SteerageJoe
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Just posting in hopes that the OP will see and report back on the shuttle service/limo they ended up using to Kennedy Space Center.
We have Cocoa Beach Shuttle Booked for 6 people. It is the same price for us to rent a mini-van. Honestly, I am a little uneasy about both options.
1) I am nervous about dropping the mini-van off at Alamo after hours (using the drop box).....and,
2) I am nervous about Cocoa Beach Shuttle not showing up to return us to the pier at the end of the day.....
I wish I just booked the excursion through the cruise ship, but I have the tickets to the Space Center so it really wouldn't be worth it.....
Personally, I would rent the van for total freedom. Upon return, I would drop my crew at the cruise terminal and tell the 888-Transport taxi person (they have a stand at the terminal) to have a taxi follow me to Alamo.
Or call 888-transportation as you leave KSC and give them a time to meet you at Alamo. Then double-check at the taxi stand or taxi in line, that they have a car at Alamo waiting.
Worse case - the 888-transportation building is just 10 minutes from Alamo! If they mess up you will not wait long at Alamo for a new ride!
Better still - if your cruise ship docks at CT1, you can walk back to the ship from Alamo! Easy and safe!
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Has anyone stayed here that would like to offer any insight? I can get a suite for 4 people for $95 and it includes free parking and shuttle.
Bill
I have not stayed there so others can comment about the experience and rooms.
The location is fine and safe near Ron Jon and just a short walk from restaurants, shops, etc.
You will not park at the property during your cruise - parking is at Park Port Canaveral towards the Port. The largest and busiest off-site company with a good reputation and fenced parking on tarmac.
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I just booked the May 21st sailing of the Valor out of Port Canaveral. We will be needing a hotel that includes free parking during our cruise. Does anyone have any suggestions? Good deals? Thanks!
:cool:Bill
Just about all of the hotels offer a parking package of some kind and several offer 40% parking discounts at the Port for safer and more convenient parking!
Most are less than 20 minutes by shuttle from the Port so no worries with that either.
What kind of hotel are you looking for? Cheapest, kid or teen-friendly, ocean view, cruise ship view, nice pool, close to bars and restaurants, quiet and more upscale, near grocery and a pharmacy or liquor store?
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A new lot will open soon - Lots of Honor. According to the signage at the lot it a service-disabled veteran-owned business.
Current pricing about $6 per day. The website says 10 minutes but 15 minutes from the cruise terminals is more accurate.
A discussion of the four off-sites with pictures is here.
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Homewood Suites is still under construction .... and you have to cross a very busy road to get to the few nearby restaurants.
No . . . this is already on the same side of A1A as Grills et al
I still would not recommend walking there
but the HS is on the same side of A1A/528 as the port trilogy
Capt, I understand what you are saying BUT:
HS is almost a mile from the Cove restaurants (Grills, etc). You have to take a lonely trail (dark at night) around a pond with bushes and behind/around commercial buildings. In that area some strange characters hang out and sleep at night as is evident by the trash under the bushes. I have been harassed there while on my bike by a loud cursing person.
There is no safe sidewalk that follows the exit road towards the Cove. Technically, the Country Inn & Suites and Residence Inn have easier access to the Cove for walkers with a better path - but too lonely at night for my liking!
Most HS guests will try to cross A1A (be very careful) to get to Zachary's and other places further south. The only restaurant (other than McDonalds) on the same side relatively near is Thai Thai (very good actually).
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We're sailing from Port Canaveral in June and I've narrowed it down to either the new Homewood Suites or the Best Western oceanfront. I've never stayed in a Homewood Suites before so I don't know what to expect, plus I'm not sure where it'll be in terms of location. Whereas, the Best Western is older but is beachfront, close to the pier and has the 40 percent off port parking coupon. Opinions?
Homewood Suites is still under construction so too early to talk about the experience. It is an inconvenient walk to the ocean from there and you have to cross a very busy road to get to the few nearby restaurants.
Best Western is a large hotel. Some room blocks are indeed oceanfront and the location is fabulous - close to the Cocoa Beach Pier and shops and restaurants.
As 40% port parking partner, it gets my vote in this case because you have a vehicle it seems?
For maps and a further discussion about the many hotel/restaurant options in the 4 clusters near the Port, more information here.
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the port labels CT 3 as "visiting ships" and that is where visiting ships like GRANDEUR usually end up ...
BUT I HAVE seen a visiting RCCL ship end up at CT-1 if it was not a day the terminal was otherwise in use. IN USE being Mon Fri and Sunday (at least)
I have NOT noticed an RCCL ship at the north side in quite some time . . .
