My review of my recent Port canaveral experience

[bigmacfan]

I just returned from the 12/14-12/18 sailing of the Elation from Port Canaveral. When I was planning my trip, I really appreciated people posting their experiences so I thought I would post my review.

 

We rented a car from Budget to drive from Orlando. I was in town for a conference, so picked up the car at a hotel location rather than the airport so I can't comment on the rental end at the airport. However, my pickup at the Orlando hotel location was smooth. We rented an intermediate size car and ended up with a Chevrolet HR. It was nice and acceptable.

 

The drive to Cape Canaveral area was easy and a nice drive. We had arranged for a room at the Holiday Inn on Cocoa Beach through priceline for $55. It is a 3* on priceline, but I beg to differ! I would NOT use priceline again for a 3* there with the chance of getting that hotel. We were able to ask and receive a surfside room so the view of the ocean was wonderful. First of all, these are outside entry rooms, which I did not know about before hand and that is a deal breaker for me. The room just felt...icky....neither my traveling companion nor I would take off our socks and go barefooted in the room...used sandals in the shower, etc. I know that dampness is a problem in ocean front hotels, but there were metal lamps in the room that had rust on them! Certainly not what I would expect from a 3* hotel and isn't consistent with Priceline's normal standards for 3*. On the other hand, the pool area and common grounds were nice.

 

We went to dinner at the Atlantic something restaurant on the Pier. It had a really nice view of the surfers in the ocean. We ate around sunset and it was a very pretty setting. The food there was great and reasonable. We found the rest of the pier to be scary...dirty...not somewhere I would be on a busy night after dark!

 

We went to a liquor store and bought some rum for packing in the suitcase and went to the Publix for soda to take on board (gotta have diet pepsi!). The next morning, we ate breakfast at the IHOP and returned the car to budget. We arrived about 10:00 and the lady working tried to send us away although I had already called to see how early we could shuttle to the port (we like to be on board early). I just refused and told her that we would like to go to the port, please. She called the shuttle driver and we were at the port about 10:30. We boarded at 11:30 and were among the first on board :)

 

We were disappointed in the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area. We typically go to the ocean on the gulf side and were very disappointed in the scenery. We are used to the white sand and the emerald green water. We knew before we went how the Atlantic side of Florida looks, but were still disappointed. We really like the Port there, though and would probably choose to stay at the Residence Inn, Country Inn and Suites, area and go to the pier to eat, etc. We were very surprised at the general area with older stip malls, trailer courts, etc. It seemed like a dirty area to us.

 

It is a great port and the Space Center is awesome, but I won't rush back to the Cocoa Beach area anytime soon.

 

I hope I don't offend locals to the area, I am just sharing my thoughts for those who are visiting. As always, JMHO.

[psblin99]

I just returned from the 12/14-12/18 sailing of the Elation from Port Canaveral. When I was planning my trip, I really appreciated people posting their experiences so I thought I would post my review.

 

We rented a car from Budget to drive from Orlando. I was in town for a conference, so picked up the car at a hotel location rather than the airport so I can't comment on the rental end at the airport. However, my pickup at the Orlando hotel location was smooth. We rented an intermediate size car and ended up with a Chevrolet HR. It was nice and acceptable.

 

The drive to Cape Canaveral area was easy and a nice drive. We had arranged for a room at the Holiday Inn on Cocoa Beach through priceline for $55. It is a 3* on priceline, but I beg to differ! I would NOT use priceline again for a 3* there with the chance of getting that hotel. We were able to ask and receive a surfside room so the view of the ocean was wonderful. First of all, these are outside entry rooms, which I did not know about before hand and that is a deal breaker for me. The room just felt...icky....neither my traveling companion nor I would take off our socks and go barefooted in the room...used sandals in the shower, etc. I know that dampness is a problem in ocean front hotels, but there were metal lamps in the room that had rust on them! Certainly not what I would expect from a 3* hotel and isn't consistent with Priceline's normal standards for 3*. On the other hand, the pool area and common grounds were nice.

 

We went to dinner at the Atlantic something restaurant on the Pier. It had a really nice view of the surfers in the ocean. We ate around sunset and it was a very pretty setting. The food there was great and reasonable. We found the rest of the pier to be scary...dirty...not somewhere I would be on a busy night after dark!

