port canaveral questions

[cruzobsessed]

more than likely booking a cruise from port canaveral for next decmeber. have never cruised from here and i don't know anything about this area. we typically arrive 2 days pre cruise and stay in places like....marriott harbor beach, pelican beach... etc. i have several questions....

1. i know we fly into orlando does it make ANY sense to stay in orlando and do sea world and then limo it to the port?

2. if we limo it somewhere closer to the pier...is this cocoa beach?

3. what hotel is the equivalent of the ones mentioned above?

4. what is the weather usually like in this area late december?

5. are there hotels near or on a beach with a pool?

6. for a 2 night pre cruise stay....do we need to rent a car?

thanks you guys sooooo much in advance.:D

[iluvcruzin]

Many people take a couple extra days pre-cruise and stay in Orlando. There are a few options for transportation to the cruise port. Some use a limo service, a shuttle service like Arts Shuttle, Cruiseline transfers from the airport via a bus, or renting a car is an option. The car rental is very reasonable if there is only 2 people. Booking early on the rental and watching specials helps. Budget and Thrifty are the closest to the pier that don't charge a fee for a different pick-up/drop-off location. I chose Thrifty the last time. I also rented a car post-cruise for 1-way to the airport and it was a very easy and inexpensive option.

 

If deciding to hotel it in Cape Canaveral, many people stay at the Radisson at the Port. It's the closest to the port. Cocoa Beach is very close by so that's an option too. There are lots of choices for a ocean-front hotel. If choosing to book something here, unless you use the Radisson, I would recommend a car rental.

 

December weather.. hum.. that's a hard once considering we don't have normal temps across the country anymore.

 

Have fun planning.

[wolfcathorse]

I'm going out of PC April 2006. I got a room at the Econolodge in Orlando on Int'l drive for a total of $48. We're flying in the day before sailaway. I rented a one-way from Budget for $38. We land around 7 pm, pick up the rental, drive to the hotel, and have the evening to do whatever. In the morning, we'll drive to the Budget office in Port Canaveral. I don't know if they'll have a free shuttle to the pier or not but from there we can take a cab if we have to. I also have a reservation from Budget for when we disembark. Pick up the car and drive to MCO to fly home in the evening. We'll have about 5 hours to either tour Cape Kennedy or go back to Orlando and tottle around. That one way rental was for a total of $38 also. Art's shuttle service was $65 one way for 2 people, from MCO to the pier.

[cruzobsessed]

so.... i went on expedia just to look and i fell in love with a hotel "gaylord palms" in orlando. looks gorgeous. so help me out here.....i fly into orlando, stay 2 nights at the gaylord palms hotel and then limo it to the pier? or do i rent a car and drive it to the pier? let's not forget, this is happening during christmas.

[greenjello]

just wanted to let you know that budget does (or at least they did in 10/03) have a shuttle running from the port to their cape canaveral location.

have fun!

[ciship]

How long does it take to drive from Port Canaveral to Orlando/Disney area?

[katie286]

We rented from Budget this past August and were shuttled for free. When we returned from the cruise, Budget was there to bring us back to their location and we picked up another car. I'm not sure of the travel time from Disney, but port canaveral is about 45 minutes to 1 hour from the Orlando Airport.

[rickdeni]

About an hour from an onsite Disney Hotel to the Radisson. About 5 minutes from the Radisson to the Pier.