hasd the closet water park unless yu just have small kids if yu have kids undeer 10 only teh cocoa beach Holiday inn has a really nice pirate themed pool area for kids with small slides etc... and a nice beach also..

Also Cocoa beach is a really nice beach to hang out on very clean safe etcc a taxi ti the cocoa beach peir and a day spent there is a nice way to spend teh day.. They also have a shuttle that takes you to cocoa village that is a noce old town village area with small shos and restaunts along the river...

[Dreamin]

Adult water slides. Thanks

[ruttie]

wet n wild would be the closets park..

[zeldajanuary]

I suspect that this makes a lot more sense to Europeans and North Americans who don't live close to Florida.

 

I live a half hour way from Port Canaveral, , and I can tell you, it makes a lot of sense to folks from NY, MI, WI, Toronto, etc, in January or February!

 

Try not to be jaded about Florida, the posts are correct, there are far more things to do there than in many of the Caribbean ports we all love so well.

 

That being said, I once actally had someone on a ship act surprised when they found out I was from Florida, wondering why I would take a cruise when I lived in a great climate. I simply said, well, we take vacations too

 

I wanted to say, "Where should we go on vacation, North Dakota?"

 

No flaming from Dakotans, please, I was just thinking of somewhere cold!

[island lady]

Some cruises from NYC are stopping at Port Canaveral. I think NCL's Dawn does on her seven night cruises. I can see it as a port of departure but I'd have no interest in making a port call there. It just doesn't strike me as a place to take a cruise to.

 

What are you interested in?

[island lady]

 

That being said, I once actally had someone on a ship act surprised when they found out I was from Florida, wondering why I would take a cruise when I lived in a great climate. I simply said, well, we take vacations too

 

I wanted to say, "Where should we go on vacation, North Dakota?"

 

No flaming from Dakotans, please, I was just thinking of somewhere cold!

 

I can definately relate to that!! We were asked the same question when we did a cruise in Hawaii 2 years ago! We just answered: "To see a different part of the world".

If you have never been there...how can you "know all about it"?

 

Cheers!

[SeaBrz]

As much as I love the incoming tourist $$$, I have to agree with the other posts here that discourage doing Universal or Disney on these port calls. By the time you get off the ship, load the buses, and get through the long walks to even GET to the parks, you have already lost almost 1-1/2 to 2 hours of your excursion time. The worst part is that it's impossible to see any of these parks completely in the alloted time so you will have to pick & choose attractions and then rush to get those completed. This is especially horrible in the hot summer months.

 

Others will disagree, but if I arrived on a port stop here I would find a cab to take me to Jetty Park on the south side of the port (5 minutes). You can get a live preview of this park as you enter the port if you are on a port side (left facing forward) balcony or deck of your ship. The park starts with the rock jetty as soon as you start to enter Port Canaveral; you'll see the beach, the playground, pavilions, picnic tables, campgrounds, camp store, etc.

 

It's a simple park with a new large playground for the kids, beach access with lifeguards, and lots and lots of fisherman fishing off a very long rock pier that you can stroll down. The beachfront gift shop, store, and snackbar are under reconstruction right now, but should be open in the next month or two. There is a convenience store in the campground area with soft drinks and snacks, but no restaurant. I frequently walk to this park and just talking to the fishermen on the jetties is fascinating; they are always willing to show their catch and share their tips. There is a guy from England that regularly sets up a computerized rig of poles that sets off an alarm if he gets a nibble. There are also many fisherpeople that like to fish from the shore and are very friendly.

 

Kennedy Space Center is also easily possible on a 12-hour stop, but if you just want relax time, stay on the ship or pick a close beach like Jetty Park where you don't have to worry about chair hogs to get some sun ;)

 

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SeaBrz --> 49 yr old Florida native :: Brevard County "space brat" since 1963

[island lady]

As much as I love the incoming tourist $$$, I have to agree with the other posts here that discourage doing Universal or Disney on these port calls. By the time you get off the ship, load the buses, and get through the long walks to even GET to the parks, you have already lost almost 1-1/2 to 2 hours of your excursion time. The worst part is that it's impossible to see any of these parks completely in the alloted time so you will have to pick & choose attractions and then rush to get those completed. This is especially horrible in the hot summer months.

 

Others will disagree, but if I arrived on a port stop here I would find a cab to take me to Jetty Park on the south side of the port (5 minutes). You can get a live preview of this park as you enter the port if you are on a port side (left facing forward) balcony or deck of your ship. The park starts with the rock jetty as soon as you start to enter Port Canaveral; you'll see the beach, the playground, pavilions, picnic tables, campgrounds, camp store, etc.

 

It's a simple park with a new large playground for the kids, beach access with lifeguards, and lots and lots of fisherman fishing off a very long rock pier that you can stroll down. The beachfront gift shop, store, and snackbar are under reconstruction right now, but should be open in the next month or two. There is a convenience store in the campground area with soft drinks and snacks, but no restaurant. I frequently walk to this park and just talking to the fishermen on the jetties is fascinating; they are always willing to show their catch and share their tips. There is a guy from England that regularly sets up a computerized rig of poles that sets off an alarm if he gets a nibble. There are also many fisherpeople that like to fish from the shore and are very friendly.

