Orlando airport to Port Canaveral

[Judge Smails]

We plan to fly in the day before our cruise leaves from Port Canaveral - don't want to chance things. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how best to get from MCO to Port Canaveral -- family of 4 traveling, if it matters? And if you have a favorite hotel recommendation for the night in the Port Canaveral area, I'll take that too...Thanks.

[katiel53]

The least expensive way to get from Orlando to the port is by renting a car. There are also shuttles available from many vendors.

 

The hotels at the port that are very popular are The Radisson, Residence Inn and Country Inns & Suites. We have stayed at The Radisson and Residence Inn. Both were great hotels. Radisson has a wonderful pool area, but depending on the time of year you are cruising it may or may not be something you would be able to use.

 

I am giving you a site on the Cruise Critic boards that has tons of info. I hope you find it helpful, as it has taken a long time to get all the info together. I say this because there was a longer thread that took place over a couple of years that was consolidated into this one. Enjoy!

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1119114

[viaggi_per_mare]

We plan to fly in the day before our cruise leaves from Port Canaveral - don't want to chance things. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how best to get from MCO to Port Canaveral -- family of 4 traveling, if it matters? And if you have a favorite hotel recommendation for the night in the Port Canaveral area, I'll take that too...Thanks.

 

Rent a car is the cheapest to get there one way. ALL the car rental places are one right after the other on a long counter right inside the Orlando airport. Keep it for the day and return it cruise morning. We stayed at Radisson at the port and if you click the link in our signature you can see plenty of pictures of the area and hotel. Beach access is free behind the hotels that are on the main road so you do not have to pay for one right on the beach to have free beach access. Things are spread out so I would keep the car to run errands. Lots of grocery stores, liquor stores, and familiar eating places all on the same road. All the hotels are pretty much on the same stretch of road and the rent a car places to return your vehicle the day of the cruise all have shuttles to the port and are on the main road as well. For the way back we used a Carnival transfer back to the airport. We were on the Dream, western on May. Have a good time.

[jzozo]

I am planing on doing the same thing if i cruise out of their. I stayed @ the Radisson in Port Canaveral years back and they have a free shuttle to the pier. They gave me a the name of a shuttle servile for $15 per person from the airport or them to the pier. Or as others said rent a car for the trip their then take it back before the cruise. I think they will drop you at the pier to.

 

Phone number for the shuttle service they gave me 321-961-8900

 

Hotel real close to the port and is about $110 for the night Plus tax. Also they had a nice pool

 

http://www.radisson.com/webExtra.do?webExtraHotelCode=flcocoa&

[sherdon]

We will be going on the Dream next July! We are driving (from VA :( the day before) but I can recommend the Raddison Resort at the Port. We are staying there and it looks nice they have a shuttle that will take you to the ship and they will let you park your car there for the week if you decide to drive.

[mykiddiewinks]

We rented a car last December and found thrifty to be the cheapest.

[Bunkie103]

We're staying in Cocoa Beach at LaQuinta on Hendry Avenue. It was rated #1 on Trip Advisor.

[BoooBooKitEFk]

I priced out a rental from the airport to hotel, dropping it off cruise morning and then getting the Carnival shuttle back to the airport after the cruise. Worked out to be $120.00. Decided on Cocoa Beach Shuttle (mention Cruise Critic for a discount), total $105.00. That's for airport to hotel, hotel to pier and pier back to airport after the cruise.

 

ETA: Just noticed you have 4 ppl. We are just 2 of us, so renting a car will probably be the best bet for you as Carnival charges $35 pp for the shuttle back to the airport.

 

Have a great cruise!

[legalwife]

Doubletree Hotel is on the beach. Haven't stayed there yet, but will in October. Want to be on beach.

 

Radisson is very nice but not on the beach. Nice pool and and just over all good place to stay. Good choice over all if you don't want to be on beach.

 

Have fun!

[paper1122]

Check out some of the limo services. They have good rates b/w the port and MCO.

[UpstateCruizer]

We used Cocoa Beach shuttles and requested a private town car for the 3 of us. I didn't want to wait for a shuttle to fill or to have to make multiple stops. They informed me the night before that they oversold the town cars and asked if a van was ok. I was fine with it since it was private and only us in it. They gave me a discount and our final price was somewhere around $70.

