First time cruisers with questions 😃

[J458r]

Hello everyone, you all seem to be so helpful and kind when I have asked previous questions that I thought I'd ask a few more questions. If I am posting this in the wrong section please let me know. This is our first cruise and first experience with this site so I'm not 100 percent great at it .

 

We are cruising on the carnival magic january 21st thru the 28th.

 

We are arriving in Florida on the 20th by plane and will be leaving to fly back on the 29th.

 

Right now we are trying to decide if we want to stay in port canaveral the first and last night or orlando. We aren't sure which place would be better? I'm not sure if we'd be looking to go to an attraction the 28th when we leave the ship. It seems like we might be pretty exhausted but we've never been to orlando so our kids have never experienced disney or universal. Or are we better off just walking around and seeing the sites? We will have a rental car for the time we aren't on the ship so that's not an issue.

 

Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated!!

[ash&geoff]

I'm not sure about your questions, but I will be on this sailing with you! Our roll call is pretty slow so I was excited to see someone else will be on the ship with us.

 

We're usually pretty tired after our week's vacation but we don't have kids either so they will probably be ready to party still!

[DHnDWplus2]

Depending on age, your kids would probably feel they got a bonus if you take them to one of the Disney or Universal parks. I say go to one and spend the night in Orlando!

 

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[J458r]

I'm not sure about your questions, but I will be on this sailing with you! Our roll call is pretty slow so I was excited to see someone else will be on the ship with us.

 

We're usually pretty tired after our week's vacation but we don't have kids either so they will probably be ready to party still!

 

 

Aw yeah ! I'm glad to hear from someone who will be sailing with us !! We will have 8 kids with us between 3 families but they are all older and we'll behaved lol .

[J458r]

Depending on age, your kids would probably feel they got a bonus if you take them to one of the Disney or Universal parks. I say go to one and spend the night in Orlando!

 

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They are all teens or preteens. I think I might want to go a little more then them lol

[asalligo]

Hello everyone, you all seem to be so helpful and kind when I have asked previous questions that I thought I'd ask a few more questions. If I am posting this in the wrong section please let me know. This is our first cruise and first experience with this site so I'm not 100 percent great at it .

 

We are cruising on the carnival magic january 21st thru the 28th.

 

We are arriving in Florida on the 20th by plane and will be leaving to fly back on the 29th.

 

Right now we are trying to decide if we want to stay in port canaveral the first and last night or orlando. We aren't sure which place would be better? I'm not sure if we'd be looking to go to an attraction the 28th when we leave the ship. It seems like we might be pretty exhausted but we've never been to orlando so our kids have never experienced disney or universal. Or are we better off just walking around and seeing the sites? We will have a rental car for the time we aren't on the ship so that's not an issue.

 

Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated!!

 

We have done this and to me the only downside is price. The cruise will let you off early and you can even make the Disney parks before they open. Book a nice hotel near the parks, get off the boat and head straight for Disney spend the day and then go to your hotel. I would do this more often if their prices were reasonable, but Disney is now like $120 a person for one day in one park. With Parking, food, and hotel, a day in Disney for a family of four can cost near $1000.

Edited October 20, 2016 by asalligo

[GeorgiaMomof4]

I believe I would spend my night before the cruise in Port Canaveral and then head to Orlando when the cruise is over and spend my last night there.

 

If your kids are into space stuff you could always tour the Space Center there at the Cape. It's very interesting and not too pricey either.

 

You may be really tired after your cruise depending on what all you have planned in the ports, but since you will be so close to Disney and your kids have never been it would be convenient to go to a park while there. Like other posters have said, Disney is expensive but if you've never been, probably worth it. You could always choose Universal or Sea World too.

 

You can always rest when you get back to work - LOL!

 

Whatever you decide I hope you have a wonderful time. Cruising is awesome.

[J458r]

We have done this and to me the only downside is price. The cruise will let you off early and you can even make the Disney parks before they open. Book a nice hotel near the parks, get off the boat and head straight for Disney spend the day and then go to your hotel. I would do this more often if their prices were reasonable, but Disney is now like $120 a person for one day in one park. With Parking, food, and hotel, a day in Disney for a family of four can cost near $1000.

 

 

If we decided to do it we would have to do it on the cheap unfortunately. We would stay at a cheaper hotel (not Disney) and eat light. And then the kids would receive the ticket to Disney as part of a Christmas gift. It's not that I like being cheap it's just we are going on a crazy expensive cruise (maybe it just seems that way because it's my first time on a cruise) but I feel like the cruise is costing me an arm and a leg. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited but I'm just having sticker shock lol as the time and planning goes along. At first I thought we'd try an excursion at every port because they all look so wonderful but that adds up too so we are just cutting back to two.

Edited October 20, 2016 by J458r

[J458r]

I believe I would spend my night before the cruise in Port Canaveral and then head to Orlando when the cruise is over and spend my last night there.

 

If your kids are into space stuff you could always tour the Space Center there at the Cape. It's very interesting and not too pricey either.

