Norfolk Cruise Terminal Parking: Where to Park and What It Costs

The Norfolk Cruise Terminal sits in downtown Norfolk, just steps from the city’s most walkable cruise-passenger attractions, restaurants, and museums.

Here’s the part most parking guides get wrong: there is no cruise garage at the terminal. Norfolk cruise terminal parking is the City of Norfolk’s Cedar Grove lot at 1000 Monticello Avenue, about 1.5 miles away. You pay $15 a day, check your luggage right there in the lot, and ride a free shuttle to the ship. This guide covers that lot, the one covered alternative worth knowing about, hotel park-and-cruise packages, and how to skip parking entirely.

Note on rates: The City of Norfolk sets the Cedar Grove rate and hours, and they do change (the lot moved to a 9:30 a.m. opening in July 2026). The details below were last checked in September 2026 against the city’s cruise parking page and the VisitNorfolk cruise FAQ. Confirm at norfolk.gov/cruiseparking before a long sailing.

The math is simple: at $15 a day, a seven-day sailing comes to about $105. Put the lot’s address in your GPS, not the terminal’s, and you skip the classic first-timer mistake of circling downtown looking for a cruise garage that isn’t there.

Cedar Grove Lot: The City of Norfolk’s Official Cruise Parking

Cedar Grove at 1000 Monticello Ave. is the lot the City of Norfolk designates for cruise passengers. It is an open-air surface lot about 1.5 miles from the Norfolk Cruise Terminal, fully fenced, monitored around the clock by local law enforcement, and served by a free shuttle that drops you at the terminal curb.

• Address: 1000 Monticello Ave., Norfolk, VA
• Distance: about 1.5 miles from the Norfolk Cruise Terminal (free shuttle)
• Vehicles: passenger vehicles, including vans up to 15 passengers
• Payment: cash or credit card on entry, or prepay on the City of Norfolk website and show the QR code at the gate
• Cruise-day hours: opens 9:30 a.m.; shuttles start about 9:45 a.m.; the final shuttle is at 2:30 p.m.
• Rate: $15 per day

The detail most guides miss: at Cedar Grove your luggage is checked in at the lot itself and transported directly to the ship, so you ride the shuttle with just your carry-on. ADA parking is available, and the shuttle fleet includes an ADA-accessible vehicle with a lift.

Who Cedar Grove is right for: almost everyone driving a car, SUV, minivan or passenger van who wants the simplest, city-run option. Who should look elsewhere: anyone who wants the car under a roof for a week (see Asphalt Lots below), and anyone driving something bigger than a 15-passenger van, who should call City of Norfolk Parking through Norfolk Cares at 757-664-6510 before sailing day rather than guessing at the gate.

How Cruise Morning Works from Cedar Grove

1. Drive to 1000 Monticello Avenue, not to the terminal. The lot opens at 9:30 a.m. on cruise days.
2. Pay on entry by cash or card, or show your prepaid QR code.
3. Check your luggage at the lot. It goes to the ship without you.
4. Ride the free shuttle to the Half Moone terminal curb. Shuttles start about 9:45 a.m.; the last one runs at 2:30 p.m.
5. Clear security and board at the check-in time your cruise line assigned. The terminal asks passengers not to arrive before that time.

Coming home, staff direct returning passengers to the Cedar Grove shuttles after you collect your bags and clear customs.

Want Covered Parking? Asphalt Lots in Chesapeake

Cedar Grove is close and city-run, but it is open to the weather. If keeping the car indoors matters more than a short shuttle ride, a private operator called Asphalt Lots runs an indoor garage in Chesapeake and shuttles cruise passengers to the Half Moone terminal.

