Port Canaveral Question

We are sailing on The Enchantment out of Baltimore on Jan. 29, 2011. What is there to do at Port Canaveral if we don't go visit the Kennedy Space Center? It's our first time there and have no idea what to do. Please advise.

We are sailing on The Enchantment out of Baltimore on Jan. 29, 2011. What is there to do at Port Canaveral if we don't go visit the Kennedy Space Center? It's our first time there and have no idea what to do. Please advise.

The Enchantment doesn't sail out of Port Canaveral :confused: I am confused as to which ship you will be sailing on?

I think the OP is saying Port Canaveral is a port of call on the itinerary.

Port Canaveral is very close to Cocoa Beach. A nice beach day albeit a bit chilly in January. And depending on how long you are in port, look into ship sponsored excursions to Orlando! That way you won't get left if you return late.

The Enchantment doesn't sail out of Port Canaveral :confused: I am confused as to which ship you will be sailing on?

Enchantments first port of call is Port Canaveral...9AM - 9PM

To the OP.....you can always rent a car for the day and check out the Cocoa Beach area. Just be aware that in Jan. it can get very chilly in Port Canaveral/Cocoa Beach....so going to the beach for the day might not happen.

A day trip to Orlando is also doable.....visit the mouse house or one of the other parks.

Check out the florida departure board for lots of stuff to do......there is a thread for Port Canaveral and a few locals are very, very good with info on the area and what to do......http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1119114&page=46

Have fun!

I think the OP is saying Port Canaveral is a port of call on the itinerary.

Oh! Okay!!! I actually had no idea that PC was a Port of Call!! Now I am really embarrassed!!! :eek:

Oh! Okay!!! I actually had no idea that PC was a Port of Call!! Now I am really embarrassed!!! :eek:

Nah...ckrobyn, you should never be embarrassed about anything! You have been a wealth of information for many on this board. Thank you for all you do!!

And naturally I love your avatar....as my whiskered babies do the same thing to me every day. Awwww....."you want some more cat treats??" :p

And of course, being 5 miles from PC, I will help with any information in any way.

We are sailing on The Enchantment out of Baltimore on Jan. 29, 2011. What is there to do at Port Canaveral if we don't go visit the Kennedy Space Center? It's our first time there and have no idea what to do. Please advise.

While it may be too cold for some in this area, it is T-shirt and bathing suit time for others from the north. I would suggest renting a car for the day and taking a tour south down A1A, stopping along the way to visit areas along the beach. Many places to stop for a nice lunch and places to discover. How does a nice walk along the uncrowded beach sound to you?

I am very proud of the area I live in, and if you need further information, please let me know! :)

Nah...ckrobyn, you should never be embarrassed about anything! You have been a wealth of information for many on this board. Thank you for all you do!!

 

And naturally I love your avatar....as my whiskered babies do the same thing to me every day. Awwww....."you want some more cat treats??" :p

 

And of course, being 5 miles from PC, I will help with any information in any way.

Thanks Island Lady :)

I know where Merritt Island is! In fact, we are going to the Walmart there the night of November 13th - it is kind of a pre-cruise tradition to our Walmart run there for shampoo etc!!!!

We are sailing on The Enchantment out of Baltimore on Jan. 29, 2011. What is there to do at Port Canaveral if we don't go visit the Kennedy Space Center? It's our first time there and have no idea what to do. Please advise.

If you have never been there, then you definitely should go to the Space Center! It's a great place to visit.

You might enjoy an airboat ride. You could see lots of wildlife.

Go sport fishing

Many charter boats in port canaveral

A trip to the Space Center is a lot of fun and very informative.

Some like to hop on the bus to the shopping center in Cocoa Beach. (Sorry, but I just can't recall the name.)

You can usually book a WDW trip through the cruiseline.

We had already done all of the above, so we walked to the beach. Nice powdery sand on an uncrowded beach worked out quite nicely!

While the space center is cool, it has gotten fairly expensive in the last few years. Another "attraction" in the Coco Beach area is the Ron Jon Surf Shop. Which is reported to be the largest/most famous of it's type. It is interesting place to see and is free. If you want to rent a car there is a Hertz location very close to the pier and they offer a free shuttle service.

Ron Jon is just a big store.

There's another big surf store next to it also called Cocoa Beach Surf Company

It has the Florida Surfing Hall of Fame (small, but cool)

Other than that? Not much else there.

