Port Canaveral Hotels before the cruise

[castledoll]

Any recommendations on hotels before the cruise around Port Canveral area? We always stay at WDW resort before the cruise but want to stay closer to Port Canveral this time. I read that some people like Hilton and some dont and same thing with Radisson. Are these hotels have shutle service to PC or free breaksfast?

[SarahAndMike]

This link helped me: http://www.mousesavers.com/dclground.html

I've never stayed at any of these but in our Oct trip!

[makaylee]

Originally Posted by castle doll

Any recommendations on hotels before the cruise around Port Canaveral area? We always stay at WDW resort before the cruise but want to stay closer to Port Canaveral this time. I read that some people like Hilton and some dont and same thing with Radisson. Are these hotels have shuttle service to PC or free breakfast?

I know there have been so negative reviews about the Radisson lately but we loved it. The pool is GORGEOUS (it's like a lagoon) the rooms were large and clean and there is a free shuttle to the port. We will be staying there again in Nov.
PS I think there prices are decent also. It's $150 a night for a 2 room suite with a huge whirlpool tub.

[3smithboys]

Originally Posted by makaylee

I know there have been so negative reviews about the Radisson lately but we loved it. The pool is GORGEOUS (it's like a lagoon) the rooms were large and clean and there is a free shuttle to the port. We will be staying there again in Nov.
PS I think there prices are decent also. It's $150 a night for a 2 room suite with a huge whirlpool tub.

I'm so glad to hear you say this because we just booked a room there for our Spring Break cruise. (I know it's very early, but we got a decent rate on Travelocity, and we figured that we can cancel if we change our minds....)

I was starting to get nervous because I read some not so great reviews. We found out about the Radisson from Mousesavers, and it looked really nice on line. We are a family of 5, so finding a hotel that can fit all of us for a decent price is sometimes difficult.

[devine5829]

Radisson was great on 8/28. Breakfast was too busy so we just ate at Mc Dees the am of the cruise. You can bring your own alcohol poolside and we ordered Italian from the restaurant next door and ate it at the tables by the pools.

[trimix]

I stayed in the Residence Inn and really loved it. I got a good price online, the hotel is much newer and therefore feels fresher than the Radisson, and it was very quiet and comfortable.

The hot breakfast was nice at the Residence Inn; I don't know if the Radisson has a free breakfast but I would assume not since they have a restaurant on site and don't mention it at their website.

If you are driving, you can park for free at the hotel during your cruise and use the hotel shuttle to get to and from the port.

The Radisson only has two things going for it that the Residence Inn doesn't match - it has a restaurant on site (RI has a Burger King out front) and it has a prettier pool.

[Angelia'sthree]

We stayed at the Radisson before our cruise. We loved it and would go again. We used the free shuttle service and had ZERO problems. We also payed the higher rate that included free hot breakfast.

We will be cruising again in January. We are taking the kids on this cruise, so we have decided to stay at the Residence Inn this time. I think it is a much better deal than the Radisson, and also alot newer. Since we will only be sleeping here, we didn't focus on the pool since it will be January.

Plenty of places to stay. You just need to narrow down what is important or not important when you pick a place. Have a wonderful trip~!

[brucechase]

OK, my turn to give the other side of the story - I posted this about a month ago. I have found out that this is not uncommon for the wait.

Since then, I have been notified that my credit card information has been compromised from my stay at the Radisson. See this thread here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2277603


I've stayed at the Radisson twice - once in Oct 08 and the second in May 09. The first time there was no problems at all.

Now for the second time. We had booked the 10:00 shuttle hoping to get to the port early to try for an upgrade (but this really is not needed unless you are going into the "fancy" rooms). We actually arrived at the port at 12:15

After all that time, not once did anyone in the hotel management come out and explain what was happening - even though it was obvious. They first loaded the shuttle to the Carnival cruise line (this was about 10:15). Then the next shuttle (they have 2) was sent back to the Carnival cruise line with only 2 people aboard (this was about 10:40) . The next shuttle took people who had signed up after we did - I know because the front desk said we were the 2nd family to sign up for the shuttle. The next shuttle then finally showed up and it was a nightmare. By now they had the 10:00 people standing outside, the 10:30 people standing outside, the 11:00 people standing outside, and the 11:30 people standing outside. People were calling cabs and trying everything they could do to get to the port. By the way, the taxi ride was over $20 from what I was told. No explanation or anything.

