Oasis 12th Nov . Disembarkation (first cruise)

[Mum2max]

we are sailing on our very first cruise on oasis on Nov 12th.

On day of disembarkation in port canaveral Sunday 19th... it says ship docks at 06.00 . What happens about getting off. Are you assigned a particular time or can you just get off when you like? We are thinking of possibly hiring a car and then driving to the Florida

Mall as our flight home is not til the evening.

Will it be pretty straight forward to hire a car? And the drive to the mall... how far? Have never drove in America before? Is parking free at the mall? Is it easy to find? What about when we have finished the mall? Is it easy to get from there to the airport...mco ? How far is it?

Any other tips greatly appreciated for first time cruisers as we have absolutely no idea what to expect

Many thanks

[cb at sea]

You may want to book a rental car for that day in advance... Parking at malls is free. You can google directions! We do drive on the right side of the road...so if you drive on the left...it's a learning curve!

 

I'm assuming your port is Port Canaveral. MCO is about 1 hour away...a pretty straight shot down interstate 4 towards Orlando.

 

If your flight is in the evening, you might consider renting a hotel room for the day, so you'll have use of the pool and restaurants. A place "to be" with tv, bathroom, someplace to store your things....then hope on the hotel shuttle, or get a cab to the airport. There's a long time to "kill" when you have evening flights. You will likely be off the ship around 8:30 am...and that's with no hurry at all...they want you gone, so they can prepare for the next batch of cruisers.

[Mum2max]

Thanks for that. That is really helpful. So you don't get a specific time to get off the ship? Just thinking if we rented a car from 9am but had to get off at 7am?

[Clarea]

Thanks for that. That is really helpful. So you don't get a specific time to get off the ship? Just thinking if we rented a car from 9am but had to get off at 7am?

If you let the ship people take your bags off, then you will have an earliest time to get off, but you can get off later if you like.

[jamesr3939]

The Hyatt Hotel inside the MCO terminal has day use rooms. We have stayed there a few times and it's supper convenient for catching flights. You could probably check in early and drop your luggage. Then hang out in the room until time to catch your flight.

 

Staying at the airport hotel will make it very easy to drop off the rental car right there and just walk to the hotel.

[Pstreet12]

If it were me, I'd get off the ship (taking my baggage myself instead of letting the ship people handle it) at 6:30 am (which is when they "release you."). You can get a shuttle bus to the Orlando airport very inexpensively (one of them is https://www.goportcanaveral.com/airport-shuttle/day-of-cruise.php but there are others). Once you are safely in Orlando, it's easy and inexpensive to take Uber to a shopping mall. I am the cautious sort and always prefer to be "within striking distance" of the airport that I'll be leaving from. You may be able to persuade a curbside check-in agent (for a tip) to take your luggage early so you don't have to drag it around with you as you investigate Orlando.