Hotel recommendations - Cocoa Beach / Cape Canaveral

Hello! My family and I will be taking first cruise ever on the Disney Dream n June. We are coming in a day early and will be renting a car. Can anyone recommend a good and clean hotel in the Cocoa Beach / Cape Canaveral area? The hotel doesn't need to be fancy, but cleanliness is a must. Thanks in advance!

Hello! My family and I will be taking first cruise ever on the Disney Dream n June. We are coming in a day early and will be renting a car. Can anyone recommend a good and clean hotel in the Cocoa Beach / Cape Canaveral area? The hotel doesn't need to be fancy, but cleanliness is a must. Thanks in advance!

I found the DoubleTree to be satisfactory, but it's showing its age a bit.

Residence Inn and Country Inn and Suites are both clean with good breakfast included. The Radisson has a nicer pool, but the hotel wasn't as nice last time we were there. They have done some remodeling since our last visit, so I can't say how clean and spiffed up it is or is not now. These are the 3 closest to the port and also to the Budget car rental/return place.

Best Western Inn and Suites (across the street form Publix) was ...ummm...not what you are looking for, at least in the Suite building. Great location, and only place I could get a room for 6 when we stayed there.

Residence Inn Cape Canaveral was recently rated the #1 location in the chain on a company review based substantially on customer comments . . .

We've stayed several times at the Hampton Inn on I-95 where highway 50 comes into Titusvile from Orlando. There are dozens of little places to eat in Titusville, and it's about 20 minutes to the cruise ship from the hotel. There are several other hotels at this exit, as well as a Cracker Barrel.

Depending on what your plans are, my all time favorite in the airport area is the Hyatt Place NW. This is different than the Hyatt MCO. It is spotlessly clean with a super breakfast, but there is not a lot to do in the airport area. Works great when you fly in late in the afternoon or early evening before the cruise. There is a TGI Friday's across the street (walking distance).

Residence Inn Cape Canaveral was recently rated the #1 location in the chain on a company review based substantially on customer comments . . .

Most definitely NOT the nicest Residence Inn chain wide. Those surveys are inherently flawed, as a good many of the people takign them ahve never stayed in another Residence Inn, and in my opinion, don't reallys tay in hotels much to begin with.

Face it, the Drury Inn comes up #1 on Trip Advisor for all Orlando hotels. It is a middle of the pack moderate hotel, and certainly nothing to write home about. How these results are factored is so completely off base with reality...

Also my travel agent always sends people to the Radisson at the Port.

One thing to consider is proximity of your rental car company to the hotel. Most of the companies offer shuttles but they run slowly, so avoiding a shuttle ride or two could make for a big time savings.

Also my travel agent always sends people to the Radisson at the Port. .

Be cautious of this. I learned that the parent company of a local travel agency that I used to use is the same parent company as that of the Radisson. You'd never know it from the names or literature. Obviously, they tended to refer within their system.

Budget is nice for cars because they are close to the terminal and run 2 shuttles on most cruise days. That does shorten the wait for a shuttle, etc. A hint on shuttle use...IF you are willing to separate your party, take the family and luggage to the port, then return the car. There is almost always room on the shuttle for one person/no luggage whereas a family with luggage might have to wait for the next vehicle. Your family can check in while they await the driver's return.

Be cautious of this. I learned that the parent company of a local travel agency that I used to use is the same parent company as that of the Radisson. You'd never know it from the names or literature. Obviously' date=' they tended to refer within their system.[/quote']

 

This. Also some hotel chains offer a tiered commission, and the more business an agent generates for that chain, the higher the commission level. Frankly with a handful of exceptions, I'd take the advice of most TA's with a grain of salt.

Thanks for the info, everyone! It's hard to pick a hotel when the reviews on Trip Advisor and other travel sites vary so much for the same location. Cleanliness is my #1 concern. (I had a horrible hotel experience last summer - enough said).

We don't have any specific plans for our precruise day yet. We are getting into MCO around noon and were thinking about spending the afternoon hanging around in the Cocoa Beach area. I haven't been to Cocoa Beach since I was a kid.

I will look in Budget to see if they offer a better deal than the one I can get through AAA. Thanks for the tip about dropping off the luggage.

For our way back to the airport, I am considering using the Disney shuttle even though it will run us $105. Our flight is on the earlier side and I am thinking that Disney may be the way to go. I understand that they run busses constantly.

Thanks for the info, everyone! It's hard to pick a hotel when the reviews on Trip Advisor and other travel sites vary so much for the same location. Cleanliness is my #1 concern. (I had a horrible hotel experience last summer - enough said).

 

We don't have any specific plans for our precruise day yet. We are getting into MCO around noon and were thinking about spending the afternoon hanging around in the Cocoa Beach area. I haven't been to Cocoa Beach since I was a kid.

 

I will look in Budget to see if they offer a better deal than the one I can get through AAA. Thanks for the tip about dropping off the luggage.

 

For our way back to the airport, I am considering using the Disney shuttle even though it will run us $105. Our flight is on the earlier side and I am thinking that Disney may be the way to go. I understand that they run busses constantly.

You will be given a pick up time 3-4 hours ahead of your flight time. To be honest, returning a car at MCO couldn't be easier. Drop it off, and walk across the street to the terminal.

My family has stayed at several places in cocoa beach for pre cruise accommodations. Best by far for the price is either of the La Quinta hotels. There is one oceanfront and one on the main strip. I've stayed at both and both are clean and very nicely priced, plus both have a free breakfast. You can also purchase a shuttle to the port with LaQuinta, however we like to drive to the port and just pay parking at the port. Most of the time, the shuttle does come out cheaper, however, when we step off the ship, my husband is ready to hit the road home and prefers to not have to wait on the shuttle back to hotel, so we like to park at the port.

We don't have any specific plans for our precruise day yet. We are getting into MCO around noon and were thinking about spending the afternoon hanging around in the Cocoa Beach area. I haven't been to Cocoa Beach since I was a kid.

 

I will look in Budget to see if they offer a better deal than the one I can get through AAA. Thanks for the tip about dropping off the luggage.

 

For our way back to the airport, I am considering using the Disney shuttle even though it will run us $105. Our flight is on the earlier side and I am thinking that Disney may be the way to go. I understand that they run busses constantly.

If you have a half day and want to see the beach area, an MCO area hotel would not be a good idea for you. We do like the Hyatt Place NW when we come in late in the afternoon or evening (when the plan is sleep and have a great start in the morning!)

There are lots of discount codes for car rentals--we got almost 50% off our total costs using one.

Not sure what you call "the early side." And the above post had me totally puzzled. On DCL, you are not given a "pick up time," and when renting a car you choose your own time. On a DCL bus, there is no way to predict whether the bus will leave 10 seconds after you board or whether you'll sit for 20 minutes waiting for it to fill up. Same could be said for any car rental shuttle. One good thing about DCL IF you are on a participating airline and have a flight within their time guidelines--they offer on board airline check in. This means that you get your boarding passes and luggage claims on the ship. You put your bags out the last night and don't see them again till your home airport. At MCO, you go directly to security and then your gate, bypassing the other lines. However, Southwest is NOT a participating airline.

Dropping off a Budget car is totally easy. You gas up on the way to the airport. Bypass the nearest place on Semoran(?) Road. Drive another mile and the prices are reasonable. Then drive to the airport garage. The Budget rep will meet you before you have your luggage out of the car. They scan their ID on the car and look at your gas receipt, punch their hand held computer, and you literally walk across the street to the terminal. Total time for us--maybe 30 seconds! Pick up, however, is not always so smooth as you may have a wait for the shuttle to the Cape Canaveral (CC5) location, wait in line behind idiots who didn't make a reservation and want to argue with the clerk, etc.

Clarifying, I was talking about being picked up from a Disney hotel to either the airport or the port, not leaving the ship. Sorry for any confusion.

Our flight is at noon on Southwest. When I've stayed at a WDW resort, I have been able to get my boarding passes printed. It's too bad DCL won't do it. I have ponied up the early bird check-in fees for SW this time.

Thanks for the recommendations for the La Quinta hotels. I'd actually been thinking about one of those places.

