Am I missing something?? (rent car for whole week while on cruise...) Orlando/Port Canaveral

[snorkler8]

Soooo, we are flying into MCO Saturday for a cruise on Monday-Friday.  Flying back home on Saturday.  I've done some checking on shuttles, Uber and rental cars costs. I think the flexibility of having a rental car to get around to see and do things and returning to MCO is worth a few dollars more (not a bunch more...) is the best option.  Ive looked at booking through Costco and parking at the port...I may also opt for a less expensive nightly stay in Orlando verses Cocoa beach hotels.  I'm tired of this trips planing, I'm ready to just pull the trigger so I can relax and look forward to this trip! 

* there are 4 of us

 

Edited January 29 by snorkler8

[hrhdhd]

I don't know what your question is. Do people rent cars and pay to park at the port during cruises? Yes. Do some people stay in Orlando and some at the beach? Yes. 

[snorkler8]

42 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

I don't know what your question is. Do people rent cars and pay to park at the port during cruises? Yes. Do some people stay in Orlando and some at the beach? Yes. 

My question is do you see something I've over looked in my thinking. 

[Corby114]

Rent a vehicle when you arrive at MCO. Drive over to Cape Canaveral and check in to your hotel. On Monday morning use the rental vehicle and drop off luggage, friends and relatives at Port Canaveral. Then return the rental vehicle at the office in Cape Canaveral and either hop on the free shuttle or Uber back over to Port Canaveral.' to meet up with your friends and family. At the conclusion of your cruise pick up your rental vehicle for the return trip back to MCO. On Saturday return the rental vehicle at MCO and check in for your flight home.

[snorkler8]

2 minutes ago, Corby114 said:

Rent a vehicle when you arrive at MCO. Drive over to Cape Canaveral and check in to your hotel. On Monday morning use the rental vehicle and drop off luggage, friends and relatives at Port Canaveral. Then return the rental vehicle at the office in Cape Canaveral and either hop on the free shuttle or Uber back over to Port Canaveral.' to meet up with your friends and family. At the conclusion of your cruise pick up your rental vehicle for the return trip back to MCO. On Saturday return the rental vehicle at MCO and check in for your flight home.

Thank you.  You make it look so easy lol. Previously we have driven to the port and got on the ship (Galveston). Much less planning. But our son and DIL chose a cruise out of Florida instead of Texas.

 

I was going to do it that way but to rent the car again it came out more expensive as well as a greater distance to get to the car rental place after the cruise as the ones at the port show as being "unavailable" (closed?)

I'm going to run the numbers again but it looked like the least expensive way was to just park the rental at one of the sites that shuttle you back to the port. (Park N Cruise $10.95 a day vs $17 a day at the port). 

[Corby114]

Are you looking to park the rental vehicle at an off site parking garage while your on your cruise?

[Corby114]

At the conclusion of your cruise hire a shuttle service to take you back to Orlando instead of leaving the rental at a parking garage while your on your cruise.

[snorkler8]

49 minutes ago, Corby114 said:

Are you looking to park the rental vehicle at an off site parking garage while your on your cruise?

Yes, reason being the shuttles I've looked into are getting pretty close to what having the rental car will cost.  We dont fly home until Saturday evening (cruise ends Friday morning) so we will want to do something Friday and most of Saturday. No fun going all the way to Florida to just sit in a hotel until you fly home...We also will have time before the cruise (all day Sunday until embarkation Monday)

[garycarla]

If the overall cost works, then do it.

 

Not dealing with transfer from rental to ship and then ship to rental agency or shuttle makes it work, then do it.

 

Not sure why others things this might be crazy. Math wins!

[LLRS11]

We did exactly that -rented a car upon arrival in Orlando, visited the theme parks for a few days, parked the car at the port during our cruise, then drove back to airport after the cruise to return the car.  It was worth the cost to us to avoid the hassles of returning the car at the port and re-renting it after the cruise, and it was cheaper than taking a shuttle or car service after the cruise.

[Noledad77]

On 1/29/2024 at 3:43 PM, snorkler8 said:

Thank you.  You make it look so easy lol. Previously we have driven to the port and got on the ship (Galveston). Much less planning. But our son and DIL chose a cruise out of Florida instead of Texas.

 

I was going to do it that way but to rent the car again it came out more expensive as well as a greater distance to get to the car rental place after the cruise as the ones at the port show as being "unavailable" (closed?)

I'm going to run the numbers again but it looked like the least expensive way was to just park the rental at one of the sites that shuttle you back to the port. (Park N Cruise $10.95 a day vs $17 a day at the port). 

We're in the same boat (pun intended, I guess!). Driving to Tampa in separate cars, one being a rental. Dropping the rental off the day of the cruise and just picking up another the day we get back, to drive home. I wasn't going to pay a daily rental fee, as well as another $68 to park a car at the port that isn't even mine.

[newbieohcruiser]

On 1/29/2024 at 3:28 PM, Corby114 said:

Rent a vehicle when you arrive at MCO. Drive over to Cape Canaveral and check in to your hotel. On Monday morning use the rental vehicle and drop off luggage, friends and relatives at Port Canaveral. Then return the rental vehicle at the office in Cape Canaveral and either hop on the free shuttle or Uber back over to Port Canaveral.' to meet up with your friends and family. At the conclusion of your cruise pick up your rental vehicle for the return trip back to MCO. On Saturday return the rental vehicle at MCO and check in for your flight home.

I am planning for this exact process in a couple weeks - however I am having trouble finding much information about what shuttle options are available to/from the rental locations to the cruise ports.  Is there a shuttle that makes a loop through various car rental and/or hotel locations and the cruise ports? Thanks!

[dianeglezman]

What shuttle company do you recommend?

 

[Corby114]

All rental car companies provide free shuttle service from there facilities in Cape Canaveral over to Port Canaveral. Most rental car companies are very busy on cruise turnaround days. When you return your rental vehicle there you either wait for the free shuttle bus or you can Uber, Lyft or cab over to the port. I normally drop off my family and luggage at the port first and then return the vehicle by myself. The process usually takes around and hour. I repeat the process if I'm renting a vehicle at the conclusion of my cruise. We gather our luggage and walk over to the shuttle pick up area. If the shuttles are busy we hail either a cab, Uber or Lyft to get us over to the rental car facility in Cape Canaveral.