Ft. Lauderdale Parking

[ZSandy25]

We will be driving to Ft. Lauderdale this year for our cruise. We will be on a 21 day cruise and would like some advice and recommendations regarding parking for that length of time. We plan on driving into Ft. Lauderdale the day of embarkation.

 

Thanking you all in advance for your input

[CruiserBruce]

There are many discussions on FLL parking on the Florida Departures board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

[jagsfan]

I hate to recommend them because I don't want to get squeezed out, but check Park N Go's website. If you prepay you get a discount. We've used them for several years along with a host of other cruisers. They are close to the ships, have a fleet of shuttle buses and give you bottled water to drive home with. Best of all, you can cancel that prepay and get a full refund. Really best of all is the shuttles waiting for you when you exit the terminal. Am I a fan? You bet!

 

 

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[jeraud]

Another nomination for Park n' Go.

 

 

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[take us away]

Recommend Park n Go or Park n Fly. Maybe check into a rental car as may be cheaper. Also a few hotels have extended parking available.

[jtl513]

We've used ParkNGo for a couple of longer cruises ( > 7 days) and like the service and price ... but expect your car to be filthy when you get back! :)

[POA1]

We've used ParkNGo for a couple of longer cruises ( > 7 days) and like the service and price ... but expect your car to be filthy when you get back! :)

If it makes you feel better, proximity to the ocean makes for a dirty car. I was excited to see that my car wasn't caked with salt last week.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

You know there is an other option is to do a car rental each way.

 

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[OCruisers]

We've found it most convenient to park at the cruise port terminal area.

Our car is there and "good to go" when we are. :)

[RocketMan275]

We have been very happy with the parking service provided by the Port. Very convenient. A bit more expensive. Covered interior parking. You get what you pay for. No waiting for shuttles.

[geoherb]

I researched the difference in prices of the private companies versus parking at the port the one cruise when we drove to Florida. Be aware that the private companies change their prices during peak demand times. Our cruise was over New Year's, so it was about the same price to park at the lot right beside the pier. At other times, you'd save a bundle on parking fees for a 21-day cruise.

[POA1]

Also check online for coupons. You can often find online coupons that could save you a few dollars a day.

[jtl513]

If it makes you feel better, proximity to the ocean makes for a dirty car. I was excited to see that my car wasn't caked with salt last week.

Yeah, I know salt spray (I live close to the ocean) but after 20 days at ParkNGo our car was totally brown.

.

Edited December 31, 2016 by jtl513

[0bnxshs]

Yeah, I know salt spray (I live close to the ocean) but after 20 days at ParkNGo our car was totally brown.

.

 

I wonder if the perpetual construction around Park 'N Go there in FLL might be responsible for the dirt. We've found the same thing with our car when parked there as opposed to the port's parking, which, as you know, is closer to the ocean than Park 'N Go is.

Edited December 31, 2016 by 0bnxshs

[summer slope]

I googled parking at hotels close to the port. We found one for $3 a day. Not bad for a 21 day trip. Will not be in a hurry to get home so waiting for the shuttle will not be a problem. :)

[jtl513]

I wonder if the perpetual construction around Park 'N Go there in FLL might be responsible for the dirt.

That could be. It was definitely ground dirt.

I googled parking at hotels close to the port. We found one for $3 a day. Not bad for a 21 day trip. Will not be in a hurry to get home so waiting for the shuttle will not be a problem. :)

I worry that the car may be more vulnerable than in either the garage or the ParkNx lots.

.

Edited December 31, 2016 by jtl513

[summer slope]

I worry that the car may be more vulnerable than in either the garage or the ParkNx lots.

.

It says it's in a gated secure lot with lights and security. I guess we'll find out in March. I know the old "you get what you pay for" adage.

[sandij]

Is there any problem with the waiting for a shuttle after the cruise?

[summer slope]

Is there any problem with the waiting for a shuttle after the cruise?

I don't have an answer for that since this will be the first time we've used this place. But if is a wait we will just take a taxi.

