Cruise Day...What Do You Do?

VoiceGuy07

VoiceGuy07

Active Member
Original Poster
So you can't begin check-in until 11:00 and probably won't board for an hour or hours later. How do you spend your morning before your Disney Cruise?

In the past, we've gone to breakfast at the Sunrise Diner in Cocoa Beach and of course we stop by Ron Jon Surf Shop but want to experience something different this upcoming trip.
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Wow! You're much better than us! We usually try to get a solid sleep without getting up too early, pack up the last few things, get a decent breakfast, and just get to the port in a timely manner. The port says they don't open to check-in earlier than 11:00 but I can attest to the fact that they do open earlier. In fact, we were there for port opening 2 weeks ago and it happened just after 10:30. ;)
 
wdwstateofmind

wdwstateofmind

Well-Known Member
We've only flown so pretty much get up, get to the airport as early as possible (for our early as possible flight) and pray our flight out of Newark isn't delayed (it's one of the highest delayed airports in the country)...

sweetpee_1993 said:
Wow! You're much better than us! We usually try to get a solid sleep without getting up too early, pack up the last few things, get a decent breakfast, and just get to the port in a timely manner. The port says they don't open to check-in earlier than 11:00 but I can attest to the fact that they do open earlier. In fact, we were there for port opening 2 weeks ago and it happened just after 10:30. ;)
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I can second the 10:30 check-in thing...we got our check-in # at like 10:30 AM and were called pretty promptly...waited like 16 minutes and we were on the boat.
 
ChuckElias

ChuckElias

Well-Known Member
We usually stay the night before in Winter Garden (about an hour from the port), because we have a house there. I always joke that we should shoot to be out of the house by 6 a.m. But the truth is that we usually leave the house by 9 or so, stop for a coffee and muffin and get to the port between 10 and 10:30. We shoot to get there early b/c as Platinum Castaway Club members, we get to board right after Concierge guests. So we're usually on the ship by noon.

This last time, we parked at a "satellite" lot and took their shuttle; and that took about a half hour to 40 minutes. So we didn't get into the terminal until after 11. I was getting a little antsy while we waited for the stupid shuttle. . .
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Yeah, we parked off-site for the first and last time on our recent cruise. Parking at the terminal would've cost twice as much but it would've been totally worth it & then some. Lesson learned!
 
ChuckElias

ChuckElias

Well-Known Member
sweetpee_1993 said:
Yeah, we parked off-site for the first and last time on our recent cruise. Parking at the terminal would've cost twice as much but it would've been totally worth it & then some. Lesson learned!
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It wasn't too horrible. I'll just know to show up a little earlier next time. The worse part was the trip back to the lot after the cruise. Our driver stood around for almost a half hour waiting for his van to fill up to get the extra tips. Next time, we will insist on not waiting.
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
ChuckElias said:
It wasn't too horrible. I'll just know to show up a little earlier next time. The worse part was the trip back to the lot after the cruise. Our driver stood around for almost a half hour waiting for his van to fill up to get the extra tips. Next time, we will insist on not waiting.
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Oh honey, I wish our experience had been like yours. The employees were very rude & yelling orders to everyone. Very chaotic. They shouted about luggage then ordered everyone on a bus. Then THEY failed to put 2 of our bags on the stinkin' bus. Standing up passengers to get to the port. Tracey called in search of missing luggage as we tried to make our way into the terminal. He got the chief barker on the phone who berated him over it all. They did locate the missing items right where we left them when ordered on the bus. Ugh! Return trip? There was a family waiting ahead of us for a bus who had been there an hour! There wasn't room for all 7 of us on the bus w/our luggage so Tracey & Jerry went over & brought our cars back. The load/unload area was crazy packed. A huge tour bus pulled up where we were near the end of the zone. The guys double parked & we moved swiftly. Impatient bus came within inches of backing into our Tahoe. Tracey was screaming mad. I just wanted it over with. We never had such insane, intense, mega-stressful experiences parking in the structure. We walk out, get in the car, and go. Easy peasy. Never never never will we chance off-site parking again. Nightmare! Ugh!
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
ChuckElias said:
Wow, what parking area did you use? We used Park Port Canaveral: http://www.parkportcanaveral.com/directions.html#.UbOHy-fkvTo

We parked at a local Radisson. Is that the same place you parked?
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Yep. Same place.

The Carnival Dream was also sailing that day. The lady and the guy working the parking lot looked hot, sweaty, and exhausted. And we got there at like 10:20. It was pretty busy and they seemed very frustrated trying to sort out the Disney & Carnival passengers. I tried to be extra nice and appreciative of what they must go thru. I got a little bit of a smile then more yelling and orders. It was really weird. I would never ever eeeeever do it again. No way. Too much stress to start and end a cruise.
 
joanna71985

joanna71985

Well-Known Member
I don't really do anything the morning of. My 2 cruises I used the shuttles from MCO, so I would get there around 8 and wait for the first bus. So I got to the port terminal around 10:30ish (and both cruises I got on the ship before 11:30)
 
D

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
wdwstateofmind said:
We've only flown so pretty much get up, get to the airport as early as possible (for our early as possible flight) and pray our flight out of Newark isn't delayed (it's one of the highest delayed airports in the country)...
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Besides the recommendation for travel insurance, I've had clients that have completely missed their cruise due to same day air problems - I always recommend flying in the night before. I recommend the MCO Hyatt.
 
tracyandalex

tracyandalex

Well-Known Member
We usually stay in Orlando the night before. We get up earlyish in the morning, eat something quick, and try to be at the port by 11. We rarely make it, but if we didn't shoot for 11 we wouldn't get there till 2 or 3 so. While waiting in the terminal we sign DD up for the kid's club and take her to see the characters.
 
disneyfan1995

disneyfan1995

Well-Known Member
We usually stay near the cruise terminal the night before so we can wake up a little later in the morning and grab a quick bite to eat. Then we return our rental car and shuttle over to the terminal and sooner than later we're on the ship!!
 

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