Which is the closest airport to Port Canaveral? If you are sailing from the Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal you have a choice of airports to fly to.
Which cruise lines sail out of Port Canaveral? Carnival, NCL, MSC, Royal Caribbean, and Disney Cruise Lines all sail from Port Canaveral Florida.
Port Canaveral is now the world’s busiest cruise terminal with over 4 million passengers in 2022.
So if you are a cruise fan it is likely that one day you will sail out of this busy Florida port.
You may not realize that there are four airports within 100 miles of Port Canaveral.
Here is a guide to help you decide which airport near Port Canaveral FL is the best one for you to fly into.
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The closest airport to Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal is Melbourne International Airport MLB.
Located just 26 miles away from the cruise port Melbourne International is a particularly good choice if you are flying Delta as they have several flights a day through their Atlanta hub.
This is the best airport for Port Canaveral if you are thinking simply in terms of close proximity.
It is also a relatively quiet airport with just 2 million passengers going through each year.
Melbourne International Airport is undergoing a major expansion with a $72 million project which will bring many upgrades including new gates and a new security checkpoint.
American Airlines also has daily flights from Charlotte to Melbourne and a once-a-week flight on Saturday from Washington DC.
Allegiant flies nonstop flights from Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Concord
Now that international flights are happening again, Melbourne Airport is a good choice for those flying from a number of UK cities.
TUI, which is the leading tour company in the UK, offers flights from Birmingham, Bristol, Doncaster, Glasgow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Newcastle.
This provides those living in the UK with a great choice of airport close to Port Canaveral port so that they can easily combine a cruise with a Disney World and Universal Studios vacation.
It is anticipated that these new transatlantic flights will bring more than 150,000 passengers to Melbourne Airport.
Hotels at Melbourne International Airport
If you are an international traveler and arriving at Melbourne International Airport you will most likely be traveling to the theme parks.
However, if you do get to spend some time in Melbourne itself there are plenty of hotels, shops, and restaurants. Melbourne is a relatively small town that has a very laid-back feel about it.
If you can spend some time here you will most likely want to hit the beach. Or perhaps visit the Kennedy Space Center which is just a short distance away.
There are plenty of hotels to choose from in Melbourne – some of which have shuttles from the airport.
Unfortunately, none of the Melbourne hotels have a shuttle to Cape Canaveral.
The Hilton Melbourne is located close to MLB and has a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel.
Another alternative if you fly to Melbourne International is to get an Uber to Cocoa Beach and stay at one of the hotels there. You will then be closer to Port Canaveral for your cruise.
Cocoa Beach is 21 miles from Melbourne and you should be able to make the journey in about 35 minutes unless traffic is particularly heavy.
How to Get From MLB to Canaveral Cruise Port
As Melbourne is the closest airport to Port Canaveral it will take just 45 minutes to drive from Melbourne Airport to the Cruise Terminal.
One of the most popular ways is to take an Uber from MLB. An Uber X will cost approximately $40 to $53. An XL will range from around $60 to $79.
There is a bus service from Melbourne International to Port Canaveral but it isn’t direct.
It really isn’t a great option as it will take you over 3 and a half hours on the bus to travel such a relatively short distance!
ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The airport that usually comes to mind when we are thinking about traveling to Port Canaveral Cruise Port is Orlando International Airport MCO.
Located 44 miles away from Port Canaveral, Orlando International is approximately a 60-minute drive away from the cruise terminal.
MCO is one of the busiest airports in the US and serves more than 50 million passengers each year.
Conveniently located for downtown Orlando, Disney World, and Universal Studios this is a huge modern airport serving over 40 airlines with 135 different domestic and international locations.
A new $2.75 billion South Terminal C opened in 2022.
With 15 new gates, the additional Orlando International Airport Terminal will be able to handle up to 12 million passengers a year.
Hotels at Orlando International MCO
Many people choose to spend the night before their cruise close to Orlando International Airport and then travel to the Port Canaveral Terminal the morning of their cruise.
One question that gets asked a lot is should I fly in the day before my cruise? Or, what time is the latest I should book my flight to arrive on the morning of my cruise?