• Rate: $10 per day, indoor
• Location: 1377 Bells Mill Road, Chesapeake, about 10.9 miles from the terminal
• Shuttle: free round trip with a reservation; runs every 15 minutes from 9:30 a.m. on cruise days, a ride of about 15 minutes
• Garage hours: opens 7 a.m. on cruise days; night-before drop-off can be arranged by phone
• Return: port pickups start at 7 a.m. in front of the USS Wisconsin
• Vehicle limit: 7 feet 10 inches tall, including roof racks and cargo boxes
• Booking: reserve online at asphaltlotsva.com

The trade-offs: the shuttle runs only on Carnival cruise days, the ride is longer than the hop from Cedar Grove, and your luggage can’t be checked through to the ship from the garage. Your bags ride with you and go to the porters at the terminal. Asphalt Lots details were last verified against the operator’s published FAQ in July 2026.

Norfolk Cruise Terminal Parking Compared

Option	Cost per day	Distance and shuttle	Covered?	Luggage checked at the lot?
Cedar Grove (city lot)	$15	About 1.5 miles; free shuttle from about 9:45 a.m.	No, open-air	Yes
Asphalt Lots (private)	$10	About 10.9 miles; free shuttle, about 15 minutes	Yes, indoor garage	No, handled at the terminal
Hotel park-and-cruise	Varies by package	Varies by hotel	Varies	No, handled at the terminal

Hotel Park-and-Cruise Packages

If you are driving in the night before anyway, a stay-and-park package can fold the parking into the room. VisitNorfolk says many Norfolk hotels offer them with cruise-passenger discounts. The only math that matters is the total: the package price against a regular room plus $15 a day at Cedar Grove. Read what’s included before you book, specifically how many days of parking, and whether the hotel runs a shuttle or expects you to get yourself to the terminal. Our Norfolk hotels before your cruise guide covers where to stay.

Skip Parking: Drop-Off, Rideshare and Taxi

Personal cars and for-hire rides (Uber, Lyft, taxis) drop off and pick up on Waterside Drive just past the terminal, in front of Town Point Park. Look for the drop-off signs. Personal vehicles and vans aren’t allowed into the bus and shuttle lane directly in front of the terminal; drivers with a handicap plate, hanging tag or ID card can enter that loop. If you arrive this way, hand your bags to the porters at the terminal.

Norfolk International Airport (ORF) is about 10.8 miles from the terminal, so a rideshare in from the airport is a realistic alternative to renting a car and parking it for a week. On the way home, returning passengers are directed to Waterside Drive for rideshare, taxi and private pickups.

Accessible Norfolk Cruise Terminal Parking

Cedar Grove has ADA parking and an ADA-accessible shuttle with a lift, and CruiseNorfolk describes it as the most convenient option for passengers with disabilities as well. If you rented a wheelchair or scooter from Scootaround, Carnival’s provider, ask the parking crew to have it brought to your car in the ADA drop-off lane. For passengers being dropped off, there is also a limited ADA drop-off and pickup area at Nauticus: show your disability placard, ID card or handicap plate to the officers directing traffic, and keep the stop to five minutes or less. Questions go to City of Norfolk Parking through Norfolk Cares at 757-664-6510. Our accessible Norfolk shore excursions guide covers the rest of the day.

Norfolk Cruise Terminal Parking Mistakes That Cost Real Money

Is Cedar Grove Safe?

Cedar Grove is a fully fenced lot monitored 24 hours a day by local law enforcement. The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office patrols it, and camera systems cover the lot. The usual precautions still apply: lock up, move anything valuable to the trunk before you arrive, and don’t leave passports, wallets or electronics where they can be seen.

Frequently Asked Questions About Norfolk Cruise Terminal Parking

How much does Norfolk cruise terminal parking cost?
The city’s Cedar Grove cruise lot charges $15 per day for passenger vehicles, including vans up to 15 passengers, so a seven-day sailing comes to about $105. The private covered option, Asphalt Lots in Chesapeake, charges $10 per day.

Is there a parking garage at the Norfolk cruise terminal?
No. Official cruise parking is the Cedar Grove open-air lot at 1000 Monticello Avenue, about 1.5 miles away, with a free shuttle to the terminal. For indoor parking, Asphalt Lots runs a garage in Chesapeake with its own shuttle.

