Port Canaveral - Stay in Orlando

[PelicanBill]

Here's a tip for if you are arriving the night before a cruise departing from Port Canaveral.

 

Book a room at one of the hotels near the Orlando Airport. We got the Fairfield Inn for $71 plus taxes, two queen beds (way more comfortable than doubles), and continental breakfast.

 

Arrange for a limo to pick you up and take you to the port. There are many limo services in the area, all priced about the same.

 

Another option for transportation is rent a car one way at each end of the trip. We fly down Thursday night so we have all day Friday, and almost all day the Saturday we get back. So we will rent at the Orlando Airport and drop in Cape Canaveral, where the car rental shuttle will take us to the port and pick us up when we return. We rented from Hertz. There are only 2 or 3 car companies with a site in Cape Canaveral, and their hours are limited so be careful. You won't be able to book a car from an airport location to a non-airport location on the big online places, but I found we could at AAA.com and at the car companies' own sites.

[Nanatravel]

Another option is booking the MCO airport hotel and buying the cruise line transfers. Just taxi or shuttle to & from the airport and get on the big buses to Port Canaveral, especially if there are only 2 of you. Budget car rental has a Cocoa Beach outlet but be careful as they are understaffed and overworked. My bill is not incorrect as they made 2 major errors. The Radisson at Cocoa Beach/Port Canaveral is decent hotel if you have some time to visit this area.

Bon Voyage

[mnsawyer]

Nanatravel - to me, staying in Orlando and then shuttling to the airport and taking the Carnival transfer is the best way especially if there are just two. Do you know what time the Carnival busses start running on the day of the cruise?

[Nanatravel]

When we were on the Pride, Myers buses were shuttling by 10:30 a.m. We were on early flights from NE and arrived at the port right around noon. It is a 45-50 minute bus ride. There was traffic at the port, but it is all organized now and much less of a hassle since the port was completed.

Bon Voyage

[LoonBoarder]

We're staying in Orlando and renting a car to get to PC. Question for those who may have done this: we have 4 in our party - would it be easier to drop off my fellow passengers and their luggage at the port, then drop the car and ride the shuttle myself, or are we better off to all go to the drop and ride the shuttle?

[MickeyP]

We arrived in Orlando and stayed at the Hampton Inn for $62 and it included Breakfast. we rented a car trough Budget at a very reasonable rate. Traveled a couple of days early and We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Cocoa Beach which was $120.the night before. Budget supplies a shuttle over to the Pier and there is no drop off charges for a one way auto rental. Suggest staying in Orlando and driving the morning of, to Cocoa Beach.

[LoonBoarder]

Answering my own question: we picked up the car from Budget at MCO -- on site, so it was very convenient. Stayed at a hotel in Orlando, drove out to Port Canaveral in the early afternoon. For drop off, I brought DW & the boys to the port, dropped off them and the luggage, drove over to Cocoa Beach and shuttled back to the pier. Piece o' cake. If it hadn't been POURING it might have been even easier!

 

On return, we all decided to ride in the shuttle (it was only us and our luggage, no other parties) to make things a little quicker.

[laurasue]

We just got a great deal at the (newly refurbished) Hilton in Cocoa Beach. We were originally going to book in Orlando, but for $69/night and no need to drive to Port Canaveral (one less thing to do) the morning of the cruise, we couldn't pass it up. I'm thrilled. :D

[jskcak]

try the doubletree there too - just refurbished as well...