Port Canaveral as a port - not departure

[missdenise]

I have scan this thread and have found very limited information on what to do if your ship has Port Canaveral as one of their stops not a departure point.

 

Anyone have any suggestions as for something to do in the afternoon when we are in Port Canaveral. We have a rental car and have the morning planned but see no need to hurry back to the ship. Not Disney or Kennedy Space Ctr. Any other ideas?

[Clarea]

Cocoa Beach Pier, Ron Jon's Surf Shop.

[Calgary North]

With your rental car, try Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge - just on the north boundary of Kennedy Space Centre.

 

Chance to see manatees, alligators, numerous wading and shore birds, aardvarks, etc

[Capt_BJ]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2004797

[missdenise]

With your rental car, try Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge - just on the north boundary of Kennedy Space Centre.

 

Chance to see manatees, alligators, numerous wading and shore birds, aardvarks, etc

 

 

This is what we decided on - thanks for the suggestion.

[Capt_BJ]

in the refuge, the place to see Manatee is at the Haulover Canal

 

 

there is a marked Manatee viewing area on the north side of the draw bridge

[Capt_BJ]

Brevard Zoo is nice ... just opened a Meerkat exhibit .. you can kayak around giraffe island or ride the train ... and there is an adjacent zip line attraction ... Tree Top Trek

[Babs1121]

Just wondering how far is it from the port to Cocoa Beach..I would like to meet my sister in Cocoa Beach while we are in port..If we take a taxi is it close? Thank you for your help

[Capt_BJ]

Just wondering how far is it from the port to Cocoa Beach..I would like to meet my sister in Cocoa Beach while we are in port..If we take a taxi is it close? Thank you for your help

 

google earth or just about any map program is your friend

 

as the crow flies around 6 miles +/- depending on where in Cocoa Beach

 

############

for other who may pull up the threat for info on PC as a port call, the local SEGWAY guy has moved to a port location according to the paper . . .

 

The town’s only guided Segway tours are something you just have to try. Come and experience the fun and adventure of riding your very own Segway personal transporter through warm and sunny beautiful Cape Canaveral. Glide with us to see the brand new exploration tower before cruising by the Cove Marketplace. Stopping at the Blue Point Marina is always a treat as you get an up close and personal view of Port Canaveral home to many cruise ships and on most days a clear view of wildlife including manatees, dolphins and sometimes even sea turtles!

http://spacecoastsegwaytours.com/

[geocruiser]

Brevard Zoo is nice ... just opened a Meerkat exhibit .. you can kayak around giraffe island or ride the train ... and there is an adjacent zip line attraction ... Tree Top Trek

 

 

The Bervard Zoo is a great place to visit Of course it is a zoo but they have more, like zipping through the trees and over alligators. It is about 25 minutes away.

 

 

http://www.treetoptrek.com/

 

https://brevardzoo.org/

 

In Port Canaveral have you gone to Cocoa Village? http://visitcocoavillage.com/ It has some nice little shops. It is about 14 miles from the port over the causeway. There is also so Cocoa Village Play house there. They do at times have afternoon plays.

 

I have seen a play there. I use to go there a lot, cause we live about 25 miles down the road off of A1A in the winter.

 

http://www.cocoavillageplayhouse.com/

 

 

 

 

 

http://visitcocoavillage.com/

Edited September 27, 2014 by geocruiser

[osigroup]

I too am looking. My family is coming in December out of Baltimore. I just got online and searched tripadvisor and found a store called A1A Beach Rentals in Canaveral. Its the first listed company that offers recreation that isn't a fishing boat! I guess Canaveral has lots of fishing. We're looking for something to do without paying $100/person to do it which seems to be the going rate for shore excursions on our boat. Good luck. I'll share anything else I find.

[Capt_BJ]

this is new

 

http://spacecoastsegwaytours.com/

[MACE]

Brevard Zoo is nice ... just opened a Meerkat exhibit .. you can kayak around giraffe island or ride the train ... and there is an adjacent zip line attraction ... Tree Top Trek

 

Our daughter would like to do this, and I agree, looks nice.

 

I called and they have no shuttles from the pier. Its about 25 minutes from the port...other than a taxi (how much one way?), any other suggestions on how to get their round trip?

 

Suspect a rental car with wait times for pickup and drop off may not be the best bet.

 

Thanks in advance!

[luvtravlin2]

Our daughter would like to do this, and I agree, looks nice.

 

I called and they have no shuttles from the pier. Its about 25 minutes from the port...other than a taxi (how much one way?), any other suggestions on how to get their round trip?

 

Suspect a rental car with wait times for pickup and drop off may not be the best bet.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Michael @ http://WWW.EXECUTIVEVIPLIMOUSINE.COM

 

They provide round trip transfers to anywhere and are based

a couple of blocks from the ships.

 

The last time we used them we paid $100 round trip to and from

KSC for 5 of us in a private minivan.

[Capt_BJ]

Our daughter would like to do this, and I agree, looks nice.

 

I called and they have no shuttles from the pier. Its about 25 minutes from the port...other than a taxi (how much one way?), any other suggestions on how to get their round trip?

 

Suspect a rental car with wait times for pickup and drop off may not be the best bet.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Car rental IS your best bet ..... here are your choices and their locations from the port. All are under 3 miles away and all run shuttles. For location use CAPE CANAVERAL as there is no town of port Canaveral . . . you can get a car for the day for less than one way taxi cost ... sadly our public transportation is poor . . pretty easy to drive around here .. hard to get lost. And a car gives you so much more flexibility.

