Kennedy space center tour changes

[TheRick]

Does anyone know what is going on with the Kennedy Space Center tour excursion? I got an email the vip tour is not guided anymore and that it is a self guided tour. They are also no longer taking people to the Apollo/Saturn visitor center. They said we can keep the tour or cancel it. I looked on the cruise planner and the excursion completely vanished from the cruise planner. It says it will still take us to the airport, but I’m afraid if any other changes are made, we’ll get stranded with no way to the airport after the cruise.

[Brendon]

I can give you ALL the details! I was on this tour on July 3 while it was guided. We had been on site for about 30 minutes (max) when a security guard literally interrupted our guide mid sentence and physically pulled him away from our group. Come to find out, the operators of the visitor complex (Delaware North) decided that only their tour guides could provide guided services, and did not inform any of the tour companies of this decision. The security staff was extremely rude and ejected all of the group because we had violated their rules by having an unauthorized tour guide, no exceptions to allow us to tour on our own.

Everyone from the tour guide, the tour operator, and Royal were all blindsided by this. They even had a scheduled time for a bus exclusively for our group to go out to the Apollo/Saturn center, but we were unable to do so. They literally had armed guards walk us out and got really nasty with us, and were glaring at us as we waited for our bus to return. Nobody in the group acted out of line or violated any moral/legal/or ethical standards, other than the fact we used a valid ticket to enter the complex with an unauthorized tour guide. The tour guide and tour operator had been doing this tour for Royal for years. While we were in the middle of this they stopped at least one other tour company.

I would normally say it is worth a visit, but I don't want any money to go to that company. I had done this exact tour from Royal last November and loved it, so I wanted to try it again. But if you do go, I believe there are buses operated by the Center to take people out to the Apollo/Saturn center. I am not sure the visit is worth it without that, but the Atlantis Shuttle Center is pretty amazing and could make it worthwhile. One of the biggest values I found out of the excursion was the tour guide providing history of the space program and the area on the way there and the commentary/guided tour through the center.

If you do go and you encounter Rex either on the bus or at the center distributing your prepaid tickets be really nice to him- he literally had the vast majority of his income evaporate in front of our group of 47 that morning.

[TheRick]

Thanks for the info

[Pattycruise]

I did not do the VIP tour, just the regular tour =transfer and entry ticket, as this was a port day for us. When we boarded the excursion bus at the pier there was an info pamphlet/map of NASA. It had the info gif the app.  Look at the material snd download the app.  The driver was excellent and told us when we got to NASA to go directly to the free bus that would take us out to Apollo Saturn center, so we did just that.  It’s a bit of a drive but there are information videos that go with the sites you are seeing as you head to that center.  You catch a free tour there and it’s very informative.  You can take your time and catch the free return bus to the main campus, where you first arrived, and explore that area until it was time to go to the bus back. It’s a beautiful campus, I wish I had more time there, I’d go back in a heartbeat. 
sorry I can’t give additional info

[Nichole M]

On 7/14/2022 at 6:40 PM, Brendon said:

I can give you ALL the details! I was on this tour on July 3 while it was guided. We had been on site for about 30 minutes (max) when a security guard literally interrupted our guide mid sentence and physically pulled him away from our group. Come to find out, the operators of the visitor complex (Delaware North) decided that only their tour guides could provide guided services, and did not inform any of the tour companies of this decision. The security staff was extremely rude and ejected all of the group because we had violated their rules by having an unauthorized tour guide, no exceptions to allow us to tour on our own.

Everyone from the tour guide, the tour operator, and Royal were all blindsided by this. They even had a scheduled time for a bus exclusively for our group to go out to the Apollo/Saturn center, but we were unable to do so. They literally had armed guards walk us out and got really nasty with us, and were glaring at us as we waited for our bus to return. Nobody in the group acted out of line or violated any moral/legal/or ethical standards, other than the fact we used a valid ticket to enter the complex with an unauthorized tour guide. The tour guide and tour operator had been doing this tour for Royal for years. While we were in the middle of this they stopped at least one other tour company.

I would normally say it is worth a visit, but I don't want any money to go to that company. I had done this exact tour from Royal last November and loved it, so I wanted to try it again. But if you do go, I believe there are buses operated by the Center to take people out to the Apollo/Saturn center. I am not sure the visit is worth it without that, but the Atlantis Shuttle Center is pretty amazing and could make it worthwhile. One of the biggest values I found out of the excursion was the tour guide providing history of the space program and the area on the way there and the commentary/guided tour through the center.

If you do go and you encounter Rex either on the bus or at the center distributing your prepaid tickets be really nice to him- he literally had the vast majority of his income evaporate in front of our group of 47 that morning.

Do your bags stay on the bus?  I have the excursion planned as well and received the same email.  Our flight is out of MCO at 5:15, does the RC bus still get you back to the airport in time?

[Brendon]

6 hours ago, Nichole M said:

Do your bags stay on the bus?  I have the excursion planned as well and received the same email.  Our flight is out of MCO at 5:15, does the RC bus still get you back to the airport in time?

I did the tour twice- one time fully, and one time interrupted. The first time we were to the airport by 3, the interrupted time we were there at noon. Bags stay on the bus. When we were interrupted we ended up having to wait for the bus because the driver had left to get food because she expected us to be touring for a few more hours, but it was the same bus. If I recall they say in the description that you should have a flight departing after 5. From my own experience you should be more than fine, especially if you can use TSA Precheck lines.