Port Canaveral Port of Call, not departure

Cannot find a thread for Port Canaveral Port of Call rather than a point of departure.

We are cruising from Balto to Port Canaveral then Bahamas in April 2011 with 3 teenage boys (14, 15, 17) and need excursion ideas!

Other than the theme parks and space museum -

can anyone help - these are active boys and we want to wear them out while exposing them to something new.

Is the airboat ride worth it? Is paddle surfing hard? 4 Adults are 45 - 48 y.o. and want to enjoy the time with the boys.

Looking forward to your suggestions!

Thanks:D

I've only paddleboarded (paddlesurfed) in more enclosed waters - lakes & rivers. It's relatively easy if you have any type of decent balance/athleticism in such waters - not sure what it would be like if you tried it out in the Atlantic, with waves crashing. It is a lot of fun.

They might also enjoy giving a shot at regular surfing. There are plenty of places that rent boards & some that provide lessons - at least enough to get them where they can get up on the board a bit.

Water at that time will still be brisk, by our standards. But I see you're from Jersey, so it might feel like bath water to you.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1119114&page=38

Check out this thread. Maybe Shirley can help you. She works there.

your sig says Cape May ... I'm thinking the kids already know surfing.

If I'm wrong, finding a surfinging lesson might be a way to go .. start your search at ron jon

Air boat - well that's not exactly an energy burner but google brevard air boat and you'll find several offerers

If you want to avoid the space center because of cost, contact your congressman. The KSC visitor attraction is a government attraction and your congressman can arrange for free admission.

Cannot find a thread for Port Canaveral Port of Call rather than a point of departure. We are cruising from Balto to Port Canaveral then Bahamas in April 2011 with 3 teenage boys (14, 15, 17)...these are active boys and we want to wear them out while exposing them to something new.

You don't say how long you have....but the Kite Boarding in Cocoa Beach is lots of fun....safe, but exhilirating. It's a hang gliding "kite" attached to upper body harness...your feet go in "snowboard" like stanchions.

There are three companies that do lessons and gear right out vans. They train you, and get you going...make you practice with just the kite on the beach, and then when the winds pick up in the afternoon, you go out in the surf.

Just a thought, but I watch them from our balcony and keep thinking what fun that would be with my teens.

Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach are a great "port of call", and unless you have a long port stay, the Orlando parks are too far, too intense and too expensive to get your money's worth. Plenty to do within 30 minutes of the Port. The beaches are outstanding, lots of inexpensive restaurants. It's more residential than most beach communities in Florida. Not hugely built up at all.

Airboats? The one we use when company come is pretty nice...Lone Cabbage Fish Camp. Takes may 20 minutes to 30 minutes from Port Canaveral, and easy to find. Airboats and a restaurant / bar with live bands outside on weekends. Very "Florida local color", but clean and reasonable.

Lone Cabbage Fish Camp & Twister

http://twisterairboatrides.tripod.com/

This company deserves a better website (Arrrghhh...My eyes! My eyes! It burns!) But, not a bad place at all. There is a $2.00 or something coupon the site somewhere.

Hope this helps,

JTC

Thanks to all of you -

Capt BJ - Ironically, despite living in Cape May, my kids don't surf - go figure? They vetoed the kayak trip in Banana River as "boring" - it is long. Afraid they would feel the same about the air boat but I will check out that website JTC - thanks! I think they are leaning toward paddle surfing SeaPA1 - it does appear to be in the river altho I suppose you could go into the ocean as well.

The kite surfing sounds like fun too - youngest did windsurfing in Aruba - not well but it certainly wore him out! And Florida doesn't have the trade winds so that is an option (for the boys, not me - I will be the photographer:o)

We want to be able to spend some time on cocoa beach - and of course the stop at Ron Jon's is a must (originated in NJ!) so don't want to have every minute accounted for - this is supposed to be relaxing

Thanks again for all your help - and I will check out that thread, SuezyQ50

Happy Cruising!

You don't say how long you have....but the Kite Boarding in Cocoa Beach is lots of fun....safe, but exhilirating. It's a hang gliding "kite" attached to upper body harness...your feet go in "snowboard" like stanchions.

 

There are three companies that do lessons and gear right out vans. They train you, and get you going...make you practice with just the kite on the beach, and then when the winds pick up in the afternoon, you go out in the surf.

 

Just a thought, but I watch them from our balcony and keep thinking what fun that would be with my teens.

 

Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach are a great "port of call", and unless you have a long port stay, the Orlando parks are too far, too intense and too expensive to get your money's worth. Plenty to do within 30 minutes of the Port. The beaches are outstanding, lots of inexpensive restaurants. It's more residential than most beach communities in Florida. Not hugely built up at all.

 

Airboats? The one we use when company come is pretty nice...Lone Cabbage Fish Camp. Takes may 20 minutes to 30 minutes from Port Canaveral, and easy to find. Airboats and a restaurant / bar with live bands outside on weekends. Very "Florida local color", but clean and reasonable.

 

Lone Cabbage Fish Camp & Twister

http://twisterairboatrides.tripod.com/

 

This company deserves a better website (Arrrghhh...My eyes! My eyes! It burns!) But, not a bad place at all. There is a $2.00 or something coupon the site somewhere.

 

Hope this helps,

 

JTC

John, On the website for the airboat can you explain in further detail the 3 different kinds of tours and how the boat performs in the way of speed and turns. How much if any spinning does the boats do in the 60 minute and 90 minute tour. Looks like the 30 minute tour keeps the speed way down.

What are our options for transportation? To get from where the ship docks to where the boats are. It would just be my wife and I.

