Have a favourite hotel in Port Canaveral you'd recommend?

[noahsketomom]

Is that the Hampton Inn In Port Canaveral or Titusville?

Port Canaveral.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Okay, thanks.

Some good suggestions here. It looks like a lot of you like the Fairfield Inn and the Hampton Inn, as well as a few others.

 

[disneyfreak33]

We have stayed at Country Inn and Suites as well as Raddison, they both were decent with smooth departure drop offs at the port.

They had smooth pick ups back to the hotel as well but nobody wants to talk about that ☺

Country inn was closer then Raddison, we had a room facing the port was nice to open the curtain that morning and see the Fantasy docked and waiting for us! I would recommend both as they were both clean with smooth departures. Enjoy your cruise! 129 days for us!

 

[summerrluvv]

We liked the Hilton, it was right on the beach

 

[lpandorf]

We enjoyed the Hampton Inn last year and staying again Friday night before we get on the Fantasy this Saturday. It was clean, offered free cookies and coffee in the lobby and included nice breakfast in the morning. We really liked that we could easily walk to the beach from the hotel and spent the afternoon there and plan to do the same this year.

 

[Quellman]

Just stayed at the Residence Inn for our last cruise. Clean and comfortable.

Bonus: large enough, well lit parking spaces to change a flat tire on a minivan after sunset and pool bar open late.

This is the kind of thing more trip advisor reports need!

 

[::danielle::]

OK since you have wheels and can drive around, the new Homewood Suites gets my vote. If you get a top floor room on the east side you can see Terminal 1 and the ships coming and going.
They seem to offer mid-range rates, they have a nice pool and tiki bar area and you can choose between parking onsite or shipside using a 40% discount. It is one of the hotels closest to the Disney terminal 8.
Some pictures here - http://cruiseportcanaveral.us/homewoodsuites/

Has anyone chosen the 40% off port parking discount? I don't see that option mentioned anywhere on the Homewood Suites website. This would be a great option for us but I don't want to discover once I'm there that the information on the third party website is inaccurate.

 

[FigmentSpark]

So, I've looked at all these hotels, wonderful places, by the way, thanks for the recommendations, but during spring break, I'm seeing prices that are higher than I expected. I may have to rethink my strategy. I know it sounds weird to splurge on a cruise and then scrimp on the hotel before, but I just didn't expect prices to be up $50 a night or higher from other times of the year. I know... what was I thinking, lol?

 

[Agent P]

Very thorough of you to test out that possibility. I hope it was your van and not a rental.

Yep, our van. Small nail hole with a slow leak, but didn't want to have to change a tire in the parking deck after the cruise. Called Space Coast Honda as we disembarked after the cruise, great costumer service, got us right in and fixed the tire.

 

[MUN]

So, I've looked at all these hotels, wonderful places, by the way, thanks for the recommendations, but during spring break, I'm seeing prices that are higher than I expected. I may have to rethink my strategy. I know it sounds weird to splurge on a cruise and then scrimp on the hotel before, but I just didn't expect prices to be up $50 a night or higher from other times of the year. I know... what was I thinking, lol?

You are correct, it does sound weird to stress over paying $50 more for 1 night of lodging before a cruise when you are paying a ton for a DCL cruise during spring break.

 

[FigmentSpark]

You are correct, it does sound weird to stress over paying $50 more for 1 night of lodging before a cruise when you are paying a ton for a DCL cruise during spring break.

Sticker shock. What can I say? I'll get over it.

 

[SewMama]

We are also going during spring break next year and planning to do Kennedy Space they day before we cruise. I booked the Country Inn and Suites. I booked the Local Experience package for $209. It includes the space center tickets for 2 as well as a g/c for 2 to a local restaurant. This works well for us since we will have four people total in two rooms. We just booked two people in each room. Even without the g/c to the restaurant, the space center discount is nice. Just hoping it's not too good to be true when we arrive. That said, I will keep checking prices and if something better comes up, I can always cancel. Homewood Suites doesn't have their rooms up yet. They only open six months out. I wanted to book something now since it is a peak time, but I'll check Homewood Suites when they come up.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I saw some prices for Homewood, but I've noticed that some hotels seem to have different ways to price their rooms and the prices are different. I don't mean through the web services like Expedia or Trivago, but just from their own site vs the chain site.

