The Holiday Inn Club Vacations Cape Canaveral Beach Resort is just about the closest hotel you can stay at to where the cruise ships dock in Port Canaveral.  This review features photos of the rooms & resort, thoughts on the amenities, and our experience in staying here during our recent visit to the Port Canaveral area.

The appeal of this resort is for families that want to stay as close to Port Canaveral as possible, while enjoying resort accommodations.  Most hotels near Port Canaveral are further south on route A1A in the Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island areas.  Those hotels are not only geared towards people going on cruises, but mostly geared towards guests who are visiting the Space Coast of Florida.  

The Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort is a sprawling 10-acre resort adjacent to Jetty Park Campground and is perfectly situated to provide perfect views of cruise ships, NASA rocket launches and of course time at the beach.

The resort features spacious hotel-suite/condo-style 1 and 2 bedroom accommodations from 414 to 1,224 square feet. The rooms here are more than just a typical double set of beds and bathroom.  Ideally, guests staying here will make this resort a multi-day pre- or post-cruise stop.  To that point, families (especially larger families) will enjoy the sheer amount of space provided in each room as well as the resort amenities provided.  Staying at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort is best enjoyed if you have at least a full day to take advantage of everything it offers.

Since this is a resort, very likely the price of this hotel will not be among the cheapest options in the area, but then again, it offers a lot more to do than just a hotel pool.  There is direct beach access at Jetty Park, four-story water slide, lazy river, splash zones, and kiddie pool.  In addition, there is an arcade, movie theater, mini golf course, plus basketball, tennis and shuffleboard courts.  

Starting in the lobby, the hotel is comprised of a few different buildings across the 10-acres.  The lobby is part of the main building, which additional buildings a short walk and/or shuttle drive much closer to the beach. 

The pool area is one of Holiday Inn Club Vacations Cape Canaveral Beach Resort's biggest selling points, and this thing is huge.  There is a giant main pool, sprawling kiddie pool area, lazy river and water slide.

There is ample seating all around the pool, and we were able to find seats with no problem. 

Adjacent to the pool area is a nice little bar. This place was fairly popular most of the time during our visit, and seemed to have a decent drink menu. The bar not only served drinks, but also offered lunch and dinner.  In addition, each day there was a live band performing throughout the day.

The lazy river and water slides were big hits with my kids.  There is no additional charge to use either, so just grab a tube for the river or head up the stairs to the slide.  

It is worth noting guests must be 42 inches tall to go on the slide.

I could spend this entire review talking about the pool area, because it is the best thing about this resort.  

There is still plenty more activities in the resort to keep you busy.  My kids relished their time in the giant indoor play area, which is akin to a play area you might find at a fast-food restaurant, but on a giant scale.

Slides, tunnels, ropes and obstacles galore are enough to keep most kids busy for hours.

There is also a movie theater that has no additional cost and shows three to four movies a day. 

Holiday Inn advertises its rooms as hotel-suite/condo-style, which means you get a lot of space and more.  Rooms feature a kitchen and in-unit washer/dryer.  Plus, Wi-Fi and parking are free to guests.

We chose a 1 bedroom unit for our stay.  We ended up being assigned a handicap accessible room, but I do not think it was a problem at all.  The rate for our first night was $290.03 and the second night was $189.05. With taxes and fees, the average rate we paid per night came out to $268.29. I could have gotten it a bit cheaper if I had committed to a non-refundable rate.

Our room featured two double beds in the bedroom, a large bathroom, giant living room, kitchen and of course a balcony.

For the four of us, there was more than enough room.  The resort also offers two bedroom units, which would have been nice to have, but our kids slept fine on the pull-out sofa bed in the living room.

The room was clean and reasonably well-maintained.  You could make an argument that they could benefit from a refurbishment update to make it feel a bit more contemporary, but by no means did the room feel dirty or old.  It certainly felt familiar considering we have stayed in enough resorts around Florida.

Likewise, the unit’s regular bathroom was basic and on the smaller side. Absolutely nothing wrong with it.  Keep in mind we were in an accessible room, so the shower may look different in other rooms.

The full-size, fully-equipped kitchen is nice, and will certainly be appreciated by those on a budget who use the room to prepare their own meals.

For cruise fans, some rooms face the Port Canaveral channel where the cruise ships enter and leave from, which provides absolutely stunning and unmatched views anywhere else in Port Canaveral.

Since the hotel is perhaps a mile from Terminal 1, views of the cruise ships abundant.  We requested a room that faced the channel, while most rooms face the pool area, ocean or a parking lot.  We called a week ahead of time to make the view request and had no problem having the resort take care of it for us.

Being able to watch the cruise ships depart was a real highlight of our stay.

