Port Canaveral is home to some of the world's newest and largest cruise ships, including Star of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas. However, it's not necessarily the most convenient port for travelers.
The closest major airport, Orlando International Airport (MCO), is roughly 45 miles from Port Canaveral. In comparison, PortMiami is around eight miles from the Miami International Airport (MIA), and Port Everglades is less than five miles from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
Rideshares like Uber or Lyft to Port Canaveral are available, but the price is not consistent and varies depending on traffic and demand. As such, it is not uncommon to see fares as expensive as $70 to $100 for a one-way ride.
Recently, my partner and I decided to try out Airport Canaveral's shuttle service from MCO to Port Canaveral. Since we were not traveling with a large group, we didn’t want to risk spending hundreds of dollars on transportation to and from our cruise ship in Port Canaveral.
Plus, having pre-arranged transportation meant we wouldn't have any long wait times while the app searched for an available driver willing to deal with traffic.
We booked our round-trip transportation on the Airport Canaveral website for $64.90 per person, including the airport entry fee, tolls, and optional cancellation insurance, coming out to $32.45 per person, per day.
Overall, I was pleased with Airport Canaveral and would consider using their shuttle service to Port Canaveral in the future. The van was comfortable, and we had no issues locating the check-in area at the airport or cruise terminal.
Good instructions and easy-to-locate check-in area
After booking, I received a detailed email with instructions on where to meet the check-in agent at the airport and cruise terminal.
Since my partner and I arrived the night before and enjoyed a comfortable pre-cruise stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Orlando Airport, we followed the instructions for passengers not arriving by flight.
After being dropped off at the airport, we headed to Terminal A, Level 1, Spot 27 — conveniently just a short walk from where the hotel shuttle let us off.
During booking, I selected the 11:30 a.m. shuttle, which was different from our experience with Go Port last year, when passengers were assigned a boarding number on a first-come, first-served basis.
Instead, we checked in with the easy-to-find agent wearing a bright blue Airport Canaveral shirt, who verified our ship information and told us to wait for our vehicle to arrive.
Airport Canaveral caters to multiple cruise lines, meaning passengers on their shuttles could be cruising with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or Celebrity. Because of this, it’s important to confirm that the agents have your ship details to ensure that you are dropped off at the correct terminal.
Our departure was slightly delayed because another Airport Canaveral van was waiting on a few stragglers, leaving no room for ours to pull in and park. However, we were en route to Port Canaveral by 11:45 a.m.
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Quick boarding process and smooth ride
Airport Canaveral doesn't use massive shuttle buses to transport cruisers. Instead, they use comfortable passenger vans that feel more like a private transfer. This was nice because we didn’t have to wait around for a coach bus to load dozens of passengers.
Note that the vans don't have restroom facilities available. As such, you'll want to use the airport restrooms before boarding since the ride to Port Canaveral can take an hour or more, depending on traffic.
The ride itself was fine. We hit a little bit of traffic. However, we were at Port Canaveral before we knew it, making a few stops at other ships before finally arriving at our terminal around 1:20 p.m.
Porters were available as soon as we got out of the van, so we didn't have to wheel our suitcases around. This was convenient and saved time, allowing us to quickly head inside and begin our long-awaited vacation.
Locating the van after disembarking was just easy
Airport Canaveral's shuttles to MCO begin at around 8:00 a.m. We walked off the ship with our bags to catch the first shuttle since we had a post-cruise trip to Universal Studios planned and didn't want to waste valuable park time.
The check-in kiosk was close to where the van had dropped us off one week earlier. Detailed instructions for each cruise terminal were sent via email. For us, we crossed the street into the parking garage and found the small blue podium near parking spot #25.
We checked in around 7:45 a.m. and stood around for a few minutes as we waited for the van to arrive and fill up with passengers.
We also made a quick stop at another cruise terminal before heading back to MCO. This return trip was shorter thanks to lighter traffic and fewer stops along the way.
Overall, I was pleased with the Airport Canaveral shuttle service and would book them again
For us, Airport Canaveral was a great decision. Everything — from the booking process to the final drop-off — was seamless and with minimal hiccups.
That said, I understand why larger families might be hesitant to pay for Airport Canaveral since it would cost around $260 for a round-trip service.
In my opinion, I think that the convenience is worth the cost, especially since you do not have to worry about booking a larger rideshare to fit everyone's suitcases. You also get to bypass the regular car lines in the Port Canaveral terminal area.
Read more: Port Canaveral is working on a fix to Royal Caribbean cruise parking that has annoyed passengers
