Why a short cruise is worth considering
If you or someone you travel with is uncertain about managing a full week — after surgery, after a bad spell, or the first trip using a walker — a two-night sailing answers the question cheaply. You learn what the cabin, the gangway and the dining room actually ask of you, without seven days riding on the answer.
Parking at the port: whoever needs the shortest walk should never ride to the garage. Drop them at the door first, with the luggage, then park. Private lots work differently — you park first and ride a shuttle in.
What sails from here
- Margaritaville at Sea is effectively the whole port, sailing short trips to Freeport, Nassau and Key West.
- One terminal, at 1 East 11th Street, Riviera Beach — so there's no terminal to confuse.
- A smaller, older ship than the Florida mega-ports, which means shorter queues and a shorter walk from end to end.
- It's a working industrial port, not a waterfront district. There's nothing to stroll to while you wait.
The hard deadline that catches people out
Terminal doors have closed promptly at 3:00pm on sailing day, and arriving after that has meant being denied boarding and treated as a no-show. On a port where many people drive up the morning of the cruise, that cutoff is the single biggest risk — and traffic, roadworks or a slow morning can eat an hour without warning. Confirm your own times with the cruise line, then plan to arrive well before them.
Where to park: port-run and private, together
| Where | Who runs it | Roughly | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port of Palm Beach lot | Port-run | about $19/day | Secured and patrolled around the clock, at the terminal. Charged for the arrival and return days, so roughly $57 for a three-day cruise. Valet suspended during the U.S. 1 roadworks. |
| Rightway Parking | Private | from about $8/day | Books nearby private lots with a shuttle and a guaranteed space. On a two or three-night cruise the total saving is small, and it costs two shuttle rides. |
Parking, and what it costs
- Around $19 a day for self-parking, charged for the day you arrive and the day you get back — so roughly $57 for a three-day cruise.
- The lot is secured and patrolled around the clock, with controlled access.
- Valet has been offered here in the past at the same daily rate, but it was suspended during the U.S. 1 roadworks. If valet would make the difference for you, ring the port and ask whether it's running again.
- Off-site lots advertise from around $8 a day with a shuttle — but on a two or three-night cruise the total saving is small, and it costs you two shuttle rides.
Roadworks worth planning around
The Florida Department of Transportation's U.S. 1 project has closed the right-turn lane onto 11th Street and the northbound sidewalk, with a detour via 13th Street and Avenue C to reach the terminal. A closed sidewalk matters if anyone in your party is walking or rolling any part of this. Check the port's parking page for current conditions before you set off, and give your driver the detour.
Getting there
- Palm Beach International (PBI) is only about eight miles away — one of the shortest airport runs to any Florida cruise terminal.
- Miami is roughly 80 miles south and Port Canaveral about 135 miles north, so this is an easy drive-to port for much of the east coast.
- Rideshare and taxis are straightforward, and on a short cruise two rides often beat paying to park.
- There are no luggage lockers in the terminal, so plan for your bags if you have time to fill after disembarking.
Check with your cruise line
- Ask how to request pier and wheelchair assistance, and by when — short cruises still have paperwork deadlines.
- Confirm the terminal opening and closing times for your sailing, and treat the closing time as firm.
- Ask what accessible cabins are available on the ship, since a smaller older vessel has fewer of them.
- Ask whether valet parking is operating on your date.
Prices change without notice
Rates here are a guide, not a quote, and this port has changed its parking arrangements recently because of construction. Confirm the current rate, whether valet is running, and the access route with the port before you travel.
Get the deadlines before they pass
The free Accommodations Guide, plus reminders timed to your sail date — including the 30-day window for pier assistance.
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Where this comes from
- Firsthand observation on recent sailings, with the date noted above.
- How we check things — our method, and what "last checked" means.
Last checked 22 September 2026.
Everything here reflects publicly available information at the time of writing and is not a quote or a guarantee. We are not affiliated with any parking operator listed, and none of them paid to appear here. Sailed from here recently? Tell us what you found and we'll fold it into the page.