Anyone that has been on a cruise before will tell you that the most annoying part of the experience is getting to the port and back again. Do you fly or do you drive? Do you arrive the day of or the day before? Where is the best place to leave your vehicle while you are on the ship? There are so many decisions to make. After our most recent cruise, this will never again be a difficult decision to make. The Radisson Resort is the best place to stay in Port Canaveral the night before your cruise, and here’s why…
Disclaimer: We were hosted by the Radisson Resort at the Port. However, as always, all opinions are my own.
Check out our other hotel reviews of the Renaissance Charleston, and the Beau Rivage in Biloxi.
Always arrive in Port Canaveral the night before
There are entirely too many ‘what-if’s’ to risk arriving in Port Canaveral on the day of your cruise. Whether flying or driving we never recommend arriving the day of embarkment. What if your flight is delayed? What if there is a major traffic accident and the roads are blocked? No one wants to miss the boat – so arriving the day before is advised.
Now that you’ve decided to stay in Port Canaveral the night before your cruise, where do you stay? And what about parking and transportation the next day? The Radisson Resort at the Port is the answer to those questions!
The Radisson Resort at the Port
Location
The hotel is located at 8701 Astronaut Blvd (A1A), Cape Canaveral in Florida – just minutes from the cruise port. The Radisson Resort offers a Park & Cruise package, where you can park your car longterm while you cruise – it couldn’t be easier. Check in was simple, with ample staff available. Within minutes, we were settling into our room.
The Rooms
Our room was the 2-room suite, which included a spacious sitting area. It included a kitchenette, a bedroom that contained 2 queen beds, and an additional TV. There was also a bathroom and seperate dressing area which comes in handy if you have a large family. It was clean, comfortable, and included everything that we needed!
Amenities
Outdoor areas
The Radisson Resort at the Port has so much to offer. Outside there is a lush tropical pool with cascading waterfalls, an outdoor heated pool, a jacuzzi, a kiddie pool, tennis courts, and a pool side tiki bar! They often have live music playing at the Tiki Bar, which is a really nice touch.
Indoors
Free high speed internet and WiFi are provided throughout the property; which is very nice considering that some hotels can charge as much as $20 a day for service. Inside the property you will find Flamingo’s Restaurant and the Coral Reef Lounge. Other amenities on site include a fitness center, a business center, laundry, and a 30,000 square-foot meeting space!
Dining
At the Radisson Resort at the Port, you can dine at Flamingo’s Restaurant; or you can visit the Radisson’s sister resort, The Four Points By Sheraton, which is only 3 miles away. We had dinner at their Shark Pit Bar and Grill and it was fantastic. There is also a Cocoa Beach Surf Shop located here with lots of souvenirs and last minute items that you may have forgotten at home.
Payton ordered the wood fired pizza and once it arrived at the table John and I were jealous, but at least she shared! I had the fish and chips which are breaded in a “made from scratch” beer batter and John had the shrimp basket. Everything was excellent.
The Park & Cruise Package from Radisson Resort at the Port
The Radisson Resort at the Port, along with the park and cruise package, is the very best place to stay in Port Canaveral the night before your cruise. You can’t ask for better accommodations or service. They also offer the same deal at two other sister locations nearby, the Four Points by Sheraton and the Cocoa Beach Suites.
How it works
The next morning we simply parked our vehicle in the secure, long term parking area on site and made our way to the lobby with our luggage. We had scheduled our shuttle for 11:30am, but arrived early and ready to go. We checked in with the shuttle coordinator when we arrived and she called our name as soon as there was room for us to board. The shuttles run approximately every 15 minutes and we were able to board early. The driver loaded our bags for us, all 7 of them, and welcomed us on board.
Ten minutes later, we arrived at the cruise terminal where he unloaded our bags for us directly to the porters. We didn’t have to lift a finger. The customer service was definitely more than we expected. We tipped the shuttle driver for his excellent service and make our way to the ship. It could not have been more convenient or easier in any way.
After our 7 day cruise, we returned to the same area and found our shuttle for the return trip waiting for us. Upon arrival back at the resort, we were delivered to the long term parking lot along with our luggage literally steps from our vehicle. It just does not get any better!
Integrity & Service
There is one more thing that I can not end without mentioning. The day that we arrived on the ship, just minutes after departing, our daughter realized that she did not have her iPhone with her. In the excitement of preparing for her first cruise, she had left it somewhere and had no idea where it may have been. At that point, there was nothing we could do but hope that it was locked safely in our vehicle back at the resort. Upon our return, I walked into the Radisson reception to ask the front desk if they had a lost and found. She made a phone call and within minutes her phone was brought to us in the lobby. It had been discovered by housekeeping and turned in. What honesty and integrity on the part of the staff.
The Radisson Resort at the Port really is best place to stay in Port Canaveral the night before your cruise!
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Thanks for sharing great tips, love leaving the day before idea, you never know what may happen.
We are going on a cruise out of Port Canaveral next month, and will be sure to stay here the night before we leave! Thank you!
Great to hear! You will love it!
