Port Of Miami

[dippydoo]

Has anyone used any of the parking lots around Miami International Airport to leave there vechiles while cruising out of Miami?

 

Please share your experience bad or good.

 

Thanks,

[cb at sea]

Why not just leave it at the port garage? Expensive, but convenient! Some hotels may have a stay and park option...stay one night, and leave your car in their lot.

[librayacht]

Has anyone used any of the parking lots around Miami International Airport to leave there vechiles while cruising out of Miami?

 

Please share your experience bad or good.

 

Thanks,

We live in Fort Lauderdale and cruise quite frequently out of Miami. I am afraid that the $20 per day at the port facility is too expensive for me. We always park at Premier Cruise Parking which is a covered multi storey garage just about 5 minutes from the port. They run regular shuttles to and from but if you want to get to the ship very early you should be aware that their first shuttle does not leave until after 11.30 (usually around 11.50).

If you book on line you should be able to get space for about 1/2 of the port rate.

My last visit there cost me $73 for a seven day cruise.

[Capt_BJ]

REPRINT from Mach 2011

 

I used Premier Parking http://premierparkingusa.com/

this past week for a cruise on Liberty OTS from Miami

 

here's comments pro and con

 

pro:

- price is good - substantially less than the port garage & booking was easy via web

- location is just a few minutes from the port, six blocks or so from the entrance to the port. You could walk it but I sure wouldn't with luggage.

- you self park, the lot appears as tho it was locked . . . it was fenced and adjacent to a nice office building

- shuttle on the beginning side was OK - we waited maybe 15 minutes and then 3 vans arrived and everyone waiting was accommodated. Very short ride to the pier. Arriving at 11 I believe we were among the first for the day's departures. (web site advises not to arrive earlier)

 

con:

- a gravel lot; so expect a dirty car if that matters to you. even if it doesn't rain it will get dusty. (as others have noted premier 'operates' parking venues and doesn't own them so presumably the lot they use could change)

- a bit disorganized .... I arrived around 11 and there were several cars sitting in the 'wrong' lot which was the one I pulled into as well....no one from Premier was around yet but a few minutes later their guy did show up and began shooing us to the right place. there's no office or anything ... just one guy with a little shade tent and a cooler of water. once parked in the right place expect to stand in the sun waiting for the shuttle . . .

- return end: they had given us a sticker to use as a reference when we returned to Miami and as soon as we got to the 'pick-up' area we spotted someone holding a sign with the same stickers. So far so good. "5 minutes" we were told....and they checked their list. We were not on their list.... Fortunately I had saved a copy of the reservation so that issue was quickly resolved. I considered taking a taxi as the location was so close but the taxi line was LONG at this time (0830 - we carried our own luggage off and 'selfed' at 0800). The first van arrived but was full .... it was filling up at the first ship they encountered when the van entered the port and the Liberty was last in line .... hmmmm. After another 10 minutes or so another van arrived, it was about 1/2 full and after some typical Miami bickering among the employees (if you know Miami you know what I'm talking about) the 5 of us now waiting were put in the van. a wee bit crowded but the ride was short. Within 15 minutes of boarding the van we'd exited the parking lot and were on 95 headed home. If there were more waiting from Liberty (a big ship) I could see this potentially becoming an issue . . .

 

OPINION.

 

- Would I use them again? Maybe.

 

- The cost saving was substantial but being a person lacking in the patience department I kept looking across the street to the port's garage and thinking I could be gone already...

- Much of the angst would be mitigated on a second episode as having been there once there would be fewer unknowns.

- Note that many of the off airport parking operations also serve the port. When flying out of MIA I'd used those many times over the years with satisfaction and had planned to use one for this cruise. Their down side is being out by the airport, so a longer ride and turn around for the shuttle. I went with Premier due to proximity to the port and, from something I read here on CC, a belief they used a parking garage.

******

[dippydoo]

@Captain BJ,

 

Can you tell me where this parking lot is located? When you go online it will not tell you location until you make reservation. Which makes me a little leary to book.