Ten Things You Can Do on Cruise Disembarkation Day if You Have a Late Flight Home

Most major cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Line, require guests to disembark early in the morning, typically before 9:00 a.m. Depending on where you live, the next available or affordable flight home might not be until late afternoon, or even late evening. So what do you do when you’ve 8, 10, 12 or more hours to kill after you disembark your ship?

Also note that a primary concern of many guests in this situation is, “What do I do with my luggage?” You may have plenty of time to explore that fun attraction near your disembarkation port, but it might not be practical, or even possible, with a week’s worth of cruise luggage and souvenirs in hand.

In most cases, the easiest solution to this problem is to rent a car. Virtually all major cruise ports have rental car offices nearby. (For example at Port Canaveral, National, Avis, and Enterprise have an office that’s accessible via a free five-minute shuttle ride.) If you have a car, you can keep you luggage in the trunk, get to where you want to go, and then return the car at the airport prior to your flight.

However, if you don’t or can’t drive, some alternatives might be:

• See if you can drop your bags at the airport before you go exploring. Double check with your airline because some carriers or airports only allow bags to be checked in a few hours in advance.
• Consider whether you can use a luggage courier service like LugLess or ShipSticks.
• Investigate whether your destination has a nearby luggage storage service. There are numerous reputable luggage storage venues in major cities. They typically charge a per-bag fee of $5-8 per day. Some names to investigate include Vertoe Luggage Storage,  Bounce Luggage Storage, or Luggage Hero. 

The tips below assume that you’ve sailed out of Port Canaveral, Florida and are flying out of Orlando International Airport (MCO), but variations on many of them apply to any situation where you have a significant amount of time to kill.

Also note that Disney Cruise Line offers fee-based bus service from the port to at least one nearby major airport.

1. Visit the Kennedy Space Center.

Kennedy Space Center is about 15 miles from Port Canaveral. Guests of all ages can easily be entertained here for several hours, learning all about the American space program. Consider buying tickets in advance.

2. Go to the beach.

If you haven’t gotten enough beach time during your cruise, there are plenty of beaches near Port Canaveral, including the adjacent Jetty Park. Top off you tan, swim in the surf, and generally finish off your travels in relaxation mode.

3. Do some work in the airport lounge.

Sometimes when vacation is over, it’s over right away. If you’ve got to get back to work, consider buying a day pass to an airport lounge. Most have quiet areas and reliable WiFi where you can start drafting cover sheets for your TPS reports.

4. Get a  hotel room.

The Orlando Airport Hyatt offers day rates for weary travelers. Use the room to shower and nap, watch the planes in comfort, or take the kiddos to the hotel pool.

You could also get the least expensive room available at Walt Disney World. Even though check-in doesn’t start until 3:00 in most cases, hotel guests are allowed to use all the facilities at the resort beginning in the wee hours of the morning on check-in day. This will get you access to the hotel’s pool and other amenities and no one will care if you don’t actually stay overnight.

Or consult a service like Dayuse which offers partial-day hotel rentals in areas around the globe.

5. Visit a theme park, water park, or other entertainment venue.

The Greater Orlando area obviously has no shortage of theme parks, water parks, and other exciting attractions. Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Sea World are the biggies, but there is also Gatorland, Dinosaur World, Legoland, ICON Park, and FunSport America within an hour or so of the Orlando airport.

In other locations, look for activities like go-kart parks, carnivals, rock-climbing centers, escape rooms, movie theaters, bowling alleys, or similar.

6. Visit an actual park.

In Orlando, Lake Eola Park and the Harry P. Leu Gardens offer pleasant places to stroll and explore.

7. Go shopping.

The Disney Springs shopping, dining, and entertainment area is an obvious choice in Orlando. But if you’re looking for deals, you may want to visit Orlando International Premium Outlets, Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets, or Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores. The Lakeland Antique Mall often has vintage Disney-related items for a steal.

The Lake Buena Vista Outlet Mall has luggage storage location on site. Reservations are required.

8. Go to a museum.

Orlando is home to education museums such as the Orlando Science Center, the Orlando Museum of Art, and the Orange County Regional History Center, as well as entertainment-oriented “museums” such as Madame Tussauds, the Museum of Illusions, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Your choice might depend on whether you have children in tow.

Most municipalities located near cruise ports have at least a few museums of both sorts.

9. Go to a zoo.

If you have animal lovers in your group and don’t want to venture into Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Sea World, consider the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens or the more contained Green Meadows Petting Farm.

10. Play minigolf.

The Orlando area is teeming with minigolf courses. There are two on Disney property (Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland), but other options include Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, Congo River Golf, and Hawaiian Rumble Adventure Golf.

Have you ever had a late flight home after a cruise? How did you spend your day?