Speaking of the cruise ships, Holiday Inn offers a third-party service that can take you to the cruise terminal for $25 up to 4 people, and $5 for each additional guest.  My advice is use Lyft or Uber, since a ride to the terminal from our hotel came in at $6.

Of course, there is beach access with the hotel. Guests can take a private boardwalk-style path from the resort to the beach at Jetty Park.  Chairs, umbrellas, bikes, surfboards and boogie boards are available to rent on the beach for an additional cost.

The biggest drawback to Holiday Inn Club Vacations Cape Canaveral Beach Resort is also its greatest benefit.  Since the resort is so close to the cruise port, there is really nothing you can walk to in terms of dining or entertainment.  A car or taxi is pretty much required if you want to venture off property.  In my opinion, that's not a terrible price to pay, but something you should be aware of before booking. Other hotels in Cocoa Beach are much closer together and there seems to be more opportunity to walk around in Cocoa Beach.  Since we had our own car, this was not a problem for us and Lyft/Uber/taxi rides are quite inexpensive and plentiful.

Overall, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Cape Canaveral Beach Resort is a great choice for families that want to tack on a pre- or post-cruise stay in resort accommodations. The pool area and other resort amenities are perfect for families.  The rooms are spacious and provide some great nice to haves.  The larger the family, the more compelling this resort can be to choose.

If you are coming just for the night before your cruise, staying here might be overkill (depending on price), but if you can get at least a full day to take advantage of the resort, then it can make a lot of sense.

Your thoughts

Have you stayed at Holiday Inn Club Vacations Cape Canaveral Beach Resort ? Are you a fan of it? What did you think of the suites? Is this a hotel you’d consider? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!

If there is one shore excursion that stands out as the excursion to try in Port Canaveral, Florida, it has to be Kennedy Space Center.  Kennedy Space Center is known around the world for the incredible history that has taken place, and the new adventures that are coming just around the corner.  

Despite the fact that Kennedy Space Center is one of the premier attractions in the Central Florida area, I had never visited the complex, whether on a land vacation or by cruise.  So when my Anthem of the Seas cruise had a port stop listed for Port Canaveral, I felt it was time to give it a try and see what this was all about.

Description

Kennedy Space Center is about 15 minutes away by car from Port Canaveral, and is the center of NASA's space launch operations.  From the early days of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions to the Space Shuttle and missions of today, Kennedy Space Center has been at the heart of these historic milestones. The Visitor Center allows guests to explore the grounds, see historical artifacts that have global significance, and learn about the history and future of manned space travel.

We booked this shore excursion through Royal Caribbean.  These days, Royal Caribbean offers a variety of different tours to Kennedy Space Center. On our cruise, we took the 5-hour unguided tour.  This means bus transportation is provided to and from Kennedy Space Center, but we would be on our own while at the Visitor's Complex.  I wish I could give you a good rationale for why we choose this tour over the others, but it simply came down to the fact we waited to book this tour onboard the ship and this was the only excursion that was not sold out.

Like most Royal Caribbean shore excursions, we were given a time and place onboard the ship to meet prior to getting on the bus.  Once our group was called, we were escorted off the ship and onto a waiting bus to bring us to Kennedy Space Center.

The bus ride over is short, and our excursion guide gave everyone a brief overview of the Visitor Center and what to expect.  Once we got off the bus, we were on our own.

There are two main components to the Kennedy Space Center, the Visitor Complex and the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

The Apollo/Saturn V Center is open to guests, but requires a bus ride to get there.  Our guide on the bus ride over to Kennedy Space Center recommended doing that sooner than later, so we headed there first.  We waited about 15-20 minutes for our turn to board a bus, and we were on our way.  The bus ride over took us near the Vehicle Assembly Building, various operation centers and provided an excellent view of nature.  Along the way we spotted alligators, various birds and even a Bald Eagle nest.

Once at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, there is a brief exhibition about the Apollo launches, which sits guests in a recreated launch command room to experience the final moments leading up to launch.

Following that re-creation, guests can explore the grounds and see an entire Saturn V rocket, which is incredible to see in person.

In addition to the Saturn V rocket, there are a few smaller exhibits that have some pretty interesting pieces of history from the Apollo era.

Taking the bus back to the Visitor's Complex, there is a lot to see here.  The star attraction is Space Shuttle Atlantis, which features the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built, back in October 1985.  The shuttle conducted 33 missions and orbited the Earth a total of 4,848 times, traveling nearly 126,000,000 mi (203,000,000 km).

There are many more exhibits, including 3-D IMAX films (included with admission), rocket gardens, Astronaut Hall of Fame and much more.