I am still researching transportation from the port. I am probably making it far more complicated than I should!

Noon is not a problem at all. It is a 45 minute drive from the cruise terminal to MCO. As above, Southwest is not a participating airline.

SO...it is really your choice. With a noon flight, you have plenty of time to pick up a rental car and drive to MCO or to use DCL transportation. I've been at MCO as early as 9:00 without rushing, although I've also been on cruises where the "big doors" didn't open till after 9.

Bottom line--DCL transportation is easier but more costly. Like with many other vacation choices, only you ca decide between convenience and cost. You can't get a limo service for the cost of DCL transfers for 3. You could share a limo service with another family for less, but I'm always wary of the "what if they don't hold up their end" situation--they are late, etc.

Note--noon is NOT early. Noon is a perfect flight time.

Disney told me that 12:30 was the earliest recommended flight time and other people have said 3pm. My concern about the rental car is getting tied up at the dock waiting for a shuttle or at the car rental place. Of course, Disney could keep me waiting too.

Thanks again!

Disney told me that 12:30 was the earliest recommended flight time and other people have said 3pm. My concern about the rental car is getting tied up at the dock waiting for a shuttle or at the car rental place. Of course, Disney could keep me waiting too.

 

Thanks again!

Normally 11.30 am is the recommended flight out time and shouldn't be a problem, only one DCL ship has come in late, 3pm is playing it very safe, on our cruises to PC we have got off at 8.20 on two cruises and 7.30am on about sic

X cruises, we have been at the airport from 8.45 or latest 9.45am.

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DCL used to say 12:30 in their literature, but a couple years ago moved it to 12:00. THEY book people on 11:30 flights, and 11:30 is the earliest time for a flight if you have on board check in. I have NO idea where the 3 pm came from.

The problem is not the ship getting in late (which has happened.) It is a delay in US Customs clearing the ship. I've been on 3 cruises where the clearance occurred after 8:30; in one case it was about 9:10. THAT is a mess.

You are less apt to have a significant wait with DCL transfers than with a rental car, but DCL can tie you up for 20 minutes or so waiting for a bus departure. An accident on the road can close lanes and create havoc. Only you can decide how much stress is worth how much cost savings.

If you want to be off ASAP, you can keep your luggage and take it off yourself beginning about 7 am PROVIDED Customs has cleared. Normal disembarkation begins about 7:30. A noon flight will be no problem whether you take DCL bus transportation or rent a car. We have easily been at the airport by 9 when we wanted to be early.

For what it's worth, we've had a lot more trouble with delays from WDW than from the cruise terminal.

I live near Cocoa Beach--my company frequently uses Residence Inn, Radisson, Country Inn and Suites and International Palms. The first three are not waterfront--but Intl Palms is a huge resort with a lot of differently configured rooms. It is in Cocoa Beach proper but only a couple miles south. It is an old Holiday Inn Complex and somewhat dated but clean and friendly. They have a great outside bar on the ocean and great pool/playground.

http://www.internationalpalms.com/cocoabeach/index.php?chebs=gl_intlpalms_cocoa

Thanks! I will check into that hotel too. Any recommendations for restaurants in the Cocoa Beach area?

Thanks! I will check into that hotel too. Any recommendations for restaurants in the Cocoa Beach area?

Fishlips next to the harbour.

http://fishlipswaterfront.com/

Fishlips next to the harbour.

 

 

http://fishlipswaterfront.com/

Looks great! Thanks for the recommendation.

We stayed at the Country Inn & Suites last month...nothing fancy, but clean and great room options. (We had a bedroom and separate living room, my sister had a bunk bed room and a bedroom). And I will say that the staff there was outstanding! Very accommodating and helpful.

We rented from Hertz before the cruise and Hertz is literally next door to the Country Inn which was very helpful also.

We took Disney buses back to MCO after the cruise and were at the airport within 40 minutes. They showed cartoons and DCL promo videos on the way and it was a comfy bus. We ended up having our bags checked from the ship all the way to our home airport which did cost but was very convenient as we had a lot of bags!

For dinner, I second Fishlips...such a fun place and great food and drinks!