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.
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.
Royal Caribbean Finalized A Port Agreement With Port Canaveral So It Can Start Test Cruises
One of the major requirements before test cruises can begin looks to be a step closer for Royal Caribbean.
One of the mandates included in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan for cruise ships to be able to restart sailings from the United States is for each line to secure agreements with port and health authorities in the U.S. cities they plan to visit.
This requirement is part of the CDCs Framework for Conditional Sailing Order , and is intended to ensure health and safety protections for crew and passengers and port personnel prior to resuming passenger operations in a way that mitigates the risk of spreading Covid-19.
Royal Caribbean Group Vice President of Worldwide Operations, Captain Hernan Zini, spoke on Wednesday about Royal Caribbean Group’s work to get its ships closer to be able to conduct test and revenue cruises.
Captain Zini said that port agreement was submitted to the Florida Department of Health.
Once that once Florida signs off on the plan, it can be submitted to the CDC. And once the CDC accepts the agreement, the Royal Caribbean group can make an application to the CDC to begin those test cruises.
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The agreement will also include information social distancing guidelines and plans for using commercial operators for any required evacuations at sea.
Royal Caribbean said they are hoping to vaccinate about 1,500 crew members.
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New Carnival Cruise Ship Mardi Gras Arrives At Its Port Canaveral Home
PORT CANAVERAL The biggest ship Carnival Cruise Line has ever built arrived Friday at its year-round home in Port Canaveral, even though it doesnt have its first sailing date with passengers nailed down.
Waiting just off the coast at 6 a.m. as the sun began to rise under a crescent moon, the 1,130-foot-long, 180,800-gross-ton vessel named Mardi Gras finally made it to Central Florida after a series of delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands of onlookers were on hand to watch the ships arrival from Jetty Park before making its way to its new terminal home, the $155 million project thats been ready and waiting for Mardi Gras arrival since last summer.
We got up at 3 , said Brenda Lambert, who drove down from Jacksonville early Friday. She said she has a cruise booked next year on Mardi Gras. Cant wait to get on it. Makes the other ones look like babies.
The ships arrival was celebrated by cruise line and port officials including Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. Also on site were Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald and Chairman Micky Arison.
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Speaking to a crowded terminal mostly of travel agents to welcome the ship, Duffy thanked them for their patience.
The ship was escorted into the port by two of the lines older, and much smaller ships, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Liberty.
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Royal Caribbean Sets Sail On Test Cruise From Port Canaveral
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. â Royal Caribbean set sail on its first simulated Port Canaveral cruise Tuesday, nearly a year and a half after the industry shut down because of the pandemic.
What You Need To Know
- Allure of the Seas left Port Canaveral Tuesday evening
- 2-night cruise heading to Coco Cay, returning Thursday
- If the simulated cruise goes well, Allure of the Seas could be ready for its first scheduled voyage on Aug. 8.
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The Allure of the Seas is heading out on a test voyage to see if the company is ready to restart cruise operations.
The volunteer passengers are a blend of travel agents, Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society members and cruise line workers, people like travel agent Lorie Emmons from Indiana, who sells cruise packages.
“I can give them the best advice if I’ve experienced it myself,” Emmons said. “We’re going to explore the ship, but I definitely want to get that experience for the guests, so I can take that back to them.”
The two-night cruise sets sail for Coco Cay.
BACK ON BOARD: Allure of the Seas set for simulated two day cruise today from with mixture of passengers and crew. Goal is to test health protocols. CDC officials will be on board as observers. #News13Brevard
It’s all part of the CDC’s plan to get cruising up and running again in the U.S.
The ship returns to port Thursday morning.
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Prediction Of Passenger Numbers
The pool said the port is conservative, as cruise ship passenger estimates continue to maintain fewer than usual cruise lines to maintain the ships social distance.
The number of passengers on a cruise is a key factor in calculating the amount of money a cruise line pays to a port.
According to Poole, cruise ship passengers will increase from 50% of two-seaters from October to December to 75% of two-seaters from January to September 2022.
Even at 75%, I think its conservative, Poole said.
Historically, ships departing from Port Canaveral have operated at 110% of their two-seater capacity, as some cabins are occupied by three or more passengers.
Currently, ships departing from the Port Canaveral port generally operate at 40% to 80% of their two-seater capacity, according to Murray.
He said the cruise line is raising passenger targets higher than initially expected, as all cruise passengers over the age of 12 in the Bahamas need to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Most ships departing from Canaveral Port are anchored at the port of Bahama or on private islands, so most cruise passengers aged 12 and over departing from Canaveral Port are vaccinated.
Its really a game changer, Murray said. Thats good. are increasing every week, and were happy to be back in business.
In addition, many cruise lines require passengers to test negative for COVID-19 before boarding the vessel, Murray said.
From July 31st to Monday:
It was pretty active, Murray said.
Flying To Port Canaveral For A Cruise
Port Canaverals not far from the Bahamas. So, this cruise port is popular for short 3 and 4-day cruises. These cruises often visit cruise line private islands such as Royal Caribbeans Perfect Day at CocoCay,.
Several popular cruises also visit Norwegian Cruise Lines Great Stirrup Cay, or Disneys Castaway Cay.
While many Florida locals do drive to the port, many cruisers still fly here for cruise vacations. The closest airport to Port Canaveral is MCO. Orlando International Airport hosts plenty of airlines from destinations across the country.