 

[SewMama]

I saw some prices for Homewood, but I've noticed that some hotels seem to have different ways to price their rooms and the prices are different. I don't mean through the web services like Expedia or Trivago, but just from their own site vs the chain site.

I called Homewood directly two days ago and was told they can't give me prices for my dates next April. They told me their prices are six months out, so I'll check back with them later this year. Right now I feel good about Country Inn with the Local Experience package though, especially when you consider that the Space Center is $50 per ticket normally. I just wanted to get something booked and can always change later. Have fun planning! I know I am so excited! Been to DW tons of times, but never been on any cruise. I am a bit out of my element in planning this, but having fun while I learn.

 

[squirk]

I saw some prices for Homewood, but I've noticed that some hotels seem to have different ways to price their rooms and the prices are different. I don't mean through the web services like Expedia or Trivago, but just from their own site vs the chain site.

I can't speak for other hotel brands, but I know first-hand that with Hilton, you need to check your rate every few weeks or every month. If the rate drops, no one is going to proactively move you to the lower rate like, say, Southwest does with their fares.

This spring, I booked a room at the Hilton in Pensacola, and the rate dropped *twice* by about 25% total in the four months between the date I booked and my arrival date.

It was for a 2-bedroom suite, so the hard-dollar savings were considerable. The only way I found out was I later tried to price out a second room for a friend, and saw they were getting a much better fare than me. So I cancelled my original res and rebooked at the lower rate.

Then I got a wild hair to check again a few weeks later and the rate dropped again. So I rebooked. My total stay dropped from about $980 to $735.

As a Hilton Diamond member, I was pretty irritated that after all the business I give them every year, they couldn't give one of their most frequent and loyal customers a heads-up like that.

Who do they think they are - Disney Cruise Line?

 

[FigmentSpark]

Yeah, I wish I knew the rhyme or reason why some rates change like that. Even the Hyatt at MCO seems to change periodically.

 

[squirk]

Yeah, I wish I knew the rhyme or reason why some rates change like that. Even the Hyatt at MCO seems to change periodically.

I suspect it is simply fluctuation in demand, which is totally understandable. It just irritates me that hotels play that game with their super-loyal customers.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Has anyone chosen the 40% off port parking discount? I don't see that option mentioned anywhere on the Homewood Suites website. This would be a great option for us but I don't want to discover once I'm there that the information on the third party website is inaccurate.

There is a list of hotels that have it, although it's not usually advertised on their site. Comfort Inn and Suites will just give you one if you ask when checking in, but I think Hampton Inn has a different price for theirs. It's best to narrow your search and call them to ask if they have the voucher program, so you know for sure and if you have to book a special rate or mark it as special instructions on your reservation.

The list I found was here: www.portcanaveral.com/PortCanaveral/media/Cruise-Assets/Parking-Voucher-Program_5.pdf

I couldn't find any info on Homewood Suites being on this program either. You might have to phone.

 

[openwater]

Homewood Suites Canaveral is a 40% discount port parking partner! I guarantee it!

 

[John VN]

Has anyone chosen the 40% off port parking discount? I don't see that option mentioned anywhere on the Homewood Suites website. This would be a great option for us but I don't want to discover once I'm there that the information on the third party website is inaccurate.

Since 2010 when we started participating in the Space Coast Half/Full Marathon last weekend in November, we have stayed at Best Western Ocean. Rooms older but OK and breakfast is good. Last November DW booked a Dream cruise following the Space Coast so we stayed overnight and drove to the port Monday early, used the 40% off parking coupon http://www.portcanaveral.com/PortCanaveral/media/Cruise-Assets/Parking-Voucher-Program_5.pdf and got on the ship. Little did I know that she had done Concierge for the cruise and I was blown away. We are sailing Oasis this November after the Space Coast and will use the coupon again. She has already booked Dream for 2017 November after Space Coast and again did Concierge. Every little bit saved, 40% off parking is good, helps out.