Port of Miami - off site parking

[cellfree]

We booked off site parking through "globalairportparking.com" as they also list Ports. You make your reservation, pay for it on-line, and are then given the site of the parking garage that they contract with and other details such as the shuttle information which is (to be) provided. Our experience was as follows: we arrived at the garage at 11:40 - you are told you cannot arrive before 11:00 - and it took two hours from the time we entered the garage until we set foot out of the shuttle at the cruise Port. We were shocked, thought it was quite outrageous, arriving at garage at 11:40 and 120 minutes later at cruise Port. Then upon disembarkation we joined the group that had already been waiting for the shuttle bus for 40 minutes (the shuttle is to run every 20-30 minutes) and waited an additional 15 minutes with the group until we decided to catch a cab to the garage instead of fighting over who would get on the shuttle and who would have to wait for the next one. It was really a very bad experience. Live and Learn! Next time, parking at Port - the money we saved was not worth the aggravation.

[Noxequifans]

Parking at POM is clearly the safest and most convenient.

[JohninDC]

Thanks for the feedback - hope the rest of your cruise was more enjoyable. :)

[cellfree]

Our Cruise was wonderful - MSC Seaside - very enjoyable.

[Flymia]

Always park at the Port in Miami. Its not just a will my car be safe issue, its a enjoy your vacation issue. So much easier to just park there.

[Keith1010]

Several of us always recommend parking at the Port of Miami.

 

Safer and more convenient.

 

Thanks for providing your experience which reenforces this recommendation.

 

Keith

[STIguy]

Never. Park. Off. Site. Miami.

 

Learn it. Live it.

[gorgotron]

Never. Park. Off. Site. Miami.

 

Learn it. Live it.

 

So very true, Miami has some really rough areas. And it sucks because parking at the Port is so expensive. Hotel with shuttles is a much better deal.

 

Anyone have experience with http://www.safecruiseparking.com ? Interesting name but not sure how I feel about it yet :confused:

[BlueHerons]

Until David Beckham builds his stadium in the middle of Overtown, you will not find me anywhere near there.

 

In Miami, ALWAYS park at the port.

[Bkchero]

I have to go to downtown Miami for work a couple of times a month. It is not as bad as depicted here, although I also know where to avoid.

 

When we sailed over NYE we parked at a place called Safe Cruise Parking. It is on the south side of downtown in a relatively safe area (there are new 3 luxury condo buildings across the street). We were only on a 5 day cruise so I was willing to pay to park at the port but the people we were traveling with had parked there before and said it would be fine. It was $13 a day (although their website says their rates vary with demand), was about a 10 minute ride to the port, and the shuttles when we left were prompt. We parked at 10:30 and were at the port at 11. They had no requirement to show up after a certain time as the lot was big enough to accommodate new arrivals before the returning cruisers picked up their cars.

 

The only problem we had was when we returned. It took almost 30 minutes from the time we walked out of customs for a shuttle to arrive. Since we were driving home and weren't in a hurry it didn't really matter, although it was unseasonably cool for Miami the day we got back (45 degrees when we arrived), but some people like to be able to get right on the road.

 

For a $9 difference a day, which comes out to $63 for a 7 day cruise, I am not sure its worth it. Then again, $63 is a lot of drinks or a shore excursion, and I recognize that some people travel on a strict budget and try to save a few $ at every turn.

 

Would I do it again? Maybe. It would depend on the length of the cruise and what the varying rate was.

[gingersvp]

Thanks for this thread and info. We're sailing this Friday out of Miami and due to work schedules, couldn't head over the day before as I prefer. I was debating using off site parking this time around (have always parked on site), but I think I'm swayed to just pay the extra for onsite parking. It's only a 3-nighter so the cost differential isn't huge.

[cellfree]

It is definitely what we will do from here on. “Live and Learn.” Been there and done that with off-site parking.

[Bkchero]

So very true, Miami has some really rough areas. And it sucks because parking at the Port is so expensive. Hotel with shuttles is a much better deal.

 

Anyone have experience with http://www.safecruiseparking.com ? Interesting name but not sure how I feel about it yet :confused:

 

I did not see your post before I posted my experience with Safe Cruise Parking. Hope you saw it. Long and short is it was fine when we arrived, I was not concerned about safety as its on south side of downtown and close to 3 new upscale condo buildings, took a little while when we got back, and for a short cruise I am not sure the savings are worth it. For a longer one or for very budget conscious travelers it might be.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I have to go to downtown Miami for work a couple of times a month. It is not as bad as depicted here, although I also know where to avoid.

 

When we sailed over NYE we parked at a place called Safe Cruise Parking. It is on the south side of downtown in a relatively safe area (there are new 3 luxury condo buildings across the street). We were only on a 5 day cruise so I was willing to pay to park at the port but the people we were traveling with had parked there before and said it would be fine. It was $13 a day (although their website says their rates vary with demand), was about a 10 minute ride to the port, and the shuttles when we left were prompt. We parked at 10:30 and were at the port at 11. They had no requirement to show up after a certain time as the lot was big enough to accommodate new arrivals before the returning cruisers picked up their cars.

 

The only problem we had was when we returned. It took almost 30 minutes from the time we walked out of customs for a shuttle to arrive. Since we were driving home and weren't in a hurry it didn't really matter, although it was unseasonably cool for Miami the day we got back (45 degrees when we arrived), but some people like to be able to get right on the road.

 

For a $9 difference a day, which comes out to $63 for a 7 day cruise, I am not sure its worth it. Then again, $63 is a lot of drinks or a shore excursion, and I recognize that some people travel on a strict budget and try to save a few $ at every turn.

 

Would I do it again? Maybe. It would depend on the length of the cruise and what the varying rate was.

 

Totally appreciate where you are coming from. I will say that downtown is a very different animal during the day than it is over night. It's also changing as new buildings are going in. Areas that are busy and seem one way during the day change drastically late at night.