Kennedy Space Center Excursion

[Bottlenosedolphin]

We are sailing the Gem next month, down to Port Canaveral, and decided to try the Kennedy Space Center excursion for the first time. We will be traveling with little ones and was wondering if anyone knows how long you have to be there before buses start heading back to the ship. Hoping there is enough for five year olds to do there for an extended time. Thanks!

[dexddd]

We are sailing the Gem next month, down to Port Canaveral, and decided to try the Kennedy Space Center excursion for the first time. We will be traveling with little ones and was wondering if anyone knows how long you have to be there before buses start heading back to the ship. Hoping there is enough for five year olds to do there for an extended time. Thanks!

 

There is plenty to do for kids that age. I went once with my son who was 4.5 and we got there when they opened at 9 and stayed until 4. Don't have info on the buses.

 

Are you getting in at noon?

 

Also, there were two Imax movies so you can mix those one of those in for a rest and they are fabulous.

[sebas030]

The busses do run all day, meaning they bring you there and wait until the end of the excursion to start heading back to the ship.

 

Yes with Imax and all the rockets outside to look at you can fill the time.

 

On my visit ( 2 adults, no kids ) we finished the tour about 90 minutes before the start of the return trips to the ship because we hurried passed a couple of things we were less interested in and we caught the second to last showing of the Imax movie.

 

We got a Taxi with an other couple who were also heading back to the ship and shared the fare ( I think it was 20$ per couple ).

 

We went to our room, changed and got to dinner and it started to rain like crazy rain....as we watched the busses arriving back to the ship, everybody were running like crazy and everyone were soaking wet. One of the best 20$ I invested ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[sebas030]

But I forgot to say that it was a great excursion. Being a fan of space exploration, being able to see a lunch pad, the back half of a space shuttle that had arrived the day before back on earth and was being pulled in a hanger :), the control room from the Apollo era and the gigantic most powerful rocket build by NASA...wow it was really great.

 

Enjoy !!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[fridaythe13th]

We are sailing the Gem next month, down to Port Canaveral, and decided to try the Kennedy Space Center excursion for the first time. We will be traveling with little ones and was wondering if anyone knows how long you have to be there before buses start heading back to the ship. Hoping there is enough for five year olds to do there for an extended time. Thanks!

 

You could always rent a car and do it on your own time.

[NJfoodie]

You could always rent a car and do it on your own time.

 

This is what I was going to suggest - we did this a few years ago when DS was 15 months old and it was easy and less expensive overall than the ship excursion. There are rental car agency shuttles that will pick up/drop off right at the port, we reserved a car ahead of time and reserved a car seat, and were able to do KSC on our own schedule based on what our little one was able to handle, as well as do some local shopping afterwards before bringing the car back and being shuttled back to the ship.

[Boscodog]

You could always rent a car and do it on your own time.

 

Do you know which car rental places are available in port canaveral? We are going in 2 weeks on the Breakaway.

[Dorhead1230]

Do you know which car rental places are available in port canaveral? We are going in 2 weeks on the Breakaway.

 

There are many/most of the major companies--Hertz, Enterprise, Dollar, Budget, Thrifty, Payless, Avis. You can find more info on the Port Canaveral board. You can also do a Google search for "Cape Canaveral car rental" and they'll all show up on the map, too. I have a reservation with Thrifty for July. We do not intend to have the car back by 4:30-5, when most of the agencies close (we don't even arrive in port until noon). Thrifty has after-hours drop-off, and we got a decent price ($38, including taxes) for the day, so we'll just take a cab back to the ship once we drop off the car.

[Bottlenosedolphin]

Thanks, all! Since we are six people, I prefer to take the excursion than have to deal w car rental, car seats, and actually finding my way there. Would rather relax on the bus :) Sounds like a great excursion though and we can always take a taxi back to the ship. Do the buses first start to return at 7 (thats what time Disney buses start to return if I remember correctly)? Def going to look into the IMAX movies!

[HockeyChick15]

I did this cruise last Aug - hubbs and I enjoyed the space center. It had lots to do, but we felt that we would have liked it if the buss came back 90 minutes earlier.

 

Tons of people did this excursion and was quite chaotic trying to get off the ship and on to the buses.

[disneymarie]

Thanks, all! Since we are six people, I prefer to take the excursion than have to deal w car rental, car seats, and actually finding my way there. Would rather relax on the bus :) Sounds like a great excursion though and we can always take a taxi back to the ship. Do the buses first start to return at 7 (thats what time Disney buses start to return if I remember correctly)? Def going to look into the IMAX movies!

 

I thought the general bus loop ran up to the space center? We rode it to Coco Beach and I considered the Space center this time. But, not the excursion as they are always more money.

 

It already is a costly entry for a group. A heads up, six months out opens complimentary passes your Congressman can get you. But they are generally gone that day. We missed the window.

[dexddd]

Thanks, all! Since we are six people, I prefer to take the excursion than have to deal w car rental, car seats, and actually finding my way there. Would rather relax on the bus :) Sounds like a great excursion though and we can always take a taxi back to the ship. Do the buses first start to return at 7 (thats what time Disney buses start to return if I remember correctly)? Def going to look into the IMAX movies!

 

As I recall KSC is open from 9-5. Maybe check the ports of call section or go to the KSC website.

 

That being said, someone who took the NCL tour to KSC recently (couple months ago) said the NCL excursion actually had a separate, special show time for the IMax at 5 pm.

[Mom2B&Z]

We were on this excursion last month with our boys who are 9&6 yrs. We had no problem filling the time, in fact we could have stayed longer! Ita the coach buses are great for the kids, no car seats needed (I'm a former car seat tech and very picky about transportation). We got to ksc around 1:15pm. There are exhibits to see right at the drop off, then another coach ride to the Apollo exhibit. The bus ride was a nice way to unwind and relax a bit during the excursion. We met up with the group to watch an IMAX movie, then the buses went back to the ship and we were on board by 7:00. I don't think there were buses back to the ship before then.

I wouldn't hesitate to take young children to ksc.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[HowardK]

I went 4 years ago and took the one with the bus tour- I think the regular excursion would be fine as I believe due to time and doing the Imax movies I missed the Apollo exhibit.

 

I'm not sure I will go next time- how is Cocoa Beach?

 

Also, on a side note- I pack ponchos (the $1 target/walmart) ones- and they come in handy for unexpected rain