Miami Terminal A parking

[DriftinAlong]

For a Spring Break trip in 2 weeks, with Oasis at full capacity, we have a 10:30 embarkation and will be driving to the Port of Miami. I want to just park at Terminal A; we have a handicapped person with us with a parking placard. 

 

Is parking at Terminal A on a full Oasis day generally available? Or do we need to worry about capacity and perhaps book and pre-pay off site??  What time should we arrive to ensure Terminal A parking availability? 

[Ret MP]

12 hours ago, DriftinAlong said:

For a Spring Break trip in 2 weeks, with Oasis at full capacity, we have a 10:30 embarkation and will be driving to the Port of Miami. I want to just park at Terminal A; we have a handicapped person with us with a parking placard. 

 

Is parking at Terminal A on a full Oasis day generally available? Or do we need to worry about capacity and perhaps book and pre-pay off site??  What time should we arrive to ensure Terminal A parking availability? 

As a retired general manager of the FLL and Port Everglades Parking Facilities, you'd be surprised how many people are surprised when exiting parking facilities and didn't/don't know the following:

 

Just a word about ADA parking in FL.  Government own/operated parking facilities (which the Port of Miami is) can and do charge ADA for parking.  An ADA placard only entitles you to park in a parking slot.  It doesn't automatically give the vehicle a free ADA parking space.  So, if you want to get free parking at the Miami or any other government parking facility, the vehicle must be equipped with a wheelchair ramp or lift, hand or foot controls, specialized equipment, and/or a Florida Turnpike Toll Exempt Permit.  Disabled Vets have benefits, too.  Here's the Port of Miami policy on that:

 

https://www.miamidade.gov/portmiami/parking-information.asp

 

For Disabled Persons

 

Miami-Dade County Ordinance requires all guests with a disabled parking permit or license tag to pay standard parking rates except as provided by Florida State Law. However, two hours of complimentary parking will be provided to vehicles displaying a disabled parking permit or license tag.

In accordance with Florida Statute 316.1964, ONLY vehicles with specialized equipment such as ramps, lifts, or foot or hand controls, for use by a person who has a disability, or any vehicle displaying a State of Florida license plate for disabled veterans  issued under s. 320.084, s. 320.0842, or s. 320.0845 or displaying the Florida Toll Exemption permit, is exempt from parking charges.

[ATG]

Based on a comment on another thread, the parking garage was full yesterday for the oasis cruise.  Is this common?  Do they offer an alternative?  For a non-holiday or spring break week, how early should you get there?

[Ret MP]

12 hours ago, DriftinAlong said:

For a Spring Break trip in 2 weeks, with Oasis at full capacity, we have a 10:30 embarkation and will be driving to the Port of Miami. I want to just park at Terminal A; we have a handicapped person with us with a parking placard. 

 

Is parking at Terminal A on a full Oasis day generally available? Or do we need to worry about capacity and perhaps book and pre-pay off site??  What time should we arrive to ensure Terminal A parking availability? 

BTW, no way of knowing what the availability of parking, in general, will be like AND there is no guarantee that a ADA parking space will be available.  If you arrive too early, the people haven't disembarked, yet.  Too late, and, well, you are too late.  Timing is the key.  I've only cruised out of Miami once and it was pre-pandemic. We had no problem at all finding a parking space.  But, we aren't ADA either.  

[Ret MP]

4 minutes ago, ATG said:

Based on a comment on another thread, the parking garage was full yesterday for the oasis cruise.  Is this common?  Do they offer an alternative?  For a non-holiday or spring break week, how early should you get there?

I believe they have an overflow lot.  However, I'd call to find out for sure when/if the lot will be open:

305-347-4800.  I'd bend over backward to park IN the Port of Miami, for many reasons.  I'm sure that many people have parked in the off-site parking facilities without problems.  But, I still wouldn't roll the dice on it. 

[mspink98]

Piggybacking on this, are porters in the garage to collect luggage before we park, or should we plan on carrying ourselves? Traveling with an elderly person and just want to know how to prepare. 