Comments

I made two mistakes with booking this shore excursion. First, was waiting to book this until I got onboard and the second was worrying I would be bored.  Luckily my first mistake was cleared up thanks to the Shore Excursions team on Anthem of the Seas, and my second concern was completely unfounded.

Five hours visiting Kennedy Space Center might sound a bit dull, but I can assure you if anything, we wish we had another few hours to explore even more.  The facility and its history is simply incredible. Being there and bearing witness to the accomplishments of the past, with an eye towards the future, really gave me an appreciation for the remarkable work that has happened, and is still happening, at Kennedy Space Center.

Even the fastest power-walker will find it impossible to see and do it all at Kennedy Space Center. You really have to prioritize which exhibits you want to see, and even then, you will not have enough time to read about everything on display.  There is a tremendous amount to see and do.

Our tour provided no guide and no lunch.  I felt that not having a guide worked better than I anticipated, just because we were able to move at our pace and stop for the exhibits we really wanted to see, and skipped over others that did not hold our attention. That being said, the guides we ran into across the facility were incredibly knowledgeable.  Our bus drivers that took us to and from the Apollo/Saturn V Center knew so much about Kennedy Space Center, it felt like they were not just employees earning money driving a bus, rather, they were true die-hard fans who knew it all.  Hearing their explanations and stories from the past really made a difference.

After visiting the Kennedy Space Center, I lamented not visiting sooner and definitely need to come back again to see the exhibits we missed the first time around.  

Overall, we loved our time at Kennedy Space Center. It may have been one of the best shore excursions we ever took, and lived up to the reputation as the premiere thing to do in Port Canaveral.

Royal Caribbean and Port Canaveral celebrated the official inaugural sailing of Oasis of the Seas from her new homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida.

A ceremony was held onboard the ship with the ship's staff, and culminated with a fantastic send-off during the ship's scheduled departure.

Port Canaveral held a Sail-a-bration event at Jetty Park, which is located along the Port Canaveral channel.  Port Canaveral provided games and entertainment for onlookers during the day to enjoy, leading up to Oasis of the Seas' departure.

Oasis of the Seas will offer year-round 7-night sailings from Port Canaveral to destinations in the eastern and western Caribbean.

If you are following directions from the blog, you are probably planning to fly in to the port city a day or so prior to your Royal Caribbean cruise…

… OR, maybe you flew in as a surprise to see your friends off on a cruise and you need a place to pout and cry in to your beverage of choice as your friends sail off without you on the Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise on the Freedom of the Seas…

Whatever the case may be, you may be interested in what there is to do and where to eat the day before your cruise is set to leave. I recently had the chance to spend some time near Port Canaveral and spent a couple days watching the ships. Here are a few ideas for things to do near the Royal Caribbean cruise terminal in Cape Canaveral.

Restaurants

Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar

Located closest to the Royal Caribbean cruise terminal, Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar boasts great food and drinks at an affordable price. Additionally, Grills serves as a fantastic breakfast location if you have some time to kill once you have disembarked your cruise.

Grills also has a wonderful outdoor Tiki Bar which frequently features live music and a fantastic view of the Royal Caribbean ships sailing away.

Fishlips Waterfront Bar and Grill

A short walk away from Grills is another great restaurant called Fishlips… another great location with an outdoor patio offering a great view of the ships sailing away from port.

Similar to Grills, Fishlips offers a variety of food and beverages to enjoy while relaxing along the water.

Fun fact – the most recent Royal Caribbean Blog meetup took place here prior to the Freedom of the Seas Group Cruise!

Seafood Atlantic

Nestled in between Grills and Fishlips is a fantastic seafood shop and restaurant called Seafood Atlantic. While the interior of the building is a shop that features locally caught fresh seafood, the outside is a fantastic restaurant serving up some of the local fare.

I have to say, this has been my personal favorite lunch spot in the port area… in my opinion, there is not much that beats raw oysters and local beer while watching the water on a sunny day.

Attractions

Port Canaveral Exploration Tower

Overlooking the Port Canaveral area is a tall structure known as the Exploration Tower.

Seeing this landmark when you are approaching the port area has personally become a sign that you are about to embark on an incredible adventure. However, if you are looking for an educational day at Port (or, an incredible place to watch a rocket launch), this is a fantastic and nearby option for you.

Kennedy Space Center

Located roughly 20 minutes from the Cruise Terminal in Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center is a long loved and well known attraction for all things NASA and outer space and a fantastic spot to visit for all ages. Daily admission to the Visitor’s Complex runs about $50.

Cocoa Beach

Interested in just relaxing along the beach? While many hotels are located beach side, there are also public beaches available to you to relax and swim while getting ready to board your cruise.

