Norfolk cruise parking: the city's Cedar Grove lot and free shuttle

The City of Norfolk's Cedar Grove lot at 1000 Monticello Avenue is the official parking for cruise passengers, 1.5 miles from the Half Moone terminal. It cost $15 a day for cars and vans up to 15 passengers when we checked on 3 November 2026, paid on entry by cash or card or prepaid online. Bags are checked at the lot, and a free shuttle runs to the terminal.

By Andrew Budai · Last checked 2026-11-03 · Rates and opening hours change, so confirm before you travel.

Norfolk has one official place for cruise passengers to park, the City of Norfolk's Cedar Grove lot, 1.5 miles from the Half Moone terminal. You leave your bags at the lot and ride a free shuttle to the terminal. The city's Cruise Parking page and Visit Norfolk's cruise FAQ agree on the address and the rate.

Before you leave a car there, check that your cruise comes back to Norfolk. Carnival Sunshine's 15-night transatlantic of 15 May 2027 is one-way and finishes in Dover, England. The Europe page has the details.

This site is independent. It is not the City of Norfolk, Nauticus or Carnival, and it does not sell parking.

Cedar Grove lot	What the city and Visit Norfolk say, read 3 November 2026
Address	1000 Monticello Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23510
Distance to the terminal	1.5 miles
Rate	$15 a day for passenger vehicles, including vans up to 15 passengers
Paying	Cash or credit card on entry, or prepaid online
Opens on cruise days	9:30 am
Shuttle	Free, from about 9:45 am. The last one leaves at 2:30 pm
Luggage	Checked at the lot and taken to the ship
Security	Fully fenced, monitored 24/7 by local law enforcement
Accessibility	ADA parking and an ADA shuttle with a lift
Reserved spaces	Not available, Visit Norfolk says

Where do you park for a Norfolk cruise?

At Cedar Grove, the City of Norfolk's lot for cruise passengers at 1000 Monticello Avenue, 1.5 miles from the terminal. The city says your luggage is checked in at the lot and taken straight to the ship, and a free shuttle drops you at the terminal curb. The lot is fully fenced and monitored 24/7 by local law enforcement.

The city calls it a dedicated lot just for cruise passengers sailing out of Norfolk. Visit Norfolk's cruise FAQ links a map of the route from the lot to the terminal, and the terminal guide explains where the terminal itself is.

How much is cruise parking in Norfolk?

$15 a day for passenger vehicles, including vans that seat up to 15, on 3 November 2026, according to the City of Norfolk's Cruise Parking page. Visit Norfolk's cruise FAQ gives the same rate, and says prepaying online also costs $15 a day. You pay on entry by cash or credit card, or show a prepaid QR code.

Both pages quote a daily rate only, with no weekly price. Our schedule lists each cruise's dates and length, and the cruise length page groups them by nights.

Can you prepay for Norfolk cruise parking?

Yes. The City of Norfolk's Cruise Parking page links to a JustPark EventPass page where you buy prepaid parking for the Cedar Grove lot. You pick your departure day, confirm the cruise name and destination, and pay by credit or debit card. A QR code arrives by email, and you show it at the lot entrance.

The city's steps, in order:

Select your cruise departure day and confirm the cruise name and destination.
Log in, create an account or register as a guest. You must give an email address to pay in advance and get into the lot.
Pay by credit or debit card.
Check your email for the confirmation. The QR code in it is your parking pass, so save it.
Show the code at the Cedar Grove entrance. Attendants then direct you to parking and luggage check.

Visit Norfolk's FAQ also says reserved parking is not available, though it adds that ample parking is provided.

What time does Norfolk's cruise parking lot open?

Cedar Grove opens at 9:30 am on cruise days, and the shuttle to the terminal starts at about 9:45 am, according to the City of Norfolk's Cruise Parking page. Those times took effect on Sunday, 12 July 2026. Visit Norfolk's cruise FAQ gives the same times and says the final shuttle leaves at 2:30 pm.

You may still see older times. The city's general Cruises page, read on 3 November 2026, says the lot opens at 10 am and the shuttle starts at about 10:30 am. The Cruise Parking page dates its change to 12 July 2026, and Visit Norfolk matches the newer times.