[cj_one2000]

On 3/13/2023 at 8:53 AM, Ret MP said:

As a retired general manager of the FLL and Port Everglades Parking Facilities, you'd be surprised how many people are surprised when exiting parking facilities and didn't/don't know the following:

 

Just a word about ADA parking in FL.  Government own/operated parking facilities (which the Port of Miami is) can and do charge ADA for parking.  An ADA placard only entitles you to park in a parking slot.  It doesn't automatically give the vehicle a free ADA parking space.  So, if you want to get free parking at the Miami or any other government parking facility, the vehicle must be equipped with a wheelchair ramp or lift, hand or foot controls, specialized equipment, and/or a Florida Turnpike Toll Exempt Permit.  Disabled Vets have benefits, too.  Here's the Port of Miami policy on that:

 

https://www.miamidade.gov/portmiami/parking-information.asp

 

For Disabled Persons

 

Miami-Dade County Ordinance requires all guests with a disabled parking permit or license tag to pay standard parking rates except as provided by Florida State Law. However, two hours of complimentary parking will be provided to vehicles displaying a disabled parking permit or license tag.

In accordance with Florida Statute 316.1964, ONLY vehicles with specialized equipment such as ramps, lifts, or foot or hand controls, for use by a person who has a disability, or any vehicle displaying a State of Florida license plate for disabled veterans  issued under s. 320.084, s. 320.0842, or s. 320.0845 or displaying the Florida Toll Exemption permit, is exempt from parking charges.

@Ret MP My husband is a disabled vet and we have the Florida handicap disabled veteran license plate. Do you happen to know with the Port of Miami Terminal A lot, what is the procedure to obtain free parking? Also, any chance that there other places in downtown Miami that follow the free parking at meters or city owned lots?

[capriccio]

While waiting for a reply from @Ret MP, this is from the official PortMiami website (https://www.miamidade.gov/portmiami/parking-information.asp)

 

Disabled Veterans Parking

• Effective July 1, 2016, disabled veterans displaying a Florida license plate for disabled veterans, issued under Florida Statute 320.084, will receive free parking. The disabled veteran to whom the license plate was issued must be in the vehicle for this exception to apply
• Please note that as long as your vehicle has a State of Florida disabled veterans tag, your parking is complimentary in accordance with Florida Statutes. When you exit the parking facility, please present the Toll Attendant your original parking ticket, driver's license and State of Florida vehicle registration. The toll attendant will have you complete a short form and that is all there is to it

But since you asked about terminal A, I would confirm it with Royal Caribbean Customer Service:

 

Garage A (Royal Caribbean)

• For parking rate information, questions or concerns, contact Royal Caribbean Customer Service 24/7 at 1-800-256-6649

[cj_one2000]

5 hours ago, capriccio said:

While waiting for a reply from @Ret MP, this is from the official PortMiami website (https://www.miamidade.gov/portmiami/parking-information.asp)

 

Disabled Veterans Parking

• Effective July 1, 2016, disabled veterans displaying a Florida license plate for disabled veterans, issued under Florida Statute 320.084, will receive free parking. The disabled veteran to whom the license plate was issued must be in the vehicle for this exception to apply
• Please note that as long as your vehicle has a State of Florida disabled veterans tag, your parking is complimentary in accordance with Florida Statutes. When you exit the parking facility, please present the Toll Attendant your original parking ticket, driver's license and State of Florida vehicle registration. The toll attendant will have you complete a short form and that is all there is to it

But since you asked about terminal A, I would confirm it with Royal Caribbean Customer Service:

 

Garage A (Royal Caribbean)

• For parking rate information, questions or concerns, contact Royal Caribbean Customer Service 24/7 at 1-800-256-6649

Thank you. Yes, I saw that. Similar instructions were for the Port Canaveral parking garage and there was no attendant to help us exit. We had to wait for staff to come by about 10 minutes later on a golf cart to help us. Instead of a form to fill out they just opened the arm/gate thing for us to leave. My guess is they didn’t want to be bothered with the paperwork. So my trusting of what the website says vs reality has me worried. Hoping someone with disabled vet plate can vouch for the process. 

[capriccio]

9 minutes ago, cj_one2000 said:

Thank you. Yes, I saw that. Similar instructions were for the Port Canaveral parking garage and there was no attendant to help us exit. We had to wait for staff to come by about 10 minutes later on a golf cart to help us. Instead of a form to fill out they just opened the arm/gate thing for us to leave. My guess is they didn’t want to be bothered with the paperwork. So my trusting of what the website says vs reality has me worried. Hoping someone with disabled vet plate can vouch for the process. 

i hope so too.  In the meantime have you tried the number given for the cruise line, even though it might just be a general number?