marys350

. Thank you!

You're welcome. Have a great cruise!

Thank you - just booked at the Homewood for the night before. How long was the drive over to the port? What time did you leave? We like being on the ship early

Port Canaveral is about 45 miles and estimated 45 minute drive from Homewood Suites. I think that we left the hotel around 9:15 a.m. to allow extra time for traffic delays and returning two rental cars to Budget in Cape Canaveral. First we dropped off 6 passengers and all of our luggage at the cruise terminal (Royal Caribbean) and then the two drivers returned the rental cars and took their free shuttle back to the cruise terminal. Boarding the ship was quick and easy and we were onboard before lunchtime.

We fly out at 11am in Oct , hope I'll be able to use luggage valet .

I don't think that luggage valet is available in Boston. Boston's traffic is very congested and Logan is a busy airport so I personally wouldn't be comfortable with a flight before noon.

I was able to book My Time dining reservations this week for my Enchantment of the Seas cruise in February, 2017. I'm surprised that dining reservations weren't available yet for your September Enchantment cruise. I'd check with your travel agent.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! My best advice when trying a new cruise line is to enjoy the ship as a new experience and not compare every little thing to your previous experiences. Every cruise line and ship has its strengths and weaknesses. Go into this cruise with a positive attitude, expecting to have a good time. Unfortunately, people who expect to be disappointed usually are. Allure of the Seas has many positive reviews. There are also several recent reviews of Royal Caribbean ships by people who have taken Disney cruises in the past and were pleasantly surprised. Enjoy your cruise.

Thanks for your honesty. My husband is P.O.'d that I'm being sketchy with my safety because I'm paying for the hotel (and the whole trip, actually) out of my SS check, which is quite meager. He has insisted on a better hotel, but I still insist on paying for it myself. I could REALLY use some advice on accommodations because he will be checking on people's responses to my questions. I get off the Getaway February 12, 2017 and fly back to MN at 1pm the next day, so I figure as long as there's food in, or next to, the hotel plus a pool and a ride to the airport, then I'm happy.

 

There's several hotels I'm wondering about, but I'm not sure if it's proper forum etiquette to continue.

 

What about Doral Inn and Suites, Holiday Inn Express at Intermodal/airport, Element, Embassy Suites airport, Staybridge Doral, Homewood Suites Airport West, or the Fairfield Airport South ? Do any of these stand out as safer neighborhoods ?

 

I know they're all close to the airport but I travel with ear plugs on cruises so I can nap in a lounge chair during the day. I plan on staying up really, really late and I'm so used to being up at 5 or 6am that I know I'll need a nap, LOL.

 

warn regards,

 

Kristine

Check out Courtyard Miami Airport Hotel. It is on a campus with 3 Marriott hotels in a safer area south of the airport. There is an on-site restaurant, swimming pool with patio and free shuttle to the airport. I just checked prices for February 12, 2017 and saw AAA rate of $159.00; Senior rate of $169.00;and Regular Rate of $199.00. This hotel is also much closer to the port than any of the Doral area hotels which are west of the airport, so cab fare from the port to the hotel would be cheaper. Check with the hotel about availability and cost of a shuttle from the cruise port to the hotel. Reviews on Trip Advisor were very good. I think that this is a great price for a safe Miami hotel during the busy winter season.

A Sky Suite on Celebrity Summit is approximately 251 square feet, which is like a Junior Suite on Royal Caribbean. Try a Google search for photos and videos of sky suites on Summit.

http://www.celebritycruises.com/ships/celebrity-summit#Staterooms/ships/celebrity-summit/staterooms/stateroom-subtype-sm-ss

What airline are you flying? I would recommend doing self-debarkation and using the luggage valet service if you are flying Southwest, JetBlue, or one of the other participating airlines. That way you'll avoid the extra step of having to find your luggage after you get off the ship. It can take awhile to get through customs and Orlando airport was very busy when we cruised in April, with long lines going through security.

Disembarking Enchantment of the Seas at Port of Miami on Friday, Feb. 24th (during President's Day school vacation week for some schools in Northeast).

Would a 1:25 p.m. flight (domestic, not international) out of Fort Lauderdale be doable? There are 10 people in our party. We plan to hire a private shuttle/car service rather than a shared shuttle. Since it's just a 4 night cruise we won't have as much luggage as a longer cruise and could do early self-debarkation and carry off our luggage if needed. We would also consider using luggage valet (JetBlue or Southwest flight). Next available nonstop flight is around 7:30 p.m. We have not booked our flight yet, but plan to do so this week. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences or suggestions.