RCCL Anthem of the Seas docked at CT6 in mid-December and will again in early February. Most of the time she is at CT1.
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Hello,
Can anyone tell me if there is public bus transportation from Royal Caribbean's pier in Port Canaveral to Cocoa Beach? Could you walk from the pier to a bus stop - there's a stop at King George Blvd & Flounder St, but I don't know if it's walkable from the pier where the ship is in port.
Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Nancy
Here is a clearer map of the SCAT stops across from the terminal B1 complex. If your ship docks at Terminal A then it is not walkable as the map shows.
Terminal B-1: Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas, Norwegian Spirit, visiting cruise ships
Terminal B-3: Home to many visiting cruise ships, but some also dock at Terminal A
To see the actual SCAT route (marked in red) to Cocoa Beach, a more complete map is here:
http://www.portcanaveral-parking-hotel-transport.com/area-map.html
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You cannot go wrong with any of the restaurants mentioned!
The best restaurant within easy walking (just 2 blocks away) is Brano's - really good Italian, seafood and a bustling little bar!
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Eben, I see you're back. Did you get a spot at Jetty Park.
Yes and No!!! Jetty Park is getting busy!
Just sent you an email, John
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Any company near port with late hours?
Their opening hours vary - weekends have shorter hours. In general the hours are between 7:30am and 4pm with a few open until 6pm but no later.
If you plan to return your car after 6pm, it is best to ring the office before closing just so they know and there are last-minute drop-off changes.
All buildings offer after-hours drop boxes except Budget as far as I know.
Before leaving the car, remember to take a cell phone video of your walk-around in case there are damage disputes later.
More info, photos, map and links to the local offices are here.
You will then need a taxi - 888-transportation works best after-hours because they are nearby with the most drivers. Uber and others are also available but they must charge $5 extra for port-entry.
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Nice photo!
Did they arrive early because the sea-scanner website says the QV is not due in for another 14 hours?
Yes, by 11am she was already docked. I saw two ambulances ship side (you can see one in the photo)- maybe someone got ill and the captain decided to rush things. She was listed to arrive at 1pm today.
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At terminal B1 for an overnight!
If you are one of the lucky souls on this grand ship, here is a list of things to do during your visit to the Canaveral area!
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At terminal B1 for an overnight!
If you are one of the lucky souls on this grand ship, here is a list of things to do during your visit to the Canaveral area!
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Do anyone know of a dependable transportation service from Orlando International to Port Canaveral? This will be the first time I've cruised from that port.
I echo the advice already offered.
There are several transportation options - it is about convenience versus cost versus arrival time (night before, day of cruise, etc.):
1. Cruise Line Buses – Operated by the cruise lines and their partners
2. Shared Shuttle Van Services– Operated by 3rd-party commercial companies
3. Private Shuttle Van Services – Operated by 3rd-party commercial companies
4. Private Limousine/sedan/taxi Services – Operated by 3rd-party commercial companies
5. Uber - Only UberBlack is allowed curbside. UberXL is also available
6. Value-add Service Companies - Acting as agents for local transportation operators, these companies can book any type of transport for you needs. They do not own the vehicles or employ drivers.
7. Hotel Shuttle Services – Fly, Snooze & Cruise Packages operated by hotels and their partners. The port hotels outsource to 3rd-party shuttle services such as Cocoa Beach Shuttle, Travelynx Stylus, etc.
8. Rental Cars – one-way rental from all the usual suspects
On average, expect to pay:
From $35 per person one-way for cruise line buses,
from $20 per person for a shared shuttle,
from $120 for a luxury sedan (up to 3 people) or private shuttle vans (up to 12 people)
from $150 to $350 for a stretch limousine (6 to 8 people). Note: rates are all over the place for limousines. It helps to shop around!
from $115 for Uber in a large SUV for 4 passengers according to reports
from $40 for a one-way car rental (rates do change often)
Please know a 20% tip is expected for driver services; do not forget to budget accordingly
Here is a list of companies we see often on the road between Orlando and Port Canaveral. If you have a large party (say 10 or more people), I suggest you contact Mears, Travelynx Stylus and AA Access because they have experience with large group transfers.
Uber - Getting more popular and the feedback continues to be positive. UberBLACK can do curbside pickups at the airport.
Cocoa Beach Shuttle – based near Port Canaveral. The “go to” shuttle for many cruisers. Also offer scheduled shared shuttles. Preferred by many Canaveral hotels for port and airport transfers.
Executive VIP Limousine – based near Port Canaveral. Many good reviews on the internet.
