Transportation to Port Canaveral and Hotel pre-cruise questions

[IUHoops]

We are booked on the Sensation out of Port Canaveral on Sunday, July 8. I'm looking for some advise on the best way to get from Sanford airport on the Saturday before the cruise. There will be 6 of us and we are trying to determine the best way to get to a hotel (probably the Hampton Cocoa Beach) and then to the port on Sunday morning. We would like to stay somewhere close to the port. Then, post cruise (Thursday) we will need transportation from the port to Orlando. We are hitting the theme parks on Thursday and Friday. Finally, transportation from Orlando hotel to Sanford airport early Saturday morning July 14.

 

On transportation, what is our best option? Shuttle? Is a one-way car rental (each way) a possibility? Should we just rent a car for the week when we arrive and park at the port/hotel? Do any hotels offer a shuttle from Sanford airport to the Port Canaveral area? If so, at what cost?

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[JohninDC]

One-way car rentals will likely be your cheapest option (especially post cruise to the theme parks) - with 6 plus luggage (especially if any in your group pack like my spouse :o) you will need two cars for each leg of your trip. I doubt it makes sense to rent by the week and leave the cars sitting in some hotel parking lot, but it should be easy to price out on-line.

 

If you want to leave the driving to someone else, here's a list of shuttle services often suggested on these boards:

Cocoa Beach shuttle

Cruisexpressfla

Star Trans

TraveLynx

Executive VIP Limo

Beachline Transportation.

Sunrise Florida Transportation

Good luck! :)

[boo214]

definitely one way car rentals. most of the agencies offer free shuttle service to and from the port so no need to pay for the rental car to sit in a hotel parking lot for the week.

[IUHoops]

Thanks DC and Boo for the quick reply. Does the fact that we are flying into and out of Sanford complicate things? We caught some reasonable flights into this airport, which I understand is a little north of Orlando. The other challenge is the fact that we are going from Port Canaveral on Thursday back to Orlando, and then fly out of Sanford on Saturday. Maybe a one-way rental from Sanford to port and from port to Orlando, then a shuttle from our hotel in Orlando back to Sanford would be the best bet?

 

Thanks for any advice.