1. Airport to your first stop
Arrive through Orlando International (MCO), Orlando Sanford (SFB), Melbourne Orlando (MLB), or a Central Florida executive/private airport and travel to a hotel, resort, vacation rental, theme park or the Space Coast.
Your cruise transportation is usually more than one ride. We help travelers plan the whole journey—from the airport to a hotel, resort or vacation rental, to the cruise terminal, and back to the airport after the cruise.
There is no single “right” itinerary. Some guests stay near the airport, some head straight to the beach, some add Disney or Universal, and others extend their vacation after the cruise. Sunshine Transportation builds the transportation around your plans.
Arrive through Orlando International (MCO), Orlando Sanford (SFB), Melbourne Orlando (MLB), or a Central Florida executive/private airport and travel to a hotel, resort, vacation rental, theme park or the Space Coast.
When your cruise line gives you an embarkation time, update us. We typically hold 10:00 AM as a starting pickup time unless you prefer something earlier or later.
After the cruise, travel to the airport, a hotel, Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, lunch, church, a theme park or another stop before heading home.
Whenever possible, we recommend arriving in Central Florida at least one day before your cruise. It gives you breathing room if your flight is delayed and lets your vacation start without a race to the ship.
We understand that airfare, work schedules and family logistics sometimes make same-day arrival the practical choice. If you do fly in the day of your cruise, build in as much time as possible. Transportation providers cannot control airline delays, and a driver cannot make up lost time by speeding.
Airport Transportation OptionsThe best area depends on what you want from the day before your cruise.
This can be convenient after a late flight. Many airport-area hotels offer their own airport shuttles, so some travelers stay nearby the first night and schedule Sunshine for the next part of the trip.
Cape Canaveral puts you close to the cruise terminals and has many newer hotel options. Most Cape Canaveral hotels are not directly beachfront, so choose this area when port convenience matters most.
Cocoa Beach is a favorite when you want beach access before sailing. The area also offers restaurants, shopping, the Cocoa Beach Pier and Ron Jon Surf Shop, with plenty to do without turning the day into a major excursion.
Vacation rentals and Airbnb-style accommodations work too. We are happy to pick you up from a hotel, resort, rental home or other lodging in our service area.
Hotel & Vacation Rental TransportationAs soon as your cruise line assigns your boarding time, let us know. Port Canaveral asks embarking guests to follow their assigned boarding time.
We commonly hold 10:00 AM unless otherwise noted, but your transportation can be scheduled earlier or later based on your plans and assigned boarding time.
Sunshine serves Port Canaveral cruise terminals used by Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, MSC, Norwegian, Celebrity and other cruise operators, as well as Victory Casino Cruises.
At the terminal, cruise-line porters are available to assist with baggage. Keep passports, medications and anything you need before your stateroom is ready with you.
Your Sunshine ride is arranged before you sail. We send confirmation communication the day before pickup and again about 30 minutes before your scheduled ride.
After you leave the ship, collect your luggage and complete the required arrival/customs process. Then reply to your driver's text or call the driver directly. Your driver will coordinate with you in the designated pickup area outside your cruise terminal.
First-time cruisers often expect to leave the ship much later than they actually do. Cruise lines need to turn the ship for the next group of guests, so disembarkation can move quickly. Sunshine can offer pickups as early as 7:00 AM when needed.
Later flights generally give you more flexibility. Sunshine can offer early pickups, but disembarkation, customs, road conditions and airport security are outside any transportation provider's control.
Ask us about luggage holding and a custom post-cruise day. Depending on your schedule, we can help you spend time at Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, lunch, a Sunday church service, a hotel offering a day pass, or another local stop before taking you to the airport.
Ask About a Post-Cruise DayCruise transportation has to work for the people and everything they brought with them.
Car seats and booster seats are available with advance notice at no additional cost. Let us know whether your child needs a rear-facing or forward-facing seat or a booster so we can prepare the vehicle.
Normal cruise luggage is part of the planning. If your group has an unusually large amount of luggage, tell us when requesting your quote so we can match the right vehicle setup to your party.
Sunshine can coordinate multiple vehicles for groups of up to about 50 passengers at the same time. Larger groups may also be possible when staggered pickup times work for the itinerary.
After spending days on a ship with thousands of other travelers, many guests appreciate having their own transportation. Private service means no waiting for a shared shuttle to fill, no rental-car line, no unfamiliar driving, and fewer times handling your luggage.
You also get something that is difficult to replace with an app: local knowledge. We know the Port Canaveral area, cruise-terminal traffic patterns, Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, and the practical stops cruise travelers often need before or after sailing.
Our goal is simple: clean vehicles, clear communication, affordable private service and less vacation stress.
Sometimes the little details make the biggest difference.
If you could not fly with sodas, drinks or other cruise supplies, there are grocery and convenience options near the port area where you can make a quick stop before sailing.
Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral have restaurants, beach access, shopping and local attractions. We can suggest options based on whether you are traveling with children, as a couple or with a group of friends.
You do not always need to purchase a cruise-line excursion to explore the area. Ask about transportation to Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach and other local destinations, including Port-of-Call transportation with return to your ship.
We serve Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB), and executive/private aviation airports throughout Central Florida.
Yes. We can pick up and drop off at hotels, resorts, vacation rentals and Airbnb-style accommodations throughout our service area.
Yes. Your itinerary can include Disney, Universal, Orlando-area lodging or other Central Florida destinations before or after your Port Canaveral cruise.
Yes. Multi-transfer cruise itineraries are common. We can coordinate airport-to-lodging, lodging-to-port and post-cruise transportation together, plus additional local rides when needed.
Yes. Luggage holding is available for an additional cost, which can be useful when you have a later flight and want to enjoy the area before going to the airport.
Yes. Cruise guests visiting Port Canaveral for the day can arrange transportation to Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach and other local destinations, with return transportation planned around the ship's required boarding time.
Send us your flights, lodging, cruise line, embarkation time, passenger count, luggage, car-seat needs and any Disney, Universal, beach, Kennedy Space Center or post-cruise plans. We can help build transportation around the trip you actually want.
Request My Cruise Transportation QuoteIf your ship is visiting for the day, see our Port-of-Call Excursions & Transportation guide. If you arrive early or fly home later, explore what to do before and after your cruise.