Two systems, side by side
San Pedro and Long Beach are about 8 road miles apart, run by two entirely different operators, and price parking two different ways. Neither number below applies to the other port.
Los Angeles World Cruise Center
- First hour free, then $2/hour, capped at $23/day standard — $40/day for oversized vehicles
- Confirmed directly on the Port of Los Angeles' own site Stable
- Three PCI-operated lots share this rate, all with a courtesy shuttle to the terminal
- Free/low-cost lots exist nearby, but none confirms a rate on its own site
Long Beach Cruise Terminal
- Flat $23/day, with short-term steps: free 0-30 min, $4 for 31-59 min, $8 for 1-2 hours
- Confirmed on the terminal's own tourism-board listing, "subject to change" Review periodically
- On-site garage — no shuttle needed — but a 7'0" height limit rules out oversized vehicles
- Two hotel garages nearby, reported through a booking-aggregator site only
Official parking, port by port
This is the first port hub we cover with two entirely independent official systems on one page — read San Pedro and Long Beach as two separate answers, not one blended rate.
Los Angeles World Cruise Center
- Rate: first hour free, then $2/hour, capped at $23/day for standard vehicles, $40/day for oversized — confirmed directly on the Port of Los Angeles' own site.
- Three lots, one rate: the Los Angeles Cruise Terminal lot itself (2,560 spaces), the Battleship IOWA lot, and the Catalina Sea and Air Terminal lot — all operated by Parking Concepts Inc. (PCI) and all running a courtesy shuttle to the terminal.
- Payment: cash or card at exit, per a third-party guide — not independently confirmed on the port's own site when we checked.
- Accessible parking & EV charging: not separately confirmed when we checked.
Source: portoflosangeles.org/business/terminals/passenger/cruise — verified September 13, 2026.
Long Beach Cruise Terminal
- Rate: a flat $23/day at the on-site garage, described by the terminal's own tourism-board listing as "subject to change." Short-term steps: free for 0-30 minutes, $4 for 31-59 minutes, $8 for 1-2 hours.
- One garage: at the terminal itself, next to the Queen Mary — no shuttle needed.
- Height limit: 7'0", so oversized vehicles (larger SUVs, vans, trucks) can't use it — an off-site alternative is required instead.
- Payment method, accessible parking & EV charging: not independently confirmed when we checked.
Source: visitlongbeach.com/plan-your-trip/cruise-terminal-information — verified September 13, 2026.
One travel-guide site (cruisehive.com) reports a different San Pedro rate — a flat $17/day standard, $32/day oversized — that directly contradicts the Port of Los Angeles' own hourly/capped structure, confirmed twice. That figure is treated as stale or incorrect and left out of the numbers above; the same site's reporting on the free San Pedro lots below wasn't contradicted by anything else found, so that part was kept.
Off-site & free alternatives
Neither port's cheaper alternative looks like a typical paid off-site lot. Near San Pedro, the alternatives are free or low-cost public and private lots a short rideshare from the terminal. Near Long Beach, they're two hotel garages reported through a booking-aggregator site rather than either hotel's own page.
- Near San Pedro — San Pedro Fish Market & Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles — a third-party guide (cruisehive.com) describes both as free lots. No shuttle at either; a short rideshare to the terminal is the recommended last leg. Distance, address, and hours not independently confirmed when we checked. Review periodically
- Near San Pedro — 22nd & Miner Streets public lot — the same third-party guide describes this as usually free, but $5 on event days. No shuttle; rideshare recommended. Not independently confirmed on any official site when we checked.
- Near Long Beach — Courtyard by Marriott — a booking-aggregator site (rightwayparking.com) cites $13.99/day, about 4.8 miles from the terminal, no SUVs/trucks/vans. No shuttle; about a 5-10 minute rideshare. Open 24/7 per the same listing; not confirmed on the hotel's own site.
- Near Long Beach — Hyatt Regency — the same aggregator site cites $17.00/day, about 1.8 miles from the terminal. No shuttle; short rideshare. Open 24/7 per the same listing; not confirmed on the hotel's own site.
Sources: cruisehive.com/port-of-los-angeles-parking-tips-for-cruises (San Pedro free lots), rightwayparking.com/cruise-parking/port-of-long-beach (Long Beach hotel garages) — both third-party, not confirmed on any operator's own site — verified September 13, 2026.
None of these five alternatives was reached directly when we checked, and standalone (non-hotel) off-site parking companies advertise for both ports through booking-aggregator sites — we don't research or name those at any port, so none appears here. Get a direct quote and confirm current rates before you commit to any of the above.
Hotels that hold the car
We’ve since checked 64 hotels one by one, on their own sites, and three print a rate to leave your car while you sail. Near San Pedro, the Guest Harbor Inn charges $10 a day and runs an $11 ride to the terminal, and the Vagabond Inn charges $15 a night with a free drop-off. By Long Beach Airport, the Courtyard sells long-term parking from $23 a night, sold as airport parking.