:) Mary

Check Homewood Suites. I think that they offer an evening social with food and beverages Monday through Friday nights.

Thanks for the tip. My sail away date is indeed Jan 8! I'm arriving on Jan 7 to MCO.

FYI: The price for a one bedroom suite with two queen beds at Homewood Suites, Gateway Village Circle, Orlando, for January 7, is listed as $95.00 AAA rate or $119.00 regular rate on their website. They also have two bedroom suites available.

Hello forum helpers! It's our first time going onto a cruise and I'd like your help/opinion with a dilemma. We will be taking our 4 y.o. and 2 y.o. in January. We arrive in MCO around 1pm on Saturday but our cruise is not until the next day (Sunday). What are your thoughts in getting us from MCO to Port Canaveral?

 

Option 1: Stay in MCO overnight and rent a car the next day to drive to port?

 

Option 2: Rent a car and drive straight to the port area the same day (finding some place to stay in the port area for 1 night)?

 

Option 3: Stay in MCO overnight and hire a shuttle to take us to the port area the same day?

 

Option 4: Hire a shuttle to take us to the port area the same day (finding some place to stay in the port area for 1 night)?

 

These are the 4 options I can think of. I'm trying to seek out the best method to minimize cost + stress (with the 2 kids).

 

Thanks!

Since you will arrive at MCO at 1:00 p.m. for a one night stay and are looking to minimize cost and stress while traveling with two young kids (ages 2 &4), my suggestion is to pick up a rental car at the airport, stay at a hotel near the airport, and then drive to Port Canaveral the next morning. You know your kids best. After flying, would a visit to Disney be enjoyable or stressful? Or would they be better off napping and enjoying a more low key afternoon at a hotel pool?

In April, we did a one-way car rental through Budget at Orlando airport and dropped the car off at their Cape Canaveral location. They have a shuttle that can drop you off at the cruise terminal. There are several car rental companies to choose from.

We stayed at the Homewood Suites on Gateway Village Circle, Orlando, which is a few miles north of the airport, and we were very happy with our stay there. The cost was much better than booking a hotel in Cocoa Beach. The hotel is reasonably priced, has a pool, and includes a nice free breakfast. It was nice to have a separate livingroom and kitchenette area. It is walking distance to several restaurants on Gateway Village Circle and there are a number of other restaurants, a Publix Supermarket and a Walmart Super Center within 3 miles from the hotel. Homewood Suites is located close to Semoran Blvd, which provided easy access to Highway 528 (a.k.a. Beachline Express) a toll road that you take to Cape Canaveral. After the cruise we booked a shuttle from the cruise terminal to Orlando airport.

We find 11:00 a.m. to be a good time to arrive at the cruise terminal (Royal Caribbean). We boarded quickly, ate lunch and had time to explore the ship before sail-away.

I hope that your family enjoys your first cruise.

:) Mary

Another option to consider is Happy Hour Shuttle in Cape Canaveral. Our party of 8 used them for transportation from Port Canaveral to Orlando airport after our cruise in April and were very happy with their services. Their office is located close to the cruise terminal and they also provide transportation to Kennedy Space Center and other local attractions. Telephone and e-mail correspondence was great, the price was reasonable, and we had a very safe driver who was very personable.

http://happyhourshuttle.com/

Paradise Beach is another option to consider. We went there in April and had a great day on a budget. Cost of admission was $3.00 per person, which included a lounge chair. They require you to spend $10.00 per person for food/drinks. It's a beautiful property with a nice beach, swimming pool, and restaurant/bar. There's plenty of sun and shaded areas. Taxi was $15.00 each way (total for 4 people).

http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/

On July 10, 2016, at noon, Jet Blue will extend it's schedule through May 2, 2017, according to what I just read on their website.

:) Mary

We're renting a car at MCO and returning it at Cape Canaveral before our upcoming cruise, and then in reverse afterward. Are there tolls along the route? I though I had read something about tolls in FL being cashless and that we'd need a SunPass or something? Is this something that can be provided by the car rental company?