 

We stayed at the Radisson and love it there. We'll stay there for all of our cruises out of Port Canaveral in the future. The hotel has a shuttle that starts at 11am but you must sign up for the shuttle when you check in. Unfortunately if you arrive later many of the early shuttle times are already filled. A cab ride over to the port is approx $10 if you prefer going early.

 

When we got off the ship there were many shuttles waiting to take passengers to the airport. We were approached and given a fare that was much higher than I was willing to pay so we told them we'd wait for Cocoa Beach Shuttles. They countered the rate with a much better rate and offered to take us right then as there were 4 people already on the shuttle. Loved not having to wait for a shuttle to fill. They also had a trailer hooked up to the van so all the luggage was loaded into there.

[yogimax]

Personally, I would go with a shuttle. Renting a car can be a hassle at MCO and, although unlikely, you risk an accident or breakdown.

[oriongal]

Rent a car is the cheapest to get there one way. ALL the car rental places are one right after the other on a long counter right inside the Orlando airport. Keep it for the day and return it cruise morning. We stayed at Radisson at the port and if you click the link in our signature you can see plenty of pictures of the area and hotel. Beach access is free behind the hotels that are on the main road so you do not have to pay for one right on the beach to have free beach access. Things are spread out so I would keep the car to run errands. Lots of grocery stores, liquor stores, and familiar eating places all on the same road. All the hotels are pretty much on the same stretch of road and the rent a car places to return your vehicle the day of the cruise all have shuttles to the port and are on the main road as well. For the way back we used a Carnival transfer back to the airport. We were on the Dream, western on May. Have a good time.

 

EXCELLENT JOURNAL, PICTURES AND REVIEWS!! Thank you so much I was taking notes!! We are also staying at the Radisson. Hope of cruise critic group has as much fun as you -- We leave on the 28th and have a LOT left to do as far as planning our meet & greets.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Personally, I would go with a shuttle. Renting a car can be a hassle at MCO and, although unlikely, you risk an accident or breakdown.

 

 

I signed up for Avis preferred and just walked across the street at the airport and grabbed my car. Dropped it off at the Avis office and they shuttled us to the pier.

 

They were waiting there when we got off, took us right to the office and we were on the road in about 15 minutes.

 

No hassles at all.

 

Shuttles can also break down or be in accidents.

 

Bill

[viaggi_per_mare]

EXCELLENT JOURNAL, PICTURES AND REVIEWS!! Thank you so much I was taking notes!! We are also staying at the Radisson. Hope of cruise critic group has as much fun as you -- We leave on the 28th and have a LOT left to do as far as planning our meet & greets.

 

I am glad you enjoyed them. I try to put as many tips in as I can and take many pictures that back up our "good opinions" as well as our "bad ones"

Have a great cruise.

[ilovetexas]

We plan to fly in the day before our cruise leaves from Port Canaveral - don't want to chance things. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how best to get from MCO to Port Canaveral -- family of 4 traveling, if it matters? And if you have a favorite hotel recommendation for the night in the Port Canaveral area, I'll take that too...Thanks.

 

Info for this was on another board: http://www.travelynx.net and they are the cheapest I've found. It's going to be $25 each way pp (there are only two of us, it may differ for you) as long as your flight gets in between 7a and 7p. They also told me that they will take me over to a hotel instead of the cruise terminal if that is what I need. The person that recommended them said they were great and even though I haven't used them yet, I've spoken to them three times today and they have been fantastic!

 

Also, please keep in mind that the road between MCO and the port is a toll road so that will add to your cost. I've done the drive before and decided to try the shuttle this time.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[UpstateCruizer]

Info for this was on another board: www.travelynx.net and they are the cheapest I've found. It's going to be $25 each way pp (there are only two of us, it may differ for you) as long as your flight gets in between 7a and 7p. They also told me that they will take me over to a hotel instead of the cruise terminal if that is what I need. The person that recommended them said they were great and even though I haven't used them yet, I've spoken to them three times today and they have been fantastic!

 

Also, please keep in mind that the road between MCO and the port is a toll road so that will add to your cost. I've done the drive before and decided to try the shuttle this time.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Thank you for posting this. I was trying to remember the name of the shuttle that we took back to the airport after the cruise. It was Travelynx and they were waiting at the port along with the other shuttle services. We too had a great experience with them.

[STARFISH*4]

we are staying at the Radisson pre-cruise nite and probably will be using Beachline Shuttle which is recommened on the Port Canaveral thread and they give you 10% off if you mention CC!