Port Canaveral logistics question!

Hi everyone! My first post on these boards so if I look like a newbie, that's why ;);)

Anyway, we booked our fourth cruise recently but first one since 2007 so I feel like it's our first one again! We are taking the Carnival Liberty in August and traveling with a group of 9 (ages ranging from 2-60).

We are planning to fly into Orlando the day before the cruise and I cannot figure out the logistics of what to do. We have not booked our flights yet but the ones I am looking at will get us in between 12 and 3 pm.

Not sure what to do from there. Do we stay near Orlando airport and bum around there and then take transportation over to the Port the next day? Do we try to somehow get over to the port area that day and do something fun and then take a shuttle to the port (are there shuttles??). Just not sure what is feasible/reasonable and what others do!

The group that will be flying into Orlando is just 7 of us as the other two are coming in from a different state and will have their own plans.

We don't really want to rent a car for that short amount of time either. Help!

If rental car is out, not really any time to do any tourist activities in Orlando, probably tired from travel day,,,, with all that, I’d probably find a van service to take us to our hotel in Cocoa Beach.

Are there shuttles from Cocoa Beach to the port?

Sometimes the hotel will have a shuttle, but it might not be free. Rent a van and drive to Cocoa Beach, check in and ask for directions to the Cocoa Beach Pier. Picturesque and you can eat there. Drive to the port in the morning, drop off passengers and luggage, and one person drive the van to the rental place, which will have a shuttle back to the port. EM

There is no time to do anything useful in Orlando considering when you get inso you might as well get to Canaveral and stay closer to the ship. At least Canaveral is close to the beach and if that sort of thing turns you on, you can spend the morning at the beach. Or else you can sleep in, have a late breakfast at the motel and then head for the ship.

DON

I think you can have a lot of fun in Orlando the night before your cruise. Unless you are serious beach people and cannot wait to hit the ocean in which case it will be better to make your way over to the Cape after arrival!

It is really up to you - in Orlando you have endless fun options. In the Canaveral area life is more laid back and you may spend some time on the beach and then go to a restaurant in the evening. If you arrive before 4pm then you can watch the cruise ships leave from Grills and Fishlips and other restaurants at the Port.

Transportation is easy. It depends on how much you are willing to pay. You can get a private shuttle for just over $100 one-way for example. Read here: http://cruiseportcanaveral.us/transportation/

As a local I would recommend that you do 2 things skip Orlando and head straight to Cocoa beach and try to get here earlier than 12.

There is to much to do in Orlando. Getting in at the times you expected is peak time for our airport. The Orlando Airport is one of the best in the country but if you get in at 12 by time you disembark, take the tram over to the main bldg, get your luggage and fight traffic you could get to your hotel in Orlando by 4. Believe me getting around here can be overwhelming. Our heat index at that time is the worst as well.

Otherwise by going to Cocoa you can catch a ride and be at your hotel by the same time. 417 (toll) is a straight shot as well as the Beachline (also toll). It could give you some time to relax at the beach. Its a very beautiful beach too. Besides who wants to be stressed out before a cruise.

I recommend a hotel by the boardwalk.

Hopefully this helps.

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Sailed out of Port Canaveral several times. What we did was fly to Orlando, then drove to Cocoa beach. As another poster stated, there's nothing useful to do in Orlando with the time you have available - but you can enjoy Cocoa beach and/or the Space museum.

I must admit I am baffled by the comments that there is nothing useful to do in Orlando when folks arrive by 3pm!

Orlando is so much more than Disney and Universal! I can think of two dozen or more wonderfully fun things to do that has nothing to do with theme parks - Disney Springs and Universal Citywalk being the exceptions.

I call Cape Canaveral home and love my hometown and Cocoa Beach but we also love to spend nights out in Orlando! It is one of the most fun cities in all of the US!

I must admit I am baffled by the comments that there is nothing useful to do in Orlando when folks arrive by 3pm!

 

Orlando is so much more than Disney and Universal! I can think of two dozen or more wonderfully fun things to do that has nothing to do with theme parks - Disney Springs and Universal Citywalk being the exceptions.

