Driving and parking at the cruise terminal:

Depending on the port, there will usually be a parking facility operated by a local government orginization. Personally, we have always flown to Miami, but I recall seeing a parking facility nearby. Our son now lives near the Orlando area, and we took one cruise out of Port Canaveral - but he dropped us off and drove our car for the week - picking us up at the end of the cruise. However, I do recall a parking facility there as well. The only time we actually parked our car at the port is when we went out of Tampa, so my discussion is limited to this location.

We bought a new car just before our cruise, and decided to drive to Florida, see our son for a few days, then drive to Tampa for the cruise. I was somewhat concerned about security at the parking garage, as an aquaintance of mine that lived in Tampa told me that the general surrounding area is somewhat of a party-atmosphere, and he would think twice about long-term parking in that area. We also found an area hotel that supported the night-before and park at the hotel concept, but I felt it would be a whole lot easier if we could park right at the cruise terminal. So after a phone call to the parking facility, I discovered that they are well secured. They are only open the days the cruise ships are in port, and the whole facility is locked when the ship is gone. I can report that we had no problems parking there, and plan on parking there as well the next time we go out of Tampa.

You have arrived at the cruise terminal, now what?

A cruise ship can hold anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 guests, and with the newest ships, up to an icredible 6,000 passengers. And on departure day, within a period of only a few hours, all of those folks depart, and another load of passengers arrive. What would seem like chaos is actually handled with a lot of precision. You are usually asked not to arrive before noon, and that still provides plenty of time for boarding as the ship doesn't leave before 5:00PM. It's my understanding that current US regulations require the last passenger to be on board an hour prior to leaving, but you still have plenty of time to arrive.

As part of the cruise documents you'll receive are airline-like luggage tags that have your stateroom on them. These are to be affixed to your luggage prior to dropping them off. If you fly in, find a time after arriving at the airport, but prior to meeting up with the cruise transportation to affix them to your luggage. No need to do this prior to your air flight as the luggage tags might get ripped off during the airline handling process. When you arrive at the drop off point at the cruise terminal, a porter will usually take your bags for you. They will help you affix your stateroom luggage tags if you have not yet done so. It is not mandatory, but a couple of dollars tip for the porter will help ensure your bags arrive to your room.

This should be obvious, but surprisingly many people don't think of it. Most luggage looks like other luggage. When you shop for luggage, look for something unique; possibly a different color, shape, or design. Probably 80% of all luggage is black, so any other color you have will make your luggage easier to identify. You don't want to spend too much money for luggage as it gets beat up, but you don't want really cheap stuff either as it won't hold up very well. Many people also mark their luggage with special tags, color tape, or other means to make it easy to spot. If you don't care how your luggage looks, spray-paint the heck out of it with a couple different color cans of the brightest paint you can find and you'll never have a problem finding it.

After dropping off your luggage, you then usually go a security and check-in process; if you are lucky and have reached the requisite perk level, depending on the departure city, there may be a private check-in area that will expedite the process. Otherwise you'll stand in line for a few minutes for check-in. This process has become more efficient with optional on-line check-in, so the final process literally only takes a couple of minutes. At this time, you will be provided a card, similar to a credit card, that serves as your identification card, room key, boarding pass, and purchase card for on-board purchases, including drinks and those all-important souvineers for your family members not fortunate enough to come with you.

You should carry your boarding card with you all of the time, so we use a lanyard that goes around your neck with a little plastic pouch holding the card. You can usually buy these on-board if you don't have one.

If you arrive on board soon enough, the buffet-style dining area will be open for lunch.