[summersigh]

I googled parking at hotels close to the port. We found one for $3 a day. Not bad for a 21 day trip. Will not be in a hurry to get home so waiting for the shuttle will not be a problem. :)

You may also want to google things like "park and cruise" or "snooze and cruise" along with the name of the city you're sailing from. We always look for a package that includes parking and either free or reasonable shuttle to the port. The prices are often quite reasonable when you subtract the amount you'd be paying for parking at the port.

 

For example for our last 10 day cruise we paid $169 for a package that included nice hotel room, free parking for 10 days & free breakfast. We paid $28 ($7 each way each) for the shuttle. If we parked at the port it would have been $150 parking alone. So net cost of the hotel room with shuttle was only $46 with the package compared to the price of staying at a hotel somewhere on the way, driving in to the port city that day and parking at the port.

 

:confused: I hope that made sense :confused::)

Edited January 1, 2017 by summersigh

[RocketMan275]

You may also want to google things like "park and cruise" or "snooze and cruise" along with the name of the city you're sailing from. We always look for a package that includes parking and either free or reasonable shuttle to the port. The prices are often quite reasonable when you subtract the amount you'd be paying for parking at the port.

 

For example for our last 10 day cruise we paid $169 for a package that included nice hotel room, free parking for 10 days & free breakfast. We paid $28 ($7 each way each) for the shuttle. If we parked at the port it would have been $150 parking alone. So net cost of the hotel room with shuttle was only $46 with the package compared to the price of staying at a hotel somewhere on the way, driving in to the port city that day and parking at the port.

 

:confused: I hope that made sense :confused::)

 

That makes sense but it can get more complicated.

 

It depends upon how far you're driving to the port. We're about a 14 or 15 hour drive to the port. We really don't want to do that all in one day. We drive about 10 hours and spend the night. The next day we drive into the port. About another four hours.

 

In order to take advantage of those cruise packages, we'd have to spent two nights on the road or spend 14 hours driving one day. We would get to the port around noon the day before sailing.

 

For us, it makes sense to arrive the morning of the cruise and park at the terminal.

[jtl513]

Is there any problem with the waiting for a shuttle after the cruise?

For ParkNGo we've never waited long ... 5 or 6 minutes maybe. Once it was parked waiting for us when we arrived at the pick-up spot. It depends somewhat on how many ships are in port that day.

.

Edited January 2, 2017 by jtl513

[summersigh]

That makes sense but it can get more complicated.

 

It depends upon how far you're driving to the port. We're about a 14 or 15 hour drive to the port. We really don't want to do that all in one day. We drive about 10 hours and spend the night. The next day we drive into the port. About another four hours.

 

In order to take advantage of those cruise packages, we'd have to spent two nights on the road or spend 14 hours driving one day. We would get to the port around noon the day before sailing.

 

For us, it makes sense to arrive the morning of the cruise and park at the terminal.

We're retired and I'm quite paranoid :D about not being in the port city the night before the cruise. When we still worked I'm sure we'd have felt differently if it involved taking extra days off work. Now days we try to plan some sightseeing in the port city the afternoon before the cruise.:)

[RocketMan275]

We're retired and I'm quite paranoid :D about not being in the port city the night before the cruise. When we still worked I'm sure we'd have felt differently if it involved taking extra days off work. Now days we try to plan some sightseeing in the port city the afternoon before the cruise.:)

 

We've done it both ways. We have driving in a day early and drove in the morning of the cruise. We're retired as well so minimizing the time away from work isn't an issue. It's a matter of personal preference. Arriving the morning of the cruise does save us another day of hotels and we don't see that it adds a significant amount or risk.

[jeraud]

 

 

Park n Go Jan 15-22 2017. Great shuttles, excellent security. Unlike the hotels, this facility operates 24/7 as it services the airport too. FYI there are other parking companies that offer lower rates, but, take a look at a Google satellite view. Most of them are in deserted industrial areas. Park n Go and Park n Fly are both in the same general location and either is a good choice. We use PnG because they seem to run their shuttles more often. We usually do self disembark and a shuttle is outside waiting.

 

 

 

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