A lot of "firsts" need help plz

[hockeyluver]

A friend's cabin mate canceled on her so I am taking her place. This will be my first NCL cruise also my first cruise out of Port Canaveral and first time flying into Orlando.

 

My friend wanted to fly in day of cruise and I talked her into going the night before. Now I need to figure out hotel and transportation options This is where your help comes in plz. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated !!

 

Hmm guess I cant call her just a friend anymore, last night her son proposed to my daughter :D :D

[steve20832]

I would get a hotel near the airport. There are shuttle buses that go from MCO to the pier. Catching a taxi or Uber would be far more expensive than a bus

[goneclear]

I agree. There is a very nice hotel in the airport. I believe it is a Hyatt. I would stay there and catch the cruise line shuttle to the port the following day.

[BlueHerons]

I would only stay at that airport if I had a 6am flight out.

 

There are much cheaper options by the airport but why not hop on a shuttle and head to the beach? Get a nice hotel there and go eat at Fishlips and watch the cruise ships pull out.

 

Congrats!

[goneclear]

I would only stay at that airport if I had a 6am flight out.

 

There are much cheaper options by the airport but why not hop on a shuttle and head to the beach? Get a nice hotel there and go eat at Fishlips and watch the cruise ships pull out.

 

Congrats!

 

The OP mentioned they were flying in the night before so by the time they get to the beach area I don't think there would be any cruise ships to see.

I mentioned Airport hotel as convenience. Walk from baggage claim to hotel and next day walk to cruise shuttle pick up.

Surely there are cheaper hotels around but now you either have to wait on shuttle or taxi it and next day find your way back to airport to meet cruise line shuttle. Convenience does have a price tag and the OP never mentioned a cheap hotel.

To the OP, keep in mind the port area is approximately a 50 minute drive so if you decide to taxi it there it could add up. Your cruise line shuttle may be the best option. Oh and by the way congrats. Now you both will have lots to talk about on the cruise.

[BlueHerons]

The OP mentioned they were flying in the night before so by the time they get to the beach area I don't think there would be any cruise ships to see.

I mentioned Airport hotel as convenience. Walk from baggage claim to hotel and next day walk to cruise shuttle pick up.

Surely there are cheaper hotels around but now you either have to wait on shuttle or taxi it and next day find your way back to airport to meet cruise line shuttle. Convenience does have a price tag and the OP never mentioned a cheap hotel.

To the OP, keep in mind the port area is approximately a 50 minute drive so if you decide to taxi it there it could add up. Your cruise line shuttle may be the best option. Oh and by the way congrats. Now you both will have lots to talk about on the cruise.

 

I've stayed at that Hyatt multiple times, I know it. It is expensive.

[JohninDC]

A friend's cabin mate canceled on her so I am taking her place. This will be my first NCL cruise also my first cruise out of Port Canaveral and first time flying into Orlando.

 

My friend wanted to fly in day of cruise and I talked her into going the night before. Now I need to figure out hotel and transportation options This is where your help comes in plz. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated !!

 

Hmm guess I cant call her just a friend anymore, last night her son proposed to my daughter :D :D

 

Depending upon how late you arrive there are shuttles from MCO to PC starting at about $20-25+ per person; Cocoa Beach Shuttle, Travelynx and Cortrans are the most often suggested.

 

An even better option IMHO is to rent a car one-way (MCO-PC). All of the major agencies have offices in PC/Cocoa Beach and offer free shuttles to the port. The drive from MCO to PC takes about an hour.

 

With a rental car you can stay where you want (near MCO if arriving late, near PC if you desire), shop for "cruise supplies" ;), and eat where you want. If you rely on shuttles you are stuck with whatever is walking distance from your hotel or paying for taxis (not cheap in PC/Cocoa Beach :().

 

Post cruise I would take a shared shuttle to MCO unless you have a late flight. Good luck! :)

[hockeyluver]

Thank you for the help.

 

We will be arriving late since it is the last day of school before our spring break. She is an educational assistant and I drive school bus, so taking the day off isnt an option. Probably arriving around midnight.

 

Neither of us is comfortable driving in the States, so I think renting a car wouldnt be an option.

 

If we were to find a hotel near the airport then go back to the airport in the morning to catch the ncl transfer what area would I look for a hotel? Also trying to watch our budget since our Canadian dollar is crap right now :p !!

 

oh another question, what would be a good time to look for a flight home ? We would be taking the ship transfer also.

 

Edited December 21, 2015 by hockeyluver

[alex-goportcanaveral]

March is a pretty busy and pricey season for hotel stays due to spring break. I hate to put in a plug but I do hope it could help. Go Port Canaveral has packages that offers airport shuttle to the hotel, a night at the hotel, shuttle to the terminal, and then a shuttle back to the airport when you return from the cruise.

 

La Quinta Inn West is right by the airport, but if with a package you could always get a hotel closer to the Port and better for your budget. Econolodge is probably best. Best of luck! Should be an awesome and fun cruise, let me know if you want to know more!

[goneclear]

You can look at the Augusta National Drive area for hotels just outside the airport. They have Marriott, Sheraton suites, Hilton, Embassy suites, Hampton Inn just to name a few.

