Cruises - Ever parked your rental at Wal-Mart during short cruise?

I am taking a short, 2 night cruise to the Bahamas from the port of Palm Beach in September, and after running all scenarios, it is making more sense to just pay for our rental car during the 2 days we are on the cruise, as to get the best rental rate from our location, etc.


There is a valet fee that I believe was quoted at $15/Day to park the car at the port.

However - I did check Google Maps and noticed there's a Walmart less than 4 miles away from the port. For those of you who have done extensive road travels like me, you all know that Walmart is nothing short of fantastic for parking your vehicles, rv's, busses, semi's, etc. at..


Anybody else done this?

Walmart is nothing short of fantastic for parking your vehicles, rv's, busses, semi's, etc. at..


It's called "boondocking" and it's not permitted at every Walmart everywhere on Planet Earth.

I am taking a short, 2 night cruise to the Bahamas from the port of Palm Beach in September, and after running all scenarios, it is making more sense to just pay for our rental car during the 2 days we are on the cruise, as to get the best rental rate from our location, etc.


There is a valet fee that I believe was quoted at $15/Day to park the car at the port.

However - I did check Google Maps and noticed there's a Walmart less than 4 miles away from the port. For those of you who have done extensive road travels like me, you all know that Walmart is nothing short of fantastic for parking your vehicles, rv's, busses, semi's, etc. at.

Anybody else done this?

how are y'all getting from walmart to the port & back?

good luck...

you are better off finding a hotel that has free parking, you can probably get away with two days.

I'm all for saving money but sometimes you got to wonder... :rolleyes:

You are going on a cruise to the Bahamas and want to save 30$ for 2 days parking by parking your car in a Wal Mart lot? Ever thought about how expensive it's going to be if they tow that car away!?

I sometimes do street parking or use an alternate lot if the hotel is all too insane with their parking rates (like the W Hollywood 35$ charge). But dont poison your trip because you always have to think about that stupid rental sitting in the WalMart lot (IF it still sits there).

I figured we would take public transport or a taxi the 3 miles to the port.

Suppose it could come out to the same cost. This is why I posted here.



I would do the hotel parking, but our hotel is in Fort Lauderdale, and the port is an hour north of FLL. Unfortunately :/

Interesting idea

There is a valet fee that I believe was quoted at $15/Day to park the car at the port.

...there's a Walmart less than 4 miles away from the port...


Anybody else done this?

Taxi to and from walmart - what ten bucks each way? Or are you going to schlep your luggage 4 miles each way to save the 30 bucks? Really? I've rented a car at a huge discounted rate and parked it at FLL cruise terminal - the convenience was worth it. but walmart and a cab ride? Really?

Taxi to and from walmart - what ten bucks each way? Or are you going to schlep your luggage 4 miles each way to save the 30 bucks? Really? I've rented a car at a huge discounted rate and parked it at FLL cruise terminal - the convenience was worth it. but walmart and a cab ride? Really?

hey now, just an idea!

I have nothing to say about the parking at Wal Mart since we don´t have that here (quite a way from here). I just wanted to say I can understand the OP as we all value things differently. I also hate to pay for parking as I feel I don´t get anything for that and I like to walk too. So good luck.

But Taxi???? :confused: ;)

Two tips:

1) Forget about saving $30 and just park at the port instead.

2) Cancel your cruise reservation on Bahamas Celebration and book a 3-day cruise on one of the big 3 mass market lines: Carnival, NCL, or Royal Caribbean. You won't spend much more but you'll get a lot more value.

I am taking a short, 2 night cruise to the Bahamas from the port of Palm Beach in September, and after running all scenarios, it is making more sense to just pay for our rental car during the 2 days we are on the cruise, as to get the best rental rate from our location, etc.


There is a valet fee that I believe was quoted at $15/Day to park the car at the port.

However - I did check Google Maps and noticed there's a Walmart less than 4 miles away from the port. For those of you who have done extensive road travels like me, you all know that Walmart is nothing short of fantastic for parking your vehicles, rv's, busses, semi's, etc. at..


Anybody else done this?

just curious.........where are you from??

Two tips:

1) Forget about saving $30 and just park at the port instead.

2) Cancel your cruise reservation on Bahamas Celebration and book a 3-day cruise on one of the big 3 mass market lines: Carnival, NCL, or Royal Caribbean. You won't spend much more but you'll get a lot more value.

I see your points. Definitely know this is a budget cruise trip. It was booked on the phone for $59 a person over a year ago. Impulse spend and it fits into a wedding I am in that will be in Atlanta right after this. Then I have a 10 day adventure trip in Puerto Rico.

I am from Iowa.
I toured around in a band making next to nothing for a couple years, so I know the ins and outs of Walmart parking. I've also done it on whitewater rafting trips with friends.
Only reason I asked. I was curious if other people had done this.

I see your points. Definitely know this is a budget cruise trip. It was booked on the phone for $59 a person over a year ago. Impulse spend and it fits into a wedding I am in that will be in Atlanta right after this. Then I have a 10 day adventure trip in Puerto Rico.

