Will porters check your luggage inside the parking garage at the walkway?

[Annge]

I would appreciate info on options for checking luggage with porters upon arriving in the Port Canaveral parking garage. Someone mentioned that my family can drive directly into the parking garage, and there are porters to check our luggage there. And then we just use the walkway to get to the terminal.

But I could not find any info about this option in my search, but the most recent post I found about offloading luggage was from January 2017.

Thank you for any info you can share.

 

[apathetic]

I don't think there are porters in the garage. However, before you get to the garage is the curbside drop-off. We usually pull up there, drop the luggage, then enter the garage at the end of the drop-off lane. From the garage you walk to the terminal at ground level or at level 3, I believe. It is an exceptionally easy process.

 

[tink182]

Hi, we just returned from a cruise on the Dream. Our friends drove and they were instructed to drop off luggage with the porters prior to entering parking garage. We were dropped off at the port by Uber and porters took our luggage. They instructed everyone to go up to the third floor of the garage to line up prior to entering terminal. We did see porters on the third floor also. We had an early port arrival time so it may be different if arriving later in the day. Hope this helps.

 

[mmouse37]

Tink182....I don't think your experience is the norm. We have also had that happen to us once but the vast majority of the times we lined up downstairs, outside the gate. In addition, a line will form upstairs as well. Maybe it does depend on how early you get to the port.

I think any porters you may encounter in the parking garage are there bringing luggage to passengers' cars from the previous cruise. I don't think as a norm, they are stationed there waiting for incoming passengers but you may encounter one who is there already from dropping off someone's luggage to their car.

MJ

 

[Annge]

Thank you all so much. We sail this coming Saturday, and I wanted to be as prepared as possible.

If I encounter something different, I will post the info here.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

For 7 of our 9 cruises we were out of Port Canaveral. For each one, we parked (opens no earlier than 9:45), DW & kids headed to the line on the 3rd deck while I went to find a porter. He came to the van, loaded up our DCL tagged luggage, I slipped him (and once a her) a $20 and that was it.

 

[dcassetta]

You have to drive by the porter area on the way to the garage, so it is easy to drop off your luggage.

 

[Weedy]

Here is a photo of the Port Canaveral Terminal.
You will pull in at the far end of this photo between the two buildings. The parking garage is on the right terminal on the left.
When you pull in they will either direct you to pull up in front of the terminal or pull up under the walkway between the two buildings. Have your paperwork, drivers license in the front seat they will ask to see it as you pull in. Keep a bag with you with this paperwork and anything else you may need (bathing suits, sunscreen RX) until your bags arrive in your cabin. Porters are available at both locations. A few weeks before your cruise Disney will send you luggage tags. Have these on your bags before arriving. You should tip the porters a few $$ per bag.
Your bags will be delivered to your cabin. Cabins aren’t available until 1:30. Bags may not arrive until early evening 5-6pm.
I’ve found the times we’ve tried to enter the terminal from the 3rd parking entrance the lines were very slow. Both times we went down to the entrance on the ground floor.
After you drop off your bags you will pull into the garage. You pay before you park.
As others have said you may find a porter in the garage but they are only there if they are taking someone’s luggage to their car for the previous cruise. So if you have a later Port Arrival Time the porters may no longer be in the garage. Also all the parking may be taken on the 3rd deck of the garage and you may have to park on a different deck. It’s all good the garage is set up wonderfully with big elevators.

 

[islandsnoopy]

We've sailed 10 of 11 cruises out of Port Canaveral. We usually arrive around 9:45 and park on the third level of the garage. We get our luggage and line up. The porters arrive about 30mins before they start security process. They'll call downstairs and request porters come up to the third level. Some porters are bringing luggage for departing passengers, and they'll take your luggage too. This was how it's worked for all of our cruises with the most recent in July 2018.
Either way you'll get on the ship!

 

[Annge]

This info is very helpful. Thank you all. It is nice to have options.

Love the pic!

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

Actually they will pick up luggage from people waiting on level three to get onto the crosswalk, at least if you’re there early. When we went last year we had to wait in the garage for them to open the walkway and the porters were coming and collecting everyone’s luggage right there. In fact, if you are too early they WON’T take it curbside. They told us that they weren’t ready and to go park and the porters would come pick it up in the garage. If you arrive later, I don’t know, as we always have an early PAT.

 

[southerngirl528]

I think any porters you may encounter in the parking garage are there bringing luggage to passengers' cars from the previous cruise. I don't think as a norm, they are stationed there waiting for incoming passengers but you may encounter one who is there already from dropping off someone's luggage to their car.

In all my DCL cruises, this has been my observation as well.

 

[Weedy]

FYI:
Typically
Boarding Day at Port Canaveral
9:45ish Parking garage opens
10:30 Terminal opens. You will be waiting outside in the Florida heat until the terminal opens. They line people up either in the garage or at the ground floor entrance. ** I’ve seen a few recent post that it’s only in the garage.
When you arrive and check in you will be given a boarding number. The earlier your Port Arrival Time the lowest your boarding number.
11:15-11:30 boarding begins
12:00 pools, slides, restaurants and bars open
1:30 cabins ready
3:30 all restaurants pools and slides close to get ready for the lifeboat drill.
4:00 lifeboat drill
4:30 quick service restaurants reopen
4:30 sail away party