 

You may be really tired after your cruise depending on what all you have planned in the ports, but since you will be so close to Disney and your kids have never been it would be convenient to go to a park while there. Like other posters have said, Disney is expensive but if you've never been, probably worth it. You could always choose Universal or Sea World too.

 

You can always rest when you get back to work - LOL!

 

Whatever you decide I hope you have a wonderful time. Cruising is awesome.

 

 

Thank you! I love the space idea!! I think we are leaning towards port canaveral area for the first night and orlando from the second.

[RuthlessBoss]

What time are you scheduled to arrive? What time to depart? That might help to guide you.

[johnsose2]

If the space center is of interest to you there may be a possibility of doing it for free! If the still do it I requested tickets from our local congressman. We got four free tickets to Kennedy space center. If you Google "free tickets from congressman" there are some articles that tell you how to do it. Ksc is really cool and even my teenage sisters who where complaint about going thought it was neat.

 

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[xitappers2bx]

The best answer is... it depends. When does your flight get in on the 20th? When does your flight leave on the 29th?

 

If you get off the ship early enough you could be back in Orlando at one of the theme parks in an hour and a half or so and then have a day or even a day and a half (depending on your departing flight) to enjoy the parks. For our first cruise we flew down the day before, stayed at Disney World, spent the day at the Magic Kingdom (my daughter was turning 5 the next day, on the ship, and I LOVE the 4th of July in DW, so that's why we chose Magic Kingdom), and then had a car service pick us up around 10 the morning of the cruise and take us to the port. We were tired? Yes. My daughter slept in my dads arms while we waited in line, but we did have a great time. My dad and daughter went to bed early while my mom and I went back to Magic Kingdom for the fireworks. Staying ON disney property is always easiest and I would never stay off property. It may be hard for your kids depending on their age, but if they're older you should be fine.

 

I would definitely pick just one or the other, Disney or Universal, and then stay at a property associated with them. That also will give you extra hours at the parks. If your kids are into Harry Potter, I would say do Universal. I love HP and we did HP World in Universal in California and IT WAS AMAZING. But I've done Disney many times so Universal was something new. Disney World is an experience unlike any other though--we went to Disneyland Paris this summer, and it was not nearly as amazing as Disney World, so even if you're done a Disneyland, it may be worth doing Disney World.

 

There isn't a ton to do out by Port Canaveral--there's the Kennedy Space Center (which my daughter and I loved!!! But if you're not into space, it may be boring) and then Ron Jon's and the beaches, but you could even split your theme parks and do one the first day and then another the last day/day and a half.

 

I don't usually feel exhausted after a cruise... but the parks can be exhausting. But it's Disney and Universal, the energy inside will keep you going. January is also a great time to go.

 

Goodluck!!

[J458r]

What time are you scheduled to arrive?

What time to depart? That might help to guide you.

 

Hello, we are scheduled to arrive around 7 ish on the 20th of January. I know that we don't have a ton of options except maybe walking around that night.

 

We arrive back from the cruise on the 28th in the morning and then fly out around 6 pm on the 29th.

Thank you !

[J458r]

If the space center is of interest to you there may be a possibility of doing it for free! If the still do it I requested tickets from our local congressman. We got four free tickets to Kennedy space center. If you Google "free tickets from congressman" there are some articles that tell you how to do it. Ksc is really cool and even my teenage sisters who where complaint about going thought it was neat.

 

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That's an awesome idea ! Thank you !

[J458r]

The best answer is... it depends. When does your flight get in on the 20th? When does your flight leave on the 29th?

 

If you get off the ship early enough you could be back in Orlando at one of the theme parks in an hour and a half or so and then have a day or even a day and a half (depending on your departing flight) to enjoy the parks. For our first cruise we flew down the day before, stayed at Disney World, spent the day at the Magic Kingdom (my daughter was turning 5 the next day, on the ship, and I LOVE the 4th of July in DW, so that's why we chose Magic Kingdom), and then had a car service pick us up around 10 the morning of the cruise and take us to the port. We were tired? Yes. My daughter slept in my dads arms while we waited in line, but we did have a great time. My dad and daughter went to bed early while my mom and I went back to Magic Kingdom for the fireworks. Staying ON disney property is always easiest and I would never stay off property. It may be hard for your kids depending on their age, but if they're older you should be fine.

 

I would definitely pick just one or the other, Disney or Universal, and then stay at a property associated with them. That also will give you extra hours at the parks. If your kids are into Harry Potter, I would say do Universal. I love HP and we did HP World in Universal in California and IT WAS AMAZING. But I've done Disney many times so Universal was something new. Disney World is an experience unlike any other though--we went to Disneyland Paris this summer, and it was not nearly as amazing as Disney World, so even if you're done a Disneyland, it may be worth doing Disney World.

 

There isn't a ton to do out by Port Canaveral--there's the Kennedy Space Center (which my daughter and I loved!!! But if you're not into space, it may be boring) and then Ron Jon's and the beaches, but you could even split your theme parks and do one the first day and then another the last day/day and a half.

