A B733 CREW ON A VISUAL APCH TO MCO WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CLR OF CLOUDS WITHOUT DEVIATING FROM ASSIGNED CLRNC.

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ATIS WAS RPTING A SCATTERED LAYER OF CLOUDS AT 2800 FT. WE HAD BRIEFED THE VISUAL TO RWY 18L DURING DSCNT. APCH TOLD US TO PLAN ON RWY 17; WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF RWY 18L. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE WERE GIVEN A HEADING THAT TOOK US DIRECTLY TO DALTY; THE IAF TO ILS RWY 17. WE WERE STILL ABOVE THE SCATTERED LAYER; AND AS THERE WERE A FEW CLOUDS BTWN US AND THE ARPT; I (PF) THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE TOUGH TO ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH. AS SOON AS WE DSNDED BELOW THE CLOUDS; IT SHOULD BE NO PROB. ON A 45 DEG HEADING TO DALTY AND LESS THAN A MI; ATC ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT; AND MY FO REPLIED YES. ATC THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 17 AND TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL ELLAN; THEN CROSS GLOSI AT 2500 FT. AS WE LEVELED AT 3000 FT; WE WERE HEADED RIGHT FOR A CLOUD. WE ATTEMPTED TO INFORM ATC THAT WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS WITH HIS 3000 FT RESTR; AND ADVISED WE WOULD NEED TO DEVIATE. AS MY FO BECAME INVOLVED IN SEVERAL XMISSIONS WITH ATC; I DEVIATED R OFF COURSE; TRYING TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT AND REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS. MY NECESSARY DEVS ALMOST TOOK ME TO THE RWY 18L EXTENDED CTRLINE; ON WHICH THERE WAS AN ACFT ON A VISUAL TO THAT RWY. WE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT; AND HE WAS ABOUT 3 MI AHEAD AND BELOW US. NO TCASII MESSAGE WAS EVER GENERATED! ATC THEN CLRED US TO 2000 FT WHERE WE WERE THEN CLR OF CLOUDS. REMAINDER OF APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL.