Late Flight After Your Cruise? Do This With Your Luggage (And the Rest of Your Day)
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You're standing on the pier with a suitcase in each hand, the ship is pulling away behind you, and your flight isn't until tonight. Nobody hands you a plan for this part.
So here it is. We're locals, this is basically our part-time job, and we've walked this exact scenario with more of our own family and friends than we can count. Grab a coffee. You've got this.
The quick answer: you've got two real options for your bags stash them in your rental car trunk if you have one, or grab a day pass at a nearby hotel or beach club that will hold your luggage for you. Most of those also come with a pool, a shower, and somewhere to actually relax instead of babysitting suitcases all day. More on exactly which ones below.
"Wait … Can I Actually Leave My Bags Somewhere?"
Yes. This is the part everyone stresses about and it's honestly the easiest piece to solve.
Option 1: Your rental car trunk. If you're renting a car for the day (or already have one), this is the simplest move. Bags go in the trunk, you go have your day, done.
We recommend DiscoverCars.com * to search for a car rental in Port Canaveral.
Cruising down Atlantic Avenue you’ll get a feel for Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach culture.
Option 2: A day pass. A handful of hotels and beach clubs around Cocoa Beach sell day passes through ResortPass* (affiliate link) that give you pool access, food and drinks, and — this is the part that matters here — somewhere to leave your luggage while you're there.
Here are a few that we actually enjoy spending the day at ourselves as locals:
View of Beachside Hotel and Suites lazy river pool. This hotel is located about 10 minutes down Atlantic Ave from Port Canaveral. There’s also a beach entrance a block behind the hotel.
Beachside Hotel & Suites — a lazy river, heated pool, and food/drinks from the outdoor Duck Dive restaurant right there. Great if you've got kids who need to burn off ship energy. It’s also located within 2 blocks of the iconic Ron Jon Surf Shop.
Get $30 off your first booking with ResortPass when you spend $150* or more. * Affiliate link. If you book or buy through this link, Around Port Canaveral may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Hilton Garden Inn Cocoa Beach is about a 12 minute drive down Atlantic Avenue from Port Canaveral. It’s directly on the beach.
Hilton Garden Inn Cocoa Beach Oceanfront — pool day with a straight shot out to the beach, plus an outdoor shower for when you're done. They have a restaurant and full bar on site, and even a small arcade room.
Closer to the Port is the Hilton Garden Inn Cape Canaveral location— if what you actually want is a private day room: air conditioning, a bed, a shower, and somewhere to change before your flight. This is the move if you'd rather nap than swim
Get $30 off your first booking with ResortPass when you spend $150* or more. * Affiliate link. If you book or buy through this link, Around Port Canaveral may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The Riverfront Cocoa Beach pictured above — a quieter, riverfront pool day on the Banana River, lounge chairs or a private cabana, kayaks and paddleboards sometimes available. You can bring your own food, or have food and drinks delivered from a local restaurant while you lounge the day away. There’s also a convenience store with snacks and drinks a block away.
Get $30 off your first booking with ResortPass when you spend $150* or more. * Affiliate link. If you book or buy through this link, Around Port Canaveral may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Either way — car trunk or day pass — the goal is the same: get the bags out of your hands so the rest of your day is actually yours.
Take it easy, Ashley & Jeremy
