Kennedy Space Center?

[newtandkaren]

Has anyone visited the Kennedy Space Center in the days before or after your cruise? If so, how did you arrange for transportation to the port for cruise departure? If we fly, can we rent a car, return it, and somehow get ourselves on the cruise? If we drive, where do we park the car during the cruise? This will be our first cruise so I am full of questions! Thanks!

 

[mommasita]

I have never, but what I will do is move this to the Main Cruise Forum for you. It will certainly get lots of looks and helpful replies there.

 

[tmatthews]

We will be visiting the Kennedy Space Center before our cruise in March. We are arriving 2 days ahead and plan on renting a car to get us to the Radisson from the train station and return it the night before we leave or the morning of the cruise.

 

[Capt_BJ]

Has anyone visited the Kennedy Space Center in the days before or after your cruise?


I'm guessing that yes, some one has done that From the pier, the KSC attractions are about 30 - 40 minutes (I drove it the other day to re-test ... do note that the NASA attractions and the non-NASA attractions are in different places....) If you decide to go, read the KSC web pages CAREFULLY!!!! The best tours are the BUS TOURS and the best of those IMHO is the one that goes to the 'old side' aka Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and it only goes a max of twice a day, and often sells out in advance...
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/visitKSC/NASAtours/index.asp


If so, how did you arrange for transportation to the port for cruise departure?

huh? taxi, shuttle, hitch hike ..... don't follow you exactly....


If we fly, can we rent a car, return it, and somehow get ourselves on the cruise?


Yes, very easy to rent a car at Orlando airport and return it in Cocoa. You might need to do a rental car shuttle thing but it is easy and done ALL the time. Also easy to get p/up at the port on return and get a car 4 return to Orlando

If we drive, where do we park the car during the cruise?


There is ample parking @ the port - operated by the port authority (not DCL .... as of today $12 a day, paid when you ARRIVE, credit cards accepted) . In a nut shell, when u park it is in a lot for your cruise and the gates are locked, not to be opened until your cruise returns....the entire port area is patrolled. You have more fear of ants getting into your car (don't leave food!), than theft.

This will be our first cruise so I am full of questions!


A bunch of cruises including a slew of DCL as both a family and a single parent (mom had to work ) so ask away. I have worked in the port - or should I say worked on ships sailing out of the port, and presently live close enuf that I lunch at Grills about once a week.

 

[magmom]

We spent the day we got off the ship at KSC. We were through customs by 7:45am, hubby took the Budget shuttle to pick up the rental, picked us and luggage up back at the port, and we were at KSC by 9am. We did the bus tour, the 3D movie, a simulator ride, and another walk through exibition all by 3pm (we had a 6pm flight).

It was very easy to get to KSC from the port - about 30 minutes I think. We were the first ones to get to KSC, so we had no lines at all. The people there were very helpful and told us the highlights given our time frame.

It was a busy day, but the kids loved it and it was a nice way to spend the day before our flight.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We spent the day we got off the ship at KSC. We were through customs by 7:45am, hubby took the Budget shuttle to pick up the rental, picked us and luggage up back at the port, and we were at KSC by 9am. We did the bus tour, the 3D movie, a simulator ride, and another walk through exibition all by 3pm (we had a 6pm flight).

It was very easy to get to KSC from the port - about 30 minutes I think. We were the first ones to get to KSC, so we had no lines at all. The people there were very helpful and told us the highlights given our time frame.

It was a busy day, but the kids loved it and it was a nice way to spend the day before our flight.

Did you have any problems with luggage in your car when entering KSC? Do they search?

 

[SnowWhite2]

If you fly into Orlando, rent a car one way to Cape Canaveral and drop it off the morning of the cruise. Then rent a car when you return from the cruise. Make sure you make ressies for the car ahead of time or they will probably run out of cars or you will have to wait until every one else picks up their reserved cars. We saw a family once who didn't reserve the car ahead of time and they were stranded waiting to see if they would have enough cars. Most agencies have a free shuttle from the boat to the car rental agency. Hertz, Budget, Avis all have free shuttles. If you drive and stay overnight in a hotel near the port, some will let you park your car for free and take a shuttle to the port. The shuttle is free or $3 pp.

When you arrive at the big parking lot at KSC, no one will search your car. You are going to a tourist area, not anywhere near the actual workings of the space center. That requires a bus ride.

Have a great trip.

 

[ReggieB]

Did you have any problems with luggage in your car when entering KSC? Do they search?

I'm going back to check, but when I was looking at info for my family last night it said that luggage couldn't be bought in. I may have misunderstood, so I shall have another look.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I'm going back to check, but when I was looking at info for my family last night it said that luggage couldn't be bought in. I may have misunderstood, so I shall have another look.

That's what I read too. We will have our luggage from the cruise and wanted to go to KSC before our late flight home. I was interested to see if others did the same thing and if they were able to park their car with the luggage in the trunk.

 

[ReggieB]

I had a look, and it's a bit misleading.

It says - Coolers, luggage or other large bags are not permitted through the front gate. However then it goes on to say that if you have any of these items on you will be asked to return them to your vehicle. So I'm not quite sure. Guessing they mean not inside the complex, but fine in car??

 

[FirstTimeCruiser]

We were just there 2 weeks ago. Luggage in your car is fine, they do not search your car when you park in the lot. You just can't take luggage or coolers though the front gates. Purses and backpacks are allowed.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Thank you for clearing that up. It's not that I mind having my luggage searched, I have nothing to hide, I just didn't want to take the time.

So the parking lot is outside the front gate. Is the visitor center close or do you have to take a tram?

 

[magmom]

We had no trouble with luggage, just left it all in the car. Since we were there so early, we were able to park very close. I don't know if there's a tram if you end up parking further away. Also, on the bus tour (which was great) they don't allow any food on the bus. We had bought snacks to eat while waiting for the bus and were made to throw away or put away what wasn't eaten before they would let us on. If they can see food at all, they won't let you on.

 

[newtandkaren]

Thanks everyone for all the great info!

 

[Capt_BJ]

Here's link to a GoogleMap air view of the place ... as you'll see it isn't that big. Many of the things you want to see are scattered around the space center complex...hence the bus tours....

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...80.682092&spn=0.009012,0.014462&t=h&z=16&om=1

 

[goofy4tink]

We cruised last August and did KSC the day before the cruise. I rented a car at MCO, drove to Cocoa Beach on Friday, before our cruise on Sunday. It's about a 50 min, drive, and quite easy. On Sat, we drove, about 35 mins., to KSC and spent the day (about 6 hrs by the time we got there). Our tickets were good for a second day if used within 10 days (or 7 days, can't recall which). We had planned on heading back to the other half that we didn't get to do on the day we got off the ship. But, we got off the ship at 7:30 am and KSC didn't open until 10...way too much down time.
We also parked right beside the ship. I think it was about $12 a day. We just left the luggage we didn't need in the trunk while we cruised. It was so easy to just get off the ship, hop into our car and drive away.
I guess it all depends on how you want to do it and how much you want to spend. I just didn't want to return the car, take a shuttle to the ship, then at the end of the cruise, take a shuttle back to the car rental office and rent a second car. I took convenience over cost...and it was only about an addtl $60 vs rerenting cars and shuttles.