Being dropped off/picked up at Port Canaveral

[tiggerkaj]

Since we live somewhat close to the port we were going to to be dropped off and picked up at port which we have never done before. I've tried looking online but didnt see anything. Is there a waiting area where someone can park until we get off the ship? Was trying to figure out what time to tell them to pick us up without them having any problems waiting for us. We are going on Freedom of the Seas and come back on a Sunday.

[Clarea]

Since we live somewhat close to the port we were going to to be dropped off and picked up at port which we have never done before. I've tried looking online but didnt see anything. Is there a waiting area where someone can park until we get off the ship? Was trying to figure out what time to tell them to pick us up without them having any problems waiting for us. We are going on Freedom of the Seas and come back on a Sunday.

I don't know if there's anything like the cell phone lots that airports have. However, a private vehicle coming into the terminal area is required to take a ticket and go through the parking area before proceeding to the drop off/pick up area. The parking lot gives a one hour grace period, so this is normally free. So your friends can wait in the normal parking area for up to an hour for free. I suppose if it's getting close to the end of the free hour, they can exit and re-enter to start another free hour of parking.

[AZAficionado]

There are a few ways you can do this to make it pretty easy.

 

First, if you can, you can do express departure and carry your bags off the ship. If you do that, you can be off by 7:15 am, give or take 15 minutes. Have them meet you at 7:30 am and no worries.

 

Second, you can arrange for them to be nearby and you can call them when you clear customs. The times that I've hired a car to pick me up the driver suggested this. They are not allowed to wait in the port area. I think he waited at a rest area or something one exit before the port. He was there 10 minutes after I called him.

 

Third, you decide to be one of the last off the ship and arrange a time like 10:00 or 10:30 am. It means sitting on the ship for a few hours.

 

I think no matter what you do, you aren't going to be that far off. Departure usually starts around 7:00 am at the earliest and is done by 10:00 or 11:00 am at the latest.

[Scotty G]

Since we live somewhat close to the port we were going to to be dropped off and picked up at port which we have never done before. I've tried looking online but didnt see anything. Is there a waiting area where someone can park until we get off the ship? Was trying to figure out what time to tell them to pick us up without them having any problems waiting for us. We are going on Freedom of the Seas and come back on a Sunday.

 

We do this very regularly at PC. The drop off and pick up point is inside the parking area for the terminal. The person dropping you off will see what they have to do upon returning to pick you up. Our friend picks us up at 9:30 so we don't have to rush off the ship. There is a one hour pick up grace period so no parking fee is involved as long as it is less than 1 hour.

Dropping off we usually arrive at 10:30 and are on board by 11:30. Bon voyage!!!

[SECdawg]

The DW waited over 2 hours for her mom and father in-law a few months back. They had a bag that couldn't be found. They didn't question the ticket

when she gave it to the gate keeper and said picking up. I'm not saying this is the norm but I doubt 1 hour is a hard and fast rule. I wouldn't worry about it to much. I picked her mother up this past weekend and they just called when they got off the ship and waited for me to get there. They carried off there own bags this time though.

[matj2000]

You can never really predict when you will get off and past all the entry points.

Just call them when you get out.

[wayne_trisha]

I suggest you consider having them wait just south of the port in one of the hotel / restaurant parking lots or in one of the restaurants. It would take about three minutes to get from the restaurants just south of the port to the pick up point. You never know what will happen with bags or customs.

 

Our last two cruises we called our daughter when we were leaving our cabin to get off the ship and had about a two minute wait for her to show up. It helps that we live 15-20 minutes away.

[tiggerkaj]

Thanks everyone for all the input and advice! It's been a long time since we have sailed out of PC and I'm sure it's changed.