All these are about 5 minutes from airport. Not sure if all have airport shuttles and if they do not sure shuttles will be still operating at the time you arrive.

It Will be wise to check with the hotel wherever you decide to book.

 

If your ship gets in between 6 and 7 am when most do I would suggest booking a flight anytime after midday 12 noon just to be safe.

[skrufy]

There are many hotel choices just north of MCO. You can call the one you choose and thier shuttle will pick you up. The next morning take the shuttle back to MCO and catch the cruise shuttle to the port. Google map MCO , scroll just north of the airport and you will see all the hotela and restaurants. Your other transportation choices would be limo or car rental. If you rent a car, it can be returned at the port and then catch the NCL shuttle over to the cruise terminal. Any type of cab service will be very expensive. Look through past posts here and you will see many suggestions for limo services. Upon returning to the port just do the transportation in reverse. If you choose the limo service, make a reservation going to the port snd returning to MCO in advance.

[BlueHerons]

March is a pretty busy and pricey season for hotel stays due to spring break. I hate to put in a plug but I do hope it could help. Go Port Canaveral has packages that offers airport shuttle to the hotel, a night at the hotel, shuttle to the terminal, and then a shuttle back to the airport when you return from the cruise.

 

La Quinta Inn West is right by the airport, but if with a package you could always get a hotel closer to the Port and better for your budget. Econolodge is probably best. Best of luck! Should be an awesome and fun cruise, let me know if you want to know more!

 

I would book this!

 

Keep in mind that many hotel shuttles stop running at ten or eleven oclock so this would guarantee you get to the hotel.

[steve20832]

Thank you for the help.

oh another question, what would be a good time to look for a flight home ? We would be taking the ship transfer also.

 

 

I would pick a flight between 12noon and 2pm. The ride from ship to airport is about an hour, depending on traffic.

[DanJ]

I would get shopping on those flights right away. As we have been discussing in another thread regarding flights to FLL for March Break week, they aren't cheap. I agree with not bothering with a rental at that time of night, but if you should happen to consider it based on hotel and transportation options, I can tell you it's a very easy drive. It's 2 roads, the road leading out of the airport, then a ramp to the right and a straight shot down the highway to Cape Canaveral, and the highway ends directly onto the main drag that goes down into Cocoa Beach. 2 tolls for something like a buck each. Not sure what part of southern Ontario you are from but it's easier than say, downtown London or Kitchener to the 401. And there is nothing to see on this highway if you were worried about missing anything driving at night. I don't even think it curves for 40 miles lol. But just like the flights, I wouldn't waste any time getting a hotel nailed down either.

[hockeyluver]

Thank you all again I will be looking into all of this info.

 

I just found some decent flights on Spirit for the morning of the cruise it gets in at 11:45 am, I have never flown in the day of a cruise and dont really want to but might have to look at this option.

[hockeyluver]

March is a pretty busy and pricey season for hotel stays due to spring break. I hate to put in a plug but I do hope it could help. Go Port Canaveral has packages that offers airport shuttle to the hotel, a night at the hotel, shuttle to the terminal, and then a shuttle back to the airport when you return from the cruise.

 

La Quinta Inn West is right by the airport, but if with a package you could always get a hotel closer to the Port and better for your budget. Econolodge is probably best. Best of luck! Should be an awesome and fun cruise, let me know if you want to know more!

 

This looks like an excellent option thank you so much!!! definitly going to look into it

[BlueHerons]

Thank you all again I will be looking into all of this info.

 

I just found some decent flights on Spirit for the morning of the cruise it gets in at 11:45 am, I have never flown in the day of a cruise and dont really want to but might have to look at this option.

 

Do not do this especially not on Spirit. They have the worst on time record in the industry.

[JohninDC]

Thank you all again I will be looking into all of this info.

 

I just found some decent flights on Spirit for the morning of the cruise it gets in at 11:45 am, I have never flown in the day of a cruise and dont really want to but might have to look at this option.

NOOOOOOOOO! :eek:

 

An 11:45 arrival - if they are on time - means you will not have bags and be ready to roll until about 12:30. With the trip to PC taking about an hour you are cutting it very close for your ships departure cut-off (check your doc's - most require you to be at the port for check-in at least 90 minutes before the ship leaves, or about 3:30).

 

Do not fly in the day of the cruise unless you can arrive well before noon - the smart cruiser ALWAYS arrives at least one-day early. You never know about weather delays, flight crew delays, mechanical delays, or plain old cancelled flights.

[hockeyluver]

NOOOOOOOOO! :eek:

 

An 11:45 arrival - if they are on time - means you will not have bags and be ready to roll until about 12:30. With the trip to PC taking about an hour you are cutting it very close for your ships departure cut-off (check your doc's - most require you to be at the port for check-in at least 90 minutes before the ship leaves, or about 3:30).

 

Do not fly in the day of the cruise unless you can arrive well before noon - the smart cruiser ALWAYS arrives at least one-day early. You never know about weather delays, flight crew delays, mechanical delays, or plain old cancelled flights.

 

I know, even though our weather has been very mild here who knows what it will be in March !! I will keep looking for flights that work.

 

alex-goportcanaveral Thanks for the heads up to Go Port Canaveral !! Really interested in booking this, looks like the answer to all our needs !! Can we book it before we find flights :D