Kennedy Space Center Tour with Airport Transfer

[dizzyr]

Has anyone done this excursion? We just booked it for May 26th - we are staying at the airport hotel so I thought this would be a good way to spend the day while our luggage was taken care of. 

 

How much time do you get at the space center? I'm assuming the cost of the tour includes admission to the space center? Any recommendations on what to do while we are there?

[Ret MP]

8 hours ago, dizzyr said:

Has anyone done this excursion? We just booked it for May 26th - we are staying at the airport hotel so I thought this would be a good way to spend the day while our luggage was taken care of. 

 

How much time do you get at the space center? I'm assuming the cost of the tour includes admission to the space center? Any recommendations on what to do while we are there?

I'm not sure if the tour is any different that the ones you can purchase directly from the Center.  But, this is the website that explains the different tours available for KSC.  

 

https://www.kennedyspacecenter-tickets.com/kennedy-space-center-tours/

 

I took a tour of the place and it was fantastic.  It was about ~20 years ago and I know a lot has changed, some additions and some discontinued items.  I've heard, but I don't know for sure, that they no longer have tours to the original control center (a lot smaller than it looked on TV), demolished, which was the highlight of the tour for me.  It was the original center Mercury and Gemini missions, for sure.  Also, discontinued a few of the original launch pads and "block houses".  Regardless, it is well worth the time, effort, and cost, in my opinion.  

[Daycare Provider]

We hired a private limo for the day.. went o Kennedy Space center at our leisure then went to the airport…

[dizzyr]

1 hour ago, Daycare Provider said:

We hired a private limo for the day.. went o Kennedy Space center at our leisure then went to the airport…

Hmmmm we did that in Rome and it was one of the best days of the trip. Maybe I should look into that. Who did you book with? Do you remember the cost? 
 

[Daycare Provider]

1 hour ago, dizzyr said:

Hmmmm we did that in Rome and it was one of the best days of the trip. Maybe I should look into that. Who did you book with? Do you remember the cost? 
 

It’s been a few years… before covid… we paid $200.. the driver picked up at the cruise terminal and waited for us all day at Caper Canaveral

[neverbeenhere]

Is Caper Canaveral a Batman Attraction? 😝

 

When we didn’t land directly at the space center, we rented a car. 

[cruise1957]

We just did the Kennedy Space Center in January, we flew down early for a cruise. We arrived at 9AM (which is when they open) and we were there until 4PM. There is a ton to see at least 5 or 6 different buildings, they take you out to the active site by bus. If you go enjoy the day.

[Sigyn]

We went after our cruise in December and it wasn't worth the $75 or so a person we paid to get in. It was so crowded and everything worth seeing was sold out for the day by the time we got there. We saw a little bit, but there were tickets for some special exhibits within the space center and apparently those are gone almost as soon as the park opens. We didn't get there until about 11 am after disembarking from the ship, etc. We walked around for a couple of hours and finally gave up. We said, well, let's just say we donated $200+ to the Kennedy space center organization or whomever runs this place. I'd definitely say go on a non-crowded day. 

Edited March 19, 2023 by njsmom

[jean87510]

https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/info/tickets#Add-onEnhancements

 

You can add these enhancements online pre trip.  

[BirdTravels]

We did a post-cruise space center excursion a while before COVID. At that time, it was escorted, so they moved you through the rocket garden, shuttle display, and got you on a private tram for the launch facility tour (saves you an hour waiting in line). once you got to the saturn v building, you were on your own to get back (you had to wait with everyone else there for a tram back to the main facility). 

[Daycare Provider]

small buttons fat fingers... sorry for the type-o 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Hopefully they got the tour operator dispute worked out for the KSC tour.  We booked it for last Thanksgiving and during the cruise were told the tour would no longer be guided but a self guided.  We still got the bus ride and admission but no guided tour and no rebate.  It was still well worth the effort.  My suggestion is as soon as you get there go book the extra cost shuttle out to the actual launch towers.  We didn't and by the time we finished the building tours it was to late.  

[luckyinpa]

On 3/18/2023 at 8:02 PM, cruise1957 said:

We just did the Kennedy Space Center in January, we flew down early for a cruise. We arrived at 9AM (which is when they open) and we were there until 4PM. There is a ton to see at least 5 or 6 different buildings, they take you out to the active site by bus. If you go enjoy the day.

 

this should be posted in every forum thread that asks about the KSC tour. when i went, the bus from the ship got there 1030 and left at 230. no way near enough time. most of the time was waiting for the atlantis exhibit and the tour bus.    if a ship only gets in at 1, and KSC closes at 5, id never take that tour. not enough time and the bus lines are crazy the later in the day you get. 

[luckyinpa]

also of note, they no longer do the one tour that i think was called extended? took you out to the pads etc. i was going to fly down last year and spend 2 days there but they said no more tours like that

[cruise1957]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

 

this should be posted in every forum thread that asks about the KSC tour. when i went, the bus from the ship got there 1030 and left at 230. no way near enough time. most of the time was waiting for the atlantis exhibit and the tour bus.    if a ship only gets in at 1, and KSC closes at 5, id never take that tour. not enough time and the bus lines are crazy the later in the day you get. 

Thank you, we were on Oasis and had booked the shore excursion, but when I looked at the website I knew there wouldn't be enough time for my husband, so we had to book a cruise out of PC and go early just to do KSC, it was so worth it!

[luckyinpa]

plus remember cruise tours put in very liberal return policies. returning way before you really need to in order to make sure you are back at the ship. 

 

except in the case of an overnight.  i was over night one time and on the way to disney springs after arriving in florida, WHILE we were on the bus they announced they will give us 3 or 4 more hours at disney springs. i later heard one group had to take uber  back to the ship early for religious reasons and also my tiny group of people was soooo beat from walking around. it was a waste of the extra time. would much rather have 3 extra hours at space center the next day

[dizzyr]

4 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

 

this should be posted in every forum thread that asks about the KSC tour. when i went, the bus from the ship got there 1030 and left at 230. no way near enough time. most of the time was waiting for the atlantis exhibit and the tour bus.    if a ship only gets in at 1, and KSC closes at 5, id never take that tour. not enough time and the bus lines are crazy the later in the day you get. 

The departure time for the one I booked says 8:30. I’m assuming that means we’ll be at KSC around 9:30. It also said for flights later than 5:00 so likely leaving around 1:30 which is about the same four hours you got. If I didn’t have to deal with our luggage I’d probably opt for another method but this one seems the easiest.We can spend the rest of the day in the pool at the airport hotel. 🙂

[dizzyr]

22 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Hopefully they got the tour operator dispute worked out for the KSC tour.  We booked it for last Thanksgiving and during the cruise were told the tour would no longer be guided but a self guided.  We still got the bus ride and admission but no guided tour and no rebate.  It was still well worth the effort.  My suggestion is as soon as you get there go book the extra cost shuttle out to the actual launch towers.  We didn't and by the time we finished the building tours it was to late.  

Do you know if you can book it in advance or is it only day of?

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

52 minutes ago, dizzyr said:

Do you know if you can book it in advance or is it only day of?

We booked ours several weeks in advance.  

[luckyinpa]

i looked at the excursion for my trip. it's insane they can lie yet tell the truth in their disclosures. basically they say 130 the trip begins and it's a 6 hour tour. they say 30 min to the KSC and then it says KSC closes at 5. so even with 30 min home thats 4 hours max.