Do I need to reserve Norfolk cruise terminal parking in advance?
Not at Cedar Grove. Reserved parking isn’t offered there, but ample parking is provided, and you can prepay online and get a QR-code pass. Asphalt Lots is booked online in advance.

What time does the Cedar Grove lot open on cruise day?
9:30 a.m. for embarking passengers. Shuttles to the terminal start about 9:45 a.m., and the final shuttle is at 2:30 p.m.

Where do I check my luggage?
If you park at Cedar Grove, at the lot before you board the shuttle. If you are dropped off by car, taxi or rideshare, hand your bags to the porters at the terminal.

Where is the drop-off for the Norfolk cruise terminal?
On Waterside Drive just past the terminal, in front of Town Point Park. Personal vehicles aren’t allowed into the bus and shuttle lane in front of the building unless the driver has a handicap plate, hanging tag or ID card.

Is Cedar Grove secure?
It is fully fenced and monitored 24 hours a day by local law enforcement. Standard precautions, like keeping valuables out of sight, still apply.

Is there accessible cruise parking in Norfolk?
Yes. Cedar Grove has ADA parking and an ADA-accessible shuttle with a lift, and there is a limited ADA drop-off area at Nauticus for brief stops. City of Norfolk Parking can be reached through Norfolk Cares at 757-664-6510.

Can I store luggage near the terminal after my cruise?
Yes. Nauticus, next to the terminal, stores bags for $10 per bag from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. See our luggage storage guide.

Final Word on Norfolk Cruise Terminal Parking

Keep it simple. Drive to Cedar Grove, pay $15 a day, drop your bags in the lot and take the free shuttle. Pick the covered garage in Chesapeake only if a week outdoors bothers you more than a longer shuttle ride, and take a hotel package only if you were booking the room anyway. And if someone can drop you on Waterside Drive, you don’t need parking at all.

For more on the actual terminal experience, see our Norfolk Cruise Terminal guide covering check-in timing, accessibility, and what to do nearby. For pre-cruise itineraries that fold in quirky Norfolk attractions within walking distance of the terminal, see our companion guide. If you’re cruising multiple ports this season, our friends at Old San Juan Shore Excursions publish equally detailed parking and terminal logistics for the cruise piers in Puerto Rico.

For a deeper dive into the city’s walkable districts, see our top things to do in Norfolk VA neighborhoods — a 4-neighborhood walking framework for cruise passengers.

Picking the right month matters as much as picking the right ship — see our top Norfolk cruise season months for weather, hurricane risk, and ship traffic by month.

Cruising with kids? Our top Norfolk port day for families with kids covers stroller logistics, age bands, and a tested 7-hour family port-day itinerary.

Want oceanfront sand on your port day? Our when Virginia Beach is worth the trip from Norfolk cruise port covers timing, beach picks, and the hybrid plan that combines beach plus walkable downtown.

For the full picture on transit options, see our Norfolk cruise terminal transit options with cost and timing for every transport mode.

For port-day shopping, our top Norfolk shopping for cruise passengers covers the indie strips and the mall fallback with timing notes.

For port-day dining picks, our walkable Norfolk dining for cruise passengers ranks 25+ options by walk time and budget.

For a tested port-day plan, our top full day Norfolk port itinerary for cruise passengers covers five different versions tuned to cruise-passenger priorities.

For Navy-history fans, our Norfolk harbor tour to Naval Station covers the 90-minute harbor tour that’s the only public way to see the active naval base from the water.

For the priority list, our top 8 Norfolk attractions for cruise port days covers all 8 must-see stops within 12 minutes of the terminal.

Related Norfolk Guides

After parking, here is what most cruise passengers want to read next:

• Norfolk Cruise Terminal Guide — the walk from the curb to the gangway
• Norfolk Hotels Before Your Cruise — if you are arriving the night before
• Norfolk After Your Cruise — what to do on a debarkation day before driving home
• Getting Around the Terminal — the free trolley, walking radius, and rideshare reality
• Restaurants Near the Terminal — where to eat before or after the cruise