I could live with some small mistakes -even though they have been doing this for years and should be good at this. Now for the way home. We got off the boat before 7:30 and there was a line already at stand 1. We waited there for well over an hour while we saw the Radisson shuttle pass by use 3 times on the way to the Carnival cruise line. The last time they stopped and picked up 3 people. After close to 1 and a half hours, they finally decided to pick up the Disney boat. Unfortunately there was a family that decided they were more inportant than everyone else and jumped the line to get in before everyone else. I fully blame this on the ignorant people and the porter who takes the luggage of anyone they bring up and put it right on the curb in front of everyone.

All in all, I spent more time waiting in line for the Radisson shuttle than riding rides at the parks. I waited almost as long as the drive from GA to FL. A very bad experience both ways. I wrote the managers at the Radisson and got back a form letter saying we'll look into it. That has been almost 2 months ago and not a word or apology since.

Needless to say, I will no longer be giving my hard earned money to the Radisson at the Port. Even though things can and do go wrong, to ignore a customer complaint is the worst thing you can do. The bad thing is I really liked that hotel.


Arrival time at the port:





Line waiting to get back to the hotel:

[jensen]

Brucechase... I'm confused about why you mention the Carnival ship so often... are you saying that the Carnival passengers were preferred? Or did someone just screw up? Hard to believe they screwed up both times, but please clarify your thoughts. Thanks!

[cccory]

Originally Posted by makaylee

I know there have been so negative reviews about the Radisson lately but we loved it. The pool is GORGEOUS (it's like a lagoon) the rooms were large and clean and there is a free shuttle to the port. We will be staying there again in Nov.
PS I think there prices are decent also. It's $150 a night for a 2 room suite with a huge whirlpool tub.

Wow, that's a great price for the 2 room suite. It's $219 for our date in March.

[brucechase]

Originally Posted by jensen

Brucechase... I'm confused about why you mention the Carnival ship so often... are you saying that the Carnival passengers were preferred? Or did someone just screw up? Hard to believe they screwed up both times, but please clarify your thoughts. Thanks!

I only mentioned it because that is where the shuttles were going. On the way out, the "guy with the clipboard" said that he had to get the people to the Carnival ship first (and second) and on the way home, we could see it coming from that dock. I have no idea if those passengers were preferred or not, but on both those days, they were taken to the ship and back to the hotel before the Disney cruisers.

My only thoughts were (are) it was hot and we waited a long, long time without an explanation or apology.

[brucechase]

Originally Posted by makaylee

I know there have been so negative reviews about the Radisson lately but we loved it. The pool is GORGEOUS (it's like a lagoon) the rooms were large and clean and there is a free shuttle to the port. We will be staying there again in Nov.
PS I think there prices are decent also. It's $150 a night for a 2 room suite with a huge whirlpool tub.

You will love the 2 room suite with the whirlpool tub. We stayed there on the last trip and it was a beautiful room.

[Mineu]

I have to admit to a similar problem... We have stayed at the Radisson before each of our 4 cruises-the last time (Feb. 2009) was our first shuttle problem. We checked in at 9:45 and were confirmed on the 10:00 shuttle. That shuttle came and they called out several names (not ours) loaded up and took off. Same thing was about to happen with the second shuttle and my husband approached the clipboard guy again and was told that "oh yes, you're the first family on the list". So, why did we get passed over for the first shuttle and almost again for the second?? We arrived at the port around 11:30-we didn't get to upgrade-but it did leave us with plenty of spending $$!The return was perfect-we walked out and right onto a shuttle. I have booked the Radisson again-my husband really loves their breakfast buffet-but if we see too many more reviews like this-he may have to settle for a waffle from the Residence Inn!!!

[makaylee]

Originally Posted by 3smithboys

I'm so glad to hear you say this because we just booked a room there for our Spring Break cruise. (I know it's very early, but we got a decent rate on Travelocity, and we figured that we can cancel if we change our minds....)

I was starting to get nervous because I read some not so great reviews. We found out about the Radisson from Mousesavers, and it looked really nice on line. We are a family of 5, so finding a hotel that can fit all of us for a decent price is sometimes difficult.

Don't forget to book the shuttle (if you'll be using it) right away. I hear that's been iffy lately so if you are wanting to be one of the first on the ship for ressies maybe you can take a cab or use a rental. We didn't have any problem though.

[makaylee]

Originally Posted by cccory

Wow, that's a great price for the 2 room suite. It's $219 for our date in March.

I thought it was a great price also considering it was the same we paid in 2005. We actually got the price knocked down to $130 a night because of a military discount.
We have a 10:00 am shuttle ressie and if they try to pass us up I will make a stink, much to my DH's chagrin I can be a little pushy if the need arises.
And if we still don't get on the first one it's really not that huge of a deal because I've already gotten all the ressies I need.