 

 

p.s. I drive the choo choo at the zoo (some days)

 

Edited November 14, 2014 by Capt_BJ

[osigroup]

After talking with people down there, Cocoa Beach is just a mile or so from the port and taxis are everywhere. I just posted on another thread about shore activities with local providers at about 1/2 the cost of the cruise ship. No matter what we do, we're looking at saving about $200 on just one day in Canaveral by bypassing the cruise excursions. We found kayak guides, fishing guides, surf instructors, but you have to like the outdoors. If you want to go shopping or to a theme park, then the cruise ship may be the way to go.

 

I narrowed down our choices to Ron Jon Surf Shop, A1A Beach Rentals and Cocoa Beach Surf Shop for our activity options. They all have good ratings and several things to do.

[MACE]

Capt BJ - late reply to your 11/14 post about Brevard Zoo and car rentals - looks like the way to go! Thanks for the feedback

 

You wouldn't happen to be working there Tuesday 12/23?

 

BTW, saw your signature, our daughter is interested in the USCG for Marine and Environmental Sciences

Edited November 30, 2014 by MACE

[Capt_BJ]

our daughter is interested in the USCG for Marine and Environmental Sciences

 

I wish this site supported P' messages .....

 

I STRONGLY suggest she research what sort of jobs and HOW MANY jobs exist in this field for a CG enlisted person . . . . research WAY beyond talking to a recruiter ....

 

the jobs are few

 

what they DO might be a surprise

 

getting into the school is TOUGH because there are so few jobs . . .

 

CG is a great life but the entire USCG uniformed force is smaller than the NYC police department (or that was the 'line' when I was in .... still close anyway) so 'nice sounding' jobs can be few. When I was accepted by USCG Academy they had an Oceanography track .... once I got there I learned they took 4 a year into the program. I became a math major!

[Capt_BJ]

You wouldn't happen to be working there Tuesday 12/23?

 

dunno .. they only schedule a week out ..... and I'm now the 'fill in guy' as working a regular schedule was TOO much like WORK.

 

BUT if things change I'll try to mention here . . .

[Capt_BJ]

GRANDURE OTS has added a shore excursion which is a trip to Brevard Zoo

 

they don't identify it as the zoo but rather describe it as

 

Wild Florida Safari Adventure - PC58

 

 

This fun and educational family adventure takes you on a Florida safari. Your journey includes a professionally guided kayak tour down the Nyami Nyami River where you'll make your way to the giraffe platform to hand feed these gentle giants. Cape to Cairo Express Train ride may be substituted for Kayak tour.

 

That's the zoo . . . .

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=cruiseDetails&packageCode=GR08Y004&date=&selectedCurrencyCode=&ProductCode=PC58&DestinationCode=BAHAM

 

first visit is expected this Sunday ... Presumably this is transport to/from the zoo as well as the standard package for admission, giraffe feeding, bird feeding and kayak tour.

 

I'll try and report back after day one . . .

 

I don't know if other cruises are going to be picking this up

 

Word is adding the Tree-Top-Trek zipline attraction is also in the works . . .

Edited December 11, 2014 by Capt_BJ

[MACE]

We were on the 12/21/14 BA cruise and were in Port Canaveral 12/23/14 and want to thank all (especially Capt_BJ) for suggesting Brevard Zoo.

 

We rented a car from Payless (great price for the day, great service from John, they were the first shuttle to show up, he gave us free maps/attraction listings for the area, plus a 10% discount card for the Ron Jon Surf Shop, and drove to the Zoo in a brand new 2015 Kia Optimum. (John also mmediately drove us right back to the ship, meeting us outside when we pulled up in the parking lot to return the car)

 

Zoo price was $16 per person and we spent a leisurely 3 hours exploring the Zoo (highlight was my wife getting dive bombed by all the cool birds in that big walk in bird cage, feeding Gerty, their 13 year old Giraffe, and watching the alligators during "snack" time. The grounds are a very nice tropical/rainforest environment.

 

We then drove to the Ron Jon Surf Shop (HUGE store!) one block away from Cocoa Beach where our daughter made use of the 10% discount card.

 

We walked to over to Cocoa Beach, sat out for awhile on the sand, dripped into the ocean, and then drove to Cocoa Beach Pier for a lunch, dropped the rental off, boarded the BA and hit the nearly empty water slides, hot tubs, and pools.

 

All in all, and nice day enjoyed @ Port Canaveral

Edited January 8, 2015 by MACE

[funtime5]

Mace,

Did the car rental company shuttle you back to the pier and if so was there a charge.

 

Thanks

[JohninDC]

All of the car rentals in PC/Cocoa Beach will shuttle you to the port unless you drop the car off after hours - then you'll need to call a taxi.

[MACE]

Mace,

Did the car rental company shuttle you back to the pier and if so was there a charge.

 

Thanks

 

Our car rental company was awesome when dropping off their rental and having them shuttle us back to the pier.

 

They knew when our ship was leaving and when we had to be back on board, they drove just my family back in one of their shuttle once we showed back up @ their office to drop off their rental (brand new 2015 Kia Optima @ $47 for the day)

 

There was no extra charge for them to shuttle us back to the pier...would recommend them again to all!

Edited January 15, 2015 by MACE

[Capt_BJ]

glad it worked out for you!

 

btw ... our boss giraffe is Rafiki .... like from Lion King. means “friend” in Swahili (if we have a Gerty I've learned something new today!)

 

editorial comments:

 

1. PAYLESS is the newest and smallest rental company in the port area. Which MAY mean you get more personalized service . . . . they are trying harder 'twould appear.

 

2. RCL is offering the zoo as an excursion now - altho they don't identify the trip as the zoo, but where else can you kayak with giraffes or ride the train - check the per person price versus renting a car and paying the admission.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Capt_BJ