United States Cruise Port At Oahu
Cruise ships in Oahu, Hawaii dock close to the Aloha Tower Marketplace, which is conveniently located about a 10-20 minute drive from Honolulu International Airport. It’s very easy to book a tour from the Oahu, Hawai cruise porti too.
The most popular cruise line sailing the Hawaiian Islands is Norwegian Cruise Line. They are docked at Port of Honolulu Pier 2 and easy to access. You can get a taxi/Uber/Lyft from the airport and is about $30 USD each way.
For parking, the public parking is about ¾s of a mile away and the cost is about $21 a day. It may be easier to just take a taxi from the airport so you dont have to pay for a rental car and to park it for the duration of your stay.
Norwegians Cruise Ship in Hawaii used to do 7 day sailings around the island but has now included French Polynesia in some of their itineraries. It is like getting two vacations in one and you get to stay on the same boat.
Most cruises originate in and out of Oahu, so you will want to plan to stay an extra day or two as to not miss anything. Some things you should have on your Oahu bucket list include: a visit to the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, piping hot malasada from Leonards Bakery, shave ice, and some snorkeling.
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San Francisco California Us Cruise Port
Few people would think of San Francisco as a cruise port city. And rightfully so, as many more visitors arrive by air, road, train or other means. The big commercial port of the area is across the bay in Oakland.
However, when considering the United States cruise ports map, ships sailing the western coastline of North America dock at one of the cruise terminals along Embarcadero street every summer. One could spend the day just on the piers visiting the Fishermans Wharf area for all sorts of entertainment: sailing the bay, visiting Alcatraz Island, dining etc.
Parking is convenient but expensive in San Francisco so its best to take a rideshare, public transit or have someone drop you off at the terminal. There are bicycle rickshaws along the piers so its easy to travel between the piers and attractions.
Some of the most popular things to see in the city are the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Palace of Fine Arts, Fishermans Wharf, Coit Tower, The Seven Sister, Nob Hill, SFMOMA, Yerba Buena gardens, the Missions etc. The list goes on and on.
Besides the famous landmarks, one can visit the lesser-known hidden gems of the community such as beautiful mosaic steps and sunset sail in San Francisco Bay.
For chocolate lovers, Ghirardelli Square is an absolute must. And its close to the piers.
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Key West Florida Us Cruise Port
Key West, Florida, the Southernmost City in the USA, is one of the most popular and busiest ports-of-call in the Caribbean as reflected by the number of major cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean that now include the port in their itineraries.
Fishermans Wharf at Mallory Square receives the lions share of scheduled cruise ships, which gives cruisers a great starting point for exploring the Conch Republic. Depending on the ships schedule, time ashore varies from 6-10 hours.
If this doesnt sound like much time to you, you may be right. But there are plenty of fun things to do in Key West for those who want a quick taste of the island. Cruise ship tourists can easily walk to Duval Street where there are island-y restaurants, Jimmy Buffett-style watering holes, souvenir shops, art galleries, trolley tours, and trolley tours. And just off Mallory Square is Key Wests most famous fun bar of all, Sloppy Joes Bar.
Its easy to get around this part of town and everything is close by, from unique museums, funky architecture, and historical sites like the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. Just off of Duval Street is the Mel Fisher Museum, Audubon House, and the Key West Aquarium, definitely worth a visit.
No matter how you choose to spend your time, Key West will have you singing Its Been a Lovely Cruise.
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Cape Canaveral Port Statistics
Note: Port’s FY runs from October 1 through September 30 .
In FY2017, the cruise port handled 4,52+ million passengers . The number of multi-day passengers was 7,1% increase over 2016. Statistics showed that just in March 2017, the number of visiting cruiseship tourists was 469,847. This was the Port’s 1-month record and a 19% increase over March 2016. Port’s FY2017 total revenues were USD 47,4 million .
For FY2018, the seaport reported a record year with USD 103,75 million in total revenues . Cargo and cruise shipping volumes were also an all-time high. The number of handled cruise ship passengers increased by 7,7% – to 4,568431 million. Port’s handled cargo tonnage increased by 6,9% – to 6,404944 million tons. Port’s total economic output was USD 3,9 billion with around 32650 jobs supported including 17200 port workers .
For FY2019, the port had ~5% growth in revenues from cruise shipping. By homeporting operations Port Canaveral is currently ranked the world’s 2nd-busiest cruise port with handled in 2019 total 4,634154 million passengers .
For season 2019, the cruise port reported a record berth booking with estimated 4,7+ million passengers.
What To Do When You Arrive At Port Canaveral
The port authority suggests that you directly drive to your cruise ship Terminal and drop off passengers and luggage. Porters are available to help you with your baggage and attached missing bag tags if you forgot yours at home. Drivers will be directed to the adjacent parking structure.