 

We went to a liquor store and bought some rum for packing in the suitcase and went to the Publix for soda to take on board (gotta have diet pepsi!). The next morning, we ate breakfast at the IHOP and returned the car to budget. We arrived about 10:00 and the lady working tried to send us away although I had already called to see how early we could shuttle to the port (we like to be on board early). I just refused and told her that we would like to go to the port, please. She called the shuttle driver and we were at the port about 10:30. We boarded at 11:30 and were among the first on board :)

 

We were disappointed in the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area. We typically go to the ocean on the gulf side and were very disappointed in the scenery. We are used to the white sand and the emerald green water. We knew before we went how the Atlantic side of Florida looks, but were still disappointed. We really like the Port there, though and would probably choose to stay at the Residence Inn, Country Inn and Suites, area and go to the pier to eat, etc. We were very surprised at the general area with older stip malls, trailer courts, etc. It seemed like a dirty area to us.

 

It is a great port and the Space Center is awesome, but I won't rush back to the Cocoa Beach area anytime soon.

 

I hope I don't offend locals to the area, I am just sharing my thoughts for those who are visiting. As always, JMHO.

 

JMHO Iam a local and not offended by your review. However tomorrow I will have time and will respond. Please read it and let me know what you think.

[psblin99]

After thinking about your review, I have just decided to let people see for them selves. Personally a little rust on a lamp, and a fishing pier that smells like fish would not make me think something was wrong with an oceanfront town.

[bigmacfan]

I never said the pier smelled like fish. What I said was that it was dirty. Of course the fishing pier would smell like fish, but I have been to many fishing piers that weren't dirty. It is obvious that, with the exception of that one restaurant, it is a party place and that isn't my speed so I didn't find it to be acceptable.

 

I just thought the whole area was dirty. I have been to various ocean front areas and haven't experienced this in other locations.

[harry0]

bigmac-Thanks for your honest review. I will be cruising out of Port Canaveral but chose to spend the night in Orlando.

Harry

[Pusniski]

I've cruised out of Port Canaveral twice and I feel the place isn't a nice, touristy kind of beach area. It does seem a bit run down to me, but the port area is very nice. It's easy to get in and out of.

 

Unfortunately, there are some nicer properties you could've gotten. But, heck at $55 a night that is what I probably would've expected for the area. There's a Four Points Sheraton, Residence Inn, Ron Jon's Resort, etc in the area. If you had the time and a few extra bucks it may be worth staying at Ron Jon's. I was going to stay there but our plans changed so we just crashed at the Hyatt MCO this past October and in June we end up going to Disney for a pre-cruise stay. There's some good spots to eat at Cocoa Beach from what I gather. I have to agree, I thought the pier was for partying so that would just scream "don't take your family there after hours." :rolleyes:

 

The only reason we would stay in the area is to be there bright and early to the pier. Otherwise, we just prefer to crash at MCO.

 

Sorry your pre-cruise stay wasn't as beachy as you'd hoped. Maybe next time check out the other properties. Dig around here for hotel suggestions and check out pictures. Oh, one more thing - I wouldn't suggest using Priceline for the Cocoa Beach area. If you see the travel sites like betterbidding.com - it'll list the hotels.

[bigmacfan]

Thanks for your remarks. Actually, I had checked out biddingfortravel.com and knew which properties that I might be getting. The pictures of the Holiday Inn were only of the pool area...now I know why. I also read on this board where the Holiday Inn used to be icky but was totally renovated after a 2004 hurricane, so it was nicer now. That information put me at ease.

 

My first choice would have been the Residence Inn as I know those are typically nice and a great value, but they were sold out. I was leery of the Country Inn and Suites because it isn't as well known. After seeing it, it would be fine. The Radisson just didn't look like it was that nice to me through pictures. I didn't see the inside of it but the pink exterior leaves an impression :) We considered Ron Jon's and of course wished we had chosen it.

 

I think from now on, we will spend the night in Orlando or at one of the "port" hotels rather than in Cocoa Beach. You are right, though, the port itself is great and is a wonderful place to cruise from!!

 

I think the Gulf side is the beach I'll stick to. As I think about it, I had the same thoughts about Virginia Beach in regards to the sand and water as I did to Cocoa Beach....maybe the Atlantic side isn't for me??

 

Thanks for your comments!