Questions: MCO to Port Night Before Cruise

[TeaforWendy]

I booked DCL bus transfers when I booked our cruise (worked great last year when we flew in the day of the cruise), but we are now likely to fly down the night before and stay close to the port. Can we take the DCL buses to the port the day before? If not, can I cancel them or apply what we've paid to REAS, for example?

If we cancel them what is the best way to get to the port area from MCO? It is me, DH and DD 4. Some other shuttle? A limo service? Then should we take a cab from the condo to the ship?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[dbond]

Have you thought about renting a car for the night? It will probably cost you around $50 or less for a compact car, Avis, Hertz & National all have locations close to the Port.

 

[TeaforWendy]

So I'm thinking maybe rather than driving over to the Port Friday night, staying at the Hyatt might be a better choice and then take the DCL bus to the port. How does this work? I think I read somewhere you don't even have to touch your luggage?

Thanks!

 

[NowaSki]

We just cruised on the 4/23 Magic, and stayed the night before at the Hyatt. And, would do it again!!!

When you arrive at the Airport you have to go down to the baggage carousel to get you luggage, then head back up to the main Airport level to get to the Hyatt lobby. When you check in tell them you are going on the DCL cruise. They will give you an envelope with some information. There is information about what forms you need to fill out (same stuff they give you when you get on the DCL busses). You put your cruise tags on your bags and need and to have them outside your room by 8:30. The hotel collects all your bags and sends them to the ship. You meet DCL CM's in the Lobby starting at 9:30, when you check in they tell you which bus you will be on (Mickey, Minnie, Goffy, etc.) and what time they will start boarding. They had a conference room setup with "Bug's Life" playing, or you can just hang out in the lobby until they call your bus. We waited about 20 minutes. They then round you up and walk you out to your bus.

Very convenient and easy. We where able to take an afternoon flight and enjoyed the pool on the roof of the airport.

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

I booked DCL bus transfers when I booked our cruise but we are now likely to fly down the night before and stay close to the port. Can we take the DCL buses to the port the day before?

Hi, I asked my TA this and she said no, you cannot use DCL ground to go to the port the day before you cruise or any day that you are not crusing. She said DCL will only allow you to use DCL ground to the port on your sailing day. I think it's a security thing. And yes, you can cancel your ground transfers.

We have stayed at the Hyatt the night before our cruise in 2003. You can't beat the smooth transition by staying at the Hyatt. Nothing could be easier as you already know. Just last March, though, we stayed near the port for two nights before our cruise. We were happy we stayed near the port, but that could have been because we had two nights on land, rather than one.

We took a towncar (Southern Elegance) to the Ron Jon Resort at Cocoa Beach. If you stay at Ron Jon, just know they do not have a shuttle of their own (unfortunately), but they can set you up with Travellinx, the shuttle service they are contracted with. If you stay at Ron Jon, be sure to book the shuttle a week in advance if you would like to arrive at the port in the morning. I do not recommend booking Arts Shuttle Service from any of the resorts to port because they stood us up and we had to call a taxi. They could use some phone manners as well.

You can also take a taxi from resort to the port. Our driver made my daughter and I struggle with our own heavy luggage into and out of his trunk, but other than that, he got us to our destination, Port Canaveral.

For our next trip, I might consider the Hyatt, if it's only one night, but staying near the ocean before we cruised was awesome too.

Hope this helps, Tink

 

[inkkognito]

We always got an MCO area hotel via Priceline and then took Happy Limo to the port. But if you want to take the bus, just be sure to bid a hotel at the top star level and they will have a free shuttle. Simply take the shuttle in the morning to return to the airport and pick up the bus.
Barb

 

[HappyLawyer]

we are renting and parking at the post for the 4 days

 

[Aisling]

So I'm thinking maybe rather than driving over to the Port Friday night, staying at the Hyatt might be a better choice and then take the DCL bus to the port.

This is exactly what we're doing. I love the comvenience of going straight from the plane to a bed to the DCL bus to the ship!

 

[TeaforWendy]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! I'll be calling the Hyatt today.