Happy Limousine – Recommended by some Disney travel agencies
Mears Shuttle – With a desk at Orlando Airport ensuring personal service. Operates the Disney and Carnival transfer buses.
Groundlink – A nation-wide value-add service trusted by many travelers. Also has exclusive agreements with some cruise lines. Often more expensive but you can trust the service.
Travelynx Stylus – A large company with a good reputation. The preferred transfer company for many Canaveral hotels. Parent company is based in Orlando.
888-Transportation – based in Cape Canaveral with an exclusive agreement with Port Canaveral, allowing hail services. They have taxis waiting at the cruise terminals.
Cortrans Shuttle – Consistently one of the cheaper shuttles with good reviews. Also offer scheduled shared shuttles. Based in Orlando.
AA Access Transport – One of the most popular shuttles with shared scheduled services and vans of all sizes. Based in Orlando.
FL Tours - Recommended by several Disney Travel Agencies. Based in Orlando
TIP: If you do not want to rent, scheduled shared van shuttles are the cheapest between the airport and the port, but do consider the wait times. Often the shared shuttles will wait until full before departing. You may have to wait inside the van for 30 minutes or so. DO NOT GET UPSET WHEN THIS HAPPENS!
TIP: If convenience is more important than costs, I recommend a private shuttle/car instead of a rental car if you cruise on the same day of your flight into Orlando. The lines at the rental car companies in Cape Canaveral can be long during peak hours on cruise days. Things get much better if you avoid the peak hours (10:30am to 12:30pm) and drop the car after 1pm.
TIP: If convenience is more important than costs, I always recommend private transportation when returning to Orlando Airport after a cruise. There is no waiting in shuttle lines when your party is tired, and you are dropped at the departure gate.
TIP: If you are afraid your private shuttle will be late or not show up at all at Orlando Airport, consider using Mears Transportation. You may pay slightly more, but they have a transfer desk at the airport between the car rental and cruise ship desks. This means you have a “live person” to complain to and the benefits of a large company working for you, instead of trying to reach unfriendly people by phones that are often "busy".
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Where is the best (and most reasonable price) parking for Port Canaveral? Also where is a good place to stay night before?
As you know what is best for some may not work for others so ultimately you have to pick what fits your budget and needs!
I think the "best" combination of parking and lodging is to park ship side while staying at a hotel that fits the budget and interests. If you can avoid shuttles without paying more then why not?
For example, if you have young kids who like pools then pick a hotel with a fun pool design. If you want to watch the cruise ships come and go then pick another. Or do you want to overlook the ocean and beach, or just hoping to stay as cheap as possible anywhere within 30 minutes or so from the port?
Some cruisers even stay near Disney or Orlando Airport and drive one hour or so to the Port the next morning. If you have a car, it is not at all important to stay as close to the Port as possible - anywhere within an hour drive will work because the nearby roads are good and rarely congested and you have a lot of time since the terminals rarely opens before 11am.
There are more important factors to consider in my opinion.
Regardless, I think a good idea is to start with the Port Partner hotels near the Port. There are 23 of them and you get the 40% ship side parking discount voucher for ship side parking! Then you pay more the less the same as parking off site, winning!
If you do not fancy any of those then you should make a short-list of 3 hotels or so you like and start to compare their Park, Snooze & Cruise packages. You park at the hotel and use their shuttles.
If you are still not satisfied (maybe you want somewhere cheaper), then find the cheapest hotel for example and pick an off site parking company. There are 3 to choose from.
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HI!
Does any one know what NCL transfers from Orlando International Airport to Port Canaveral cost? Before I call NCL, I wanted to make sure I had the correct information.
Thanks!!
$35 per person one-way was quoted in last month. Once you called them can you please confirm here that the rate is still correct? Thanks!
Here are some photos of the buses.
Nowadays I see one-way car rentals posted for under $50!
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Does anyone have any advice/thoughts regarding port parking or saving some money and doing off port parking (we have found 2 off port) at Port Canaveral. Has anyone used the off port and if so were you happy with the service you received? Thanks in advance.
There are 3 off-sites and do not forget about hotel parking and ship side parking with a 40% discount voucher from a partner hotel!
a) In many cases it is cheaper to park at the hotel (and use hotel shuttles) if you arrive a day before your cruise.
b) Park ship side is the most convenient but most expensive, HOWEVER, ship side parking with a discount voucher cost the same (if not cheaper) than the off sites so it is highly recommended (applicable only if you overnight in a partner hotel)
c) One of the three off-sites. ParkNCruise and Park Port Canaveral both get mostly good reviews with occasional complaints about waiting times. 528 Port is new, smallest, cheapest with fewest shuttles.
A current rate comparison is here.
