Do you know you can cruise to theme parks? And it is not simply an possibility for Disney cruisers.
Usually, Port Canaveral in Florida is an embarkation port for cruises, however sometimes, ships will go to there as a port of name after departing from someplace else. Provided that Port Canaveral is the port for Orlando, and Orlando is the theme park capital of the world, it is solely logical that cruisers would possibly need to head to Disney World or Common Orlando throughout a day go to.
That was the case for me on a current Royal Caribbean cruise on board Odyssey of the Seas. The third day of the eight-day voyage featured a name on Port Canaveral on the way in which to the Bahamas, following the vessel’s departure from Bayonne, New Jersey.
Listed here are solutions to frequent questions you may need about whether or not touring between Port Canaveral and Orlando is possible throughout a port name. (Word: Passengers departing from Port Canaveral ought to plan to journey to the world at the least a day or two early in the event that they need to expertise a number of of Orlando’s theme parks; there is not time on embarkation day.)
How far is Orlando from Port Canaveral, and do I’ve time to go to throughout a cruise?
Port Canaveral is the closest cruise port to Orlando, however it’s nonetheless about an hour away by automotive, relying on visitors. The port is roughly 60 miles from each Common’s CityWalk and Disney Springs, the free-to-enter areas at each resorts that function jumping-off factors to the parks.
Relying on how lengthy you may have in port, you possibly can completely make it to Orlando and again in sooner or later. Nevertheless, you will want at the least six to seven hours in port to make the journey value your whereas since you’ll spend at the least two hours in transit. Even with that a lot time, you will solely be capable of go to one park at one resort, and you will not have a full day to play.
How a lot does it price to go from Port Canaveral to Orlando theme parks?
Taxi: Taxis from Port Canaveral to the Orlando theme parks run about $200 every manner and are the costliest possibility.
Uber and Lyft: Uber and Lyft costs every manner between Orlando and Port Canaveral can fluctuate primarily based on the time of day, however after I checked at about 6 p.m. for a trip from Islands of Journey at Common Orlando again to the port, charges began from $87 for Uber and $136 for Lyft. It is a dangerous possibility as a result of costs fluctuate, however in the event you’re touring with a big group, it may be extra economical than reserving the cruise line’s switch.
Brightline: Brightline, the intercity practice that runs up and down the east coast of Florida, does not but have a station within the speedy Port Canaveral space. Nevertheless, it does have a station in Orlando, and it is engaged on increasing service to Cocoa, simply 8 miles from the port, sooner or later. That may enable passengers to take a reasonable cab, Uber or Lyft to the station and hop on an reasonably priced practice to and again from Orlando. (The Orlando station is a few 25-minute drive from each Disney World and Common.)
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Though actual pricing is not but obtainable, a round-trip practice trip between Miami and West Palm Seaside — two locations which are, like Port Canaveral and Orlando, about an hour away from each other by automotive — prices lower than $60 per particular person. The one disadvantage is that you simply’d have to permit time to get from the port to the practice station and the station to the park you are visiting; you’d even be beholden to the practice’s schedule, which might eat into your park time.
Automotive rental: Automotive leases for the trip between Port Canaveral and Orlando are cumbersome. You’d need to discover a trip to the rental location, decide up your automotive after which drive your self. A number of searches on Expedia point out that costs for the rental begin at about $67 for sooner or later in the event you decide up and drop off on the identical location with a full tank of fuel, not together with taxes and costs. That additionally does not embrace costs for parking in Orlando, which run $30 a day at Disney and $32 a day at Common for the most cost effective charges obtainable.
Cruise line excursions: Essentially the most economical possibility I discovered, by fairly a bit, was reserving transportation through an tour via the cruise line. Most, if not all, strains that decision on Port Canaveral present for-fee coach bus rides to the parks and again once more. On my crusing, a bus switch that dropped me off and picked me up on the entrance to Common Orlando set me again simply $44 for the total spherical journey.
Tickets to the park weren’t included, so I needed to buy these individually alone. (After a fast search, it does not appear to be any cruise line — not even Disney Cruise Line — affords theme park tickets as a shore tour inclusion, seemingly as a result of there are such a lot of park choices.)
How I did a theme park day on a cruise
Initially, I deliberate to spend the day at Disney World’s Epcot since my crusing coincided with the park’s annual Worldwide Meals and Wine Pageant. Nevertheless, by the point I received round to reserving the cruise line switch, the Disney bus was already full.