 

 

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We just did a one way car rental from MCO to Cape Canaveral in April, 2016. I think that there were two tolls along the route ($1.00 each if I remember correctly.) Just make sure that you get in the cash line and not the one that requires a transponder. I made sure ahead of time that I had some $1.00 bills and change for the tolls. There is no need to pay the rental car company a fee (expensive waste of money) to use their transponders.

How many people can make reservations and be seated together for My Time Dining on Freedom of the Seas?

 

 

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How many people are in your party? We had My Time Dining on Freedom of the Seas for our party of 8 in April. We saw different size tables (2,4,6,8,10) in the MTD level of the dining room.

On July 7, 2016, Southwest will extend it's schedule through March 7, 2017, according to what I just read on their website:

https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-tools/

Thanks for the information, EandJ and JohninDC. We'll probably use cabs or a private shuttle so that we can go from the hotel to the port on our own schedule.

Mary

We are flying to Seattle and taking the train also. Was it a great experience? Six people are doing it on my recommendation, so I hope it is as great as I read. Were the taxis plentiful st the train station? We will be staying at the Weston Grand pre-cruise.

We really enjoyed taking the Cascade train from Seattle to Vancouver and seeing the beautiful scenery along the way. If you haven't purchased train tickets yet, I'd recommend buying Business Class tickets. It's well worth the extra money. The business class seats are roomier and there are fewer people in those cars, so it's quieter. The business class ticket includes a $3.00 voucher toward food/beverages in the dining car.

We took the morning train the day before our cruise. There are no assigned seats, so it's wise to get to the train station early for priority seating (we arrived between 6:15-6:30 for the 7:45 a.m. train). There was no food sold at the train station, so I'd suggest that you grab a light breakfast first unless you want to wait and buy something in the dining car after you get on the train. We sat on the left hand side of the train for the best views of the scenery. When you arrive in Vancouver, those in business class are the first ones to get off the train, get their luggage, and go through customs. We had a short wait for a taxi after we got off at the Vancouver station; however, a steady line of taxis started to arrive and the lines of passengers moved right along. I imagine that it took a bit longer for those with regular tickets to disembark the train and leave the station.

I'm sure that you will enjoy your ride on the Cascade train.

Enjoy!

Mary

We stayed at Homewood Suites in the Blue Lagoon area right outside the airport. We loved it. They had a free shuttle from airport to hotel. They can also arrange, for a fee, a shuttle from hotel to the port. That's what we did. We plan on staying there again for our July cruise.

Do you remember how much it costs for the shuttle from the hotel to the port? How was your experience with the shuttle to the port? We made a reservation at Homewood Suites for our party of 10 and I'm trying to decide whether to book a private shuttle to the port.

Thanks,

Mary

Do you remember the taxi fee from the airport to the hotel?

I just booked the Blue Horizon....looking forward to it.

Glad to see that Martincath provided information about taxi rates from the airport to Blue Horizon. We flew to Seattle and then took the train to Vancouver, so I wouldn't have been able to help you there. I hope that you enjoy the Blue Horizon. Definitely check out Joe Forte's Happy Hour menu online. The food was delicious and we ordered drink and appetizer specials and called it dinner.

Blue Horizon is another one I'm looking at. Anyone ever stayed there?

Pan Pacific is a lot more $$$$$$$ than I care to pay.

We stayed at the Blue Horizon in September, 2015 for our Pacific Coastal cruise. The rate was very reasonable and the hotel was in a good location near restaurants, shopping, and a BC liquor/wine store. Our bed and room were clean and comfortable. The taxi from the hotel to the cruise terminal was less than $10.00. We also enjoyed a nice breakfast in the hotel restaurant (for a fee, not included). I think that Blue Horizon is a great choice for cruisers who don't want to spend $$$$$ for a pricey hotel close to the cruise terminal. I'd rather take a taxi and spend the money that I saved on dinner. We enjoyed Happy Hour at Joe Forte's Restaurant, which is walking distance from the Blue Horizon.

:) Mary

Call them and ask if they have a courtesy shuttle to the port. We did a one way car rental to Cape Canaveral with Budget. After my husband dropped us off at the port with luggage, he returned the car to Budget and took their free shuttle back to the port. Very easy.

Do RC ships stay on home port time or do they change to in-port time?

Freedom of the Seas stayed on Florida time during our recent Western Caribbean cruise in April. Since Grand Cayman does not observe daylight savings time, local time was one hour earlier than ship time there.