Need advice: Flying into Orlando day of cruise

I messed up and I am flying in for our Carnival Sunshine cruise at 12:08pm @ Orlando International Airport. Due to the fact that our embarkation paperwork shows the embarkation check in time from 12:30 to 2:30, I feel I am going to be pressed for time trying to make it to port. Here is where I need advice. What is the quickest, safest way to get to port on time without anything going wrong.

1. Using Budget Fastbreak RapidRez, have a rental car ready, drive to the Budget Port Canaveral location and take their shuttle to port.

2. Hire a taxi or private driver to take us straight to port. (Could be a no-show)

3. Use Carnival's transfer service. (True question is, if I use their service, am I guaranteed not to get left?)

I am leaning towards the first option because I can control how fast I get to port if I am the one driving, but I want to ask the professionals on this site what they think. I have never flown into this port. Can I make it to port by 2pm?

Thanks in advance.

Option 2 or 3.

A driver/shuttle may know alternate routes that can be handy if the trip down encounters an accident or road construction or something that could cause a delay.

Carnival transfers will be more expensive but worth it. No they won't leave you so long as them having to wait (if it comes to that) is within reason. But if something happens and you are really late, they can only wait but so long. There was a thread on here a year or two ago about a couple who used Carnival for their air & ground transportation. Flight got held up due to a medical emergency, and the ship sailed without them.

Good luck.

Definitely not the first one, even if the car is "ready" you still have to get to that area and pick up the car spend time doing that, drive to the port area drop off the car then take shuttle to pier too much time wasted I say.

I always hired a private driver, and ALWAYS had reliable service even hiring "cheaper" shuttles. They usually take a deposit so trust me they be there, I think this is your best bet because they will check on your flight know when you land and have a designated meeting area where you get out of the plane and walk right outside to meet your drive, very easy, fast and simple.

A cab would be just as good but it may cost you a lot more money then I not sure how many people you are and whether one cab be enough.

What time does your ship actually leave? Check in time is really just a suggested time to get to ship as to reduce the crowd. When we flew into LAX to cruise we book transportation thru Carnival and had no problems, and was under the impression the ship would wait. I may be wrong, we didn't book airfare thru Carnival. But if your flight is on time you shouldn't have a problem. My daughter booked her own flight and it was late getting in, she booked transportation thru Carnival and she just did make the ship. She called carnival when she found out she was going to be late and a representative met her at the airport and rushed her to ship, she didn't get get luggage until the first port they were in. Carnival took care of luggage. As far as renting a car, I think it's about a hours drive to the Port from the airport, and Port Canaveral is one of the easiest ports to leave from, so it's really personal preference. GOOD LUCK!!

The ride from OIA to Port Canaveral is only about 45 minutes, but I would be more worried about delays with the flight or at the airport. Considering your relatively small window of time, I would also go with the Carnival transfer if it is available. That's probably your best method of not missing the ship. As cruizinisthebest said, they will wait a reasonable amount of time if your flight is delayed.

There is only three of us, so it's about the same amount for taxi or transport.

Carnival transfers and get insurance if you don't already have it.

Go with the Carnival Transfers. They may be more inclined to wait if you are delayed since there will most likely be many others on your shuttle bus going on your cruise.

I would go with the Carnival transfers. They are the most reliable.

We used the first option (Budget RapidRez) before the Dream repositioning cruise last April, but our flight landed around 10:30a. I was a nervous wreck the entire trip until I set foot onto the ship. Getting the car was easy, but dropping it off using Budget's shuttle service was taking forever so we ended up just taking a taxi from the rental office in Port Canaveral to the port. The taxi was around $20 before the tip I think.

Thanks Matt. That's all I needed to hear. I called Carnival and I did pay for their transfer service. Even if the flight is delayed a little bit we are covered, however, it's too late to get travel insurance. The deadline to get it has already passed. Fingers crossed that nothing major happens.

Thanks Matt. That's all I needed to hear. I called Carnival and I did pay for their transfer service. Even if the flight is delayed a little bit we are covered, however, it's too late to get travel insurance. The deadline to get it has already passed. Fingers crossed that nothing major happens.

No problem, good luck and enjoy your cruise! [emoji5]️

Yikes!! I would be sweating bullets with that tight of a connection. Doesn't take much to delay a flight.

Trust me I am. It's driving me crazy. Lack of planning ahead on my part.

Thanks Matt. That's all I needed to hear. I called Carnival and I did pay for their transfer service. Even if the flight is delayed a little bit we are covered, however, it's too late to get travel insurance. The deadline to get it has already passed. Fingers crossed that nothing major happens.

It may be too late to get Carnival insurance but you can get plenty of other travel insurances. Go to a site like insuremytrip.com and you can check into various insurance programs.

For your reading pleasure

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2175456&highlight=excellant

I messed up and I am flying in for our Carnival Sunshine cruise at 12:08pm @ Orlando International Airport. Due to the fact that our embarkation paperwork shows the embarkation check in time from 12:30 to 2:30, I feel I am going to be pressed for time trying to make it to port. Here is where I need advice. What is the quickest, safest way to get to port on time without anything going wrong.

 

1. Using Budget Fastbreak RapidRez, have a rental car ready, drive to the Budget Port Canaveral location and take their shuttle to port.

 

2. Hire a taxi or private driver to take us straight to port. (Could be a no-show)

 

3. Use Carnival's transfer service. (True question is, if I use their service, am I guaranteed not to get left?)

 

I am leaning towards the first option because I can control how fast I get to port if I am the one driving, but I want to ask the professionals on this site what they think. I have never flown into this port. Can I make it to port by 2pm?

 

Thanks in advance.

Either change your flights or go ahead now and book a flight from MCO to your first port, because you are not going to make the ship. It is no less than 3 hours from the time the plane hits the ground until you can get to the ship and that assumes everything is perfect, time wise.

I doubt that Carnival will even schedule a transfer for you with that late arrival, so your only real option is to hire a driver to meet you and take you to the ship. You might make it doing that if the luggage gets there in a reasonable amount of time, which is unusual in MCO.

For your reading pleasure

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2175456&highlight=excellant

Wow! What a nightmare.

I don't understand why people book their airfare day of. It isn't uncommon that people miss their ships.

Have to work on Friday and can't fly in a day early? Book a cruise that departs Sunday or Monday. I don't know of any cruise port that isn't a fun couple of days vacation.

Either change your flights or go ahead now and book a flight from MCO to your first port, because you are not going to make the ship. It is no less than 3 hours from the time the plane hits the ground until you can get to the ship and that assumes everything is perfect, time wise.

 

I doubt that Carnival will even schedule a transfer for you with that late arrival, so your only real option is to hire a driver to meet you and take you to the ship. You might make it doing that if the luggage gets there in a reasonable amount of time, which is unusual in MCO.

Always forget that others check luggage

OP ---Carryon is the best way to go. Won't waste an hour waiting for luggage to arrive.