Port Canaveral Cruise Guide
Millions of passengers stop by Port Canaveral each year, the cruise port located in Orlando, Florida. Major cruise lines such as Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean frequent this port. These ships primarily cruise to the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. The port itself also features many family-friendly attractions nearby, making it a good place to extend your trip before or after a cruise.
A must-see is the Kennedy Space Center, an original NASA Launch Operations Center where launch operations for the famous Apollo, Skylab and others were held. The site features educational experiences, dining, an IMAX theater, and shuttle launch simulations. For more interactive fun, stop by the Exploration Tower, which has seven floors of games, exhibits, and an observation deck at the very top.
If youre looking to optimize your beach time before heading off to the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean, Cocoa Beach is a popular spot. Its home to the original Ron Jon Surf Shop, where you can take surf lessons, or just soak in the warm temperature.
Lastly, no stay at Port Canaveral would be complete without a day trip to Walt Disney World. Some cruise lines even offer motorcoach transfer to the parks, so you wont need to worry about transportation. When youre just miles from the Happiest Place on Earth, visiting this park is a must, especially when travelling with kids!
How Long Are Weekend Cruises
Most weekend cruises tend to be 3-nights, leaving port on Friday afternoon and returning early Monday morning. A 3-night cruise gives the perfect length for a true weekend getaway, allowing you to forget all the stress brought on by work or school and truly escape.
Occasionally you may find 2-night cruises over the weekend, which leave Friday afternoon and return Sunday morning, although these are much less common.
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Cost Of Cruise Addons And Excursions
One of the biggest benefits to booking a weekend cruise is that booking a dining or beverage package comes with less of a sticker shock than on a longer sailing.
If a beverage package is priced at $75/day on a 7-night cruise, your total cost will be over $500 plus gratuities! If that same price is offered on a 3-night cruise, youll only be shelling out around $225 plus gratuities.
This can make purchasing a beverage package much more enticing. Plus, its unlikely you will get bored or tired of drinking on a short cruise. Its common for many passengers to order fewer drinks as the days go on during a longer cruise, thus not getting the full value of their drink package. 3-nights is a more reasonable amount of time to enjoy unlimited tropical cocktails, beer, wine, coffee drinks, and fresh juices without feeling like youve been drinking too much!
Another great thing about the majority of Royal Caribbeans weekend cruises is that they include a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Its extremely easy to spend an entire day at CocoCay without spending anything extra, as food, beaches, pools, hammocks, and more are included in your cruise fare. Drink packages work on the island, too, meaning you wont have to budget anything extra for drinks.
For more information on what to do and whats included at Perfect Day at CocoCay, check out our full tour on the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel:
Best Port Canaveral Cruise Deals
Millions of passengers stop by Port Canaveral each year, the cruise port located in Orlando, Florida. Major cruise lines such as Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean frequent this port. These ships primarily cruise to the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. The port itself also features many family-friendly attractions nearby, making it a good place to extend your trip before or after a cruise.
A must-see is the Kennedy Space Center, an original NASA Launch Operations Center where launch operations for the famous Apollo, Skylab and others were held. The site features educational experiences, dining, an IMAX theater, and shuttle launch simulations. For more interactive fun, stop by the Exploration Tower, which has seven floors of games, exhibits, and an observation deck at the very top.
If youre looking to optimize your beach time before heading off to the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean, Cocoa Beach is a popular spot. Its home to the original Ron Jon Surf Shop, where you can take surf lessons, or just soak in the warm temperature.
Lastly, no stay at Port Canaveral would be complete without a day trip to Walt Disney World. Some cruise lines even offer motorcoach transfer to the parks, so you wont need to worry about transportation. When youre just miles from the Happiest Place on Earth, visiting this park is a must, especially when travelling with kids!
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Which Cruise Ship Should I Pick For A Weekend Cruise
Most of Royal Caribbeans ships offering weekend cruises are extremely similar to each other. The Voyager and Freedom Class cruise ships offering 3-night cruises are almost identical in layout and onboard features. While some dining venues, bars, and water slides may differ, passengers should expect a relatively similar experience no matter which Voyager or Freedom Class ship they choose.
There are a few differences between them that should be noted, though:
- Navigator of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas offer different style waterslides than the others
- There is an escape room available on Independence, Mariner, and Navigator of the Seas
- Freedom Class ships are longer than Voyager Class ships, giving more space for a Splashaway Bay area for kids on the pool deck and more venues and stores inside the ship
- Freedom of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas offer the revamped Adventure Ocean kids programming, which offers kids more flexibility in activities rather than a rigid activity schedule
Cruise From Port Canaveral
Cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida
Cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida are abundant and are a great option to get away on a cruise vacation. Cruises from Port Canaveral range from 3 to 9 days and sail to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Guests taking a cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida might enjoy a pre or post-cruise packages and take advantage of the many theme parks, water parks and shopping opportunities that the area is so well known for.
