Taxi in Port Canaveral/Cape Canaveral About This Page:

[Chris_Wangard]

We are considering dropping of a rental car from a pre-cruise trip to Vero Beach at the Dollar office in Cape Canaveral and taking a taxi to the DCL terminal. Has anyone used a taxi in Port Canaveral? How was your experience? Did they seem to have an abundance of minivans? If not, we my need two cabs for our family of 5.

Thanks!
Chris

[Dave Marx]

I can't say whether there's an abundance or not, but they do have them. Availability seems to be pretty good, but you'll be needing a cab during one of the highest-demand periods of the week, so don't count on immediate availability. The good news is that, except when the cabs are headed out to MCO, they're taking fairly short trips back and forth to the cruise terminal so the wait shouldn't be horrible if you do have to wait.

However, I strongly encourage you to drop your family and luggage at the cruise terminal before you drop off the rental car. That way you won't run into the seating (and luggage) capacity problem at all, and you'll have a lot less baggage handling. You might even be able to share a cab to the ship with someone you meet at the rental place (but don't count on it). Whoever is dropping off the car should keep his/her carry-on. Everything else can be handed over to the porters at curbside. The family can go into the terminal and you can catch up with them later.

[Chris_Wangard]

Thanks Dave! Excellent advice to reduce stress for all.

[DavidaTN]

I think that most rental companies in Cape Canaveral offer free shuttle service to the port. Check with Dollar to see if they offer the shuttle service. I would still take Dave's suggestion by dropping family and luggage at the port before returning your rental.

[hansenherd]

Thanks for this question & answer, it's exactly what I needed! (And I didn't even know I needed it til I saw it!)

[NeilPage]

Their rental agency is the closest to the port (about 1 mile) and located next to the Radisson Resort hotel. They offer free shuttle service.

If arriving by plane, I would recommend using the Disney bus. While at $70 per person it will be more expensive than renting a minvan, it is much less hassle in trying to lug your suitcases (Disney gets your checked suitcases right off the Baggage Claim rack) and drops you off right at the terminal. Your checked bags will be at your cabin door later that day.

At the debarkation, we used Alamo since our flight wasn't until that evening and we could then spend the day at WDW! Most of the car rental agencies had shuttle spots there....but I can't confirm that Dollar was there though.

[ChrisB]

The last time we dropped off a rental car in Cocoa Beach and took the shuttle to the port it was very busy. Everyone was doing the same thing. My recommendation is to talk to the staff at the Dollar Rental location ahead of time. Find out what time the shuttles head out (earliest) and the busiest timeframe. Then plan to drop the rental car off at a time that works for the shuttle and will allow you enough time to board the ship without feeling stressed and rushed. It worked well for us - just requires that extra moment of planning.

[Chris_Wangard]

Thanks all!

[beccastuff]

I can't find Alamo in Cape Canaveral. Can you tell me what location it is that is near the port? Thanks!

[lbodenheimer]

Chris
My husband & I just got back from a cruise last week and didn't have time to wait and use the Magical Express so we got a cab from DCL to Orlando airport. We used Royal cabs 321-961-8900, they were at DCL to pick us up(minivan) within 5 mins of me calling and it cost us $35 per person - there were just two of us. I thin there is a different charge based on the number of people. But you can call them before leaving - I spoke with them about a month out when I was planning that leg of our trip and the day before we left port. Good luck and have FUN!

[iamgrumpy]

I don't believe Alamo is in PC any longer, I know Budget is a popular company that is used. Definitely check with the Car Rental Agency about shuttles as I believe National does not have one.

Definitely drop off the family and the luggage first and then drop off the rental car, that will greatly reduce the stress for all of you and will make travel back and forth easier.

Have a great Cruise!

[shydonna1]

Originally Posted by DavidaTN

I think that most rental companies in Cape Canaveral offer free shuttle service to the port. Check with Dollar to see if they offer the shuttle service. I would still take Dave's suggestion by dropping family and luggage at the port before returning your rental.

This is exactly what we did for our cruise last December. Hubby dropped the kids and I off with our luggage curbside at DCL and we checked in while he returned the rental car. The rental company offered a free shuttle and he joined us within about 45 minutes. Just remember to make sure that whomever drops off the rental car has all of their appropriate embarkation documents (in our case,a passport) for their entry through DCL security. I had us all checked in and the kids registered for on board activities by the time he returned, which made the wait for him fly by. Enjoy your trip!

[Susu]

How much does it cost to park at the port per day? (We are on a 7 night cruise?)

Thanks,
Susu

[Dave Marx]

Parking is $15 per day. In general, you'll find that two short-term one-way rentals are cheaper than taking a weekly rental plus parking. Of course, doing the paperwork and rental return twice is more work. All you can do is crunch the numbers and see which seems more worthwhile in your case.

Some of the nearby hotels offer special parking deals for guests who stay with them pre-cruise, so if you're planning to stay overnight pre-trip in the Port Canaveral area, that's another option.