 

Kennedy Space Center is also easily possible on a 12-hour stop, but if you just want relax time, stay on the ship or pick a close beach like Jetty Park where you don't have to worry about chair hogs to get some sun ;)

 

------------------

 

SeaBrz --> 49 yr old Florida native :: Brevard County "space brat" since 1963

 

Very good suggestion, Seabrz!!!

 

I sometimes forget how wonderful it is to "play tourist" in our own back yard.

 

The beaches are wide open and free to all.

 

We have not only the ocean, but 3 rivers and a "creek" running through the area. For the fishing interests we are called "The Redfish capitol of the world" with many area captains doing charters here. Not to mention the fleet of charter boats, large and small, that go out for deep sea fishing.

 

Only a half hour away are the airboat tours. Quite a ride!!

 

Kennedy Space Center is indeed a short and easy trip from the port, with REAL heros and adventures. Closer, and less money than "the land of the mouse". A simple and relaxed trip from the port. An educational wonder!

 

I could not live anywhere else, and feel very lucky to do so!!

 

Cheers!

[OC PAT]

Great input from everyone. We will be there on the Grandeur in the first week of November. Is there alot of walking at the space center? Should we do the ship's tour or on our own? Would a trip to the beach be too much in the same day? How cold will the water be? What beach would you recommend if we included a tour of the space center? Your info. is appreciated.

OC Pat

[SeaBrz]

Thanks, Island Lady, always appreciate your feedback!

 

OC Pat -- I don't know enough about the Space Center tour offered by RCI so can't recommend either way, but I am thinking that you would have to rent a car otherwise so probably not worth that hassle. There is a moderate amount of walking on the KSC tour, but not nearly as much as you would encounter at one of the theme parks.

 

As long as you're not touring the Space Center on Thanksgiving Weekend, you should be able to easily take the bus tour and see the sites within 4-5 hours. I recently hosted my (then) 4-yr-old grandson and a 55-yr-old "Space Fanatic" friend and we leisurely covered everything including the bus tour, but excluding the IMAX movies, in 4 hours.

 

If you decide to go, visit KSC early and then hit the beach in the afternoon. Since you're visiting in November, the weather should be beautiful (80's F) and the beach water will still be nice and warm.

 

Hope you love our paradise as much as we do!

[Barb C]

Hi Erin Cruisers!

I screwed up...we were on the Miracle in May and Granduer in August...we never takes 2 cruises a year but the opportunity presented itself. Yes, we took a RCCL excursion that bussed us to a hotel (maybe a holiday inn)....and there was no one on the beach...we rented an umbrella and napped and read until 2, then went to Ron Jons......I guess it was too hot for everyone. There was a scheduled launch from Cape Canaveral that evening but it was cancelled....I bet that would be unbelievable to see from the deck of a ship!

[erin_cruisers]

BarbC:

OK, so YOU weren't the OTHER couple we saw on the beach that day!

Speaking of Cape Canaveral, I DID want to go on that tour but I knew my DW wasn't interested at all. In the end we had a great beach day., and I ended up with some great pics after the thunder storm went through, (of some kids rowing their dingy down the middle of the road right in front of the bar we were at- the water was at least 1-2 feet deep in spots.

[rmcg1975]

I agree with what some others have said that Disney is just TOO FAR away from Port Canaveral to make it worth it. This goes for any other Orlando attraction as well (Sea World, Universal, I-Drive, Orlando outlet shopping). You could have up to 1.5 hour drive ONE WAY -> 3 hours of your time in port is just spent driving. The space center or beaches are definitely the way to go in P.C. unless you don't care about wasting 3 hours.

 

How can you be in the car for 90mins? I lived in Kissimmee for 3 years and it never took longer than 45mins from "A" to "B"- map blast says 55mins, but hey, I drive with the flow of traffic. Get on the Bee Line (rt 528) and it is a straight shot. Which, yes I agree, after you figure out where you are going and park and all, there isn't all that much time to spend in the parks true- and yes I did work there as well. ;)

 

Wet-n-Wild is right on I-Drive (also take the Bee Line) and is also close to the Outlets- so if you have older kids whp can be trusted to be "unsupervised" so to speak in a water park and LOATHE the thought of shopping and the like, I say drop them off at WNW, shop and pick them back up. WNW is right at a major intersection and it is EASY to see with the giant "mushroom" right on the corner...the Outlets are all the way down at the end of I-Drive.

