Some will argue that a Florida vacation isn't complete until you hop on a majestic cruise liner and sail to exotic ports of call. Port Canaveral is just an hour away from Central Florida and since most cruises will run you about $100 a night per person -- and that includes all of your meals and most of the shipboard activities -- it is often cheaper than spending all your time at area theme parks. Thanks to the popularity of 3 and 4 night cruises, why not save a few nights of lodging, attractions and dining and spend it sailing out to Nassau in the Bahamas and private islands or going for a longer 7 night cruise and venture deeper into the Caribbean? While there are many ships that sail out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Port Canaveral is the closest port to Orlando's theme parks so we will review some of the options here.
Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas
While this sweet ship with a guest capacity of 2,292 guests first set sail in 1988 it was recently remodeled and is now as modern as the latest vessels coming out of the Royal Caribbean fleet. From the Boleros Cuban dance club to the picturesque rock climbing wall the ship sets sails for three and four night cruises to the Bahamas as well as Cococay, RCL's private beach island. Beyond the lavish main dining room and the more casual Windjammer eatery you can also break into snacks and more at the Johnny Rocket's, Ben & Jerry and Seattle's Best Coffee stations -- all included, so eat up! An expanded spa, active teen program and teen-only ship areas and an area for younger kids sponsored by Fisher Price assures that everyone will have something to do. Click here for more information on Sovereign of the Seas.
Disney Wonder
Ask anyone who has taken a Disney Cruise and you're likely to hear stories of character greetings, the world's most comprehensive toddler, child and teen play areas, the Mickey-shaped swimming pool, the Broadway style shows and the stunningly perfect Castaway Cay private island. Having sailed on three different Wonder expeditions I have to agree. Disney cruises are not cheap, especially if you are sailing over the holidays, summer or spring break seasons. If you have some flexibility in your excursion dates you will notice some great rates during the school year. Why? Because most -- though certainly not all -- of the passengers tend to be young families. There is no casino on this smoke-free ship. While there is an adult-only dining room, swimming pool and a few adult-only shore trips and late-night karaoke and dueling piano shows most of the ship is geared towards families. With Disney Magic sailing on the West Coast demand for Disney Wonder is sky-high so book early to get the best rate on this one. Click here and then select Disney Cruises for more information on Disney Wonder
Of course, you are always welcome to cruise to the theme parks. All three of the Universal Orlando hotels havw water taxi access to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Citywalk. So you might want to consider pulling up a discounted online rate for the romantic Portofino Bay, the hip Hard Rock Hotel or the majestic Royal Pacific Resort.
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