Port of Miami parking. Need ideas/suggestions

[ajee622]

We are driving straight through Friday night and should get down to Miami around 8am. I don't mind paying the $20 a day if that's what it is. Do I need reservations? Can I just show up? Do they have shuttle services? Would you use them or can I find a cheaper lot that's just as good??

 

Any help appreciated.

 

 

 

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[hotsauce126]

Doing the exact same thing this weekend, and I've done it before. Just show up, park, and pay when you leave. You don't need a shuttle, the decks are right there at the port.

Edited March 5, 2015 by hotsauce126

[wareaglefan]

We used Premier Parking for the first time in January. 8 days for $65. We will use it again. It does not have covered parking, but I had no problem with leaving my car there. They have buses to and from the port that's included in the price. I thought it was a great deal.

[ajee622]

So the advantage of doing the port right there is I can literally walk with my bags to the ship. The premier parking place you need a shuttle. Does their shuttle run often?? I guess I'd save like $100 doing the premier place vs the port. I don't care about it being covered because we are driving our daily car and I'm not concerned about it

 

 

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[Host CJSKIDS]

So the advantage of doing the port right there is I can literally walk with my bags to the ship. The premier parking place you need a shuttle. Does their shuttle run often?? I guess I'd save like $100 doing the premier place vs the port. I don't care about it being covered because we are driving our daily car and I'm not concerned about it

 

 

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Before you do that, I would a search on here about off site Miami parking.

 

I live in the area and can tell you that I wouldn't leave my car anywhere but the port. One of the off site parking areas was all over the news last year because of issues. People came back from their cruises to having many of the keys lost. It was a nightmare for many.

 

When you park at the port you are parking right across the street from the cruise terminals. It's very easy to drop your bags off at the bag drop and then park in the garage. For me, $100 go along way in giving me piece of mind.

[SlotCarKing]

I had no complaints about the port garage. Cross the street and boom......terminal!

[aztekpm]

So then once you park, it's not a long walk to the terminals? I presume no valet service?

 

I'm the driver, so will be dropping the others with the bags and parking the car myself. Recently damaged my knee and it no longer likes to go long distances without a rest and not sure how good or bad it will be when we sail ex MIA. Is it 5, 10, 15, 20 min walk from the lots to the terminals?

Edited March 9, 2015 by aztekpm

[aztekpm]

Never mind ... should have thought to look at the ports website! Doesn't look too bad.

[spearmint]

I asked questions as did you. I got all sorts of responses pro and con for using off site parking. In the end, I decided to park at the port for ease of access and peace of mind. Not only do I pay $20 U.S./per day to park for 14 days, but will add about 30% when charge card and exchange rates are factored in.

 

Perhaps someone will correct me if I am wrong:

From what I could gather, the parking garage is across the street from the ship. I can drop off my wife with the luggage, easily park the car and easily and quickly go back to the drop off point to access the terminal. My knees are not the greatest, either.

Bill

Edited March 9, 2015 by spearmint

[Host CJSKIDS]

I asked questions as did you. I got all sorts of responses pro and con for using off site parking. In the end, I decided to park at the port for ease of access and peace of mind. Not only do I pay $20 U.S./per day to park for 14 days, but will add about 30% when charge card and exchange rates are factored in.

 

Perhaps someone will correct me if I am wrong:

From what I could gather, the parking garage is across the street from the ship. I can drop off my wife with the luggage, easily park the car and easily and quickly go back to the drop off point to access the terminal. My knees are not the greatest, either.

Bill

 

You pull up, drop your bags off and then go park in the garage. You can leave your wife at the area where you drop off the luggage as it's by the entrance and meet her back there. It's never a far walk.

[monkeysmommy31]

We used Premier Parking (the one on 2nd ave) last week for a 4 night cruise. I paid 42.00 (1/2 of what the cruise terminal charges). We booked ahead of time and paid online. Our GPS found the building with no problem, though I know some people reported issues with that. The garage was VERY full, but we managed to score the last covered spot- the whole top floor is NOT covered. I was worried, since my car is brand new! But we were allowed to take our keys with us, my car never moved, and was in the same condition I left it in when I returned. The building looks kinda questionable, but then to me everything does near Port Miami ;) The vans are kinda old and beat, but they did the job.

It was difficult to find decent parking, but I would use these guys again.

[Mirrasi]

This will be my second time out in Miami, and I considered using off site parking. But everyone I Googled (not even using Cruise Critic) had some pretty scary reviews. In the end, I've decided to just pay and park there again. It's a short walk from the parking garage to the ship, very easy and simple so I would recommend it for you.

 

If you get there too early in the morning (and I say this because last time I drove down from Orlando and got there about 8am), you could stop by Bayside and get some breakfast or coffee. It's pretty touristy and I think it's $10 to park, but you can sit outside, look at boats, walk around a bit, and it's 5 minutes from the port. I rather enjoyed it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to tack on another question though for myself. Friday night I am staying at the Intercontinental in downtown. It's $39 per day to park there (ouch). I am wondering if it would be any cheaper to just park at the port an extra day, leaving my suitcase in the car, and just hopping on a bus nearby with a backpack to the hotel. Are there any buses from the port that would make it easy? I'd assume a taxi wouldn't be worth it by the time I paid the $40 port fee. Or should I just suck that one up to and pay the $39?