189 NE 2ND STREET
Taking a cruise is, as one prominent cruise line says, the best vacation on earth. Your ship is like a floating luxury hotel with any and all amenities you can ask for or imagine from stately staterooms with balconies overlooking the ocean, multiple swimming pools, hot tubs, fine dining with world-class cuisine, all-you-can-eat buffets with a variety of cuisine from around the world, nightclubs, and just about anything else you can imagine.
And the breath-taking destinations are varied and marvelous but marvelous comes at a price so a cruise vacation isn’t exactly a budget affair but one thing you don’t need to do is waste money, especially money you can spend on those souvenirs everyone at home expects.
Save Money Here
One way people choose to save some money is to drive to their cruise port instead of flying. Flying can add hundreds to your cruise vacation, even if you book a flight/cruise package; depending on where you live, or how much you like to drive, you can choose to drive instead. However, one thing that people may actually forget to budget for that can be extremely expensive is parking, which can negate any savings from driving.
Parking at the port is always the most expensive option, so parking at Miami cruise terminal is not the way to save money on parking by any stretch of the imagination. Even parking for just a weekend cruise can be very cost prohibitive so you can imagine how port Miami parking for a week, with some lots charging $20 per day, can add up to a monster bill. Who wants to face that right after a dream vacation to relax and get away?
Explore Your Options
With literally millions of cruise passengers coming through the Port of Miami every year, there are, by necessity, many parking options, meaning you do not have to use Miami Port Parking and pay Miami cruise port parking rates; you have other options.
Many satellite lots allow you to book and prepay online for your parking which offers the advantages of securing a parking spot during busy times and perhaps a discount for prepaying, and most offer a free shuttle to and from the cruise terminal. Some lots offer self or valet parking and offer incentives such as several different discounts, minor maintenance, gated lots, security cameras and patrols. If you are quoted a price over the phone, be sure to verify the rate when booking online.
Many hotels offer a package deal of discounted or even free parking if you plan on staying a night or two either before and/or after your vacation. These hotels also offer a free shuttle to the port. The rate for the package may be higher than the per night fee, but the combination will save you money over the separate room/parking lot fee.
Tips for Preparing Your Vehicle for Long Term Parking
Regardless of the security measures taken in the lot where you park, there are things you can do to enhance your chances of being incident-free during your trip, beginning with removing all valuables, which should go without saying. In fact, to be on the safe side, it is wise to remove everything possible from sight including any chargers that might give would-be thieves an idea there might be valuable electronics inside. Police advise even removing any loose change; you never know what might tempt a desperate person.
Inspect your glove compartment and remove any papers that might give away personal information that could lead to identity theft and never leave your car key anywhere inside or outside the vehicle. You might come back to find your car gone despite what you thought was a fool-proof hiding place.
Remove trash, extra coats, or anything that may give the idea that something valuable is hiding underneath. Avoid leaving any kind of paperwork inside that you would rather not lose including receipts for travel reimbursement or travel documents you can’t afford to misplace. Taking a few quick precautions can save you a lot of headaches in the end.
So, remember to plan and budget for parking when planning your cruise vacation so there are no unpleasant surprises along the way.
