How to get from airport to cruise?

[lumpkin]

I am exploring a few options, and would like to know which is the best....cost and convenience are both a concern to us, altho I do know we may have to sacrafice one or another.

There are the choices for transportation (one way only, needed) for a Sunday Wonder cruise in late August 2008, to get from airport to Pt. Canaveral for the 4 of us:

Disney shuttle: $35 each, totals $140

Mears private sedan care: $120 total, plus tolls and tips

Mears metered taxi: approx. $100 on meter, plus tolls and tips

Rent a car for the morning at the airport, drop off at port, $$????

 

I am concerned with the conveneinece and running around and crowd factor with each choice....

Disney shuttle is most expensive, and probalby the most crowded choice,with most lines, but might involve no baggage handling. (we are staying overnight in the hyatt airport hotel, so could be very streamlined)

 

Mears flat fee sedan is almost the same rate, and we can arrive when we want.

Mears meter cab is cheaper, unless we get stuck in a traffic jam!!!!

Renting a car is probably the cheapest, but involves shuttles to pick up and return car, at airport and port.

 

Any thoughts from those that have done this already? I am going to post this on the East Coast departure board also.

Thanks for your advice.......

[jhannah]

You can rent a car at MCO and drop it off at Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach for just over $50. That will be your least expensive AND will give you the most control over your schedule. The driver can drop everyone else off at the port then return the car and take their shuttle back to port. Budget, Avis, Thrifty and others are not far from the port.

[lumpkin]

Thanks, JHannah........

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I am exploring a few options, and would like to know which is the best....cost and convenience are both a concern to us, altho I do know we may have to sacrafice one or another.

There are the choices for transportation (one way only, needed) for a Sunday Wonder cruise in late August 2008, to get from airport to Pt. Canaveral for the 4 of us:

Disney shuttle: $35 each, totals $140

Mears private sedan care: $120 total, plus tolls and tips

Mears metered taxi: approx. $100 on meter, plus tolls and tips

Rent a car for the morning at the airport, drop off at port, $$????

 

I am concerned with the conveneinece and running around and crowd factor with each choice....

Disney shuttle is most expensive, and probalby the most crowded choice,with most lines, but might involve no baggage handling. (we are staying overnight in the hyatt airport hotel, so could be very streamlined)

 

Mears flat fee sedan is almost the same rate, and we can arrive when we want.

Mears meter cab is cheaper, unless we get stuck in a traffic jam!!!!

Renting a car is probably the cheapest, but involves shuttles to pick up and return car, at airport and port.

 

Any thoughts from those that have done this already? I am going to post this on the East Coast departure board also.

Thanks for your advice.......

 

I have done both the rental car and the Disney shuttle. If looking for cheapest I agree with Jim on the rental car.

 

Our last trip we did the Disney bus. When we got to the airport we only had to wait about 10 minutes for the bus to fill up. The Disney people who took our luggage refused our tip.

 

On the bus you watch a video of what you are in store for on your cruise which makes the time pass quickly. The video ended just as we were getting to the top of the hill and we could see the ship. We also didn't have to worry about our luggage as it was transfered to the ship from the bus.

 

It was more money but very enjoyable and it got you revved up for the cruise as if that was needed.;)

 

Whatever you decide have a great time.:)

 

Bill

[poncho1973]

I would highly recommend the rental car option. Don't forget $1.25 in exact change to make the toll faster.

[SweetAngel]

I rented through Thrifty ... $27.72 a day. Pick up at MCO, drop at Cape Canaveral and their free shuttle takes you to the ship.

 

Trip back is even cheaper $25.49. (No airport fee)

[auntjo]

While the DCL bus is not the most cost effective way to go it certainly is the most convenient - at least for us. I really dislike dealing with our luggage and you don't have to deal with it all if you stay at the Hyatt. You just go to the hotel and check in - turn your luggage claim checks over to a bellman and he will retrieve it and bring it to your room. Next morning you leave your luggage outside your door (with DCL tags attached), go to the lobby, check in with the DCL folks there and be escorted to the waiting busses. There will be more than one bus waiting so it doesn't take long at all to board and head for the port. You will not be "packed in like sardines" as one poster suggested a while back. There will be one person in each comfortable seat and the trip takes no longer than a limo or rented car unless they break the speed limit. Of course, you can't stop along the way to pick up supplies but that is not a factor for us. Debarking is a breeze too if you are flying a participating airline but you specified a one way trip.

 

We did this last January and plan to do it again in just 5 more days. We are a party of two so it's very cost effective for us. We are also quite old 78/85 so convenience is high on our list when we travel.

 

Good luck and enjoy whatever you decide to do.

[rsinj]

Both times we cruised with Disney we used the Disney shuttle. It is convenient, you don't need to deal with the bags, waiting for a rental car or returning it, waiting for or finding a driver, and it is not crowded.

 

First time we took it from Disney to the cruise then back to the airport. Second time when were weren't also staying at Disney just took it round trip from the airport.

 

I suppose if you have enough people in your group, the cost begins to sway towards a rental car or limo where you have a fixed/flat rate instead of a per person cost. However, if the cost is comparable, I'd personally prefer the Disney shuttle.

 

Howard

[MBprincess]

We've done the private van and loved it. We don't have to worry about directions or turning in a car. They had DVD player and the kids watched Disney movies on th way. It was just us. They also seemed to drop us off much closer than where the big Bus did.

[iloveokw]

Which is the best private van service? We have an early flight going back home weekend after New Years so we will have a time crunch. THanks for your help.

[lumpkin]

I appreciate everyone's input....still a hard decision, since everyone has really good reasons to rate their choice #1....fortunately, I have quite a few months before making the final decision.

[stevenikkij]

I would also look into a private van or a limo to the port. You may find it cheaper(and easier) than a shuttle.