 

Just a few thoughts.. :) However, I am sure whatever you choose to do you will have a great time, it's vacation!!!!!! :) :) :)

[dc-snoopy]

My folks have lived in Winter Springs on the north side of Orlando since 1983 and we've watched the traffic patterns change a lot over the last 20+ years. Since I've also worked at Kennedy Space Center when on detail for a flight mission, I've done the commute between Orlando and Canaveral/Cocoa many times. 45-60 minutes is the normal time provided there are no problems. However, when going from Canaveral to DW in the morning, you have to factor in the parking, walking to the tram (or walking to the park), the wait in line for tickets at the park, then the wait to get in. My guesstimation is that after the 45-60 min drive, you have an additional 25-30 min to get to a parking spot and everything before you are actually in the park itself...and that is if you are parking directly in the lot e.g. Epcot, MGM Studios, Universal, Isles of Adventure. If you are going to Magic Kingdom, add another 10 minutes as you have to park at the transportation center and then wait for the ferry or the monorail.

 

In the afternoon/evening, you will be heading back during rush hour and I've noticed that especially in the section of the BeeLine from the downtown area out to the Greenway, the traffic can get rather congested and slow you down. I would allow 60-75 min for the return trip and that is without any major accidents (with accidents it could be longer). I would never consider a trip from Port Canaveral out to DW from a cruise except on a ship-board excursion. This way if you get delayed on the way back to the ship, the ship will wait. If you do it on your own, the ship will sail whether you are back on board or not. The only good thing about that is that the airfare home from the Orlando area is cheaper than airfare in the rest of the Caribbean...however, you will still have missed the boat, the rest of the cruise and all your belongings on the ship.

 

Most of the docking times are around 10 hours. That means that if you were to get off the ship immediately upon arrival, catch a cab to your rental agency and pick up the car (probably 20-30 min there), you would be 2 hours into your shore excursion when you arrived in the park. Allowing 75 min to get back and trying to be on-board ship 30 min before sailing means that you will have only a little more than 6 hours in the park. Unless you are there in an off-peak time, you will get about 4-5 attractions in and that is if you skip lunch. Not exactly worth it for $56+ (which is what a daily ticket costs now). Do yourself a favor...do something else and make a real trip to the parks some other time.

[nanners]

For the locals.... My daughter & her new husband will be on the Grandeur in August on their honeymoon. They would like to visit the Kennedy Space Center (they are both teachers). Can you rent a taxi from the ship or is it too far and they would have to rent a car? Thanks for any help.

 

Nanners

[SeaBrz]

Hi Nanners --

 

Yes, you can easily get a taxi from the Port to KSC, but it's going to cost between $30-$35 one way. Your family may find a better deal booking an excursion from the Grandeur.

 

For a variety of reasons, the rental car is probably the biggest hassle of all options.

 

Here's a URL for a nice chart of estimated taxi cab rates between Port Canaveral and popular destinations:

 

http://www.portcanaveral.org/portinfo/taxirates.pdf

[island lady]

Hi Nanners --

 

Yes, you can easily get a taxi from the Port to KSC, but it's going to cost between $30-$35 one way. Your family may find a better deal booking an excursion from the Grandeur.

 

For a variety of reasons, the rental car is probably the biggest hassle of all options.

 

Here's a URL for a nice chart of estimated taxi cab rates between Port Canaveral and popular destinations:

 

http://www.portcanaveral.org/portinfo/taxirates.pdf

 

Nice job Seabrz!! As usual!! :)

 

cheers!

[KathyHKidd]

We're taking the Grandeur on May 27 and were stunned to see Port Canavaral as a port of call. However, one look at the shore excursions reassured us that RCCL is not going to leave people high and dry. Even though we're confirmed Disney-haters and have been to the space center, we're looking forward to the stop. There are several shore excursions on the itinerary that look interesting.

 

KHK

[nanners]

SeaBrz,

 

Thank you for your information. It will be a big factor in what they decide to do.

 

Nanners

[ruttie]

For the locals.... My daughter & her new husband will be on the Grandeur in August on their honeymoon. They would like to visit the Kennedy Space Center (they are both teachers). Can you rent a taxi from the ship or is it too far and they would have to rent a car? Thanks for any help.

 

Nanners

 

hey make sure they bring some sort of teachers id /certificate etc.. they should be able to get a one day study pass for free. plus there is a whole teachers center next to teh visitors complex (they can walk to it through the shuttle gardens) they can get tons of freebies for there classes!!!

 

 

also if anyone is gonna go to disney form the port no need to take I4 at all!!! just take 528 to 417 (just past the toll booth) then it is a staight shot and $2 more and you are their coming back just follow the signs out of dinsney that say airport and you will get right back on 417 to the bee line(528) I do it all the time(heck i have kids and anual passes:D ) and it takes less than an hour to the gate and then another 10 minutes to navigate and get a parking spot.. here is another tip if you are crunched for time epcot anumal kingdom are the quickest to get into no long wait for tram tickets etc.. Mgm studios is next it is a little longer wai for tram but not bad casue once you buy ticket you are in like flin!! if you do disney you need to take on an extra 30 minutes from time you get out of car tillyou actually are on mainstreet same goes for leaving.once you walk out of mainstreet it will be at least 15 minutes till you get to car maybe more in crowds.....

enjoy!!!!

[nanners]

Ruttie,

 

Thank you sooo much for that info. My daughter will be thrilled. She is a fourth grade Science teacher!

 

Nanners