I am from Iowa.
I toured around in a band making next to nothing for a couple years, so I know the ins and outs of Walmart parking. I've also done it on whitewater rafting trips with friends.
Only reason I asked. I was curious if other people had done this.

Have a great time on your adventures.....sounds like there won´t be any dull moments. :p;)

It's called "boondocking" and it's not permitted at every Walmart everywhere on Planet Earth.

+1 and Wal-Mart may not own/have sole control over the parking lot, it could be the shopping center or whatever development manages the Wal-Mart site. Just because Wal-Mart may give you tacit approval or a wink and a nod doesn't mean that the property owner/management will.

Hey 712,

I'm sorry you were ripped at in this thread. I for one would like to hear your stories about the details of parking long term at Wal-Mart. I am a little surprised that you have developed free parking expertise coming from the 712. Having visited the 712 I certainly do not recall having had to pay for parking even a single time.

My home airport is LAS, and one can certainly adopt your strategies for free parking while using LAS. My current favorite is Terribles Hotel and Casino, where you can get covered parking (important during the summer months at LAS) and a free shuttle van. Terribles is where WN (largest carrier at LAS) keeps its employees who have to overnight, so you can be sure the shuttle runs very late.

Make sure your car is clean.

Hey 712,

I'm sorry you were ripped at in this thread. I for one would like to hear your stories about the details of parking long term at Wal-Mart. I am a little surprised that you have developed free parking expertise coming from the 712. Having visited the 712 I certainly do not recall having had to pay for parking even a single time.

My home airport is LAS, and one can certainly adopt your strategies for free parking while using LAS. My current favorite is Terribles Hotel and Casino, where you can get covered parking (important during the summer months at LAS) and a free shuttle van. Terribles is where WN (largest carrier at LAS) keeps its employees who have to overnight, so you can be sure the shuttle runs very late.

Make sure your car is clean.

Haha, thank you!
I hardly spend much time in the 712, although I still reside there. That's just been my username for a long time, so I stuck with it. I'm on the road 250-320 days a year.

That's REALLY good info about parking at Terrible's for LAS. I will definitely keep that in mind.

I tour with a band in either a tour bus, rv, or 15 passenger van all year long, and in the music scene, all bands know that Walmarts general policy is to allow over nighters and longer term parking. This is why you will almost always see semi trucks and rv's parked in their parking lots - not b/c they're shopping there, b/c they're sleeping there.

I also used this tactic with a friend on a whitewater rafting weekend in West Virgina last fall too for 3 nights. I wouldn't recommend sleeping in Walmart to 95% of the people on this board, but if you're young, flexible, and are doing budget travel - it's perfect. 24 hour bathrooms, 24 hour food, and about any supply you could imagine :)

In dozens of nights spent in Walmart parking lots across just about all of the 50 states, I can tell you I have never once been asked to leave. This is the consensus given to me from dozens of other touring bands as well.

You can use a Walmart parking lot for just about anything. In my line of work, we run into odd circumstances frequently, and if we need somewhere to do it - off to Walmart!

In dozens of nights spent in Walmart parking lots across just about all of the 50 states, I can tell you I have never once been asked to leave. This is the consensus given to me from dozens of other touring bands as well.

Not sure if you have tried this in Hawaii.

While I have also been so happy to find a WalMart or Camping World parking lot to stay overnight, when it's late and more convenient than trying to find a campground, I, like you, have never had a problem. That is, until the Big Island in Hawaii.

I thought I had a great idea in renting a camper van for a week. Ocean views every night, hearing the waves crash, and having all the amenities at hand. The only problem was that you need to make reservations at campgrounds well in advance. There's no way to self-pay or anything, if you get to a beach park or campground that day. So after a few days of roaming around, trying to figure everything out, we find a WalMart and think nothing of pulling in for the night. All was well until about 5:00 AM, when a frantic employee came knocking on the windows, telling us to leave. She was saying that if the owner finds us he'll be so mad, and that no one is allowed to park here overnight. I apologized profusely explaining that it had always been allowed on the mainland, so we thought it was allowed here, too. She said that no one can park here because transients will make it their home (which is what we kind of looked like in the 70's camper van!)

Interesting idea about parking in a WalMart for a cruise, though.

Not sure if you have tried this in Hawaii.

While I have also been so happy to find a WalMart or Camping World parking lot to stay overnight, when it's late and more convenient than trying to find a campground, I, like you, have never had a problem. That is, until the Big Island in Hawaii.

I thought I had a great idea in renting a camper van for a week. Ocean views every night, hearing the waves crash, and having all the amenities at hand. The only problem was that you need to make reservations at campgrounds well in advance. There's no way to self-pay or anything, if you get to a beach park or campground that day. So after a few days of roaming around, trying to figure everything out, we find a WalMart and think nothing of pulling in for the night. All was well until about 5:00 AM, when a frantic employee came knocking on the windows, telling us to leave. She was saying that if the owner finds us he'll be so mad, and that no one is allowed to park here overnight. I apologized profusely explaining that it had always been allowed on the mainland, so we thought it was allowed here, too. She said that no one can park here because transients will make it their home (which is what we kind of looked like in the 70's camper van!)

