we parked at a couple of ports Galveston TX and New Orleans, before I tell you about the port parking I have to tell you that my car is a convertible showcar, so I'm very picky about parking. We had a bad experience in Galveston, their lot was an open chainlinked fenced lot. When we got back from the cruise our car was covered in an inch of soot from some manufactuering plant next to the cruise port. Not the way to start a 10 hour long drive. Now New Orleans, I was extremely afraid to park there, a work friend who had lived in N.O. his whole life had told me it wasnt safe for cars with out of town liscense plates to park for more than a day or two down town unattended. He told me the criminal aspect of the town was large and looks to capitalize on out-of-towners. I was really concerned until I got to the port parking area, this garage only has 1 way in and out and it was cruise only parking with 24 hour guards and cameras. We came in very early about 10 am to make sure we beat the garage fill up since there were 2 ships leaving, and I went to park on a higher level and I saw a mercedes parked in the garage, then I felt I had nothing to worry about! We have never parked long term at a hotel or an off lot.