Security and drop off

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

We will drive to Port Canaveral using an Avis car.

We would like
- to leave our luggage at the ship terminal,
- then to drop the car at Radisson,
- to go back to the ship with the AVIS shuttle (without luggage).

Is that possible?
How will that work?

Thanks
Marco

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Sure. No problem. You can also drop off all the people except for the one person returning the car. You'll drive up to the curb and the porters will take your luggage from there. The personal checkin process is inside the terminal after you return.

 

[rcdisneyfam]

The curb service is at the parking lot across the street where the public parking is. Radisson Shuttle driver told us no more curb side drop off since 9/11. When we came back, we had to get our luggage and find our Tiffany Town Car driver in that same parking lot, it is the parking lot that people leave their cars in during the cruise. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it was different from 2001 cruise we took. They have DCL people in the parking lot saying where to put your luggage and a forklift comes to drop off a container that it all gets put into and you walk through the parking lot and across 2 sidewalks to get to the doors of the terminal. We were first ones there and had to wait a little before DCL people would even let us leave the parking lot where we were dropped off. It was very smooth, though and no problems.

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

We have an AVIS car ...
we are not parking there ...

SO?
Can we leave the luggage or not anymore?
Thanks for clarification
Marco

 

[Dodie]

I'm confused by rcdisneyfam's answer too. We went in April and did exactly what you want to do, and exactly what Dave described...

We had an AVIS car.
We pulled up to the drop off area (near the ship, past the DCL "guard" who checked our names on the list) and dropped off our luggage - no problem.
We pulled out of the port area and drove to the Radisson, dropped off the car and picked up the shuttle back to the port.
The shuttle did park in the lot across the street when we returned, so we had to walk across the street to go to the check-in. (That's where we picked up the shuttle after the cruise too.)

I HIGHLY recommend dropping your luggage off before returning your AVIS car! It's so much easier to get into the shuttle without cramming all of your luggage in with everyone else's!

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Private cars, including Avis cars, are allowed to pull up to the curb. Commercial vehicles, including shuttle buses, have to pull to a spot across the street. Although I'd heard that the commercial vehicles were also being allowed back near the curb. I know you just got back from your cruise, Roberta. You took Tiffany? Were you talking about dropoff, pickup, or both?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Dave_from_Marietta
Sure. No problem. You can also drop off all the people except for the one person returning the car.

Originally posted by rcdisneyfam
The curb service is at the parking lot across the street where the public parking is. Radisson Shuttle driver told us no more curb side drop off since 9/11.

Dave_from_Marietta and rcdisneyfam are both correct! Confusing? Read on...

On 3/23/02, we did exactly what Dave_from_Marietta wrote. In order to turn onto the road that passes directly in front of the DVC terminal with my rental car, I had to show a guard that everyone in our car had a ticket and a photo ID. I showed out tickets and passports, and I was allowed to turn in. Another DCL employee directed us to a curbside porter. We left our bags with the porter and tipped her. My family went into the terminal with their documentation and IDs to check in.

I returned the car to Hertz in Cocoa Beach. Hertz drove me back to the DCL terminal. When Hetrz took me back, the Hertz driver had to pull into the lot across the street because she wasn't going on the cruise and thus did have the required documentation to be allowed directly in front of the terminal. I took my carry-ons (because I had already checked all our larger bags, including mine). I walked across the street, again having to show my documentation. Then I checked in and met my family at Topsiders. We arrived at Topsiders around the same time because Mrs. Horsecollar made reservations at Palo while I returned the car.

So Dave_from_Marietta is right when everyone in the car is a documented DCL passenger. rcdisneyfam is right when you're arriving by hotel shuttle, rental car shuttle, taxi, or private party drop-off.

At least that's how it was on 3/23/02.

 

[MrsScooby]

Ok, I was goimg to check us all in while DH parked the car. Should I leave him his ticket and let him check himself in just in case he needs to show the ticket to get past security?
Laurie

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by MrsScooby
Should I leave him his ticket and let him check himself in just in case he needs to show the ticket to get past security?
Laurie

Yes. Based on our 3/23/02 experience, he'll need this documentation even to approach the terminal on foot. And he'll still need to check in, showing his passport (or official picture ID and certified birth certificate).

Although what we did was efficient -- given that I had to return the rental car, and we were running late -- I regret that my wife, kids, and I couldn't all board the ship togther. I probably checked in 60 minutes after my wife and kids and boarded 30 minutes after my wife and kids (the line was getting shorter).

In your case, where you only need to park the car, I would recommend that you all stay together, check in together, wait in the security line together, and board the ship together.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

FYI, Avis is about half the distance from the port that Hertz is, so it probably won't take you 60 minutes to return like it did for Horace.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Dave_from_Marietta
FYI, Avis is about half the distance from the port that Hertz is, so it probably won't take you 60 minutes to return like it did for Horace.

True.

But that's not the reason it took so long. These are small, low volume car rental locations in Cocoa Beach. There is not a constant stream of rental car shuttles as there is at an airport. The Hertz shuttle had just left, so I had a long wait. Finally, a very nice Hertz employee took pity on me (even though I wasn't complaining) and made a special trip to the DCL Terminal for me.

Avis shuttles may be more frequent because Avis is closer to the terminal, but I assume you still need to allow for a longer wait if the shuttle left just before you return your car.

 

[LenDVC92]

Originally posted by MrsScooby
Ok, I was goimg to check us all in while DH parked the car. Should I leave him his ticket and let him check himself in just in case he needs to show the ticket to get past security?
Laurie

We did the drop-off the luggage and then return the car to Avis routine on 6/29/02 and it is just as described, except that my wife checked us both in for the cruise while I returned the car to the Raddison. The shuttle did drop off across the street and I just had to show my photo-id to get into the terminal area. By the time I got inside I was able to join my wife in the boarding line where she was chatting away with Amzey and her family.

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

thanks to everybody.
very clear now ... but
LenDVC92 how did you reenter the terminal without your ship document ? (or how your wife did the check-in for both without your ship document?)
thanks again
Marco

 

[LenDVC92]

DW had all the documents I just had my driver's licence. She did all the check-in without me. She didn't have the credit card to put on the account either, but when I checked with Guest Services on board later in the week they had the number on file. I guess they just used the same one I had used when I called to book the transfer back to the airport.

In fact as I was driving away from the port I realized that she also had the Avis rental agreement. Since they don't do the automated check-in at smaller Avis locations like they do at the airport, it took a few extra minutes for Avis to pull up the rental info from the car number on the key tag.

I'm glad I didn't try to use Avis after the cruise though. There seemed to be a very long queue of folks earlier in the morning who had just got off the Magic or the Carnival ship. I guess I've just been spoiled by Avis' Prefered Service.

 

[DOOGIERUNNER]

What time can we drop our bags off at curbside before taking the car back? Is 10 too early?

I plan on dropping our bags off, taking the car back and returning to port with my family (with all our documents in hand of course).

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by DOOGIERUNNER

What time can we drop our bags off at curbside before taking the car back? Is 10 too early?

Yes, that's too early. The gates don't open until 10:30.

 

[MrsScooby]

Thanks for the info!
Laurie