Driving a rental to Port Canaveral?

[rwjones]

Paul,
We have cruised multiple times, rented hotel in Orlando night before, and used two separate options, rent a car for the day before cruise, day of cruise, take luggage to the port drop off luggage, then take car back to rental drop off then shuttle back to port, less luggage to carry. Option 2
Rent hotel evening before and have a limousine service pick you up next day and take you directly to port, several options on transportation. Hope this helps

 

[lizzyb]

We've done this twice... only issue is waiting for a shuttle can can some time.

 

[psimon]

Thank you all. Put a deposit on Homewood suites. Anyone have anything good or bad to say about them? I need room for 5 and they had 3 separate beds.

Thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[sullivan.kscott]

As others have said, definitely check the cost of alternative transport than a rental. There are all kinds of transfer companies operating between MCO and Cocoa/Canaveral area hotels. Some of those hotels have stay&cruise packages that will get you to port.

We've also used National (DW's preferred travel company for work), and they have a huge rental return center that operated for a bunch of companies for this purpose. I think Alamo, Enterprise, Budget/Avis and National all use one facility less than a mile from port. Drop the family and bags, one person returns the car and takes the shuttle back. Then a bunch of people debark and take the majority of those cars back to MCO for the next round. Companies don't charge the one-way rental fees at the same rate they do for other destinations.

We prefer the rental only because we have some family in the area, and it offers us flexibility for dining the night before.

 

[brentm77]

Thank you all. Put a deposit on Homewood suites. Anyone have anything good or bad to say about them? I need room for 5 and they had 3 separate beds.

Thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

We loved the Homewood Suites in Cocoa Beach. Newer, clean, and very spacious rooms with a place to sit and hangout with a couch. A good breakfast in the morning too. Another thing we liked was that so many people staying there were taking the cruise, so there was excitement in the air - especially at the breakfast. Everyone in their Disney stuff, ready to get on the ship!