Cape Canaveral · Port Canaveral · Explorer of the Seas
Explorer of the Seas at Port Canaveral
Check in
Official Terminal. Explorer of the Seas sails from Cruise Terminal 5 at Port Canaveral. Always confirm with your cruise line before travel.
Address: 9245 Charles Rowland Dr., Cape Canaveral, FL 32920.
Park
Provenance: Read on portcanaveral.com · checked 2026-08-27
Board
Next verified sailing: Fri, Nov 13, 2026. Typical guidance never replaces your appointment.
Sources
- OFFICIAL SCHEDULE
- the terminal assignment on this page.
- Cruise Terminal 5 guide
- the lot and the drop-off. Reconfirm.
- Cruise-line app
- your boarding time. Reconfirm.
Reconfirm means check that line with your cruise line before you travel.
When Can You Board Explorer of the Seas?
Royal Caribbean gives you an arrival time slot picked in the Royal App and printed on your mobile boarding pass. Arrive at your assigned boarding time — not earlier. You must be checked in and aboard no later than 90 minutes before port operations close.
The arrival time on your own boarding pass is the one that governs your sailing.
Read on Royal Caribbean’s own site, September 22, 2026.
Everything you need for boarding Explorer of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) at Port Canaveral. Terminal info, parking, restaurants, hotels, and pro tips.
Explorer of the Seas cruise parking at Cruise Terminal 5
- Where you park
Park in the CT-5 lot ($20/day plus tax, covering the day of arrival and the day of departure). Parking is cashless — major credit cards only — and paid on arrival; no reservations are accepted. The walk to the terminal entrance is short.
- Drop-off
Cruise Terminal 5 is on Charles Rowland Dr on the north side of the port — the group Port Canaveral signs as the A Terminals, and they are reached from a different SR-528 exit than Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Take Exit 54A, not 54B; crossing to the other side once you are inside the port is a long detour around the basin. The drop-off lane runs along the front of the building, and porters are stationed curbside to take your checked luggage. Tip $2-3 per bag.
Where can I park for an Explorer of the Seas cruise?
- Drive Yourself — Port Parking
$20/day plus tax + tolls from MCO
- Drive Yourself — Off-Site Parking
From $8.99/day at Go Port; from $13.95/day booked ahead at Park N Cruise (free shuttle included at both)
Cruise Terminal 5 parking & drop-off at Port Canaveral →Parking at Cruise Terminal 5 is $20/day — all Port Canaveral parking & transport options →
Email me the Explorer of the Seas boarding-day plan — pick your sailing below: terminal, parking and boarding now, then reminders a month out, two weeks out, the week before and the day before — whichever are still ahead of you — and one later note with upcoming sailings from your port. No newsletter.
Upcoming Sail Dates
Official schedule · Verified Sep 23, 2026
Sources: Port Canaveral cruise ship schedule, Port Canaveral Master Cruise Schedule PDF
Terminal: Cruise Terminal 5 — every date below departs from it.
Tap a date to Plan my boarding day for that sailing — terminal, arrival plan, and leave-by time for the day you leave.
November 2026
All November 2026 sailingsDecember 2026
All December 2026 sailingsJanuary 2027
All January 2027 sailingsUse the check-in arrival window and final boarding deadline in your cruise line’s latest instructions. Follow the check-in instructions your cruise line sends you — they always take priority over general guidance.
Planning the rest of your port day
Still weighing where to leave the car?
Nearby Restaurants
Rusty's Seafood & Oyster Bar
Fun, loud and casual, the kind of place where kids can be kids and the seafood is fresh.
$$Long Doggers
An unpretentious, fast burger-and-dog joint that kids absolutely love.
$Sunset Café Waterfront Bar & Grill
Perched over the Banana River facing west — the whole point is eating outside as the sun goes down
$$Nearby Hotels
Local Tip
Explorer of the Seas boards at CT-5, which has an open-air parking lot at $20/day plus tax — try to snag a spot under one of the shade structures if you're cruising in summer. CT-5 is on Charles Rowland Dr on the north side of the port, so leave SR-528 at Exit 54A rather than the 54B exit that serves Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and porters are stationed curbside to grab your checked bags. Complete Royal Caribbean's online check-in and download your SetSail pass before you arrive, because CT-5 handles some of the largest ships and embarkation crowds can be significant.
Other Ships Sailing from Port Canaveral
Adventure of the Seas terminal & parking
Royal Caribbean
Harmony of the Seas terminal & parking
Royal Caribbean
Star of the Seas terminal & parking
Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas terminal & parking
Royal Caribbean
Norwegian Prima terminal & parking
Norwegian
MSC Seashore terminal & parking
MSC
Caribbean Princess terminal & parking
Princess
Carnival Festivale terminal & parking
Carnival
Want the complete Port Canaveral cruise guide?
Restaurants, activities, hotels, terminal tips, parking, packing lists, and boarding advice — all in one page.
View Full GuideLet them watch you sail
We sail from Port Canaveral. You can watch Explorer of the Seas leave on a live camera at the port.
More Port Canaveral Guides
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