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Parking at Port Canaveral costs $20.00 a day plus tax at the port’s own garages and lots, according to the port’s parking page. You park, then walk to the terminal, with no shuttle in between. Private lots nearby cost less but add a shuttle and a schedule to your morning.
We have done the Orlando-to-the-coast drive with nieces and nephews along, and the part of the day that stays easy is the walk from the car to the ship. I would plan the whole sailing morning around that. This guide covers the cost, the terminals, the cheaper lots and the ride from Orlando.
Port Canaveral Parking Cost
The rate is $20.00 per day plus tax for cars and RVs, and the day you arrive and the day you return both count as billed days. You pay when you enter the lot, by card only. The port takes American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover, and no cash.
The port’s FAQ page lists $17.00 a day for long-term parking and never says what counts as long-term. I would budget $20 and treat anything lower as a bonus. Vehicles with special equipment, Florida Toll Exemption Permits or Florida Disabled Veteran plates can get a fee waiver.
| Option | Per-day cost | Distance to the ship | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port garage or lot | $20.00 plus tax | Walk to the terminal | Opens 10 AM for boarding; card only |
| Park N Cruise, Merritt Island | $15.95 same day | About 2 miles | Shuttle every 60 minutes; last one at 2:00 PM |
| Port Parking Space, Cape Canaveral | From $14.95 | Under half a mile from the closest terminal | Free shuttle; advertised rate |
| Shared shuttle from Orlando airport (Cocoa Beach Express) | From $28 per person | About 45 minutes from the airport | No parking needed; final price set by itinerary |
| Uber or Lyft | Fare varies by day and time | Curb drop-off at the terminal | No parking cost; pickup in front of the terminal |
Port Canaveral Terminal Parking
Terminals 5, 6, 8 and 10 on the north side, the A terminals, have parking garages. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 on the south side, the B terminals, use surface lots. All of it is park and walk, with no shuttles needed.
Garages and lots do not open before 10 AM for boarding passengers, per the port’s terminal guide. Coming off SR 528 east, take Exit 54A for the A terminals or Exit 54B for the B terminals. Your cruise documents name your terminal, so pick the exit before you reach the split.
Drop-off works in front of the terminal or inside the parking facility, and porters take the bags. I would unload at the terminal first, then park and walk back. On the return, passengers can pick up companions and luggage at the terminal entrance or walk their bags to the car.
The facilities are patrolled around the clock, and debarking passengers can reach their cars at any time. Photograph your level or row before you leave the car. After a week at sea, a picture beats memory.
Port Canaveral Cruise Terminals
Seven major lines sail from Port Canaveral: Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, MSC, Princess, Celebrity and Norwegian. The port’s cruise lines page, checked October 2, 2026, also lists Victory Casino Cruises.
The port’s own pages do not pair each line with a terminal number. Each terminal’s arrival guide tells you to contact your cruise line with itinerary questions and to arrive at your assigned boarding time.
So the terminal number comes from your boarding documents, not from a parking page. Check it before you leave home. The A and B terminals sit on opposite sides of the port and take different exits.
Port Canaveral Off Site Parking
Off-port lots are private businesses, and the port’s own $20.00 lots are the baseline they price against. Their shuttles are free, but you take on a pickup schedule and a lot cutoff.
Park N Cruise, at 1700 Sea Ray Dr in Merritt Island, lists $15.95 a day for same-day parking and sits about 2 miles from the port. Its shuttle departs every 60 minutes, and its site says the final shuttle of the day leaves at 2:00 PM. Tuesday and Wednesday hours vary with ship schedules.
Port Parking Space, at 8945 Columbia Road in Cape Canaveral, advertises rates from $14.95 a day, and the lowest rate may depend on dates or a promotion. It runs a free air-conditioned shuttle and says the lot is less than half a mile from the closest cruise terminal.
A cheaper rate is real money on a long cruise, but only if the shuttle fits your day. I would not lean on an hourly shuttle for a sailing with a tight boarding window. Park N Cruise charges more for same-day parking than for booked-ahead parking, so reserve early.
Port Canaveral From Orlando Airport
The port puts Orlando International Airport about 45 minutes west of Port Canaveral. Take the north exit from the airport, stay right, and follow SR 528 east, the Beachline toll road, straight to the port.
Shared shuttles are the cheap way in. Cocoa Beach Express, the ground transportation provider the port names, advertises shared airport-to-port rides from $28 per person, with the final price set by your itinerary. Confirm whether a quote is one way or round trip before you book.
Rental cars are the fiddly option. Major rental companies offer shuttle transfers to and from the port, so you can return the car and ride in. I would return it at the airport before the transfer and keep the car out of the parking math.
How Far Is Port Canaveral From Disney World?
Walt Disney World to the port is about an hour’s drive, on the same SR 528 route from the Orlando side. A theme-park stay before a cruise works well, but I would keep the park day off sailing day.
Our Orlando itinerary for two days and our Disney World with kids plan cover the stay before you head east.
Uber To Port Canaveral
Uber and Lyft operate at Port Canaveral, per the port’s guest transportation page. Fares move with the day, the time and the vehicle size, so price it in the app the day before. Pickup after the cruise happens in front of the terminal entrance.
Port Canaveral Hotels
A pre-cruise hotel night takes most of the risk out of sailing day. The port notes that hotels near the port offer complimentary or scheduled shuttle service, so ask each one for its shuttle times and its price.
Flying in the day before takes a delayed flight out of the equation. I would book the night before for any cruise with a morning boarding window. Keep documents and medication in your carry-on, as our cruise packing list lays out.
Port Canaveral Parking Tips
I would pay the port’s $20.00 and walk to the ship, unless the saving on a long sailing is big enough to justify an off-port shuttle. Sailing from the other side of the state instead? Our Port of Miami cruise parking and Port Everglades cruise parking guides compare the same choices.
Bring a card, since the port lots take no cash. Learn your terminal and its exit before you drive. Unload at the curb, park, and photograph your level.
Port Canaveral Facts
How much is cruise parking?
The port charges $20.00 per day plus tax for cars and RVs, counting both the arrival day and the departure day. Off-port lots advertise lower daily rates but add a shuttle.
What time does cruise parking open?
Port Canaveral garages and lots do not open before 10 AM for boarding passengers. Passengers coming off the ship can reach their cars at any time.
Can you prepay for cruise parking?
Not at the port’s own lots. Payment is due on entry by credit card, and the port takes no cash. Off-port lots take reservations.
How early should you arrive for a cruise?
The port’s arrival guides say to arrive at your assigned boarding time. Your cruise line sets that time, so read your boarding documents.
Do you need a shuttle to the cruise terminal?
No, not at the port’s lots. The port runs park and walk parking at every terminal, with no shuttle needed. Off-port lots do run shuttles.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Published October 14, 2026.
Photo credits: (1) featured, Two large cruise ships docked at Port… — TerryDOtt, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (2) Port Canaveral Terminal 8 cruise terminal… — ICberg7, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (3) A Carnival cruise ship docked at Port… — Sparrowman980, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (4) A Disney cruise ship at its berth in Port… — ajmexico from Melbourne, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.