Royal Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral

Posted by Mike

My family and I just got back from a
Royal Caribbean cruise this past week which left from Port Canaveral. We had a great time and Royal Caribbean certainly has great service and quality.

We flew down on Allegiant air the day prior, as the schedule doesn't allow to arrive on the same day as the cruise departs. Allegiant flies into Sanford, the other Orlando airport about 20 miles north of Orlando. Allegiant air is not an IATA carrier, and therefore do not have to adhere to all the "protection" rules a normal carrier would. The service was fine and the equipment was MD-8x series which has a 2x3 configuration. The flights were on time and check-in was pretty much like a normal carrier.

We rented a car and drove to Port Canaveral and stayed at the
Radisson in Port Can. The Radisson is only 2 miles from where the ships depart and they offer free parking and also free shuttle service to the ships.

Avis also is close by and offers free shuttle service to and from ships and generally no drop charge.

The drive from Sanford is only about 75 minutes, and for the savings of taking another carrier to Orlando, you can more than pay for the extra night hotel cost.

On the way back we opted to hire a service that picked us up at the pier and took us to Sanford. We used Capital One limo, and got a 15 passenger van (which holds 10 passengers plus luggage) one way for $150, which worked out to $15 per person. Someone else on the cruise just took a cab and it cost the same.

Carnival Victory Cruise from Charleston by Ann

I had the opportunity to sail on Carnival's Victory, from Charleston to Nassau. Check in was a breeze, I checked in at 4 p.m. after my drive from Anderson to Charleston. My luggage arrived at my cabin as soon as I walked in. I had an inside cabin -- it was comfortable, but small. I usually prefer an outside cabin with a window, because I like to know what the weather is like -- and have daylight too.

The Victory is a new ship that had one sailing from Charleston before she was taken to Miami, where she started October 15 with her 7 day rotating Eastern and Western Caribbean sailing. The Victory is a beautiful ship and is huge! It has 101,509 gross tonnage. She has a 9 story main atrium with glass elevators and a spectacular sky dome made of illuminated Tiffany Glass. The Seventh Sea Bar is located in the middle of the atrium. This is a great place to meet, have a drink, and listen to music throughout the day and evening.

You can begin your day at 6:30 am with Continental Breakfast in the Mediterranean Restaurant. At 8:00 am, you can also have a regular breakfast in your assigned dining room, the Mediterranean Restaurant, or on the Lido deck by the pool. One thing is for sure; you can never get hungry on a cruise! The Pizzeria is open 24 hours a day, or you can have room service. Not forgetting the main dining room for gorgeous, formal meals.

There are scheduled activities all day, which you can participate in if you wish. The other option is to just soak up the sun by the pool, the 214 foot spiral waterslide, or the multiple whirlpools.

One of my favorite places was the South of Chins Sea Club Casino. I had a lot of fun ... even though I didn't win anything. You can dance all night long in the Adriatic Lounge.

My other favorite place was the tre-level state of the art theatre, The Caribbean Lounge. This is where the Broadway type shows and games are held, throughout the day and evening.

There is also an Internet Cafe' where you can send an receive email, or surf the net 24 hours a day. There are multiple places to go for entertainment on the ship: The Nautica Spa and Gym; gift shops; photo gallery; and video arcade. There is always something for every age group on a Carnival Cruise.