If you’re sailing Norwegian Cruise Line out of Miami, there’s a new option that may make the PortMiami embarkation day experience at least slightly less annoying. NCL is now offering guests the ability to reserve parking in advance for Terminal B through ParkWhiz, a third-party reservation platform.
Instead of driving to PortMiami and hoping there’s space in the garage by the time you get there, you can now pre-book a guaranteed parking spot before your cruise. The official NCL setup is for Garage B, the dedicated parking facility for Terminal B, located right after the Norwegian drop-off area at 2298 North Cruise Boulevard in Miami.
The current rate is $35 per day, which is about what you’d expect for the “privilege” of parking at PortMiami without having to circle around like you’re hunting for the last spot at a mall on Christmas Eve. Still, that daily rate adds up fast. If you’re taking a weeklong cruise, you’re already looking at $245 just to park the car. Doing a back-to-back or a longer sailing? Now it starts to feel like you took out a short-term lease on the parking garage.
To be fair, being able to reserve a spot ahead of time does take away some of the uncertainty on embarkation day. PortMiami parking has always been a bit of a hassle, especially when traffic is backed up and everyone seems to arrive at once. Knowing you have a spot waiting for you at least removes one layer of chaos from the experience.
That said, it does not remove the bigger issue, which is that PortMiami is still PortMiami. Between the traffic, the congestion, and the three-ring-circus that forms around the terminal garages, driving there is rarely what I’d call a relaxing start to a cruise.
That’s why if you live along the Brightline route in Central and South Florida, from Orlando down to Miami, I still think the better move is to skip the port parking mess entirely and take the train. For me, this is the easiest way to deal with Miami cruise departures. You get off at MiamiCentral, walk outside, grab an Uber, and in under 10 minutes you’re usually being dropped off right at your terminal. No fighting for a spot. No waiting in long lines to get into a garage. No paying $35 a day to let your car sit in a concrete box while you’re off in the Caribbean.
And when the cruise is over, it’s just as easy. Request an Uber, head back to the Brightline station, and you’re out of there without having to battle your way through the garage traffic and terminal madness. It’s not a solution for everybody, but for those of us in Central or South Florida, it really is the way to go.
For guests who do prefer to drive, though, this new reservation option is still a useful addition. Anything that makes embarkation day at PortMiami a little less chaotic is a win in my book. Just don’t expect it to make parking any cheaper.