Those lucky enough to live within driving distance can also get some great last minute cruise deals when they cruise from Port Canaveral.
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Should I Pick Allure Of The Seas
Allure of the Seas stands apart from the other cruise ships offering weekend sailings in that she is an Oasis Class ship. The Oasis Class ships are the largest in Royal Caribbeans fleet and are famous for their Central Park neighborhood, open-air Boardwalk, countless dining venues, and unique onboard activities and entertainment.
A 3-night cruise on Allure of the Seas will almost certainly be the type of sailing where the ship is considered the destination. Whether dining outdoors in Central Park, watching impressive acrobatics and diving in the AquaTheater, or zip lining over the Boardwalk, its unlikely a weekend will be enough time to explore the entire ship!
One important distinction to note before booking a weekend cruise on Allure of the Seas is that she has a few differences compared to other Oasis Class cruise ships. While she was scheduled to be amplified in 2020, her amplification has been postponed. Therefore she does not have many features you will find on other ships offering weekend cruises, including water slides, an upgraded pool deck, and new restaurants and bars.
Con: Higher Cost Per Day
A major drawback to a weekend cruise is that the cost per day of a 3-night cruise is often more expensive than the cost per day of a longer cruise. To put this into perspective, I checked the prices of two cruises: a 3-night cruise on Freedom of the Seas and a 7-night cruise on Harmony of the Seas. Both sailings take place in September, just after the summer cruise season is over.
On the 3-night sailing on Freedom of the Seas, the cruise fare for 2 adults in a balcony stateroom is $1068. This makes the cost per day $356 per room, or $178 per person.
On the 7-night sailing on Harmony of the Seas, the cruise fare for 2 adults in a balcony stateroom is $1,960 total. This makes the cost per day $280 per room, or $140 per person.
While the cost per day may not seem too drastic, it becomes much different once the cost of airfare and a pre-cruise hotel stay are added to the total cruise cost.
Lets say you pay $300 roundtrip in airfare and $250 for a hotel the night before your cruise. This adds $850 to your total cruise cost.
The 3-night cruise now costs $1918, making the cost per day around $639 per room, or $319 per person. The 7-night cruise, on the other hand, now costs $2,810, making the cost per day $401 per room, or around $200 per person.
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How Much Does A Weekend Cruise Cost
Weekend cruises offer a great value for a short getaway, as food, lodging, entertainment, and onboard activities are included in your cruise fare. When comparing the price of a hotel, dining at restaurants, and purchasing tickets to entertainment on land, a cruise tends to come at a much lower cost.
In general, a weekend cruise in the cheapest stateroom category will cost between $700 and $1000 total for 2 adults. The cost of a balcony stateroom will be slightly higher, usually falling somewhere between $1000 and $1450.
Weekend cruises can differ in price depending on the following factors:
- How far in advance you book the cruise
- What time of year you plan to cruise
- Which stateroom you select
- Whether you purchase cruise addons or shore excursions
Generally speaking, the further in advance you book a cruise, the cheaper your price will be. Booking a year in advance can usually net a better price than waiting until just a few weeks or months until the cruise.
This is not always the case, however, as there may sometimes be last-minute weekend cruise deals available. Last-minute deals should not be relied upon, though, and the last thing you want to happen is have a weekend cruise sell out before you can book it!
The category of stateroom you select can also make a big difference on the overall cost of a weekend cruise. Interior staterooms will almost always be the cheapest stateroom category available.
Con: Its Over Before You Know It
Booking a 3-night cruise sounds like a perfect idea until its over! Weekend cruises go by very quickly, and they seem to be over just as you are getting acquainted with the ship and settling into vacation mode.
While a short cruise is still better than no cruise at all, youll likely wish you had at least one or two more days onboard.
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Will There Be A Sea Day
The majority of weekend cruises departing from Florida do not have a sea day, although you may occasionally run into an itinerary with one day at sea. Weekend cruises tend to be port-intensive, meaning they stop in a new port each day.
The exception is with cruises departing from the Port of Los Angeles on Navigator of the Seas. Weekend cruises on Navigator of the Seas have a full day at sea prior to a port day in Ensenada, Mexico. A sea day is perfect for trying the newly amplified ships upgraded features, including the longest waterslide at sea and The Lime & Coconut Bar.