Port Canaveral parking facilities are easy to use and are patrolled 24 hours a day.
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Arriving At The Terminal On Cruise Day
Arriving at the terminal, you start to get a sense of the size of the facility. Given the size of Mardi Gras, a large terminal was needed to service the ship and the more than 10,000 passengers that could be embarking and debarking in a single day. To handle that traffic, the terminal is 185,000 square feet, making it the largest at Port Canaveral.
Adjoining the building is a nearly 1,800 parking spot garage, ensuring plenty of parking right next to the ship even if there are multiple ships sailing from the terminal at once.
When passengers arrive to cruise, they have two options to get to the terminal entrance, which is located on the second floor. First, those parking or people needing an elevator can enter through the parking garage. Here there is a walkway from the garage right to the front entrance of the terminal.
Passengers not entering through the garage can walk up the wide staircase that leads from the ground up to the main entrance. There is also a sloped ramp alongside for those with luggage or people with mobility issues who cant take the stairs.
See transportation options to Port Canaveral here.
Tourist Attractions In Port Canaveral:
- Port Canaveral along with Orlando, is probably the most popular family destination in the United States with its theme parks and beaches.
- Considered the gateway to Disney World in Orlando
- Port Canaveral is a haven for deep water recreational sea sports
- Cocoa Beach the surfing capital of Florida
- Air Force Space And Missile Museum
- Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
- Manatee Sanctuary Park
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Hotels Near Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal
When preparing for your cruise, you should consider planning a pre-cruise stay before the vacation.
When cruising from Port Canaveral, you will have a number of hotel options. You could opt to stay closer to the Orlando airport and make the commute to the port in the morning.
Or, you could choose a hotel that is located closer to the port or nearby Cocoa Beach. Better yet, you could spend a few days at Disney World or Universal Studios before your cruise.
The Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Radisson Resort at the Port, and Residence Inn by Marriott Cape Canaveral are among the closest to the Port Canaveral Cruise Port. You can also find our top picks for the Best Hotels Near Port Canaveral right here on the blog!
Pros Of Parking At The Ship
- Spots are right at the ship. Its true, you wouldnt be able to park closer to the ship unless they let you bring your car on the boat.
- Many say its more convenient. When you embark and disembark, you never have to worry about getting to your car.
- Its pretty easy. Unlike other parking facilities, you only get one option. You wont have to choose between locations. At the port, you get what you get.
- The port terminals offer free cruise parking for vehicles that need parking options for disabled passengers with special equipment, for those with a Florida Toll Exemption Permit, and for those who have a Florida Disabled Veteran license plate. However, this is the only free parking option from the Canaveral Port Authority.
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Getting Acquainted With The Cruise Port
Starting out, it helps to have an overview of the port before you get there. The port is located about 45 minutes due east of Orlando, on Cape Canaveral. Dont worry about not being able to find it. There is only one road from Orlando to Cape Canaveral Florida 528 .
The Beachline take you directly to Port Canaveral. Weve highlighted it below:
Assuming you are coming from Orlando, once you reach Cape Canaveral , you will see a roadsign giving you two options. You can either stay on the Beachline to head toward the B cruise terminals or you can exit to your right to go to the A cruise terminals.
The A terminal is where the large cruise ships Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival make their home. You will take this exit to your right and make a large loop around. Once you make the loop, you will see the cruise ships almost directly ahead of you.
Continue down this road and you will head straight until you are almost past all the cruise terminals. Eventually you will see a large blue sign listing all the cruise lines with an arrow that tells you to veer to the right. Just past that, you will see a single lane exiting to the right. This exit will lead you to the cruise terminals.
To know where to go next, you need an overview of the cruise terminals at Port Canaveral. While the port is large, each of the major cruise line has its own dedicated terminals.
Carnival uses terminals 5& 6. Disney uses terminal 8. Royal Caribbean uses terminal 10.
Helpful Cruise Line Information
If you’ve cruised before you probably have a favorite cruise line. Here at CruiseExperts.com we make it easy for you to sort through the cruise line of your choice for the best cruises at the best discounts on your favorite cruise line. Choose from the best cruise lines in the world including Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America, Celebrity, Crystal, Azamara, Oceania, Viking, Avalon, and Disney. You can be confident that you’ll get the cheapest cruise price possible with concierge like service from our cruise experts here at CruiseExperts.com. View information on your favorite cruise line.
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Cons Of Parking At The Cruise Port
- Being next to the cruise ships is great but the covered parking lot is not just a short walk from the ship. Theres no free shuttle service, so youll be toting your stuff from the luggage drop-off on debarkation day.