Unless you want to have a very stressful morning before you board your cruise, our advice is always to fly in the day before.
Stuff happens.
Flights are delayed.
You do not want to be at the cruise port standing by watching your ship sail away.
A very popular and extremely convenient hotel to stay in at Orlando International Airport is the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport.
I have stayed here many times and I highly recommend it.
Here is my detailed review of Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport.
This hotel is located inside the MCO Terminal – so you really couldn’t be any closer to the airport.
How to Get From Orlando International Airport to Port Canaveral
Uber is available at Orlando International and is a very convenient way to get to the Cruise Terminal. Prices are around $120 for an Uber X.
One of the easiest ways is to take a shuttle from Orlando Airport to Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal.
One popular service is the Con Trans Shuttle Service.
They have a flat-rate fee of $30 per person for a one-way trip from Orlando International Airport to Port Canaveral. A return trip is $60 per person.
You can get full details here.
If you are sailing on a Disney Cruise, there is a shuttle from Orland International Airport to Port Canaveral for $39 one way or $78 return.
They use small shuttle buses and of course, you will be sharing a ride with other guests. However, the price is very competitive, particularly if there are just 2 of you traveling.
Another way is to rent a car from MCO and make a one-way drop close to the cruise terminal.
Shop around for prices as these can vary substantially.
One advantage of renting a car and driving to the Port Canaveral Cruise Port is that you get to control what time you arrive.
Budget and Hertz car rental offices are the closest to the cruise port. You have to take a shuttle, but we have always found Hertz to be convenient.
However, the rental line at Hertz can get pretty long as everyone arrives at once and it is a small place.
Alamo, National, and Enterprise are all at the same location in Port Canaveral. There is a free shuttle from the port.
All of these car rental companies have on airport car rentals at Orlando International Airport.
Renting a car is often the most economical option if you have more than 2 in your group.
If you are sailing with Disney check out our complete guide to your various options:
What is the Best Way to Get to the Disney Cruise Port from Orlando Airport?
ORLANDO SANFORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Orlando has a second airport which is much smaller and less crowded than Orlando International.
Orlando Sanford airport is located 64 miles away from Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal.
In the 1990s Sanford offered much lower landing fees than Orlando International, so attracted many carriers to switch from MCO. However, most have now gone back to fly out of Orlando International.
Sanford used to cater to a lot of international charter flights from the UK.
However, since the start of 2022, TUI has been operating flights out of Melbourne International.
Sanford now serves 65 cities with nonstop flights. Most of these are domestic destinations with Allegiant Air. Flair Airlines and Swoop also serve some Canadian cities such as Toronto and Ottawa.
How to Travel From Sanford International Airport to Cape Canaveral
The drive from Orlando Sanford International to Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal will take approximately 75 minutes.
One of the most convenient ways to get from Orlando Sanford Airport to the Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal is to book a shuttle.
Port Canaveral Quick Shuttle offers returns trips for $80 per person.
Another service that offers returns shuttle trips is Travel Sanford Shuttle Service.
There is a calculator on their site to work out what the cost will be.
All the major car rental companies have on airport offices so it is easy to pick up a rental car at Sanford International.
Hertz, Alamo, National, and Enterprise are all good choices as they have an easy drop-off close to the Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal.
An Uber X is around $75 from Sanford International to Port Canaveral Cruise Port.
DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Daytona Beach International Airport is 74 miles north of Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal, making it the further option that we include here. It is a smaller airport that serves around 750,000 passengers each year.
The drive from Daytona Beach International Airport to Port Canaveral will take around 90 minutes.
Daytona International is certainly not the closest airport to Port Canaveral, but it may be an option depending on where you are flying from.
Even though it is further away, it is always worth looking to see if you can get a reasonably priced flight to Daytona.
The airport offers multiple, daily non-stop flights to Atlanta, GA on Delta Air Lines and Charlotte, NC on American Airlines.
Lyft and Uber are available from Daytona Beach Airport and are one of the best options for getting to the Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal. An Uber X is around $130.
Hertz, Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Avis, and National Car Rental all service Daytona International.