Mardi Gras Departures

[bled01]

Will be at Port Canaveral for our Mardi Gras cruise in a few weeks and was wondering about parking.  I know it is a bit cheaper to park offsite but I want whatever is quicker and easier.  Would most people recommend parking directly at the port or offsite parking?

[jimbo5544]

5 minutes ago, bled01 said:

Will be at Port Canaveral for our Mardi Gras cruise in a few weeks and was wondering about parking.  I know it is a bit cheaper to park offsite but I want whatever is quicker and easier.  Would most people recommend parking directly at the port or offsite parking?

Well, quicker and easier is parking garage.  We do it all the time, easy in and easy out.  DOne it several times.

[Knights on the Beach]

We live 2 miles from Terminal 3 where Mardi Gras docks so we taxi or Uber back and forth. However, if we lived farther away, we would absolutely park right there by the terminal just for the convenience factor. That way, there's no waiting for a shuttle to take you to another parking lot - you just get in your car and go.

[jimbo5544]

34 minutes ago, Knights on the Beach said:

We live 2 miles from Terminal 3 where Mardi Gras docks so we taxi or Uber back and forth. However, if we lived farther away, we would absolutely park right there by the terminal just for the convenience factor. That way, there's no waiting for a shuttle to take you to another parking lot - you just get in your car and go.

That is close…..

[sparks1093]

When we drive we always park at the port. The priciest was probably Manhattan, but the parking lot is secure and that in and of itself is worth the price of gold in NYC. At the end of the cruise you grab your luggage and go, no need to gather your luggage, lug it to where you parked and then go.

[Pyrate13]

Another vote for parking at the port. We sail out of Canaveral most of the time and it's just much more convenient to walk off the ship, get in your car and go.

[Frank12]

We tried off-site parking at PC one time. It was about half price of what the garage would have cost. Getting to the ship was a breeze, however getting off was a different story.  Everyone trying to get back to their vehicles at the same time resulted in lots of waiting.... Just what I do not want to do at the end of a cruise.  I want to get off the ship, get into my car and start the drive home!

Needless to say we always pay the extra $ to park at the port parking garage now!😉

[mz-s]

Cheap - good - easy --- pick any two.

 

Cruise terminal - good and easy.

 

Offsite parking - cheap and good.

 

Recommend you look into: Go Port 3345 N Courtenay Pkwy, Merritt Island, FL 32953

 

If you are platinum/diamond or otherwise have priority disembark, then you shouldn't have any issues getting back to Go Port after the cruise because you'll be on one of the first shuttles back. JMO...

Edited June 10 by mz-s

[Drazil65]

We drive to PC at least once or twice a year and have used the port parking garage for years.  Its easy and efficient for boarding and then a breeze when leaving at the end.  We always self debark early to get on the road home.  

 

We did a shuttle from a hotel once (one and done) many years ago but we knew immediately it was not for us.  We have been parking at PC port parking ever since.  

 

 

Edited June 10 by Drazil65

[Luvtoeat]

13 hours ago, mz-s said:

Cheap - good - easy --- pick any two.

 

Cruise terminal - good and easy.

 

Offsite parking - cheap and good.

 

Recommend you look into: Go Port 3345 N Courtenay Pkwy, Merritt Island, FL 32953

 

If you are platinum/diamond or otherwise have priority disembark, then you shouldn't have any issues getting back to Go Port after the cruise because you'll be on one of the first shuttles back. JMO...

I was looking into go port and looks really good but how long is the wait for transport to the ship but more important its always crazy when getting off ship and waiting for transport back to their facility to pick up your car. Might be tons of people waiting for same vehicle. Last Nov. sailed on MSC and parked at terminal . Very convenient but way more expensive.

[Elaine5715]

16 minutes ago, Luvtoeat said:

I was looking into go port and looks really good but how long is the wait for transport to the ship but more important its always crazy when getting off ship and waiting for transport back to their facility to pick up your car. Might be tons of people waiting for same vehicle. Last Nov. sailed on MSC and parked at terminal . Very convenient but way more expensive.

A friend used Go Port in Feb for a Mardi Gras sailing.  The driver dropped them at port with luggage and went to park.  It was over an hour before the driver got back.

[Luvtoeat]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

A friend used Go Port in Feb for a Mardi Gras sailing.  The driver dropped them at port with luggage and went to park.  It was over an hour before the driver got back.

Not sure I understand the comment. Do you mean the person that dropped the passengers off. Did they  not park right there across from the ship, which is only a few minutes walk back to the ship.

[mz-s]

10 hours ago, Luvtoeat said:

I was looking into go port and looks really good but how long is the wait for transport to the ship but more important its always crazy when getting off ship and waiting for transport back to their facility to pick up your car. Might be tons of people waiting for same vehicle. Last Nov. sailed on MSC and parked at terminal . Very convenient but way more expensive.

 

The key to using third party parking/shuttles like this is to take advantage of priority/self-assist disembarkation and being one of the first off the ship. Otherwise yeah I agree you are going to be waiting for a bit to have a seat on the shuttle. While I haven't sailed Mardi Gras with 6000 guests, I have sailed on ships with ~3000 and the longest I had to wait for a parking shuttle was 15-20 minutes.