Visit Norfolk also advises passengers not to arrive before their scheduled check-in time. The terminal guide covers Carnival's arrival appointments.

How does the Cedar Grove shuttle work?

The shuttle is free. It drops you curbside at the terminal and brings you back to the lot after the cruise. The city says you check your luggage at Cedar Grove before you board the shuttle, and the bags go straight onto the ship. When you return, staff at the terminal direct you to the Cedar Grove shuttles.

The shuttle is not only for people who park. The city says passengers dropped at Cedar Grove, or arriving there by taxi or Uber, may ride it as well and check their bags at the lot. For wheelchair users there is an ADA shuttle with a lift.

Do you drop your bags at the terminal before parking in Norfolk?

No. Drive straight to Cedar Grove. The City of Norfolk and Visit Norfolk both say that luggage for passengers who park is checked in at the lot and taken directly to the ship, so there is no reason to stop at the terminal first. If a friend is driving you and not parking, they drop you on Waterside Drive instead.

Visit Norfolk says that drop-off is on Waterside Drive just past the terminal, in front of Town Point Park, at the signed drop-off area. Personal vehicles and vans may not use the bus and shuttle lane in front of the terminal. Porters at the terminal check bags for passengers who arrive this way.

Is there accessible cruise parking in Norfolk?

Yes, at Cedar Grove. The city says it has ADA parking and an ADA-accessible shuttle with a lift, and Visit Norfolk encourages disabled passengers to use them. Questions go to City of Norfolk Parking through Norfolk Cares at 757-664-6510. Nauticus also has a limited ADA drop-off, for stops of five minutes or less.

To use the Nauticus drop-off, show your disability parking placard, ID card or handicap plate to the officers directing traffic. Do not plan to park at Nauticus itself. Its accessibility page says its five handicapped-reserved spaces are unavailable on cruise ship days.

The terminal guide covers wheelchair help inside the terminal, including Scootaround rentals brought to your car.

Can you park an RV or a bus for a Norfolk cruise?

Cedar Grove's rate, $15 a day when we checked on 3 November 2026, covers passenger vehicles, including vans that seat up to 15. Neither the city's Cruise Parking page nor Visit Norfolk's FAQ gives a rate or rules for anything bigger, such as an RV or trailer. Ask City of Norfolk Parking through Norfolk Cares, 757-664-6510, before you drive one.

Charter buses and motorcoaches have their own rules. Visit Norfolk's Carnival Sunshine flyer says every motorcoach needs a reservation for drop-off and pickup, made at least two weeks ahead, and it gives the city contact for booking.

Arriving. Coaches stop at Cedar Grove first to unload luggage while guests stay on board. Security then directs the coach to the port. Make sure every guest has their documents.
Leaving. Coaches wait at a satellite lot at 1512 Brown Avenue until terminal security calls them to the terminal loop. Guests clear customs and wait at the pickup point on the Nauticus deck at the scheduled time, and bags are loaded onto the coach inside the terminal.

Where can drivers wait to pick up cruise passengers in Norfolk?

In the MacArthur Center Parking Garage, which Visit Norfolk's cell phone lot flyer names as the waiting lot. The first 2 hours are free, and you scan the barcode on the garage ticket to leave. Wait there until your party calls to say they have cleared customs, then drive back to the terminal to pick them up.

The flyer gives the route both ways:

Terminal to the garage. Continue on Waterside Drive, turn left on Saint Paul's Boulevard, left on City Hall Avenue, then bear right into the MacArthur Center garage.
Garage to the terminal. Turn right out of the garage onto City Hall Avenue, left on Granby Street, right on Main Street, then go straight into the terminal.

It warns that you may be asked to drive around the block if the pickup zone is full.

Are there other places to park for a Norfolk cruise?

The City of Norfolk and Visit Norfolk name only one lot for cruise passengers, Cedar Grove. Nauticus sends its museum visitors to nearby city garages, where many give the first two hours free, but it says nothing about leaving a car there for a cruise. If you are staying in Norfolk the night before, see the hotels guide.

Flying in rather than driving? The Norfolk Airport guide compares taxis, rideshares and rental cars.

Sources