 

I call Cape Canaveral home and love my hometown and Cocoa Beach but we also love to spend nights out in Orlando! It is one of the most fun cities in all of the US!

Can you suggest some of those things?

1. For an adult night out we may

a) head to one of Orlando's colorful neighborhoods - Winter Park, Ivanhoe Village, Thornton Park, Downtown

b) do the monorail pubcrawl to all the Disney hotel bars along the monorail track ending with dinner at one of the hotels.

2. With friends and family including kids we may

a) stroll through Disney Springs, Disney's Boardwalk, Universal Citywalk

b) starting in Disney Springs we visit a few fun Disney Hotels (looking for characters) by water taxi

c) stroll through Celebration Town Center or Orlando Old Town

d) explore International Drive north of the Orlando Eye

Baffled huh?

I’ll try to add some perspective to this.

OP has been up since O dark thirty getting the kids and the rest of the family up and off to the airport. Probably didn’t sleep very well the night before.

Got thru security at the airport without anyone being harmed. Got the entire family on the plane and flew anywhere from 2 to 6 hours without anyone causing the plane to be diverted.

Fought the battles of the family and navigated MCO.

Has already been up for 12 hours with only 1 cup of airplane coffee and now you want me to do a monorail pub crawl?

No, I want to get out of the hustle and bustle that is Orlando and find a place to relax, get the kids fed, and relax some more.

Now, if the OP flies into MCO 2 or 3 days early,,,, then you might be on to something. I know that I’ll keep your suggestions in mind the next time I fly from the west coast to MCO.

Baffled huh?

I’ll try to add some perspective to this.

OP has been up since O dark thirty getting the kids and the rest of the family up and off to the airport. Probably didn’t sleep very well the night before.

Got thru security at the airport without anyone being harmed. Got the entire family on the plane and flew anywhere from 2 to 6 hours without anyone causing the plane to be diverted.

Fought the battles of the family and navigated MCO.

 

Has already been up for 12 hours with only 1 cup of airplane coffee and now you want me to do a monorail pub crawl?

 

No, I want to get out of the hustle and bustle that is Orlando and find a place to relax, get the kids fed, and relax some more.

 

 

Now, if the OP flies into MCO 2 or 3 days early,,,, then you might be on to something. I know that I’ll keep your suggestions in mind the next time I fly from the west coast to MCO.

So your suggestion is to transfer over to the Port area and do nothing until cruise time?

That's fine and I leave it up to the OP to decide.

The OP did ask for something "FUN" to do with the family (in Orlando) so I thought I will take the time to offer a few fun suggestions. Then you decided to jump in...

As a resident of the Port area my suggestion is to keep in mind the Canaveral area is quiet and the hotels are generally more expensive that similar ones in Orlando. As the sun sets there are restaurants and bars, ice-cream shops, Ron Jon, two very basic minigolf places, an Escape room and a handful of other choices most of which may not be within walking distance of your hotel.

If you arrive in Orlando after 3pm, do consider transportation to the Port is more troublesome with few shuttles, etc. You may not get to the Port area until 5pm. A bit late to head to the beach and do much except heading out to dinner. After dinner, you can go to a bar or back to your hotel. During busy season a few of the fun places may still be open.

In Orlando, however, the world's your oyster. Cheaper and better hotel most with free shuttles, more transportation options the next day to the Port, and a safer option in case your flight gets delayed (very common).

The OP can decide and if he/she wants more ideas for either option I will be happy to provide it.

1. For an adult night out we may

 

a) head to one of Orlando's colorful neighborhoods - Winter Park, Ivanhoe Village, Thornton Park, Downtown

b) do the monorail pubcrawl to all the Disney hotel bars along the monorail track ending with dinner at one of the hotels.

 

2. With friends and family including kids we may

 

a) stroll through Disney Springs, Disney's Boardwalk, Universal Citywalk

b) starting in Disney Springs we visit a few fun Disney Hotels (looking for characters) by water taxi

c) stroll through Celebration Town Center or Orlando Old Town

d) explore International Drive north of the Orlando Eye

Some great ideas here! I will note that our Orlando relatives have put a 'second' on your recommendations.