Need recommendations for hotel & transportation pre-cruise

[MarkW]

Our family of three will be arriving at the port the night before our cruise departs. We are looking for suggestions as to where to stay that evening. I see there are a variety of hotel packages that include transportation to and from the airport as well as a shuttle to the port. We found a package at the Comfort Inn in Cocoa Beach that has mixed reviews but a decent price. Has anyone had any experience with these fly, snooze and cruise type packages and have any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

 

[cheermom2four]

Our family of 4 is arriving the night before (8:40pm) our cruise and we opted to stay at the Hyatt inside the airport since DD will only be almost 5 and its so easy to walk downstairs to the Disney transportation a little before 9am. I know you are asking about near the port vs airport but wanted to just give my two cents

 

[bovioask1]

It's all preference here. I enjoy staying near MCO like cheermom, after getting to the airport its nice to get somewhere quick and relax. But during summer its also nice to take advatage of the great sunny weather and be in Cocoa Beach.

Check out https://www.goportcanaveral.com/ though they have a a lot of partnered hotels and set up all the transportation from the airport and hotel to the cruise together. From personal experience, the Embassy Suites at MCO is my favorite and it comes with return use exlusively through Go Port Canaveral. Meaning we were allowed to come back and use all the amenities, would have been torturous to wait at the airport with the kids until 6pm. They enjoyed the pool and we got MCO quickly and back home with no issues.

 

[BigredNole]

I guess some of it may be based on the time you get to the airport. Hyatt MCO is expensive in my experience. I have always had luck getting 4* hotels near MCO for $50-$100. They have free shuttles to and from MCO. If you are getting in at a decent hour, it may be worth saving some money. If it is late at night, then the convenience of being right there may be worth it.

 

[MarkW]

Thanks for the suggestions on pre-cruise hotel/transportation packages. Originally we planned on staying at the Comfort Inn in Cocoa Beach with a package that includes transportation to and from the airport. However, I did a little more digging yesterday and found a great package at the Hyatt Place Orlando Airport. This is NOT the hotel right in the airport but a short free shuttle ride away. For $239 it includes an overnight stay as well as transportation for up to 4 people to/from Port Canaveral in the morning. If you have 2 people the package is $199. They also have a free hotel shuttle to visit local stores to pick up supplies (i.e. wine for the wife!). I read reviews on Google, TripAdvisor and Yelp and the vast majority of them were very positive. Since we are getting in at 7PM the night before, we figured staying closer to the airport would be more convenient since we can get to bed earlier and be rested in the morning. I also like that I don't need to worry about picking up a rental car and dropping it off. I'm going to keep my eyes open for other packages and ideas but as of now this looks like a good deal. I'm still curious to hear what other people are planning on doing.

 

[cruizincathi]

We always stay at the Hyatt in the airport. If you join Last Minute Travel(look for free codes online for a 1 year membership) and we pay about $115 per night. We like taking Disney transportation, despite the cost, as it gets you in the mood for your vacation and you can usually get into the terminal before those that drive or take other transportation. If none of this is important to your family, staying off the airport and taking other modes of transportation will save you a few bucks. We just want as many minutes of Disney magic on our vacation as possible.

 

[MarkW]

We always stay at the Hyatt in the airport. If you join Last Minute Travel(look for free codes online for a 1 year membership) and we pay about $115 per night. We like taking Disney transportation, despite the cost, as it gets you in the mood for your vacation and you can usually get into the terminal before those that drive or take other transportation. If none of this is important to your family, staying off the airport and taking other modes of transportation will save you a few bucks. We just want as many minutes of Disney magic on our vacation as possible.

We are actually not taking a Disney cruise but the DIS Podcast 6.0 cruise which is on RCCL. So there won't be much Disney magic.