We drove to the port in Tampa and paid $14 per day to park in the covered garage across the street from the boat. This seemed like a reasonable price.
The check-in process was fast- in under a half an hour we were in our room.
The balcony room we stayed in was worth the extra money. We used the balcony every day as a result of the ideal weather for the entire cruise. The floor to ceiling windows and the balcony make the room seem larger.