Interesting idea about parking in a WalMart for a cruise, though.

That does initially seem like a good idea, assuming you could park the camper van in beach parking lots, along the coast, or walmarts, etc..

Bummer it didn't work!
You are right, I have not parked in Hawaii walmarts. If I'm in Hawaii, I'm not going very "budget travel", nor am I with the band :)

Most cruise lines figure out a way to get more than 2 days of parking out of your pocket before you leave the ship. via drinks, casino,tips,fuel surcharge, etc

I know the Palm Beach port area well. I am not familiar with the nearby Walmart's parking lot policy, however. Whatever you decide, please most definitely do not park in a public street near the port. The surrounding east-side neighborhoods near the Port are all bad news. I would not even leave an unattended vehicle in the Mall at Singer Island. Here is another suggestion, there are two roads near to the port that have hotels clustered around I-95. Check the motels on Blue Heron Blvd and on 45th Street near I-95. Maybe one of those hotels have a port shuttle and will charge you a nominal parking fee. Better yet, are you staying at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale? If its a chain hotel maybe they could ask one of their sister properties to allow you to park near I-95 and then grab a taxi from a closer Palm Beach County hotel to the port. Good luck.

That does initially seem like a good idea, assuming you could park the camper van in beach parking lots, along the coast, or walmarts, etc..

Bummer it didn't work!
You are right, I have not parked in Hawaii walmarts. If I'm in Hawaii, I'm not going very "budget travel", nor am I with the band :)

Yes, I learned very quickly that the camper van was a terrible idea. Plus, it wasn't even really that cheap. It just seemed like it would be nice not to be tied to any one area, especially on the Big Island.

You know it's not going to be good when the company is supposed to meet you at the airport with the camper and no one shows up. We sit there for a half hour, and finally call. The guys says, "Oh, the van is in the lot, the keys are inside." Great, thanks for the call. We locate the camper, and it smells of vomit. The camper is a very early model, nothing like the pics or description on the website. We drive it out of the lot, pay the parking fee and I give the guy a call when we realize that none of the electrical system works. He says that we can switch it out the next day. Okay, we realign plans to be at his shop at 10:00 the next morning. The "new" one is being repaired when we arrive. The guy there knows nothing about any switch. I get a hold of the owner and they work it out, but we can't do the switch until the new one is repaired, it should be this afternoon, they say.

Anyway, you get the idea, along with not really being able to camp anywhere and basically losing two days of the trip waiting for the campers, it was kind of a bummer. But, at least, it makes for a good story!

Not sure if you have tried this in Hawaii.

While I have also been so happy to find a WalMart or Camping World parking lot to stay overnight, when it's late and more convenient than trying to find a campground, I, like you, have never had a problem. That is, until the Big Island in Hawaii.

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She was saying that if the owner finds us he'll be so mad, and that no one is allowed to park here overnight.

Interesting idea about parking in a WalMart for a cruise, though.

I am curious about the "owner".. Isn't it owned by the corporation?

The Wal-Mart in my area (Pennsylvania) allows overnight RV parking in a designated area. However, they do regularly tow regular cars and trucks left unattended in the lot. It makes the paper all the time, people leave their vehicles there for whatever reason and then get wicked mad when it gets towed after 24 hours.

My daughter was meeting some friends in a convenient meeting place for both parties, and then driving on to Chicago together...

Trying to figure out where they should park one of the cars while they "carpooled" to CHI.

They met in Paducah KY, and parked at the airport. Safe,secure, and $7.00 per day. Just used the parking facilities, no flight taken. No need to drive 2 cars to the city!

Thinking outside the box and putting the questions out there comes out with creative options.

Haha, thank you!
I hardly spend much time in the 712, although I still reside there. That's just been my username for a long time, so I stuck with it. I'm on the road 250-320 days a year.

That's REALLY good info about parking at Terrible's for LAS. I will definitely keep that in mind.

I tour with a band in either a tour bus, rv, or 15 passenger van all year long, and in the music scene, all bands know that Walmarts general policy is to allow over nighters and longer term parking. This is why you will almost always see semi trucks and rv's parked in their parking lots - not b/c they're shopping there, b/c they're sleeping there.


You can use a Walmart parking lot for just about anything. In my line of work, we run into odd circumstances frequently, and if we need somewhere to do it - off to Walmart!

You can't park overnight at Walmart in Alaska.

We picked up an RV and stocked it up at Walmarts Anchorage, then decided to stop and make coffee before hitting the road.

Within a few minutes of sipping our coffee, there was someone knocking at the door, to tell us that overnight parking was not allowed.

Could that void your rental agreement or insurance? I think you are taking a big risk . If you can afford a cruise they why can't you afford the parking? Don't even rent a car and just stay at a hotel that offers a free shuttle or a taxi ride that is not expensive.

Do you want to return to a towed car or one that has been broken into? Do you have money to replace the car if it was damaged or hijacked?