HOWEVER...you could take surfing lessons. It might be chilly, but if you rent a wetsuit, it won't be too bad. How cool would that be? Learning to surf...REAL SURFING...not flowrider surfing, which is NOT the same

and if anyone is interested in a theme park, I would recommend Universal Studios over WDW. Islands of Adventure is a lot of great rides. Universal Studios has some cool stuff as well, but Islands has the Harry Potter Themed area which is really popular. (I have not seen yet)

Supposed to have a new cruise to nowhere gambling boat by January, those are usually free, so you get a nice ride on a smaller boat, few free drinks, maybe some food and maybe some gambling with better odds.

There's a pier at Port Canaveral (Jetty Park) where you can fish. I believe the tackle store there rents fishing gear, if that's your thing.

There is the Merritt Square Mall, but it's nothing special, on small side, but does have Macy's, Penny's, Sears, Dillard's and there is a movie theatre, pretty nice and clean, if you want to go see a movie. There's a cafe there called the "European Corner" where crew members flock to on port days. They actually have busses and vans to take crew there. There's also a Books-a-Million there, if you need a new book for your cruise.

Nah...ckrobyn, you should never be embarrassed about anything! You have been a wealth of information for many on this board. Thank you for all you do!!

 

And naturally I love your avatar....as my whiskered babies do the same thing to me every day. Awwww....."you want some more cat treats??" :p

 

And of course, being 5 miles from PC, I will help with any information in any way.

I have a question...my hubby and I are going on Monarch on 12/3 for a 3 night cruise...we are planning on driving down, but I have no idea where we can park our car for the weekend. I am hoping not to spend a ton of money to park.

I have a question...my hubby and I are going on Monarch on 12/3 for a 3 night cruise...we are planning on driving down, but I have no idea where we can park our car for the weekend. I am hoping not to spend a ton of money to park.

Parking at PC in the covered garage is $15 per night, so $45 for you 3 night cuise, right across from the terminal

We are sailing on The Enchantment out of Baltimore on Jan. 29, 2011. What is there to do at Port Canaveral if we don't go visit the Kennedy Space Center? It's our first time there and have no idea what to do. Please advise.

We were just at Port Canaveral last month as a port stop, and we took the free shuttle (offered by Renaissance Hotel) to Cocoa Beach. We shopped at the Ron Jon surf shop and then hit the beach. There is nothing right at the port, so if you don't have a plan for the day, your only other option is to stay on the ship--which isn't a bad option either....;)

A trip to the Space Center is a lot of fun and very informative.

Some like to hop on the bus to the shopping center in Cocoa Beach. (Sorry, but I just can't recall the name.)

You can usually book a WDW trip through the cruiseline.

 

We had already done all of the above, so we walked to the beach. Nice powdery sand on an uncrowded beach worked out quite nicely!

That shopping center is actually downtown cocoa village on the main land side, and is indeed a nice place to shop and stroll about. Lots of nice little cafe's and full restaurants there too. It is right on the water with a little riverfront park on the east end of it. I think your ship may offer transport to the town also.

Glad you had a good time when you were here! :)

Are one of you 55 or older? Come visit The Villages and spend the day. The Villages is 1 1/2 hour from Port Canaveral You will have a good time. Get on the trolley and take the tour. Rent a golf cart for the day.

http://www.thevillages.com/ Lots of places to eat.

Thanks Island Lady :)

I know where Merritt Island is! In fact, we are going to the Walmart there the night of November 13th - it is kind of a pre-cruise tradition to our Walmart run there for shampoo etc!!!!

Yup, I shop there all the time, and in fact was just there yesterday. All the crew members of the various ships shop there too. They have a shuttle that takes them there, to the mall, and to BJ's wholesale club. We see them all the time, and in fact we told our waiter that "we will see you again in Wal-Mart"....he laughed about that. :) ;)

While it may be too cold for some in this area, it is T-shirt and bathing suit time for others from the north.

And I thought I saw a polar bear in a thong. My bad.:D

Just wanted to say hi. we are on this trip too. We are planning on Kennedy Space Center though.

And I thought I saw a polar bear in a thong. My bad.:D

Oh...is THAT what that was!! :D :D :p

Oh! Okay!!! I actually had no idea that PC was a Port of Call!! Now I am really embarrassed!!! :eek:

Don't worry about it...I read it the same way you did, only my first thought was that it might be a repositioning.

OP, if you go onto Royal's web site, you will be able to download a list of shore excursions for Port Canaveral. Or you could do one of the other wonderful things suggested here. :)