Your thoughts

While these are only a few examples, the area surrounding Port Canaveral is a fantastic location to relax and unwind prior to your Royal Caribbean cruise. Please comment with your favorite places and things to do from your past adventures to an embarkation port!  

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas made history today as it was the first ship to arrive at Port Canaveral's new $100 million cruise terminal, Cruise Terminal One.

Photos by smart-two.com

Royal Caribbean is the main tenant of the new terminal, with Quantum of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas all using the new terminal.

Cruise Terminal 1 is strategically located on the south side of Port Canaveral and will allow passengers and crew to walk to nearby dining and entertainment options.

The terminal also features a 1,600-seat pre-boarding area that can convert into a 1,000-seat venue and 60 passenger check-in stations.

The new terminal was built by Ivey's Construction of Merritt Island.

Yesterday Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas made a visit to Port Canaveral and during the occasion, the head of Port Canaveral indicated the port wants Royal Caribbean to homeport a ship as big as Quantum of the Seas there.

Port Canaveral CEO John Walsh is hoping to convince Royal Caribbean that Port Canaveral is the perfect home for a Quantum or Oasis-class cruise ship.  Both the Quantum and Oasis class ships are among the largest in the world.  

Currently, Port Canaveral is home to Freedom of the Seas, which is a member of the Freedom class and small than Quantum or Oasis class.

Royal Caribbean does have a few new cruise ships coming online, two more Quantum-class ships and two more Oasis-class ships over the next few years.

The new Cruise Terminal 1 in Port Canaveral will be delayed by more than a month due to construction problems on the terminal's waterside area.

Florida Today is reporting that Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Walsh says the new terminal will open December 27.

The change will force cruise ships originally slated to use the new terminal during November and December to shift to other cruise terminals.

Royal Caribbean was planning on using Cruise Terminal 1 for Enchantment of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas. In addition, Quantum of the Seas would be stopping in Port Canaveral as part of its Bahamas itinerary.

Reporter Dave Berman cites among the issues plaguing the construction site is it's taking longer than expected to remove 90-foot-deep piles that are remnants from former cargo piers that were on the site.

More and more, it looks like Royal Caribbean is poised to move a cruise ship to Port Canaveral that is even larger than what they currently have stationed there.

Consider these recent news items

1. Port Canaveral has had plans to build a new cruise terminal to accomodate even the largest cruise ships in the world, such as Oasis-class
2. Two weeks ago Port Canaveral announced Royal Caribbean had signed a 10-year agreement to stay in Port Canaveral

Currently Royal Caribbean operates Freedom of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas from Port Canaveral, with Explorer of the Seas joining the duo later this year.

Royal Caribbean has two more cruise ships on order that have no home port announced yet, a third Oasis-class ship and a third Quantum-class ship.  Nor has it said if any changes to the deployment of the existing Oasis or Quantum class ships would be changed when these new ships arrive.

Travel Weekly is reporting Port CEO John Walsh said Royal Caribbean and the port are finalizing a letter of intent that would raise Royal Caribbean's minimum annual payment. It guarantees the port $7 million a year in the current agreement that expires in December. That would increase to $10.7 million next year and ultimately $18.4 million by the last year, Walsh said.

Royal Caribbean will also collect a per-passenger fee dedicated to financing the terminal complex, which includes a 1,000-car garage. 

Royal Caribbean has signed a 10-year agreement with Port Canaveral to keep a cruise ship presence there for quite a while.

Florida Today reports Royal Caribbean will also provide an additional $48 million to Port Canaveral over the next 10 years as part of an agreement to become the primary user of the new Cruise Terminal 1, scheduled to open in November.

The $48 million will come from a $4 to $5 fee on tickets for Royal Caribbean passengers using Port Canaveral, according to Florida Today. The port plans to use the $48 million to help pay for construction of the $68.5 million terminal complex, which is just east of the Cove restaurant district. That cost includes site work, the gangways and an adjacent 1,000-vehicle parking garage.

The new decade-long agreement will more than double the guaranteed annual revenue to Port Canaveral. By 2024, Port Canaveral will get $18.4 million in guaranteed money compared to just $7 million in 2013.

For Royal Caribbean, the new agreement will allow for more flexibility to move ships into Port Canaveral and even open the door to the cruise line bringing even larger ships to Port Canaveral.

Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Walsh is excited about the new deal, “I’ve literally heard four or five scenarios” on how the shifting of Royal Caribbean ships could affect Port Canaveral For us, it’s a win-win, without tying their hands on flexibility.”

Walsh also indicated that Royal Caribbean will get preferred scheduling at the 188,514-square-foot Cruise Terminal 1, which is being designed to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships. But other cruise lines also will use the terminal.

Walsh said port commissioners likely will vote on the Royal Caribbean deal next month.