So, after discovering that my journey companion — who’s an enormous Harry Potter fan — had by no means been to Common Orlando, we opted to move there as a substitute and spend the day in Islands of Journey, the place the park’s duplicate of Hogsmeade is positioned. (That was simply high-quality by me since single-day Disney tickets have been dearer than single-day Common ones.)
I purchased two tickets for Royal Caribbean’s Common Orlando bus after which got down to discover the perfect value for park tickets.
I began by checking the Common web site. A single grownup one-park nonresident ticket for Nov. 19 — the day I wished to go to — was $142.71. Hoping to discover a lower cost, I checked out Undercover Vacationer to see if there have been any reductions. There weren’t, and in reality, tickets ended up being about $3.50 dearer there ($146.28) after taxes and the positioning’s charges have been added.
Then I puzzled if I might redeem airline miles for tickets. Since my most popular airline is United, and I’ve a big stash of miles, I checked if I might redeem them for reward playing cards on the MileagePlus X portal, thereby avoiding spending any extra cash. I figured I might then use the reward playing cards to buy tickets. Sadly, though the portal affords Disney reward playing cards, none have been obtainable for Common.
Plus, the redemption values are typically terrible. (After I checked, $200 in Disney reward playing cards would have price me 66,666 miles, equal to a staggering $900, in keeping with TPG’s valuations.)
Lastly, I turned to bank card factors to see if I might make the acquisition via American Categorical’ journey portal. When that did not appear to be an possibility, I checked each Common’s web site and Undercover Vacationer to see if I might redeem Amex factors via PayPal throughout checkout. PayPal wasn’t obtainable for cost on Common’s web site; the fee to pay with factors through PayPal on Undercover Vacationer was 20,897. Based on TPG’s valuations on the time, 20,897 factors was value about $418 — almost thrice what it could have price me to purchase the tickets via Common.
In the end, reserving via Common ended up being the most cost effective possibility.
After all the things was booked and paid for, the remainder was straightforward. We boarded the cruise, and two tickets for the switch have been despatched to our cabin in an envelope, telling us the place and what time to satisfy on the day we docked in Port Canaveral. We left the ship in a bunch and headed to the bus the place we met our information and gave him the tickets.
Once we boarded the bus, we discovered wristbands and boarding passes that will enable us again onto the bus on the finish of the day, together with express directions about the place the bus would drop us off and decide us up and after we wanted to be again. On the hourlong drive, our information provided enjoyable information about Port Canaveral and the Orlando space.
The park itself was pleasing, however the expertise was a bit rushed. Our ship arrived in port slightly earlier than midday that day. By the point we boarded the bus and arrived at Common’s CityWalk, it was after 1:30 p.m. We needed to be again on the bus by 6, that means we had solely about 4 hours on the park because it took at the least quarter-hour to stroll between the place the bus dropped us off and the Islands of Journey entrance.
We managed to discover Hogsmeade, seize some butterbeer, tour the Hogwarts fortress and soak up a efficiency by the Frog Choir. We grabbed a fast snack and drink however did not sit down for a meal. As a result of it was a Tuesday when most youngsters have been in class, we skilled comparatively brief strains and skinny crowds and have been capable of trip 4 rides (Cranium Island: Reign of Kong, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Bike Journey and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) with out an Categorical Go.
The cash we spent — $186.71 per particular person for the park ticket and cruise line bus switch — was value it for the good time we had. Nevertheless, if we had been there on a weekend or a day when strains have been longer, it would not have been value the fee.
Backside line
It’s completely potential to go to one of many Orlando theme parks, comparable to Common Orlando or Walt Disney World, throughout a cruise go to to Port Canaveral. You will simply have to ensure you’ve received sufficient time in port and an reasonably priced strategy to make the roughly one-hour journey from Port Canaveral to Orlando and again. Usually, essentially the most economical possibility is to ebook bus transport via your cruise line.
Moreover, you will need to ensure you’re snagging the perfect deal potential since one-day park costs are far more costly than multiday ones on a per-day foundation. You are able to do this by purchasing for reward playing cards, redeeming factors or miles, or scanning low cost websites for any promotions or specials that may be obtainable. (Suppose Florida resident reductions, army reductions and reductions via teams like AAA and AARP.)
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