Stay at mco or port canaverle

Hi our flt. Gets in the day before we cruise at 5 pm. Should we stay at embassy suites at the airport that nite. Or go directly to cocoa beach?

What do you think

Because you get in so late, you may want to stay overnight in MCO. Most people like to get to Coca Beach asap so they can get onto the ship as early as possible.

Rollie

I would drive over to cocoa beach and stay in that area for the night. That way when you get up in the morning, you can have a relaxing breakfast and then head over to the port relaxed.

The drive is only about one hour drive so it is really a personal choice but getting up and having a five minute drive to the port can't be beat!:D

Hi our flt. Gets in the day before we cruise at 5 pm. Should we stay at embassy suites at the airport that nite. Or go directly to cocoa beach?

Hello,

Don't know the details of your group, time of year, or your interests, but...here is what I would generically recommend ;)

If you are renting a car, and driving the 45 minutes Port Canaveral, I would just do it that evening, and stay at one of the "Stay and Park" places there.

The Radisson and a few others allow you to leave your car in their lot for the duration of your cruise if you stay one night with them pre-departure. This is much cheaper (free?) compared to the $15 per night parking fee at the Port. If you search this board for the Radisson you will find more info on the parameters of their arrangement. The old "I Work in Port Canaveral Thread" has lots of info, too.

Overnighting in Cape Canaveral would allow you to relax, and have a relaxed extra "port day", really, instead of just making it a travel day.

Personally, I would stay in Cape Canaveral, then early-ish in the morning I'd mosy on over with a cup of coffee to the Port Canaveral Lock station to hang out and see what critters were swimming through. Then hit Jetty Park for a couple hours to get some beach time before boarding the ship.

To understand, here is an aerial shot that I marked up a bit for you:

The Port Canaveral Lock area is a semi-secret little spot at the end of the Port, but very close to the ships. Locals know about it, but you have to get there by driving past the marinas in the Port, and through Rodney Ketcham Park. It LOOKS like a dead end, but is not. You follow the parking lot and go UNDER the bridge that goes to the cruise ship terminals.

You are likely to see manatees, dolphins (including babies), etc. just a few feet from where you stand as they transit the locks. They go back and forth using the locks, with a general pattern of "out to the sea" in the morning, and "back to the lagoon" late in the day.

You never know what you will see! It is run by the Army Corps of Engineers, and is...free. Well, "included" is a better term if you pay US taxes. You can see your ship from the locks, but will spot tons of wildlife, waterbirds while watching the locks pass fishing and pleasure boats through.

When your steaming mug of whatever gets you going in the morning is gone, I would take the kids / wife / sunscreen over to Jetty Park at the entrance of Port Canaveral, and spread a towel out on the beach for a few hours while waiting to board the ship.

GREAT beach mostly used by Brevard County residents and camp ground patrons. Gorgeous views of ship traffic. Clean bathrooms and snack bar. Lifeguards. $7.00 parking, but well worth it. Full info here:

Jetty Park Information

http://www.jettypark.org/

So, folks sailing out of Port Canaveral who overnight in Cape Canaveral can do all this, and still be on board the ship for a late lunch rather than just hustling to get to the ship the day you sail. It's like getting an extra cruise day added on. Just my two cents...your mileage may vary.

Regards,

Johncn

We are sailing out of NYC with Port Canaveral as our first stop. We get in at noon and depart at 10pm Monday November 29, 2010. Is it possible to walk over to the Locks or how would we get there from where ever the Norwegian Gem docks? Do you know which one NCL docks at. It is not marked on the map. What would be the best time to see any manatees or dolphins within our time frame? TIA.:)

DO NOT RENT A CAR AND THEN PARK IT in a hotel with park n cruise!! You're paying for a weeks rental!! You can rent a car at MCO for one day and drive to Port Canaveral and return it to the rental agency there the morning you embark and they will shuttle you to your ship. Then reverse on the return. Or take a shuttle. 5PM is not all that late, but the price of hotels near the port may be more than hotels around MCO. So check the price. Also consider using a shuttle versus a rental car. Might be cheaper if your party is small.

Our flight comes in at 8:00pm so we opted to stay at MCO and take a shuttle from the hotel in the AM. Got the Hyatt off Hotwire for $39 which was way cheaper than any Port Canaveral hotel.