Wow. How great stuff they have there. It is a true honesty and integrity! That is amazing. And looks like a great place to stay! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Such a good idea to stay someplace the night before a cruise and I’m super impressed with them turning in the phone. I recently had a bunch of gift cards stolen from a hidden compartment in my van while it was valet parked at a VERY expensive hotel. Granted I shouldn’t have left them there, hidden or not, but still disgusting. Kudos to Radisson for hiring honest people.
Pam I hate to hear about your experience with the gift cards! Honestly, I assumed the same thing had happened with her phone. I was very pleasantly surprised!
Wow, what a lovely experience, and those are some great tips! ! I still need to go on a cruise!
Yes you do! I love cruising! Leaving again on Thursday!
This looks like a lovely place to stay. The rooms are beautiful, and my family would like the Shark Pitt Bar and Grill. I like the arrangements they have for getting you to the ship. And I’m glad you found your phone!
Wow, what a fun experience. I would love to go on a cruise some day.
I will have to stay here!!! Thank you very much!
You’re welcome! You need to check them out for sure!
This looks like a great place to stay! I always try to stay at a place with a free shuttle to the port where my cruise will begin! Great tips!!
This looks like so much fun and you are right the perfect way to start your holiday no worrying no planning just perfection!
That looks like an awesome hotel! I love the pool and the shark tank!
Oh, this does look like a lovely resort. This is super useful information to keep in mind, indeed! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
What a beautiful resort! This is great information!
Living in Florida, we always drive over the morning of our cruises, but if we ever have to stay, this looks like the perfect place!!
This looks like an amazing stay
i have never been on a cruise before but it seems like it could be fun. I live in san diego so we are lucky enough to have a port right here so no hotel required!
I’ve never taken a cruise before, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to experience. Thank you for sharing these tips. It’s really helpful and I’ll make sure to keep your tips in mind when I book my first cruise 🙂
It’s great to find a nice place to be before heading out on a nice trip. Gets the whole trip started off right! Thanks!!
Yes it does!
That Aquarium looks fantastic! My toddler is all about “fishes” and “Baby Sharks” right now. I would just hang out by that gorgeous pool!
This is a great place to stay for our out of town guests since we love an hour away. Thank you for the tip! I never thought of it!
Thanks for the info and sharing the tips. I live in Georgia too and this one will be on my list now 🙂
Great! You will love it!
This looks like a really nice way to start a vacation! I too agree that you should plan for possible hardships and arrive the day before. Makes it so much more stress free.
wow what a great place!
Oh my goodness. This is such a good idea. This is so much better than my last experience where we parked at the cruise port.
I’ve lived in Orlando and cruised many times from this port and have never stayed at this place. Good to know for next time, thanks!
Try them out for your next cruise, you won’t be disappointed!
Great coverage! We’re headed on a cruise from there next February and I’m totally going to check them out!
That’s great! You will love it!
Great tips! I have never taken a cruise but I can’t imagine waiting to get there until the day off. I would be so nervous! This looks like such a nice place too! Why wait!
This looks beautiful!
This looks awesome! You’ve given me the inspiration I need to look at booking a Spring cruise and staying at the Radisson Resort at the Port!
Yes! You should book your cruise and then check them out for sure!
This looks awesome. We live in Florida so this would be the perfect spot to stay before leaving for the cruise
This is great because I wonder, where would I stay before a cruise. Sometimes flight brings you in a day early and it is nice to have a clean place to stay.
I’ve never been on a cruise but I wouldn’t have thought to get there a day early. Great tips!
Thanks for sharing! I am also in Georgia so its nice to have a list of places to stay in case we ever go on a cruise.
This is terrific. I will have to remember this the next time we take the kids to Florida!
Wow great service indeed! I’ll keep this resort in mind.
I will have to remember this the next time we cruise out of Port Canaveral! Sounds like a great place.
Wow! This place sounds amazing!! Incredible pool too! I’m in!
Great tips for smooth sailing! Looks like the perfect place to stay the night before, I think it’s great that you can park and then grab your ride to the ship. The hotel looks great and so nice that they have an honest and helpful staff! Thanks so much for sharing )
Looks like a great place to stay! Nice pics!
Great hotel review! It’s always good to arrive the day before – cuts down on travel oopsies!
What a great idea and looks like a great place.
Trying to find a place to stay before a cruise can be difficult. Great and helpful info to have.
What a great place to stay before a cruise! We drove down the first cruise we took, but we stayed at Disney the night before and then drove over. Now, we would just drive over because we are more local.
Great review! Staying somewhere nice before and after a cruise really sets the tone for the whole trip, and even makes for a great ending!
Looks like great hotel! They are smart to be close to the cruise terminal. The one time we went on a cruise we flew a redeye and arrived the morning our cruise left. I felt like that was pushing it a little. Plus we were exhausted!
Great post, Michele! My family and I start the drive to Port Canaveral the day before our cruise and stay at a hotel 3-4 hours away from the port. It’s 12 hour or so drive for us, so there’s a limit to the amount of driving we do in a day. Your description of the Radisson Resort at the Port makes me want to book a flight rather than drive to experience the wonderful amenities that are available. It sounds amazing!
I’m so happy that you found the info helpful! This place really is a great start to your cruise vacation!