Port of call in Port Canaveral

[Semi Retired]

What can you do for a reasonable price and limited time when a ship visits as a port of call?

[JohninDC]

What do you want to do? 🤔 There's several beach options in the area, everglades/alligator tours, Kennedy Space Center, etc.  Or rent a car or book a tour and head to WDW or Universal Studios for the day.

[iahawkfan21]

Not sure what you mean when you say limited time.  However, assuming you're talking 6-7 hours heading into Cocoa Beach and setting up on the beach is a great idea.  For a meal, there are numerous great local restaurants in the area (lived there for several years) or you can even get some subs or deli food from Publix and make a picnic.  If you need specific recommendations feel free to ask.  
 

Most/all of this is accessible via Uber/Lyft and walking.  Obviously if you decide to head into Orlando you'd be looking at a car rental.

[PTAngel]

We are scheduled for a 1 pm to 9 pm docking at Port Canaveral in October.  The port has an interesting looking museum (Exploration Tower) right there.  I'm not a beach person & I do enjoy museums so thought that would be good for a couple of hours.  Is there any kind of transportation to the museum from the ship as I have issues walking long distances?

[iahawkfan21]

7 hours ago, PTAngel said:

Is there any kind of transportation to the museum from the ship as I have issues walking long distances?

Not sure what ship you're coming in on, but if it's Royal Caribbean it really isn't a long distance at all.  If Carnival or others you're right across the bridge but they have taxis available which shouldn't be more than a few $.  The tower is right there in the port area.  Many good restaurants in the local port area, consider visiting one of them as well with those port hours.

[PTAngel]

I will be on the Oasis OTS.  I think Royal Caribbean docks close to the ocean &, if I remember correctly, Exploration Tower isn't too far.  I guess I'll just have to build my strength up to walk that distance.  I was just hoping there would be some kind of shuttle.

 

Thanks, iahawkfan21 for your quick response. 

[Capt_BJ]

the tower ain't much ... I'd be surprised if you stayed 30 minutes .... you can use binoc' to look at Space Center with the height of the viewing platform but how long is THAT amusing? (building it was a huge waste of $$ IMO, if you couldn't guess)

 

If visiting via OASIS  then you will be a Terminal One and the Tower is about 1/3 mile ... this picture shows the route to National Car Rental, the Tower is a lil closer.  SOMETIMES there is a guy running a golf cart shuttle around the area but dunno what the deal is .....

Edited May 25, 2020 by Capt_BJ

[PTAngel]

Thanks, Capt_BJ.  I have seen the tower from our car when parking & from a ship & it just looked interesting.  I enjoy almost any kind of museum & I haven't there so was considering it as something different.  I've already been to Kennedy Space Center & saw all of that & we have gone on an air boat ride to see alligators (twice). I've been to Disney World several times (not worth the money for the short time we are in port).  It would satisfy my curiosity & we are only in port from 1 pm to 9 pm.  That would give me plenty of time after the rush to get off the ship, go over to the tower, then beating the crowd back to the ship for dinner.   

[bigrednole]

I would not recommend heading in towards Disney World or Universal. Yes it is only about 45 minutes, but it can be 5 hours too with a bad accident here or there. Kennedy Space Center is only about 20 minutes away (give or take). With the SpaceX launch this weekend (hopefully) is reopening the eyes of America to the space industry and what the country experience 50-some years ago.

[Robinhill]

On 5/15/2020 at 10:10 AM, JohninDC said:

What do you want to do? 🤔 There's several beach options in the area, everglades/alligator tours, Kennedy Space Center, etc.  Or rent a car or book a tour and head to WDW or Universal Studios for the day.

I could find only 2 excursions offered in Orlando (Port Canaveral yesterday- one was to "Icon Park" and the other to Disney Marketplace.  There used to be tons of excursions.  Any idea what happened.  This is for a cruise next March (2021)

[JohninDC]

1 hour ago, Robinhill said:

I could find only 2 excursions offered in Orlando (Port Canaveral yesterday- one was to "Icon Park" and the other to Disney Marketplace.  There used to be tons of excursions.  Any idea what happened.  This is for a cruise next March (2021)

The cruise line will post more excursions when you get closer to your sailing date.

[Robinhill]

1 minute ago, JohninDC said:

The cruise line will post more excursions when you get closer to your sailing date.

Whew- i am relieved although there are not any more than these two showing for October cruises either.  Maybe it is not showing because nothing is open yet

 

Edited May 30, 2020 by Robinhill
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[GottaGetAway42]

On 5/21/2020 at 3:39 PM, PTAngel said:

We are scheduled for a 1 pm to 9 pm docking at Port Canaveral in October.  The port has an interesting looking museum (Exploration Tower) right there.  I'm not a beach person & I do enjoy museums so thought that would be good for a couple of hours. 

For context, I am a museum geek and love to read every word on every exhibit. I visited the Exploration Tower ~4-5 years ago, easily spent a couple of hours, and enjoyed it for what it was.  Re. transportation, I walked from T3 (near Jetty park - which is another nice place to wander around with lots of birds attracted to the fishing pier) which is quite a stretch; perhaps uber or lyft is available in the area?

[slidergirl]

On 5/30/2020 at 7:34 AM, Robinhill said:

Whew- i am relieved although there are not any more than these two showing for October cruises either.  Maybe it is not showing because nothing is open yet

 

A lot of stuff is still closed or severely restricted.  Disney World is advance reservation only right now to keep the crowd down.  And you must wear a mask.  I think Universal just opened up with the same restriction.  Disney Marketplace has some things open now, but you have to wear a mask there, also.  Could be why the cruise line isn't listing much as an excursion.

 

Take a kayak trip on the river, watch for manatees.  Or, drive to Cape Canaveral National Seashore and hang out.  Or, check to see if the Brevard Zoo is open down in Melbourne - it's a cool place!  Outside of that, if you can deal with the beach for that long, go up to Cocoa Beach and hang out.  

[Robinhill]

if you look even to October of 2021 they only hve the two excursions still listed.

 

[Semi Retired]

Is Daytona Beach a good choice? Is it any closer than Disney/Universal for travel in traffic to make back to ship?

[skrufy]

On 5/29/2020 at 9:00 AM, bigrednole said:

I would not recommend heading in towards Disney World or Universal. Yes it is only about 45 minutes, but it can be 5 hours too with a bad accident here or there. Kennedy Space Center is only about 20 minutes away (give or take). With the SpaceX launch this weekend (hopefully) is reopening the eyes of America to the space industry and what the country experience 50-some years ago.

It’s 45 to 50 minutes from PC to MCO, and another 35 to 45 minutes to Disney. Universal is a few minutes closer. This is with light traffic. I-4 can be a nightmare anytime of the day( have been stuck in traffic on many occasions ). Cocoa Beach or KSC would be my choice.