Cruise Port Parking: What It Costs at Galveston, Port Canaveral, Miami and Other US Ports

Official cruise port parking at the big US home ports costs about $20 to $35 per day as of 2026. For a seven-night cruise that usually means $150 to $280, paid once for the whole stay. Port Canaveral is $20 a day plus tax, Port Everglades and New Orleans are $25, PortMiami’s county garages are $28 and the cruise line garages there run $35. Galveston has no single posted rate: you get a price per lot from its online booking system, and prepaying is cheaper than driving up.

Private lots a few minutes from the terminal, with shuttle buses, are often cheaper than the port’s own parking. Whether they are worth it depends on how much you value walking straight from your car to the check-in hall, and how you feel about waiting for a shuttle with your luggage on the morning you get off the ship.

Cruise parking rates at major US ports in 2026

The table below uses each port authority’s own parking page, checked in October 2026. Ports change rates with little notice, so treat these as the current baseline and confirm before you go.

A few things the table does not show. Baltimore’s 2026 rate was a $5 increase over the previous $20, which is why older guides still quote the lower figure. New Orleans bills by the length of the cruise, so a seven-day cruise is charged seven days, and the port asks you to call for rates on longer trips and back-to-back sailings. Seattle’s Pier 91 price includes the shuttle to the ship and luggage help.

How the days are counted

This is where people get the math wrong. Most ports charge per calendar day, or part of a day, that your car is in the lot, not per night of the cruise. Port Canaveral says plainly that its rate includes the day of arrival and the day of departure. A seven-night cruise from there is eight parking days: $160 plus tax.

PortMiami’s county garages charge “per day or fraction,” which works the same way in practice. At $28 a day, eight days is $224 before you count any delay in getting off the ship. Port Everglades starts its daily clock when you pull a ticket from the machine and caps each day at $25.

New Orleans is the exception among the big ports, billing the number of days of the cruise. Galveston builds the length of your cruise into its online quote, so the price you see at checkout is for the whole stay.

If you plan to arrive the day before and stay at a hotel, you are adding a hotel night but not a parking day, since you only enter the cruise lot on embarkation morning. Arriving a day early is still the safer plan if you are driving more than a few hours, because the ship will not wait for a traffic jam. Our first cruise tips explain why.

Galveston cruise parking: lots, shuttles and prepaying

Galveston is the busiest Texas cruise port and one of the most searched for parking, partly because its pricing works differently. The Port of Galveston runs several official lots for each terminal, and the price depends on which one you pick, whether it is covered and how long you are sailing.

• Terminals 25 and 28: the uncovered Express Lot and the six-level SMP Garage at 25th Street and Harborside Drive are within walking distance. Economy Lots A and B are cheaper and come with a free shuttle.
• Terminal 10: the North Premium Lot is shaded by solar panels, the North Lot is close to the terminal, and the South Lot has a free shuttle.
• Terminal 16: a garage, two lots, a VIP lot and a VIP indoor garage next to the VIP entrance. The Terminal 16 garage runs a free shuttle for Terminal 10 passengers.

The port says prepaid online reservations are generally priced below drive-up rates, and reserving also guarantees a space on busy sailing days such as holiday weekends, spring break and summer. You can cancel online with no fee up to 24 hours before your sail date; after that, and after the sailing, there is no refund. The port also posts monthly promo codes on its Facebook page and runs a loyalty program and a disabled veterans discount, all applied at online checkout rather than at the gate. Payment is by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover. Cash is not accepted.

Private lots along Harborside Drive and on the mainland side compete hard on price, which is why Galveston has a wider spread of parking prices than most ports. The port notes it is not responsible for vehicles in unofficial off-site lots, so read the lot’s own terms if you go that route.

Port Canaveral cruise parking

Port Canaveral keeps it simple. Every cruise terminal has a garage or lot next to it, the rate is $20 a day plus tax for cars and RVs alike, and the port does not take reservations. You drive to your terminal, drop bags with a porter, and parking staff direct you to the right facility. Parking opens at 10 a.m. for embarkation, and you can collect your car any time after the ship returns.

Bring a credit card. The port takes American Express, Visa, Mastercard and Discover and does not accept cash. Payment is due when you enter. Vehicles with special equipment for disabled drivers, a Florida Toll Exemption Permit or a Florida Disabled Veteran plate qualify for a fee waiver, and the port says agents will not grant waivers for any other reason. All facilities are patrolled 24 hours a day. For refunds or questions, the port’s cruise parking line is (321) 783-7831.