Jimbo:)

On the website for the airboat can you explain in further detail the 3 different kinds of tours and how the boat performs in the way of speed and turns. How much if any spinning does the boats do in the 60 minute and 90 minute tour. Looks like the 30 minute tour keeps the speed way down.

It's not something I do very often, and I have not done all three. I'm not even sure which ones I have done, so I'm afraid I'm not much use there. I'd contact them ;-)

What are our options for transportation? To get from where the ship docks to where the boats are. It would just be my wife and I.

Here is a little map I made that sort of shows the area and where things are in relationship to the ships..there are six major car rental places in Cape Canaveral withing minutes of the Port:

There are threads on Cruise Critic board that post great discount codes for the major car rental firms in Cape Canaveral. I'd search "car rental "discount code" +Florida ". I've used codes I've found here for online reservations myself when I needed a rental for friends and family. They've been very effective.

Directions to Lone Cabbage:

(25-30 minutes - Depends on rental company location on A1A)

Turn-by-Turn Estimate

1) Continue onto FL-528 W - Go about 8 miles

2) Take exit 45A toward Clearlake Rd/FL-524 - Go 0.3 miles

3) Merge onto E Industry Rd - Go 0.3 miles

4) Turn right at FL-524 W - Go 4.6 miles

5) Slight right toward FL-520 W/King St - Go 0.2 miles

6) Continue straight onto FL-520 W/King St - Go 5.9 mi

7) You are there. Note: They did road construction on this bridge and stretch of road last year. It may be necessary to go past the place, and find safe place to turn around due to divider in road.

You can ALSO go south from car rental through Cocoa Beach on A1A and simply turn right at the 520 intersection light. If you pass Ron Jon's Surf Shop you have gone a hundred yards too far. This takes a few minutes longer due to traffic, but is only two turns from the car rental company. Just follow 520 right to the Lone Cabbage bridge.

Hope this helps,

Johncn

John,

Thanks for all the info, we have cruised before from there on Freedom of the Seas and rented a car from Orlando to get us to the ship. Did the same thing on the return home back to the airport.

It's pretty easy driving around there. I believe if I remember right we rented off of Budget.

I like your detailed driving directions.

Still looking at our options as to what to do for the day we are there, not sure it would be worth it for the day to make the hour drive back and forth to Disney, we are only in port for about 8 or 9 hours.

Jimbo:)

Still looking at our options as to what to do for the day we are there, not sure it would be worth it for the day to make the hour drive back and forth to Disney, we are only in port for about 8 or 9 hours.

 

Jimbo:)

If you rent a car The Brevard Zoo might be fun if you take a little drive South. Its a community zoo and is quite different in my opinion from the big metropolitan zoos. Also they have places to kayak right in the zoo as well. It's very laid back.

(I used to live in Brevard and had a membership.)

John have you heard of the Airboat Rides at MIDWAY in Christmas, Florida? Would that be further away then the one you recommended(Lone Cabbage Fish Camp & Twister), there also is another one called Grasshopper Airboat Eco-Tours that launches from Lake Poinsett Lodge and Marina, at the end of Lake Poinsett Road, which is approximately 1/2 mile west of Interstate 95. South of State Road 520.

Which one is closest to the ship in Port Canaveral?

Jimbo:)

John have you heard of the Airboat Rides at MIDWAY in Christmas, Florida? Would that be further away then the one you recommended(Lone Cabbage Fish Camp & Twister)

I've never heard of it, but looking it up it does seem slightly farther to get to. I have no concrete information about that company.

..there also is another one called Grasshopper Airboat Eco-Tours that launches from Lake Poinsett Lodge and Marina, at the end of Lake Poinsett Road, which is approximately 1/2 mile west of Interstate 95. South of State Road 520....Which one is closest to the ship in Port Canaveral?

They are all pretty much the same driving distance, and probably don't vary by more than 10 minutes. I don't know anything about Grasshopper either. I can only speak to Lone Cabbage. Sorry I can't be more help, but perhaps others can.

My guess is that they are all pretty similar, and they do all use the same basic stretch of swamp that lies just inland from the lagoon, but before you get to I-95. Just different ends...

Lone Cabbage is an established company, likely safe, likely has insurance, and operates a restaurant / bar where you can frequently observe gators before and after your trip...as well as sample gator nuggets to wash down with your cold beer. It is also very easy to get to.

That is about the sum total of my knowledge. :eek:

Johncn

I've never heard of it, but looking it up it does seem slightly farther to get to. I have no concrete information about that company.

 

 

 

They are all pretty much the same driving distance, and probably don't vary by more than 10 minutes. I don't know anything about Grasshopper either. I can only speak to Lone Cabbage. Sorry I can't be more help, but perhaps others can.

 

My guess is that they are all pretty similar, and they do all use the same basic stretch of swamp that lies just inland from the lagoon, but before you get to I-95. Just different ends...

 

Lone Cabbage is an established company, likely safe, likely has insurance, and operates a restaurant / bar where you can frequently observe gators before and after your trip...as well as sample gator nuggets to wash down with your cold beer. It is also very easy to get to.

 

That is about the sum total of my knowledge. :eek:

 

Johncn

Thanks Johncn, we decided to go to Christmas, never been there before:D and try http://www.AirBoatRidesAtMidWay.com, 1 hour tour is $37.28 per person.

While we are up that way anything else interesting to do around that area?

Jimbo:)

Thanks Johncn, we decided to go to Christmas, never been there before:D and try www.AirBoatRidesAtMidWay.com, 1 hour tour is $37.28 per person.

 

While we are up that way anything else interesting to do around that area?

 

Jimbo:)

Jimbo, have you done this excursion yet?

If so how did you like it?

I am looking into the Pride for April 2012.