- There are no reservations. If the cruise parking lots are full for your cruise line, youll have to find other arrangements.
- Prices are subject to change, according to the website for the Port Canaveral terminals. While the base price is $17 per day, you may end up paying even more for your cruise parking.
- Traffic can be terrible, congested, and complicated for visitors. If youre driving yourself, be prepared for wrong turns and sitting in Port Canaveral traffic.
Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal B
The majority of Port Canaverals dining and entertainment is located on the south side of the channel and includes Cruise Terminals 1, 2, and 3. These terminals are easily accessed by following FL-528 E to Cruise Terminal B or George King Blvd.
Royal Caribbean
Cruise Terminal 1 was built with an eye towards the some of the worlds largest cruise ships: Royal Caribbeans Oasis of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas.
Cruise Terminal 3 is currently under construction A brand new $150 million cruise terminal and parking garage will take its place in late 2019 or early 2020.
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Carnival Cruise Terminal 3
In late-April 2017 at Port Canaveral started construction works of a new cruise terminal. The facility is on the site of “Cruise Terminal 3” , west of Jetty Park and east of The Cove . On June 7, 2017, engineering and design works for the new terminal were officially approved. Canaveral Port Authority Commissioners approved USD 1,2 million funding for CH2M Engineering’s project management contract. This was the first phase of the 2-year work plan to construct a modern facility with capacity to serve vessels up to 8,000 passengers. At the new passenger terminal can berth even the world’s largest cruise vessels of RCI’s Oasis-class. CH2M Engineering provided engineering, support services and waterside design for the new Terminal 3.
The project’s budget is USD 163 million , of which US$50M were contributed by Carnival Corporation. Ranked the USA’s largest single building project, it included demolition of port’s oldest terminal, construction of a brand new 2-story building , upgrading the existing berth and building a new parking garage, roadway and utility improvements. This 20-months long, multi-phased project included 5 separate contracts. Demolition works of the existing Terminal 3 building started in April 2018, at the cost of USD 210,000.
Construction works officially started on March 18, 2019, and the Terminal was completed in September 2020. At the new CT3 terminal was homeported Carnival’s largest vessel . The new liner is LNG-bunkered by a barge dockside.
Top Things To Do Near Port Canaveral
Serving as an embarkation port as well as a port of call on some Bahamas cruises, you might be wondering what activities there are to enjoy while visiting Port Canaveral. Whether you are visiting Floridas Space Coast for the day or plan to spend a few pre-cruise or post-cruise days in the area, you will have several options.
Given the proximity to Orlando, one of the obvious choices is to visit your favorite theme park. Walt Disney World and Universal Studios are both located about an hour away. Walt Disney World is home to the popular Magic Kingdom theme park and Epcot which hosts various festivals throughout the year like the Food and Wine Festival. Additionally, Hollywood Studios is home to the new Star Wars Galaxys Edge, and Animal Kingdom has Pandora- The World of Avatar.
Harry Potter fans will love visiting Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios. Not mention, there are plenty of thrill rides and the Volcano Bay waterpark.
Further, Kennedy Space Center is one of the most popular attractions near Port Canaveral. Admission to this active spaceflight facility includes a variety of exhibits and attractions. To enjoy everything Kennedy Space Center has to offer, plan on spending at least one full day here.
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Of course, there are several other activities in the area as well. If you are looking for more options, see below.
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Opening Hours And Holidays:
In major metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles, many drugstores and supermarkets are routinely open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, while department stores, shopping centers and most other large retailers are typically open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and often with shorter hours on Sundays – generally 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. On holidays, the tendency is to remain open
Holidays in the USA
Cheapest Port Canaveral Cruise Parking Summary
If youre taking a short 3-4 day cruise or traveling as a group, check out Cruisetime Parking. If you are disabled, check if you are eligible for free parking at Port Canaveral Cruise Parking Lots onsite.
If you are taking a longer cruise,Go Port Canaveral is definitely the cheapest option. It offers parking for up to 15 days for a fixed price of $80 for a solo cruiser $85 for a couple and $95 for a party of 4.
If you want the most convenient cruise parking at Port Canaveral, pay more and enjoy the convenience of parking a short walk from the ship with the official Port Canaveral Cruise Parking.
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Cruise From Home And Relax
Everyone knows that a cruise vacation is one of the most relaxing, hassle free vacations you can take. Imagine if you also didn’t have to worry about traveling to start your vacation but could just drive up to a port near your home and get onboard your luxury cruise ship. Here at CruiseExperts.com we’ve made it easy to see which cruises start close to home. Get started with our Home Port widget by clicking on your home port below.