So, you shouldnt have a problem finding a flight.
This airport is located approximately 45 minutes from Port Canaveral. Thus, you should plan your flights appropriately if you plan to fly in the day of your cruise.
Though, we never recommend doing so. We always recommend cruisers fly the day before to avoid any potential travel delays.
Once you arrive at the airport, you will have several transportation methods. Some of these options will depend on whether you fly in the day before or the day of your cruise.
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Cruises From Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is just north of Cocoa Beach and east of Merritt Island, and is one of the busiest cruise ports in Florida. It has warm, inviting beaches, rolling surf and year round sunshine. The city of Cape Canaveral is one of the friendliest communities in northern Brevard County. Tourism and the space industry are two of the top job sectors for the residents as it is also home to the Kennedy Space Centre. Read more
In addition to its Space Coast reputation, Canaveral also boasts the historic Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal
Besides being a large cruise port, Port Canaveral is also among USA’s largest naval and cargo ports. On average, each day 10 cruise vessels enter the port. The following cruise port map shows Port Canaveral port’s infrastructure, the location of terminal facilities, connecting roads and transportation links to Orlando City.
Port Canaveral is the nearest Disney World city, situated about one hour east of Orlando by car. The Orlando International Airport is 45 miles away. The distance to Tampa is two hours and to Jacksonville – two hours and a half.
There are seven cruise terminals. In regular use are 5 – numbers 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10. They are newer, located on the Port’s north side and serve larger ships. Southside terminals are older. Gambling ships use Terminal 2. Terminal 3 is the new Carnival Cruise Line’s terminal. Terminal 4 is also used, but rarely.
Cruise terminal parking rate is USD 15 per day . There is a parking lot beside each cruise terminal. Port Canaveral offers complimentary cruise parking for disabled Veterans. Approved are waiving cruise parking fees for vehicles with DV license plates issued under Florida Statutes “s.320.084”, “s.320.0842” or “s.320.0845”.
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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.
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!
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Places With The Best Views To Watch Ships Leave From Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral has grown by leaps and bounds in just a few years. Behind all this expansion is the incentive to attract more cruise ships to this central Florida cruise port. And theyre succeeding. Plus, in 2020, Carnivals new Mardi Gras will be here, too.
At this time, Port Canaveral is home to ships from Disney, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and seasonally, Norwegian Cruise Line.
Theres also Jetty Park, a beautiful and unique beachfront campground. It features a general store, RV parking, walking paths and its Jetty Park pier that extends 1,200-feet out over the ocean.
Port Of Departure Port Canaveral Florida
Cape Canaveral, Florida’s Space CoastPort Canaveral Cruise Ship TerminalsA Side Terminals 5, 6, 8 and 10B Side Terminals 1,2,3 and 4Cruises From Port CanaveralThings To Do Near The Cruise PortKennedy Space Center Visitor CenterUS Astronaut Hall of FameJetty ParkCocoa Beach PierOrlando Amusement ParksGetting To The Cruise PortCruise Port Map
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Royal Caribbean Allure Of The Seas
Allure of the Seas will be reunited with her sister ship, Harmony of the Seas in Port Canaveral this coming May. She is considered one of Royal Caribbeans largest ships, accommodating up to 6,780 passengers. Popular among couples and families, Allure of the Seas is considered the most awarded ship to ever exist. Best Individual Ship, Best Large Cruise Ship, and Best for Entertainment are just a few of the titles shes earned over the years.
Some activities you can expect on Allure of the Seas are ziplining, rock climbing, simulated surfing, ice skating, and plenty of drinking since Allure of the Seas is said to have more bars than any other cruise ship. Feel free to also sing your favorite karaoke hits at On Air Club and dont forget to catch a show at the AquaTheaters outdoor pool stage.
With so much to do onboard, leaving the ship may not be your priority. However, youll definitely want to get off at Perfect Day at Coco Cay, which is Royal Caribbeans private island that underwent a $250 million makeover in 2019. Here youll have an opportunity to experience the tallest waterslide in North America, the largest freshwater pool in the Bahamas, and even a 459-foot high helium balloon ride.
For more information about Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas cruises out of Port Canaveral, as well as what hotel packages, transportation, and parking fellow cruisers are booking, click here.
Cape Canaveral Operated In The Red For 16 Months Before The Cruise Resumed
Mika Lloyd, Commissioner of the Cape Canaveral Port Authority, said AC / DCs Back in Black should have been played as walk-up music when Chief Financial Officer Michael Poole made a budget announcement. ..
The port operated in the red for 16 consecutive months until the cruise resumed on July 31st. In August, the port was once again able to finance its operating expenses and debt payments, with a total of 24 Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean Cruises departing from the port by the end of August.
Its been 17 months and were back, said John Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Cape Canaveral.
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According to port officials, the 2021-22 budget year, which began on Friday, looks solid, with operating revenues from cruise lines and cruise-related parking lots at $ 84.32 million. In addition, the freight business is expected to generate $ 15.21 million in revenue.
The port has also received a total of $ 72.21 million from the Federal United States Rescue Planning Act to cover the losses resulting from the closure of the cruise industry dating back to March 2020 by COVID-19. Of that total, $ 49.88 million was invested in the ports 2021-22 budget. This increased the ports projected gross profit from 2021 to 22 to $ 68.46 million.
The rest of ARPAs funding went into the budget for the just-finished 2020-21 budget year.
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