If your weekend cruise itinerary does not include a sea day, that does not mean you have to disembark the ship in each port you visit. Many passengers opt to spend one of the port days onboard instead of in port so they can make the most of the cruise ships activities, dining, and amenities.
Perfect Day At Cococay
Perfect Day at CocoCay is Royal Caribbeans private destination in the Bahamas and is a favorite port among cruise fans. The island offers something for everyone, whether youre looking to spend the day relaxing at Chill Beach, join the party at the swim-up bar, reserve a private, floating cabana, or slide down the tallest waterslide in North America.
While its not necessary to have a plan for your day at CocoCay, its a good idea to be familiar with what is offered on the island to ensure you can book any excursions or addons in advance.
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Pro: Ability To Splurge
A shorter cruise can be a great time to splurge on things like drink packages, shore excursions, and specialty dining. Knowing you dont have to budget for a full weeks vacation might make you more willing to pay for a few extras to enhance the cruise experience.
Spending $100 for a shore excursion in Nassau may not seem as bad when you dont have 3 or 4 other ports to visit. Likewise, booking a specialty dinner at Chops, Izumi Hibachi, or Jamies Italian can be a nice way to splurge while still having a fantastic weekend getaway.
Sail To The Caribbean From One Of Floridas Most Popular Home Ports
Serving millions of passengers every year, Port Canaveral is the one of the most active cruise ports in the world. The Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico await you after taking off from the Florida coast. Whether youre looking for excitement or relaxation, your cruise from Port Canaveral is sure to deliver in spades.
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Which Royal Caribbean Ships Offer Weekend Cruises
While all Royal Caribbean ships may offer a 3-night cruise here and there, there are several ships that almost exclusively run on the same schedule every week. These ships tend to offer 3-night cruises from Friday afternoon to Monday morning and 4-night cruises from Monday afternoon to Friday morning.
While most ships running weekend cruises are not the newest and largest in Royal Caribbeans fleet, the majority of these ships have recently been amplified in the cruise lines Royal Amplified program. Amplifications bring an impressive upgrade to Royal Caribbean ships, adding new onboard activities, stateroom options, and dining/lounge venues.
Freedom of the Seas, a Freedom Class ship, offers year-round 3-night weekend cruises departing from Miami, visiting both Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas. Freedom of the Seas was amplified in February 2020 and received a major upgrade, with additions including the Perfect Storm waterslides, a Caribbean resort-style pool deck, and the new Giovannis Italian Kitchen restaurant.
Liberty of the Seas is another Freedom Class cruise ship and she will offer 3-night cruises to Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas starting in November 2022. Those booking a weekend getaway on Liberty of the Seas will depart from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Liberty of the Seas was revamped in 2016, which added the waterslides, Splashaway Bay kids aqua park, and the Sabor Mexican restaurant.
Weekend Cruise Departure Ports
Most of Royal Caribbeans regularly scheduled weekend cruises leave from the ports of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, or Los Angeles.
Due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act , all foreign-flagged ships departing from the United States must include an itinerary stop in a country other than the United States.
This severely limits options for weekend cruises, as any US port offering 2 and 3-night cruises must be able to travel to and from a secondary country in a short amount of time. Cruises departing from New York , for example, often visit northeast Canada, but this tends to require a 4-night minimum travel time round-trip.
Therefore, you will see weekend cruises leaving from ports closest to other countries. In Royal Caribbeans case, Florida ports have quick access to the Bahamas whereas Los Angeles is just a short distance from Mexico.
On some occasions you may find weekend cruises leaving from other ports around the world, such as Southampton, England and Haifa, Israel, although these tend to be more of a one-time cruise than a weekly itinerary choice.
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Day/3 Night Cruises Out Of Port Canaveral Florida
| Are you looking for 3 day cruises that leave from Orlando, FL? As of today – September 4, 2022 – there are 155 such cruise options. These cruise options are offered by two cruise lines – Carnival and Royal Caribbean .In the following table you can see all 3 day cruises that depart from Orlando sorted by departure date. |
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Pro: Less Vacation Time Needed
A great benefit of a weekend cruise is that far less vacation time is needed compared to a 7-night cruise, especially if you live close to the departure port. By departing on Friday afternoon and returning Monday morning, its possible to take just one or two days off of work.
If you have few vacation hours or youre saving them for a longer trip, a 3-night cruise offers the chance to have a mini-vacation without sacrificing your precious PTO time.
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