Port Canaveral Orlando, Florida

1837 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Carnival Cruise Line (422 Cruises)

Carnival Festivale.

Carnival Festivale

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Carnival Freedom

Carnival Freedom

2980 Passengers
110000 tons
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Carnival Glory.

Carnival Glory

2980 Passengers
110000 tons
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Carnival Venezia ship.

Carnival Venezia

4208 Passengers
135225 tons
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Carnival Vista

3934 Passengers
133500 tons
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carnival mardi gras cruise ship

Mardi Gras

5270 Passengers
180800 tons
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Celebrity Cruises (49 Cruises)

Cruise celebrity apex ship

Celebrity Apex

2910 Passengers
130818 tons
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Cunard (26 Cruises)

Disney Cruise Line (195 Cruises)

DCL Disney Cruise Line Dream ship

Disney Dream

2500 Passengers
129690 tons
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DCL Disney Cruise Line Fantasy ship

Disney Fantasy

2500 Passengers
129750 tons
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Disney Treasure.

Disney Treasure

2492 Passengers
144256 tons
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disney wish

Disney Wish

2508 Passengers
144256 tons
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MSC Cruises (399 Cruises)

Cruise MSC Grandiosa ship

MSC Grandiosa

6334 Passengers
181000 tons
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MSC Cruises Seashore Ship Cruise

MSC Seashore

5331 Passengers
154000 tons
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MSC World Atlantic.

MSC World Atlantic

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Norwegian Cruise Line (239 Cruises)

Cruise NCL Norwegian Cruise Line Aqua Ship

Norwegian Aqua

3571 Passengers
156 tons
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Norwegian Cruise Line Breakaway Ship

Norwegian Breakaway

3963 Passengers
146600 tons
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Norwegian Line Epic cruise Ship

Norwegian Epic

4100 Passengers
155873 tons
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norwegian cruise line escape ship

Norwegian Escape

4266 Passengers
164600 tons
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Norwegian Getaway Cruise Ship

Norwegian Getaway

3969 Passengers
145655 tons
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Princess Cruises (42 Cruises)

Star Princess.

Star Princess

2600 Passengers
108977 tons
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Royal Caribbean Cruises (452 Cruises)

royal caribbean dventure of the seas cruise ship

Adventure of the Seas

3114 Passengers
137276 tons
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royal caribbean explorer of the seas cruise ship

Explorer of the Seas

3114 Passengers
137308 tons
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royal caribbean cruises harmony of the seas ship

Harmony of the Seas

5400 Passengers
226963 tons
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Odyssey of the Seas1

Odyssey of the Seas

4198 Passengers
169000 tons
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Cruise RCI Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas Ship

Star of the Seas

5610 Passengers
248 tons
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royal caribbean utopia of the seas cruise ship

Utopia of the Seas

5668 Passengers
236 tons
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Port Canaveral, Florida | Cruise Port Guide

Sometimes a rocket tears across the Florida sky while ships manoeuvre in the channel. At Port Canaveral, this spectacle is part of daily life: the port sits next to the launch pads of Cape Canaveral, and residents check the launch calendar the way others check the weather. The port call combines Atlantic beaches, surf culture and space exploration, a mix that exists nowhere else.

A port between the ocean and the stars

The terminals line a short channel that opens almost immediately onto the Atlantic. Millions of passengers embark here each year for the Bahamas and the Caribbean, but a day in port lets you explore a surprisingly varied region. You simply have to choose your side: space on one hand, the beach on the other, or a bit of both if the ship stays long enough.

Kennedy Space Center, a day for enthusiasts

Twenty-seven kilometres from the terminals, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex tells the story of America's space adventure with an unabashed sense of showmanship. You walk beneath a Saturn V rocket lying along the entire length of a hall, gaze at the space shuttle Atlantis suspended mid-turn, still marked by its voyages, and stroll through the garden of rockets pointing skyward. Meetings with veteran astronauts are scheduled almost every day, a chance to hear weightlessness described by someone who has experienced it. Enthusiasts could stay from morning to night; a full half-day is already enough to grasp the essentials before returning to the ship.

Cocoa Beach, Florida-style surfing

About fifteen minutes to the south, Cocoa Beach lines up its golden sand for kilometres. Its wooden pier juts out about 240 metres over the waves, with restaurants and surfers below. In town, a gigantic surf shop is a local institution, and surf schools offer introductory lessons in gentle waves, ideal for a first try. The atmosphere remains relaxed and family-friendly, true to the spirit of the small beach towns of the East Coast. At sunrise, a walk on the hard-packed sand, facing pelicans skimming the waves, ranks among the region's lovely simple memories.

Jetty Park and the manatees

Without even leaving the port grounds, Jetty Park brings together a lifeguarded beach, a fishing pier and picnic tables with a view of the passing ships. It is also one of the best vantage points for watching launches. Anglers reel in drum and pompano under the gaze of the gulls, and the shaded parking and flat trails make it an easy outing for families. In the calm waters of the nearby lagoons, you may spot manatees, peaceful marine mammals that surface to breathe, or dolphins escorting the fishing boats.

Pointers for planning the day

PlaceDistance from the shipApproximate travel time
Jetty Parkwithin the port groundsa few minutes
Cocoa Beach8 km10 to 15 minutes
Kennedy Space Center27 kmnearly 25 minutes
Orlando and its theme parks70 to 100 kman hour or more

The Orlando parks remain possible during a long stay in port, but the drive and the lineups quickly eat into the time available. For a classic visit, the Space Coast offers more than enough to fill the hours, without the stress of traffic jams on State Road 528.

In the evening, from the upper deck, Florida's flat coastline stretches out until it merges with the sea, punctuated by flashing lighthouses and the lights of the space hangars. If luck is on your side, a column of fire will rise above the launch pads with a deep rumble you can feel right through the hull, and the port call will end with a memory many travellers wait a lifetime for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The terminals line a short channel that opens almost immediately onto the Atlantic, on Florida's east coast. Orlando and its theme parks are about an hour's drive inland: a journey to plan for, not a stroll.
Very little. This is an embarkation port, not a town centre: the attractions all need a vehicle. Jetty Park, with its lifeguarded beach and fishing pier, is the closest and looks out over the parade of ships.
Pick a side. The Kennedy Space Center, 27 kilometres away, needs a full half day. Cocoa Beach, about fifteen minutes south, offers beach and surf in a relaxed setting. Doing both requires a long call.
A Saturn V rocket lying the full length of a hall, the shuttle Atlantis suspended mid-bank and still bearing the marks of its flights, and a rocket garden pointing skyward. Meetings with veteran astronauts are scheduled almost daily.
It happens, and it is spectacular. The port sits next to the Cape Canaveral launch pads, and residents check the launch schedule the way others check the weather. Jetty Park is one of the best vantage points.
A beach town about fifteen minutes south, with kilometres of golden sand and a wooden pier reaching some 240 metres out over the waves. Surf schools offer lessons in gentle breakers, ideal for a first attempt.
A park at the edge of the channel, reachable without leaving the port area: lifeguarded beach, fishing pier, picnic tables and views of the passing ships. Flat paths and shaded parking make it an easy option.
The US dollar, and cards work everywhere: Kennedy Space Center, restaurants, surf shops. Some cash remains handy for tips.
November through April, when heat and humidity stay moderate. Summer is hot with late-afternoon thunderstorms, and Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November.
Very much so. The Kennedy Space Center is built to impress all ages, and Cocoa Beach offers gentle waves and a family atmosphere. Jetty Park, with its lifeguarded beach, is the simplest option when time is short.