Our would have been two day stay in Punta Gorda was shortened to a single day since we had to stay in Key West an extra night. As a result, ACL and our shore excursion manager onboard did their best to squeeze every excursion into this single day. If we had stuck to our original plan of doing two excursions in this port, we would have had to do the museum in the morning and with less than an hour in between get back onboard, change into swimwear, and get back out to the buses for our afternoon Sunseeker Resort Pool Experience excursion. With this being a tender port and a bit cooler than typical weather, we opted out of the afternoon excursion. The Sunseeker Resort Pool Experience lasts 4.5 hours and would have cost $50 per person if we didn't have the Premium level excursions included.
The museum excursion we did attend in the morning was called An Exploration of Military History - Military Heritage Museum. This two hour excursion was complimentary for everyone. ACL was well organized with the tender process calling groups to line up based on their excursion. There were still people who tried to line up to get off for independent plans but ACL did a great job with keeping them in a separate line and letting them get on the next tender only if there was enough room left after the excursion participants were loaded. There was multiple ACL staff on hand to help passengers step into the tender along with the use of a portable set of steps with a handle. Several passengers with canes used the tender but I did not see anyone with scooters or wheelchairs.
The museum itself was located a few blocks from the tender boat dock so you had the option of walking there and back on your own if you so desired. The buses stuck to a schedule, especially now that several of the excursions were happening at the same time, so if you wanted to stay longer than the two hours, you would have to either walk back or call for your own transportation. Our bus ride to the museum was treated like a public bus with stops announced for various people to get off for their different tours. As soon as we unloaded fully, the bus driver had to loop back and get the next excursions' worth of passengers.
There were elevators for use inside but I don't recall seeing such an option for avoiding these steps to enter the building.
Admission into the museum was included for ACL passengers. Those wishing to visit on their own can purchase tickets at $18 per persons aged 15 and older with a reduced price of $14 if you're a military veteran. If you are currently Military Active Duty, the admission fee is completely waived.
When we arrived, we all lined up to get wristbands and were offered times to sign up for the flight simulators and the Virtual Reality Room. Dad's time for the flight simulator was for around 25 minutes after our arrival so we used the time to explore the artifacts and exhibits starting on the first floor.
The flight simulator room had 4-5 different setups so they worked through the line pretty quickly. Each setup had a veteran volunteer to guide you through your choice of a F-16 Fighting Falcon or a P-51 Mustang. You also got to choose a type of terrain. You do get to sit in a realistic pilot's seat but your seat will not be rocked or jolted like a 4-D IMAX theater. Each simulator experience lasts about 20-30 minutes but you're welcome to go back and sign up for another time if there is any available.
Dad was in his element trying out the flight simulator and had a blast!
Afterwards, Dad went into the Virtual Reality Room and tried out using the virtual reality goggles to visualize a Special Forces Parachute Jump. He could have also chosen a spacewalk outside the International Space Station or experience the evolution of flight from the Wright Brothers to modern times among other programs. This too was available as many times as you wanted.
After taking the time to browse the remaining exhibits, we spent a good while chatting with a veteran volunteer about their own personal military history. He and Dad had an enthusiastic conversation about military aircraft and weaponry. While Dad had more interest in this museum excursion than I did initially, we both left there feeling like this was one of the best excursions of the trip!
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