Before & After Your Cruise

Depending upon where you live you may have to arrive at your departure port a day or two before your ship sails.  If you are travelling from a cold climate you should plan for delays in getting to your destination, especially if you are flying.  The ship will sail without you if you don't arrive on time and it is on your dime to connect with the ship at another port that it sails to.  We always give oursleves two extra days to arrive in port.  That way we can miss two days without missing our vacation.  This actually happened to an acquaintance of ours who always flew on the day of the cruise.  On their trip last year the plan was fogged in so they missed their ship.  By the time they managed to catch the ship it was three days into the 7 day cruise so needless to say this trip was ruined.

Once your cruise is over do you plan to hang ashore for a few days before heading home or will you be heading home the same day the ship arrives in port.  Well we have done this both ways and our preference by far is to head for home the same day that the ship arrives back in port.  Our logic is simple - after staying aboard a luxurious ship and having every whim catered to it is quite a letdown to go back to a hotel and start fending for yourself.  Staying ashore for an extended time after the cruise is over is very anticlimatic and we end up feeling like we are wasting time just waiting for our plane ride back home.

Port Canaveral

The second busiest cruise port in the world is situated in Brevard County, Florida at Port Canaveral.  It is also a major cargo port and extremely important to the local economy.  The deep water port handles bulk cargo containers and receives all kinds of shipments, from cars to lumber.  It's also a major center for the exporting of bulk citrus fruit, made possible because of the port's large refrigerated warehouse.

Commercial shipping began in 1955 and cruise liners have used the docks from 1964. Some of the most well known cruise companies' liners pass through Port Canaveral, including Disney, Royal Caribbean International, Carnival and the Norwegian Cruise Line.  The dock has six cruise terminals and the port is also home to the SunCruz Casinos and Sterling Casinos casino ships.  The port has a good working relationship with NASA at the nearby John F.Kennedy Space Center.  The port allows rocket boosters to pass through and the external tanks from the Space Shuttle are also brought through for each shuttle mission.

There are lots of plans for the future to expand Port Canaveral even further, including the construction of another cruise terminal.  The cruise industry is going through a boom time and the port wants extra capacity.  The port's channel will be widened and a fuel tank depot is to be constructed with a pipeline link to Orlando International Airport.

From 1983 until 2005, the SeaFest Annual Seafood festival was a highlight of the area's social calendar.  It featured live music and gave local artists an opportunity to show their work.  Seafood took center stage of course and the last festival included a chowder cook off competition.  In 2006, the festival was re-named SpringFest and moved to the Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida.

There are many cruises to choose from with different time scales and destinations.  Three, four and seven day cruises go to the Eastern Caribbean, the Bahamas and the Mexican Gulf.  Two casino ships go out to sea from Port Canaveral for five or six hour journeys and passengers enjoy casino games, slot machines and live entertainment.  There are buffet meals and a nightclub too.

The port area contains three public parks with various amenities, including a beach, camp sites, fishing pier and boat launch ramps.  Fishing enthusiasts can get supplies at the tackle and bait shop and there is a great view of Port Canaveral from the observation towers.  Visitors get the chance to see local wildlife, including manatees, turtles, right whales and various species of birds.

Florida Vacation Home Rental

Staying in a hotel for any more than a day or two can be a little claustrophobic for a family of four or more so we decided to check into renting a home for a stay in Orlando.  We were a little cautious about picking a place off the web but eventually we ran into a friend who had rented a home the provious year.  Our friend gave the company he rented from a glowing recommendation so off we went to visit the web site.  There are plenty of homes available for rent and with a little prudence you shouldn't a difficult time finding one to suit your needs.  

The prices vary pretty widely, so you have to look carefully.  Our home cost about $1,100.00 for a week but it was big enough for two families to share very comfortably.  Our home was in a gaited community, it had two full master suites - one upstairs and another on the main floor.  Each suite had its own very large bathroom with separate tub and shower, toilet in a separate room off the bathroom and two full vanities.  There were two other bedrooms which the children shared and downstairs there was a sectional sofa that pulled out into a sofabed. 

This home had a large kitchen with eating area so we usually prepared our own meals instead of dining out for every meal.

Out doors was a swimming pool and whirlpool that was completely surrounded by a screen house.  There was also a BBQ which was also a special treat from eating out all the time.

Some owners like to rent their houses through a vacation lease agency that handles everything for them, while others prefer to do all of the work themselves.  We choose to rent through an agency because we thought it would be better managed.  Some Florida vacation rental by owner houses are marketed to the locals via newspapers, while others are well publicized on the Internet or through vacation travel agencies so that everyone can look at them.

Unless you know what you are getting in for, you should be cautious about a Florida vacation rental by owner that you have not seen personally. It is actually possible to hire an agent to go down and check the place out for you to see if it is in good shape. It can cost quite a bit of money for an hour of work, but I still would recommend it. Pictures do not always show everything. Sometimes, if you do not have someone there to check things out for you, you will not see mold problems, chipping paint, or other flaws with a house. Still, most of the Florida vacation homes are pretty reputable, so you are likely to get a good deal.

I would recommend renting a home as long as you can get a good quality, clean home that has all the amenities you are expecting.  This was a pleasant break from the cost of staying in a hotel room.