Because terminals are assigned per ship and can change, check which terminal your cruise uses in your cruise documents the week you sail, not when you book.

PortMiami and Port Everglades parking

PortMiami has the most complicated setup of the Florida ports because some garages are run by the county and others by cruise lines. As of 2026, the county’s Garages C, D, F and G charge $28 per day for long-term parking. Garage AA charges $35 a day long term. Norwegian’s Garage B moved to $35 per vehicle per day on January 1, 2025, and is booked through Norwegian’s parking partner. Royal Caribbean’s Garage A has its own online pricing and reservations.

Miami-Dade County accepts cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and US traveler’s checks at its garages, but not debit cards. A lost ticket costs up to $275. Garage AA has a 7-foot clearance, so vans, RVs and vehicles with trailers should use open-air Surface Lot E, which has designated oversized spaces.

Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale runs two big garages, Heron for Terminals 2 and 4 and Palm for Terminals 19, 21, 25, 26 and 29, plus four surface lots. Parking is charged on a sliding hourly scale up to a $25 daily maximum, and oversized vehicles up to 24 feet pay $35 per 24 hours. The port does not accept reservations or prepayment, so you simply pull a ticket and pay at the garage.

Off-site lots, hotels and drop-off: when the port is not the cheapest option

At nearly every big port, private lots compete with the official parking on price. Most run free shuttles to the terminal and back, and many let you book online with a guaranteed space. The saving per day can be modest, but over a week or two it adds up, and on longer cruises it can cover a dinner or an excursion.

• Off-site lots: cheaper as a rule, but you wait for the shuttle twice, once with luggage. Check that the lot is fenced, insured and has recent reviews, and note its shuttle hours on your return day.
• Park-and-cruise hotels: some hotels near the port sell a room for the night before with parking for the length of the cruise and a shuttle on embarkation day. Compare the package to a cheaper hotel plus the port’s own parking.
• Drop-off: if you live within an hour or two, a friend’s ride or a rideshare can beat any parking rate. On disembarkation morning, rideshare pickup areas at the busiest ports get crowded, so be patient.
• Fly in instead: if the drive is long, compare gas, tolls, a hotel and a week of parking against a flight and a transfer.

Parking is one of the costs that does not show up in the advertised fare, along with port taxes, gratuities and getting to the ship. Our full breakdown of how much a cruise costs and the guide to cruise port fees and taxes help you build the real total.

Tips that save money and stress on parking day

• Confirm the terminal first. Ports with several terminals price and locate parking by terminal. Getting it wrong means driving around the port with a car full of luggage.
• Drop bags before you park. At most ports you can unload checked bags with porters at the terminal curb, then park and walk back or ride the shuttle with only your carry-on. Tip porters a few dollars a bag. Our cruise packing list covers what belongs in that carry-on.
• Bring a credit card. Port Canaveral and Galveston take no cash, and PortMiami takes no debit cards.
• Check clearance before you enter a garage. Port garages often have about 7 feet of clearance; Seattle’s Pier 66 garage is lower still. Tall vans and roof boxes belong in surface lots.
• Photograph your space. After a week at sea, few people remember the level and row. Take a photo of the nearest sign and keep the parking ticket with your passport.
• Plan the exit. On disembarkation day, garage lines build quickly once self-assist passengers leave the ship. The cruise disembarkation tips explain how to time getting off.

Is port parking worth the extra money?

For short cruises, the convenience of the official lot usually wins. Over three or four days, the gap between the port’s rate and a private lot is small, and you save the shuttle wait at both ends. For seven nights or more, run the numbers: eight days at $28 in Miami is $224, while a private lot that charges noticeably less per day can save the price of a nice dinner ashore.

Families with small children, travelers with mobility needs and anyone with a lot of luggage tend to get more value from parking next to the terminal. Port Canaveral and Port Everglades also make the decision easier, since you cannot reserve and the official rate is moderate. Galveston and Miami, where prices vary more and private lots compete hard, are the ports where comparison shopping pays off most.

Two groups should check a few extra details. If you are bringing a service dog on a cruise, park where the walk to the terminal is short and leave time for the document check at boarding. If you booked a cruise suite with priority boarding, you still pay the same parking rate as everyone else, but the shorter wait at check-in makes the close-in lot more valuable.

Whatever you choose, book or check the parking for your sail date at the same time you book flights or a pre-cruise hotel. On peak weekends at Galveston and Miami, the closest official lots can fill, and the best price is usually the one you lock in early online.