More bundle the car with a ride in a cruise package, at prices they don’t publish: The Maya and Hotel Current for Carnival, the Quality Inn Lomita for San Pedro, and The Cove for either terminal. For comparison, both terminals charge $23 a day. The 20 best hotels for the night before scores every one and prices the parking for your cruise length.
The top six, by our ranking
Shuttles, published parking rates and free breakfast decide the order. Tap one for the full review, or hold a room for the night before.
Who should pick what
| Traveler | Likely best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sailing Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean or Virgin Voyages | San Pedro's official PCI lots | First hour free and a $23/day cap, with a shuttle from any of three lots. |
| Sailing Carnival from Long Beach | The on-site garage at the terminal | The only official option — and it's right at the terminal, no shuttle at all. |
| Parking a day or less at either port | Long Beach's short-term steps, if sailing from there | Free for 30 minutes, then $4 and $8 steps before the flat day rate kicks in — San Pedro has no equivalent short-stay break below its hourly rate. |
| Driving an RV, oversized SUV, van, or truck | San Pedro's official lots ($40/day), if you have a choice of port | Long Beach's garage has a hard 7'0" height limit and cannot take oversized vehicles at all. |
| Staying near San Pedro the night before, want a printed rate | The Guest Harbor Inn, or the Vagabond Inn | $10 a day with an $11 ride to the terminal, or $15 a night with a free drop-off, both on the hotels’ own pages. |
| Budget-conscious, comfortable with a short rideshare | San Pedro's free public/private lots | Reported as free or near-free, though none is confirmed directly and none offers a shuttle. |
| Want a covered garage away from the terminal at Long Beach | Courtyard by Marriott or Hyatt Regency | Both indoor/covered per a booking-aggregator listing, at roughly $14-$17/day — get a direct quote first. |
Still deciding how to get to the ship?
Tell us which port and how you're arriving.
San Pedro or Long Beach, driving in same-day or flying into LAX/LGB, need to fit an oversized vehicle — tell us the actual situation and we'll tell you straight which lot or garage fits.
Answers verified against current pricing and itineraries before you book.
Parking FAQ
How much does official parking cost at San Pedro and Long Beach?
They're two separate systems. San Pedro's official lots (operated by Parking Concepts Inc.) give the first hour free, then charge $2/hour, capped at $23/day for standard vehicles and $40/day for oversized ones — confirmed directly on the Port of Los Angeles' own site. Long Beach's on-site garage charges a flat $23/day, with short-term steps of free for 0-30 minutes, $4 for 31-59 minutes, and $8 for 1-2 hours — though a 7'0" height limit means oversized vehicles can't use it at all.
Which official lot should I use at San Pedro?
Any of three PCI-operated lots share the same rate and all run a courtesy shuttle to the terminal: the Los Angeles Cruise Terminal lot itself (2,560 spaces), the Battleship IOWA lot, and the Catalina Sea and Air Terminal lot. None is described as closer or preferable on the port's own site — pick whichever has space when you arrive.
Which official garage should I use at Long Beach?
There's only one — the on-site garage at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal itself, right next to the Queen Mary. No shuttle is needed since it's part of the same facility. It has a 7'0" height limit, so oversized vehicles like larger SUVs, vans, or trucks can't use it and need an off-site alternative instead.
Are there cheaper off-site options near San Pedro or Long Beach?
Near San Pedro, a third-party guide describes several free or low-cost lots — the San Pedro Fish Market and Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles are reported as free, and the 22nd & Miner Streets public lot as usually free but $5 on event days — though none of the three is confirmed on its own site and none runs a shuttle, so plan on a short rideshare. Near Long Beach, a booking-aggregator site cites two hotel garages: the Courtyard by Marriott at $13.99/day (4.8 miles out, no SUVs/trucks/vans) and the Hyatt Regency at $17.00/day (1.8 miles out). Neither hotel rate is confirmed on the hotel's own site.
Does either port handle oversized vehicles or accessible parking?
For oversized vehicles: San Pedro's official lots charge a published $40/day; Long Beach's on-site garage can't take them at all (7'0" height limit) and requires an off-site alternative. For accessible parking, neither port's own site separately confirmed a rate, space count, or process when we checked — call ahead if you need ADA parking at either facility.
Can I use the same parking whether I'm sailing from San Pedro or Long Beach?
No. The two facilities are about 8 road miles apart and run by entirely different operators — the Port of Los Angeles at San Pedro, Carnival Corporation itself at Long Beach. Parking at one does nothing for a sailing from the other, so confirm which terminal your cruise line actually uses before you drive anywhere.