 

I don't usually feel exhausted after a cruise... but the parks can be exhausting. But it's Disney and Universal, the energy inside will keep you going. January is also a great time to go.

 

Goodluck!!

 

I love those ideas. I am trying to avoid staying at the theme park if at all possible just because of the cost we are already paying for all of the cruise stuff. We are pretty much just looking for a place to relax and maybe enjoy the scenery when we arrive on the 20th because it'll be late in the evening (around 7pm) . We will however have extra time when we get back because our flight doesn't leave till the next day around 6pm. Thank you for your advice !!

[Sungold]

There is nothing wrong with staying off-site, especially if you are only staying one night. You are really just looking to sleep and shower there! Be aware that parking at WDW is about $20 if you aren't staying there. Also, hotels & motels in Kissimmee are much closer to WDW than those in Orlando. They are all competing with each other, so the prices are very reasonable.

 

 

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[J458r]

There is nothing wrong with staying off-site, especially if you are only staying one night. You are really just looking to sleep and shower there! Be aware that parking at WDW is about $20 if you aren't staying there. Also, hotels & motels in Kissimmee are much closer to WDW than those in Orlando. They are all competing with each other, so the prices are very reasonable.

 

 

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I'm going to look into Kissimmee now. Thank you !

[beach911]

We have stayed at the Radisson at the Port ... it's nice hotel, not fancy but clean and great pool/bar area. They have a shuttle that will take you over to the cruise terminal the next morning . Very easy terminal to get through. Plenty of places to eat and roam around the day before. I'm not big into the space thing [emoji51] but I have to say I did enjoy our day there. Glad we did it. Hope you have fun !!

 

 

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[cb at sea]

I've never found it necessary to stay an extra day "post cruise"...you will be off the ship on the last morning by 9am....and usually earlier than that!

 

If you want to go to one of the theme parks, you can do it....but you really need 2 days for both Universal and Magic Kingdom...they are HUGE and lines take up tons of your day! Frankly, I'd make my next vacation a week-long trip to Orlando, just to visit either Disney or Universal! You can spend longer than that, and still not see everything!

[jdemps]

Is there any way you can swing going 2 days before the cruise and just coming home the day you get back? Going to Disney ahead of the cruise would be way more fun because you WILL be exhausted and so will the kids after the cruise. I would hate to spend all that money at Disney to be cranky and tired when you get there.

[tree.critter]

I am in the camp of making Kennedy Space Center the "bonus" of this trip. It will save a lot of money and since this will be a Saturday the lines at either of the theme parks will eat up most of your time waiting. The slightest interest in space would be all that is needed at KSC for a great day. They have a space shuttle on display there....which is so impressive to see in person and so many other cool artifacts from the years from early to most recent space exploration. The grounds are lovely and it's just an easy way to spend the day. I would plan to stay near the port prior to the cruise and nearer to the airport the night before going home. The traffic in and near Orlando can be killer.

[cortneyward]

Depending on age, your kids would probably feel they got a bonus if you take them to one of the Disney or Universal parks. I say go to one and spend the night in Orlando!

 

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Agreed! Sure you may be tired, but it's obviously not something you get to do often so I'd put in the extra day. I'm sure your kids would love it, and for me, that always makes it worth it. You can also do breakfast on the ship before disembarking so that would be a meAl you wouldn't have to pay for

Edited October 20, 2016 by cortneyward

[JohnsIsland]

SeaWorld when you return from your cruise is also an option. It can be done in a day and isn't as expensive or exhausting as Disney or Universal. It's been a while since I've been but they used to have BOGO ticket deals on Black Friday. Think we were even able to get that deal one January. If interested google bogo SeaWorld and see what you can find. Then just book a hotel in the SeaWorld area. You may even get lucky with a ticket deal that allows you an extra day and could return for a few hours before your flight out.

 

 

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Edited October 23, 2016 by JohnsIsland

[Annmarie58]

My husband and I have done Disney before and it is not as expensive as you think. If you stay on property at Disney .You can stay at a budget hotel (pop century etc) and get all the perks! One of these perks is free bus from airport to hotel! So now ground transportation is free. That makes your hotel not seem so much. Then rent a car and go to port.:D Also Disney world has shuttles that take you all over Disney

[Banditswife]

You have gotten a bunch of good advice already. Staying near the cruise terminal the 1st night will save you some $$, & there are plenty of things to see/do in Port Canaveral. Post cruise staying near one of the theme parks might be a good choice after choosing which theme park you want to do. We have learned to save $$ on our cruises by not doing an excursion at every port. Many ports have a beach nearby & almost always have shopping areas. There are also many independent tour operators that are less $ than CCL & with your big group you could design a private tour to your own specific tastes/ wants with a private tour guide. We budget by carrying on soda (must be cans) & wine. Whatever you decide to do- have a wonderful cruise & vacation.