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NASA Visit


HillBilly Bob
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Sailing on CCL Sunshine and arriving a day early in Cocoa Beach. We would like to take a tour of the NASA facility but was wondering how much time to allow...any suggestions from previous visitors?

 

Depends on your level of interest. For me (7 year old staring at a B&W Zenith on July 20, 1969), all day...

 

I’ll honestly say 6 hours as a minimum. KSC says 8, although if you really boogie, you can see a lot in about 4, but you’re not slowing down.

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The KSC is one of my favorite places to visit in the area! But it has grown to a point where you will experience it better if you plan your day before arrival.

 

You can certainly see much in just a few hours but the trick is to find the experiences that are important to your family and not waste time.

 

There are many factors to consider when planning and I cannot type it all here but you can read a planning guide here: http://cruiseportcanaveral.us/kennedy-space-center/

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after not having been for many years, just recently revisited. Some hints ....

 

- most days they are only open to 6 or 7 ... not into the wee hours like Disney or Universal so plan accordingly. we got there pretty early on a day they were open 'til 8pm and it was approaching that time b4 we left. there's plenty to see (I suspect they close b4 sundown most of the time cuz being in the swap the 'skeeters must be KILLER at dusk in the summer!)

 

- back when kids were small and we lived in the area we went several times and I became a fan of some of the 'optional tours'. with the number of things they've added, one day is just enuf time to see most of the basics. an optional add on should only be done if spending more than a day IMO, or you've been since the shuttle exhibit opened.

 

- the included bus tour can fill up and result in a long wait quickly. when we entered, in typical "park fashion" it was clear most folks were queuing up for the first thing they came to. line for the bus tour is towards the back and we went straight here ... walked straight on a bus and off we went. by the time we got back the queue was long. note that the bus tour is how you get to the Saturn V exhibit and there is a lunch place out here as well as the several options on the main campus .... the Saturn V food place had a long line when we got there .... the bus tour and a stop at Saturn V took us a good 2 hours ..... with no wait to get started!

 

- the attractions "up front' had long lines early as I mentioned. near closing time, virtually no lines ....

 

- AAA has a good price, it beat the senior and military rates offered by KSC. Buying tickets ahead of time can save a bit of time as well. If weather messes up (cancels) your trip the tickets are good for a 6 month window and you can anchor this to start on your planned to go day .... (still only good for ONE day, unless you buy a pass tho) AAA discount also applies in gift shops but not for food ....

 

- parking is $10. you can prepay online but there is no special line or parking area so it won't save time.

 

- I've never heard of KSC reaching capacity - Mag' Kingdom did several days this holiday season. We went Jan 2 and while busy, the parking was only 3/4 full IMO.

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  • 4 months later...

We will be in Port Canaveral on February 17,2019 on the Grandeur of the Seas from 10:30-9p. Interested in the Kennedy Space Center. Would appreciate advice on whether to book a cruise excursion or book one thru a private company? All advice appreciated!!

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I suggest to go for the Cruise Guided Excursion unless you have a large family and/or want to do this as cheap as possible.









Normally I suggest you avoid overpaying for ship excursions but you can actually save time if you do the following:

  • Decide how serious your family is about the Space Program. The Guided Ship Tours will cost a hefty sum for a larger family because it packs a lot in a few hours and include close-up experiences. If you just want to see the basics like the Space Shuttle and moon landing vehicles, book an “Express Tour” instead and save $$$.
  • Your excursion is probably managed by Sunward Tours on behalf of your cruise line.
  • Call your cruise line or Sunward (be persistent and ask for someone who actually knows) and ask if your shore excursion will take you direct from the ship to see the launch pads and Apollo/Saturn V Center. These are often called “VIP” or “Guided Tours”.
    • If YES, this means you will save A LOT OF TIME by bypassing the general entrance area lines. Assuming you are serious about Space, go ahead and BOOK THE EXCURSION! Please know Guided Tours usually include either the Explore or Launch Control Tour that cost $25 per person in addition to the general admission. You may also get priority debarkation, priority entry at some exhibits and an after-hours IMAX showing.
    • If NO, then the tour is unguided (also known as an “Express Tour” – meaning you will be taken by bus to the entrance, then tour on your own and meet a return bus at a given time at the end of the day). Unguided is a bit of a misnomer because your admission ticket includes a 1-hour narrated bus tour around the KSC Complex! Your driver works for the KSC and will tell you a lot about the launch pads and space shuttle and wildlife while driving.



“Express Tours” may cost more than needed and you will save money by booking KSC online and taking Uber – especially of you have a family of 3 or more.

 

TIP – Should you decide to arrange the KSC visit on your own, forget about renting a car for AM and PM visits because you will just waste time shuttling to the rental office. You also have to pay $10 for parking. Use Uber or a taxi. And do your best to be one of the first off the ship!