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wondering if there are any feed back reports fm the change
I drove down that way yesterday and when I passed the south port entrance there was a backup of cars trying to get into the south port from both directions ..... I thought there must be a BIG accident ... but no, there was a special event at the tower ... and no parking .... and limited roads .....
If a cruiser was wanting to pickup or drop off at these new location yesterday, I hope they had a hour or two to spare . . .
If an MBA holder recommended this change .... their degree should be revoked
btw .... drove by the old location and it was business as usual, and shuttles from HERE to the north side (where most ships load) would not be impacted ..... no traffic backup to the north side
It was a holiday weekend with a very popular one-day festival at the Port, a beautiful sunny day with everyone out and with 5 ships in Port!
A very unusual combination of events and you cannot judge based on that.
When you live near the rental car companies on A1A your perspective of "business as usual" is very different. It is becoming very dangerous and stressful to turn left onto A1A towards the Port nowadays between 11am and 1pm. The shuttle drivers face that daily and do not like it one bit.
Accidents are on the increase and pedestrians are killed.
Cruisers returning cars to busy Budget (for example) have to park on the shoulder of A1A and yesterday at noon they started to block the right lane southwards on A1A causing plenty of frustration. An occurence that is becoming more common with the low daily rates, gas prices and popularity of one-way car rentals.
Moving the rental car buildings to the Port or west on 528 is a positive step in my opinion. I like the new terminal B building and location but would love a second location at terminal A even more..
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SteerageJoe what is the shuttle service you use?
We winter in Cape Canaveral so no transport needed while here!
Later this year we have a Carnival cruise lined up and will rent a car one-way. $60 or less cannot be ignored!
Our flight home leaves early so I may book Uber (I am a fan of the service) or a private shuttle from the Port back to Orlando just to be safe. However, the new Enterprise-National-Alamo location looks fast and efficient so I may change my mind and rent a car again.
These shuttles we see a lot around the Port. Anyone will do depending on your budget.
Cocoa Beach Shuttle
Cortrans
Mears
AA Access Transport
Travelynx Stylus
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On January 13, these three companies stopped their shuttles between the old location on A1A and the Port.
All rental car cruisers should note the new address - a GREAT location near Exploration Tower! It is a large property with plenty of room and easy in/out.
Only 0.5 miles walking from terminal B1 and less than 4 minutes by shuttle.
To check if your ship docks at cruise terminal 1, the Port schedule can be downloaded from here.
Building:
Location:
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Thanks again - very helpful!
We are using alamo but can't work out which terminal as docs just say 'Terminal 1' so probably won't set of walking........just in case it's further than we thought!
Norwegian Spirit docks at CT1. You will see the Alamo building from the ship - under 4 minutes away by shuttle.
It should all be stress-free! Have a nice breakfast then shuttle over to the building around 9am to get the car and off you go!
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Think there are 3 in.... (but will double check!)
I thinkwepaid c $50 for car and its cheapest way for all 4 of us. We do have all day as flight home not until 7pm so whilst in no rush don't want to be spending hours at cruise terminal trying to get out!!
Thanks For advice....
If you are using Enterprise-National-Alamo and your ship is at terminal B1 you can easily walk to drop/pick your vehicle (while the others mind the luggage at the terminal). It is only a 0.5 mile stroll passing by the Cove restaurants!
See a map here - look for the building just west of the Exploration Tower near terminal 1.
Otherwise, I would avoid the early rush and enjoy a nice breakfast. Then load everyone on the rental car shuttle - time it from the cruise ship to arrive via shuttle at the rental car building between 9am and 9:30am - between the morning pickup rush and early drop-offs! By 10:30am they get busy again.
Hopefully you can stay on the ship until close to 9am?
If you go alone to the rental car building you give 3 strangers a chance to jump in front of you at the rental car counter! So take your friends and one of you (a lady perhaps?) should be able to get off the shuttle first to arrive in front of the line at the counter before the rest of the shuttle passengers!
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Capt BJ, the Canaveral Shore Trip activities have been updated!
For example it now includes the Canaveral Lighthouse Tour and the fun train at Brevard Zoo that runs from Cairo to Australasia past Lemur Island into Africa!! :D
Port Canaveral - Now there are 4 off-site parking lots
in Florida Departures
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I agree.
These sites west of Rte 1 also have to compete with the 40% discount ship-side parking vouchers from partner hotels!
One angle they may use is to partner with travel agencies who offer "packages" and offer really low rates to make those packages appear attractive.
I think it is always best to do a bit of homework before booking anything - the word "package" does not guarantee a lowest price and/or most convenience arrangement!