Transportation from ship to MCO

[makaylee]

Can someone please tell me the best way to get from the Ship to MCO. I can't seem to remember how we did it the time we didn't use DCL transfers. We'll be taking a shuttle from the Radisson to the ship, but how can I get back to the airport?
Thanks

 

[MagicMe]

I found the easiest thing to do is to rent a car for 1 day. You can get the car rental shuttle at the port (just a short walk near the parking lot used by the Wonder quests) to the car rental agency (we used Budget and had not problems). Rented the car, drove back to the airport and turned the car in. Super easy!

You could also arrange for DCL transfers from the ship to MCO ($35/person). I don't like this as much as I prefer to have control in case I would like to stop at DTD if I have a later flight.

 

[mmouse37]

When we are going straight home after the cruise (early flight) we do the DCL transfers to take advantage of the onboard airline checkin program and don't have to handle our own luggage at the end of the cruise.

If we plan on taking a late night flight and want to do some other activity before we go to the airport we rent a car for the day. We take the rental car shuttle to the office and pick up the car.

We go to www.mousesavers.com for car rental discount codes.

The following companies have offices in the port area:

Hertz
Budget
Thrifty
Avis
Enterprise


MJ

 

[makaylee]

Thank you so much for all the info. I was trying to remember if there were car rentals around. That should be very simple. We aren't coming back to England when we get off the ship but we have a 5:45 pm flight to visit family in California for a couple of weeks. Although I love temporarily living in England , I'm very excited for the sunshine!
Thanks again

 

[Vagabond]

HELP____Our flight leaves MCO @ 11:30 a.m. Do you think we would have enough time to make the flight by using the cruiseline bus? They said they couldn't guarantee it and suggested a flight after 12:30. There are none available to get me back home in time to go to work at 7:00p.m. that night. Renting a car involves too much waiting in line at the port to shuttle to the rental office then wait again to get a car, then take the time to turn it in and then get shuttled over to MCO. Would it be best to get a taxi? Are there some waiting at the port?

 

[kcashner]

Yes, you will have time to make an 11:30 flight, but I wouldn't do anything earlier than that. If you have late dinner (thus, late breakfast), plan on eating on deck 9 and getting off the ship as soon as possible after the big doors open. It takes 45 minutes to drive to the airport, 10 minutes to go thru Customs, and the bus typically departs with 5-15 minutes of waiting to fill, especially early. The bus is definitely faster than renting a car (saves shuttle to car place, waiting in line for car, returning car, etc.)

Depending on your numbers, a towncar/limo service might be the same price or even cheaper than DCL transfers. It would only save you a few minutes, but you wouldn't have to wait while the bus fills up. Of course, if you are on a participating airline, DCL transfers will be fastest as you won't have to deal with the luggage at the airport.

We've been at the airport as early as 9am....but we've also been on a cruise where the big doors didn't open till after 9. Thus, NO flights before 11:30 under any circumstances.