 

FOOD TIP – Please know food is expensive. You are not allowed to bring food so to save money it is best to eat a good meal BEFORE leaving your ship!



You can read more details here: http://cruiseportcanaveral.us/kennedy-space-center/

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While I would love to go, I'm looking at a travel time of 6+ hours round trip from Miami, FL. Maybe next time...

 

FWIW... The Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX is also quite good. I enjoyed seeing all the exhibits. Unfortunately, my visit was a result of a missed connecting flight, and I had 24 hours to kill. And, I was visiting on July 2nd, so all the tours were already all booked. Also, next year, I have plans to go up to Seattle for the "Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission" starting March, 2019.

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  • 2 months later...

Can anyone confirm if the ship tour includes the KSC Explore add on or is this just a straight admission ticket tour? Here's the description for RC Anthem:

 

Enjoy a guided tour of the Space Shuttle program, from launch preparation to lift-off at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. View the Space Shuttle launch pads before arriving at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Re-live the historic launch of Apollo 8 at the Firing Room Theater and marvel at the monstrous 363-foot Saturn V moon rocket. Finally, stand face-to-face with America's only orbiter—Atlantis—displayed in all her mid-flight glory.

HIGHLIGHTS

 

  • Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: See this working space facility on a guided tour.
  • Space Shuttle Program: Be awestruck by the Shuttle Launch Experience and enjoy an IMAX film on the future of space exploration.

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Can anyone confirm if the ship tour includes the KSC Explore add on or is this just a straight admission ticket tour? Here's the description for RC Anthem:

 

Enjoy a guided tour of the Space Shuttle program, from launch preparation to lift-off at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. View the Space Shuttle launch pads before arriving at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Re-live the historic launch of Apollo 8 at the Firing Room Theater and marvel at the monstrous 363-foot Saturn V moon rocket. Finally, stand face-to-face with America's only orbiter—Atlantis—displayed in all her mid-flight glory.

HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

  • Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: See this working space facility on a guided tour.
  • Space Shuttle Program: Be awestruck by the Shuttle Launch Experience and enjoy an IMAX film on the future of space exploration.

 

 

They basic entry includes a tour of the Apollo exhibit with brief tour as get shuttle to it.

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Can anyone confirm if the ship tour includes the KSC Explore add on or is this just a straight admission ticket tour? Here's the description for RC Anthem:

 

Enjoy a guided tour of the Space Shuttle program, from launch preparation to lift-off at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. View the Space Shuttle launch pads before arriving at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Re-live the historic launch of Apollo 8 at the Firing Room Theater and marvel at the monstrous 363-foot Saturn V moon rocket. Finally, stand face-to-face with America's only orbiter—Atlantis—displayed in all her mid-flight glory.

HIGHLIGHTS

 

  • Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: See this working space facility on a guided tour.
  • Space Shuttle Program: Be awestruck by the Shuttle Launch Experience and enjoy an IMAX film on the future of space exploration.

 

 

This is a "guided" tour meaning it is more than just a "transportation" ticket. You will skip the general admission procedures and get a guided tour of the complex including the launch pads and then the standard stuff. Whether or not you will follow exactly the same route or itinerary as the Explore Add On is debatable but please know even the Explore Add On is not always the same thanks to the active nature of the facility at these busy space times! The Explore Add On never stops at an actual launch pad anyways and you do not get to enter the Vehicle Assembly Building - you simply get a bit closer to these areas than the regular bus tour included with general admission.

 

Since you only have an afternoon available, I would book this excursion instead of the cheaper "transportation" or "shuttle" option because your limited time is optimized.

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  • 1 year later...
On 8/16/2018 at 12:50 PM, SteerageJoe said:

 

 

This is a "guided" tour meaning it is more than just a "transportation" ticket. You will skip the general admission procedures and get a guided tour of the complex including the launch pads and then the standard stuff. Whether or not you will follow exactly the same route or itinerary as the Explore Add On is debatable but please know even the Explore Add On is not always the same thanks to the active nature of the facility at these busy space times! The Explore Add On never stops at an actual launch pad anyways and you do not get to enter the Vehicle Assembly Building - you simply get a bit closer to these areas than the regular bus tour included with general admission.

 

Since you only have an afternoon available, I would book this excursion instead of the cheaper "transportation" or "shuttle" option because your limited time is optimized.

 

 

this is great info. ive been searching to see what the NCL tour does vs doing it on my own. then i found a review of the explore tour and it sounded like a let down: We had purchased tickets to the Explore Tour, a 2 hour bus tour. More than half the people in our group fell asleep. Don't waste your time or money on this. You just sit on the bus and listen to someone speak endlessly about which launch pad was used for which mission. The only take-away is that Cape Canaveral is a very large piece of land that houses launch pads that are rotting away

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