HAL Moving to Port Canaveral?

[ss475]

Someone told me that HAL in the near future is going to leave Fort Lauderdale and move to Port Canaveral. Has anyone heard anything about this?

[jtl513]

Someone told me that HAL in the near future is going to leave Fort Lauderdale and move to Port Canaveral. Has anyone heard anything about this?

I haven't heard that, and I live in the same county, just 20 miles south. Where did you hear this? I might believe that one ship could move from Port Everglades, but there isn't the room at Canaveral to put all of the cruises that HAL runs from Everglades. Plus, it would add substantial fuel expense to all of those cruises.

 

I would LOVE for it to happen, of course!!

 

Maybe you could pose the question to DutchByAssociation. I think his 3-day cruise ends tomorrow.

[ss475]

It was conversation at a restaurant recently with Copper HAL past passengers who had just returned from a cruise. We are also Copper on HAL.

[jtl513]

It was conversation at a restaurant recently with Copper HAL past passengers who had just returned from a cruise. We are also Copper on HAL.

And do you know if s/he got it from HAL crew or a fellow passenger?

[arzz]

When the Zaandam cruised from Port Canaveral we enjoyed her several times -- we always got good values when leaving from there -- I do believe because HAL's crowd is older, and the port is an hour from the airport, that it did not sell very well. Somehow I cannot imagine that HAL would stage all of their Caribbean itinerary from there -- especially Western Caribbean -- as it would cost much more fuel as well as sailing time. I can, however, imagine that they might deploy one ship to sail from Port Canaveral.

 

Will have to watch and see what happens.

[jtl513]

I do believe because HAL's crowd is older, and the port is an hour from the airport, that it did not sell very well.

Good point. There is a closer airport in Melbourne, but few flights. And the flights from there cost more, and usually have to connect to other flights at Atlanta.

 

And there's not much in the way of hotels near Canaveral in comparison to FLL. There's a few good sized ones in Cocoa Beach.

 

I'll take one ship! ANY ship! :D

 

arzz: how long ago was it that the Zaandam left there? My DW and I thought it was after we moved to FL in '80.

[cruisinjudy]

We went out of Canaveral in 2002 on Zaandam.

[LoyHAL]

We did Zaandam from Canaveral in '03 and '05 -- Caribbean and Panama Canal. We loved flying into Orlando, staying the night and taking the HAL bus to the port.

Hope they re-instate the port for some cruises!

LoyHAL

[kryos]

I too would love this. I would fly into Orlando ... do me a fun Warbird Adventure ... maybe visit the SkyVenture Wind Tunnel ... perhaps make a tandem skydive (four drop zones within a relatively short distance of Orlando) and then take the bus to Caniveral on embarkation day.

 

Problem with Fort Lauderdale is that there's nothing "fun" ... at least for me ... to do there.

 

Port Caniveral woulld work for me!

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[hensghan]

Dear HAL:-

 

If you happen to be monitoring this thread, please add me to the list of hopefuls who would love to see at least one HAL ship relocated back to Port Canaveral. As I'm sure you are aware, lots of folks drive to Florida embarkation ports and, for many of us, Port Canaveral is much more accessible than FLL.

[jtl513]

We went out of Canaveral in 2002 on Zaandam.

We did Zaandam from Canaveral in '03 and '05

Wow, that recently! I took my first cruise in '02 and 2nd in '05, and I guess I wasn't paying much attention to what ships went out of Canaveral back then.

[Eileen G]

We took one of the last cruises out of there in March 05. We booked it less than a week before it left. I really think it's just a rumor however with the amount of ships in Fort Lauderdale on the weekend it might make sence.

[jbhcw]

I have always regretted that we did not sail the Zaandam while she was at Port Canaveral. It's our favorite port, and most important of all, as dh does not like to fly, it's a nice drive for us here in NC.

 

Cocoa Beach is wonderful to me, reminds me of San Diego in the 60's:) We usually stay at the the Raddison Resort at the Port. It would be wonderful if there was a HAL ship there:)

[Desdemona01]

we, too, would like to see a HAL ship sail from Port Canaveral. We loved that port when we sailed from there on the Zaandam in 12/03. And, since we have sworn off flying to the ports from now on, it would shorten our drive.

[jtl513]

just reading the emag "Port Canaveral" mar/apr. and it says future cruiseships will be: Royal Carib.-Freedom of the Seas, Carnival -Dream, Disney- Dream, Disney-Fantasy and Norwegian-Sun. Maybe they are still discussing the future with HAL.

[mrsltg]

I would love to sail from Port Canaveral. It's a 12 hour drive from home which is on my "doable" list with 3 small kids. Once north of 12 hours I'm all about the plane... Not to mention the allure of my other favorite vacation, WDW!!!

[Roz]

I sailed the Zaandam out of Port Canaveral in December of 2004. I think it's fine if HAL puts 1 or 2 ships there, but not all of them. For those of us who have to fly to the port, it's not that convenient, and adds the expense of transportation to and from the port, assuming one flies into Orlando.

 

Orlando has the noisiest airport in the world, with the whiney, shrill cries of children piercing the air, their parents having dragged (or drug?) them around Disneyworld for a week. :D

 

Roz

[jbhcw]

i sailed the zaandam out of port canaveral in december of 2004. I think it's fine if hal puts 1 or 2 ships there, but not all of them. For those of us who have to fly to the port, it's not that convenient, and adds the expense of transportation to and from the port, assuming one flies into orlando.

 

orlando has the noisiest airport in the world, with the whiney, shrill cries of children piercing the air, their parents having dragged (or drug?) them around disneyworld for a week. :droz

 

 

Funny!

[Desdemona01]

I sailed the Zaandam out of Port Canaveral in December of 2004. I think it's fine if HAL puts 1 or 2 ships there, but not all of them. For those of us who have to fly to the port, it's not that convenient, and adds the expense of transportation to and from the port, assuming one flies into Orlando.

 

Orlando has the noisiest airport in the world, with the whiney, shrill cries of children piercing the air, their parents having dragged (or drug?) them around Disneyworld for a week. :D

 

Roz

 

actually, we prefer the Orlando airport. At least they have a selection of restaurants and shops beyond security--the one at FLL leaves a lot to be desired. It's a pretty boring place to spend a delay, which seems to happen with every flight these days.

[Roz]

Agree with you about the FLL airport. Tampa also has nice restaurants and shops. Prefer Tampa over Orlando, but of course Tampa only works if you're sailing from there.

 

Roz

[jbhcw]

Have never flown into Orlando, but this year flying home from FLL we had a stop in Tampa, we all noticed how nice it was - restaurants and all. Wish FLL was a little more people friendly in that regard.

[Two@Sea]

Add us to the "maybe somebody is paying attention" list of those who would love a ship or two sailing from Canaveral.

[Typhoon1]

I wouldn't believe rumor.

 

If HAL actually makes such an announcement, then you can believe it.

[sail7seas]

Think how inconvenient that would be for crew flying home to Netherlands, Phillipines, Indonesia and all over the world. Add another connection, a longer ride to the airport, more travel hours.

 

There are far fewer flights available to Orlando than to FLL.

 

I think this is someone's wishful thinking :) but we shall see.

 

[arzz]

jtl513 -- I do not remember when the Zaandam left Port Canaveral but it was this century. The three or more cruises we took from there were also 2000 or later -- I do know the Zaandam was gone from there by October 2005 when our Volendam cruise ended at Port Canaveral since everything was closed in South Florida by Hurricane Wilma.