Preferred Parking at Port Canaveral - Anyone tried it?

[SCPixie]

Is Preferred Parking worth the extra $20?
We have a 10:45 AM PAT during next week's busy Spring Break cruise on the Dream.

Thanks.

 

[JJsmama]

Adding on: what does preferred parking mean/ include? I am all for convenience but (just like at Disney resorts) I dont want to valet park before I leave my vehicle for a week. We need a few minutes to get organized/ clean out trash, etc. TIA

 

[lorimay]

We have done the preferred parking, its the small parking lot where you drop your luggage off.
Honestly, I prefer the covered parking garage, but my husband did this after he dropped me off.

 

[n2mm]

We always park in the gargage and it's just fine with us.

 

[Weedy]

It's not that much closer and it's not covered.
The preferred parking is the open lot between the terminal (on the left of photo) and the garage (right of photo)

 

[TxT365]

We are planning on using the covered parking, but won't arrive until 12:00 - 12:30. Will there still be room in the covered area or will I have to park on the top level? Also, is there a drop off area for luggage and passengers in the garage? I think I saw something about it earlier, but I cannot remember. If there is, are there porters there? Thanks!

 

[Bishoparc]

We are planning on using the covered parking, but won't arrive until 12:00 - 12:30. Will there still be room in the covered area or will I have to park on the top level? Also, is there a drop off area for luggage and passengers in the garage? I think I saw something about it earlier, but I cannot remember. If there is, are there porters there? Thanks!

Yes, you will be fine. It has a good amount of space. When you first arrive, they will have you pull up to the curb where the porters are and you will drop off your luggage. After that you then park.

To the OP, I used it last time. When we arrived they had sent me through a gate instead of having me pull up to the front curb. They actually scanned our passports while we were in our car instead of having to wait in line where you drop luggage off in front of the parking garage. Then we actually pulled up right next to the terminal to drop off our luggage (there were porters there too). As I was pulling off I noticed this preferred lot so I went ahead and parked there. I could have gone ahead and parked in the garage but I would have had to go through the first little security gate again so just did it for simplicity.

Also please note, they do have porters available when you disembark as well. Just look for people with hand trucks. They are usually standing right by the escalator before you go through customs.

 

[OKW Lover]

We've done preferred parking a couple of times. Don't know why we bother though. As noted above its an additional $20, only marginally closer than the garage and its in the open (rather than covered from the sun). I doubt we will do this in the future.

 

[Sytrace]

We always pay the extra 20.00 for preferred. It is really convienent for us and easy on disembarkation day to load up and leave.

 

[Glitzytraveller]

If you park in Preferred Parking, are you able to go right into the terminal since they already checked your ID prior to parking? So, if I arrive at 10:15, will I be able to bypass the line outside the gate?

 

[Sytrace]

We park in preferred all the time. They check your ID prior to parking in the lot so we just unload baggage, park the car and head into the security Xray area.

I believe the parking attendants start at 10:30, but cars line up outside and then are ready to drive in as soon as they begin. Tell the first team that you would like to park preferred, they will direct you straight ahead to the first guard. They will ask for your ID of all adults in the car and possibly your travel book (this has only happened once so far) Then they will direct you to the next person who will also check your ID and also the car to see who is in it and verify they are travelling with you on the reservation.

 

[jeepnjudy]

We always pay the extra 20.00 for preferred. It is really convienent for us and easy on disembarkation day to load up and leave.

We do this as well...love the preferred parking. Come out of the terminal, walk my suitcase right over to the car, load up and leave!

 

[minorthr]

We did it in Sept. It was absolutely worth the extra $20.

 

[Sytrace]

We do this as well...love the preferred parking. Come out of the terminal, walk my suitcase right over to the car, load up and leave!

So quick and easy.

 

[richmo]

Personally I'd rather be in the garage and the car will be a lot cooler when picking it back up.

 

[Sytrace]

Personally I'd rather be in the garage and the car will be a lot cooler when picking it back up.

I live in Orlando and park outside year round so garage parking is not as big of a deal to us. And at 8:30 or 9 AM when leaving port it is not nearly as hot. However, many people don't like the sun beating down on their car for any length of time. Trees are our friends.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We didn't rave about it either. Rather have the covered garage. It had been raining quite hard and the car was so dirty!

 

[pearljammer]

Hi, we've used the location down the street that in a closed yet open area and while it was fine, we came to really appreciate the convenience of parking at the Port. Quick to get in and out and nice to walk right off the boat and straight to your car. So for us, it was worth it. Now if my car was older and the savigs was signficant enough, I'd go with the other parking as it was fine; just more wait time. No complaints about it though. Car was pretty dirty when we got back at t ouside one. ;O)

 

[MSPeeler]

We parked in the garage, level 3. There is a walkway directly across the parking lot, super easy and the line was non-existent! We walked right through basically.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Which is the more secure lot?