This is a complete guide to Cruise Parking at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale for Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, and more.
Port Everglades Cruise Parking – The 3 available options:
- SHIP-SIDE PARKING AT PORT EVERGLADES
- COMMERCIAL OFF-SITE PARKING (private lots near the Port)
- HOTEL PARKING
What is best for some may not work for others so ultimately you have to pick what fits your budget and needs!
Port Everglades Cruise Terminal and Area Google Map
Here is a detailed map of the Port Everglades Cruise Ship terminals and parking lots for passengers. You will find accurate locations of:
- Cruise Hotels
- Port Everglades Rental Car Agencies
- Cruise Terminals
- Cruise Terminal Parking lots and garages
- Public Transportation Maps – Trolley
I also include information about Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach.
Port Everglades Parking Ship-side: The most convenient and expensive option
Here is a map of the cruise terminals and parking garages/lots at Port Everglades. For the latest updates, please study the online Google Map above!
Officially the parking garages open at 10:30 am for entry. In reality, you can arrive earlier but on busy days the attendants may direct you to wait elsewhere. And if you arrive too early then you have to deal with vehicles slowly departing the current cruise meaning you may not get a spot near the elevators (yet)!
- You drive up to the cruise terminal, drop your family and/or luggage at the porters, then
- Drive around to park your vehicle in a nearby undercover or open parking lot, and
- Walk back to meet your family.
No hassles, no crowds, and no waiting on shuttle buses especially after your cruise when the family is tired and a bit grumpy!
TIP – Please know there are many signs and attendants ready to direct you when you arrive at the cruise terminal. DO NOT BE WORRIED about a thing! Just get yourself to the correct terminal and the attendants will show you where to drop your luggage, where to park, how to pay, etc.
This convenience is not cheap ($20 per day – you must include your departure and arrival days). Credit cards only. Attendants are available in case you need assistance.
3 NIGHT CRUISE – $80
4 NIGHT CRUISE – $100
5 NIGHT CRUISE – $120
6 NIGHT CRUISE – $140
7 NIGHT CRUISE – $160
8 NIGHT CRUISE – $180
Oversized vehicles such as RVs must park in open-surface lots nearby. Special rates apply.
For the latest information please visit the Official Port Everglades Parking website
Specific Terminal Notes:
Port Everglades has installed new, colorful, driver-friendly wayfinding signs in the parking garages, parking lots, and throughout the Port’s roadways.
The signs feature Florida wildlife and fauna with illustrations of a bright orange heron (bird) in the port’s Northport section, a green palm (plant) in Midport, and a blue snook (fish) directing customers to Southport.
When you arrive at any of the three port entry checkpoints, an electronic information board displays your ship name and cruise terminal. Then you follow the signs to your terminal and parking garage or lot.
We suggest:
- Use the 17th Street (Eisenhower Blvd) Entrance for Terminals 2 and 4
- Use the Eller Drive Security Entrance for Terminals 18, 19, 21, 25, 29
Terminal 2 – Carnival
Secure, Covered Parking in the 1,818-space Heron Parking Garage. An air-conditioned, elevated passenger bridge with moving sidewalks connects Terminal 2 and the Heron Garage and can be accessed from the 5th floor of the Heron Garage or the elevators on the outside of Cruise Terminal 2.
In the image below, see how you drive into Terminal 2 to drop off your luggage and passengers (ground level). Then you drive out and keep left up the ramp and into the Heron parking garage. Try to park on level 5 so you can easily get to the passenger bridge!
Terminal 4 – Disney (late 2023)
Covered Ground Transportation Area: 129,000 sq. ft.
Secure Parking in the 1,818-space Heron Parking Garage. Short walk to the terminal.
Construction for the Disney terminal has begun and I doubt there will be other cruises from this terminal from now on. If for some reason, your ship departs from Terminal 4, simply follow the road signs to the Heron parking garage.
Terminal 18 – Royal Caribbean
Secure Parking in 600-space Parking Lot #18 or 400-space Parking Lot #19.
Drive up to the Terminal and hand your luggage to the porters then drive out to the parking lot and walk back.
Take a ticket upon entering the parking lot. Pay on the way out.
Terminal 19 –
Secure parking in 400-space Parking Lot #19 or 1,966-space Palm Garage.
Drive up to the Terminal and hand your luggage to the porters then drive out to the parking lot (or Palm parking garage) and walk back.
Take a ticket upon entering the parking lot. Pay on the way out.
Terminal 21 – Jaume II
Balearia Ferry to the Bahamas.
https://www.baleariacaribbean.com/en
Secure, covered parking at the 1.966-space Palm Parking Garage located next to Terminal 21
Terminal 25 – Celebrity
Secure, covered parking in the 1,966 spaces at Palm Parking Garage.
Drive up to the Terminal and hand your luggage to the porters then drive out to the Palm parking garage and walk back.
Take a ticket upon entering the parking lot. Pay on the way out.
Terminal 26 – Holland America
Secure, covered parking at the 1,966-space Palm Parking Garage.
Drive up to the Terminal and hand your luggage to the porters then drive out to the Palm parking garage and walk back.
Take a ticket upon entering the parking lot. Pay on the way out.
Terminal 29 –
Secure, covered parking at the 1,966-space Palm Parking Garage
Free shuttle service is provided between Cruise Terminal 29 and the Palm Parking Garage.
Drive up to the Terminal and hand your luggage to the porters then drive out to the Palm parking garage and take the free shuttle service back to Cruise Terminal 29
Take a ticket upon entering the parking lot. Pay on the way out.
There is also a surface LOT B between Terminals 26 and 19.
Port Everglades Parking Off-site Near the Port – Shuttle bus services at a lower cost
There are only two viable commercial off-site Port Everglades parking options – Park by the Ports and Park N Go as shown below. There are also a couple of booking agents – online companies that offer parking via discounted contracts with local hotels and parking partners.
If you drive up on the day of your cruise looking for discounted parking, off-site parking will save you money. You will use a shuttle bus to and from the cruise terminals – it is not as convenient as ship-side parking – but cheaper!
If you stayed at a hotel you will most likely park your vehicle at the hotel for the duration of your cruise. Generally speaking, the hotel security is not as good as the fenced & gated off-site parking facilities. So you have to consider more than just cost when comparing your parking options.
Booking Agents
When you search online for cruise parking at Port Everglades, you will see ads for several booking agents. These online agents don’t own parking lots (or transport vans in most cases). Instead, they have agreements with local hotels, parking facilities, and transport companies to sell parking spaces/transfers online – often at a discount to the consumer.
They change partners and rates quite often and it is hard to keep up with their parking options! Please visit their respective websites for the latest choices.
Typical hotels contracted close to the Port – Embassy Suites, Renaissance, Rodeway Inn, etc. There are many others but those are typically further away such as in Dania Beach near I-95.
How does it work? Typically (with exceptions – check your booking confirmation) – You will receive directions and phone numbers to call before arrival at the Parking Lots and after your cruise (wait in the shuttle area). These are on-demand services so be prepared to wait for drivers and/or representatives of the ground operators (Quick & Safe for example).
How safe is it to book parking with agents instead of booking directly with a parking facility? Agents come and go and change names and partners all the time. So it is impossible to generalize but you should be OK with established agents. Just know that you are not dealing directly with a parking facility/operator. Should something go wrong, you cannot address the problem in person at a parking facility. You must deal with an online agent who may be thousands of miles away from Fort Lauderdale! Here are two agents:
- Rightway Parking – A nationwide agency with parking partners at many airports and cruise ports. At Port Everglades, they partner with hotels and shuttle companies (e.g. Quick & Safe, All Stars Transportation) – not with the two top parking operators. Daily rates vary considerably. See the locations on the Google MAP above.
- Tropical Airport Parking – Partner with several hotels near Port Everglades, not with the two top parking operators. Daily rates vary considerably. You will probably use hotel shuttles and some of these cost EXTRA – please check carefully before booking.
Cost Comparison
2024 rates. Always check the websites for the latest pricing because they change often. Book online for the best rates:
Ship-side parking for 8 days, 7-night cruise – $160
- Park N Go. Cheaper to pay online instead of the gate = $93 for 8 days.
- Park by the Ports. Best to book online = $94 for 8 days.
Generally speaking, the following rules apply when parking off-site:
- Lots are secured behind a fence with security lights.
- Port shuttles are generally free for up to 4 passengers. Extra charges apply to larger families.
- Do not arrive before 9:30 am. The staff will be busy helping returning cruisers until then.
- The first shuttle typically departs around 10:30 am to the ships. The last shuttle typically departs at 2:45 pm.
- Unless valet parking is required, YOU drop YOUR passengers and luggage, then park the vehicle and walk back to the check-in point.
- Shuttles run continuously every 15-45 minutes (depending on bookings and time of day).
Location considerations for off-site parking:
- Park ‘N Go – Close to the Eller Dr security checkpoint. Very easy to in and out once you figure out the directions! From I-595 east – Take the Port Everglades exit (the overpass). Make a 90-degree left at the McIntosh Rd intersection and drive 0.5 miles to the driveway on the RIGHT. (Just past the four-way traffic-light intersection). Very secure and certainly the most popular of the offsite parking operators.
- Park by the Ports – Parking is in a back section part of the Casino parking lot in Dania Beach. The cheapest offsite option but much further away than Park N Go – about 5 miles, at least 15 minutes. While the Casino parking lot has surveillance, the vehicles are not parked behind gates. This operator offers a shuttle tracker online – a nice feature! No RV parking.
Port Everglades Parking At Hotels Near The Port
– Please look for an upcoming article about cheap hotel parking options –
We think you will find excellent parking deals at the hotels! You can expect daily parking rates starting around $6 including a return Port shuttle for at least 2 persons.
Many hotels near Port Everglades offer Park & Cruise packages with free (not really!) or discounted parking for the duration of your cruise. Park & Cruise Packages cannot be used with other discounts and there are limitations such as holiday blackouts.
TIP – Do not worry about parking until much later in the booking process. First, book the perfect hotel for your family, then start to think about your parking options.
For example, if you have young kids who like pools then pick a hotel with a fun pool design. If you want to watch the cruise ships come and go then pick another. Or do you want to overlook the ocean and beach, or just hope to stay as cheap as possible anywhere within 30 minutes or so from the port?
So how do you know if you are getting a good hotel deal?
A] Ask the following questions:
– Is breakfast included?
– Are airport transfers included? You may not need this service.
– Is the Park & Cruise Package available for your stay and cruise dates?
– Cruise terminal shuttle transfers should be included but usually only for 2 persons (adult or child). How much will it cost for others in your family? On average expect to pay between $5 and $10 extra per person EACH WAY!
– If you do not book the package, how much is parking per day for the duration of your cruise?
– How long is the shuttle drive to the cruise terminal and how often do the shuttles run? Many hotels offer only one free shuttle to the cruise terminal per day – around 10:30 am – and a few return shuttles from the ships at specified times.
B] Use hotel booking sites to find the best rates for your hotel for your travel dates.
This will give you a good idea of the discounted room rate. Then you have to add the parking costs and shuttle costs to compare packages and deals.