safe to leave luggage in rental car at port canaveral parking lot?

[ten822]

Going to be in Florida for a week BEFORE the cruise and don't want to bring all that extra dirty laundry on a 4 day cruise! Has anyone done this? How secure if the parking lot at Port Canaveral??

 

[Maggie'sMom]

There's always a risk, but there are a couple things I'd consider:

1) Are you getting a rental car with a trunk? If the luggage will be out of sight, I'd be much more likely to do it than if you had a vehicle where someone could look through the windows and see the luggage.
2) Will it just be dirty laundry? As long as it's just clothes and nothing of higher value like electronics or jewelry, I'd go ahead and leave it in the car.

 

[bumbershoot]

For me, it's absolutely not safe. Unless you want to have to replace all those clothes, just bring it.

But we do laundry during our trips. We don't have enough clothing to not. (Well maybe I do at this point but DH and DS do not)

 

[Hundredacre]

We did this in miami at the garage across the street from the port. I would think miami would be more dangerous than canaveral but I don't know. We have an suv so everyone could see what was in there. And there was stuff everywhere in there plus luggage from our stay in disney world. We didnt even try to "hide" anything because we were so excited to get to the ship we just ran out. I did leave the car last and thought well we'll see what happens as I closed the back door and double checked the locks. No issue. The car was as just messy and full of luggage as we left it when we got back to it after the cruise!

 

[Donna M]

If it is just clothes I wouldn't give it a second thought. If someone wanted to steal your stuff, I would think they'll go through it for valuables, once they tell its dirty they might just move on to the next vehicle.

 

[mmouse37]

I think it is just as safe as anywhere else. When ships are not in port I don't think you can enter the port parking area so I don't think random people are roaming the lot or garage. I would leave stuff.

MJ

 

[Mr. Green]

If you can keep it out of sight in a trunk, I would see no issue. Don't risk it in the back seat or in an SUV. Even if it is dirty laundry you wouldn't like to see your window(s) busted because someone wanted to try and steal something? Out of sight, out of mind. The same applies for DVD, electronics, etc. when on vacation. Put it away!!

 

[party-of-five]

We left a couple of suitcases in the back of a minivan rental. It wasn't obvious, but if you looked in the windows you could see them. Everything was there when we got back from our 4 night cruise. Like others said, if it's just laundry, I wouldn't worry about it. I felt like it was a secure garage, as parking garages go. But of course anything could happen.

 

[Capt_BJ]

if using the parking at the port

all the lots are patrolled and only 'open' when a ship is actually doing a turn around

given the overall low crime rate around here

I think you'll be OK

(the two most popular 'off site' places are well lit, highly visible and have video surv' as well)
{and could save you 50% as compared to port price}

 

[OKW Lover]

Agree with most of the PP's that as long as whatever you leave in the car is out of sight that your risk is small.

 

[rcchello]

if people were getting their cars broken into you would probably hear it here. People love to use these forums to complain.

 

[SleepyDeb]

If it's out of sight, probably fine. If you can see it, it may be fine or something may happen. Criminals won't know what is in the bags, will break the window to get at them, and will go through the bags elsewhere. (This has happened to me, in another country.) Very painful to return to your rental car and find broken window, especially when you have kids with you that you need to keep calm when all you want to do is cry. And then there is filling out policy report and dealing with getting back to the rental place with a car with a broken window.

 

[darkwing818]

if people were getting their cars broken into you would probably hear it here. People love to use these forums to complain.

Totally agree...We've parked at the port for 15 cruises, over a 10 year span, & have never had any issues. We always do the parks before & after our cruises, so we've left bags with dirty clothes as well as luggage with clean clothes for the parks after. Port Parking Security is on the bottom of our "Worry List". Cheers