IT COST 'WHAT' TO PARK MY CAR?

You get great value for your travel dollar when you book a cruise.


The price always includes your room, all the food you'd ever dream of eating, loads of entertainment & transportation between ports. 


And you can easily visit 3 or more countries without repacking your suitcase.


Plus you can find 7 day-ers with advertised prices starting around the $500 per peep mark for an inside cabin. 


Of course, savvy sailors know that this doesn't include taxes - which can add another $200 or so to the toll - nor drinks, nor shore excursions, nor specialty restaurants, nor tips ....


Pretty soon the price of your ticket can double or even triple from what you thought you were paying.


But, all & all, you are still getting a great deal for your vacation  buck - just not as great as you 1st thought.


Now the ports are getting into the act of picking passenger pockets in the form of parking fees.


In Miami, you may think you are paying $7 per day to park - & you are IF you're parking 'short term'. 


'ST' translates as 'not over night'.


Since it's the same ticket for either ST or long term parking, some travelers are surprised to pay not $49 when picking up their Edsel, but a whopping 20 bananas per day or $140 to $160 (depending on drop off & pick up times).


Think of the number of Bahama Mamas you could have bought with that cash.


So how do you beat the high cost of basically ransoming your ride from port lots?


A quick Google search found a handful of private lots in the port area ranging in price from $31.50 to just under $60. Most (except for the $31.50 version where a $5 taxi ride wasn't included) provided free shuttle service to & from the boat. 


All claim various levels of security.


But if you don't want to leave your Rolls in one of these lots? 


That $140 - $160 gives you some leeway. Depending on your location from the port, it may actually be cheaper to hire a shuttle service & enjoy the luxury of being chauffeured to & from the ship.


Of course there's always out of work Cousin Clarence who'd drive anyone or anything to Timbuktu for a handful of greenbacks.


There are still a few - but not as many as there once were - 'near port hotels' that (for the price of a night's stay) will give you a room & let you leave the family bus in their lot for the cruise's duration. Some might still actually shuttle you to & fro the ship, but most expect you to taxi it.


Whichever you choose, enjoy your vacation & if you start fretting about costs, another Bahama Mama or 3 should wash them from your mind.