Tuesday, April 2, 2024

5 Easy Ways to Get to the Tampa Cruise Port Port Transportation

tampa cruise terminal

Passengers can pre-pay with a credit card online for valet and self-parking. If you're planning to take your car to the cruise port, below are directions to Port Tampa Bay. Given the number of options, you might be wondering which parking is right for you. We cover all the details below to help you find the perfect spot to park for your cruise.

Tampa Cruise Parking Options, Prices, and Maps (Where to Park)

Parking is adjacent to the terminal, as is the Florida Aquarium and a complex of shops and restaurants. There are also museums, the Zoo, Busch Gardens, and the historic Latin Quarter, Ybor City to check out. The city is full of characteristics that make Tampa one of the favorite cruise port destinations among travelers. The city of Tampa has over 2,000 restaurants in and around downtown Tampa, offering a variety of cuisines and menus to satisfy any one’s culinary cravings. Here are just a few of the tops ones we think you should check out before leaving on your cruise. While there are taxis available in Tampa, they often charge a flat $30 and up for the short ride from the airport to Port Tampa Bay.

Tampa Cruise Port Terminal information

The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Tampa, Florida. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link. The main parking lot is lighted, fenced, and offers overnight security. And even though the lot is very close to the port, a shuttle is offered. We do recommend booking online ahead of time due to the lot’s small size. The cruise lines will offer transfers from the Tampa airport to the cruise port, however, they can be expensive.

Margaritaville at Sea ship MAS Islander to be homeported in Florida (Tampa) starting June 2024

The lowest rate we know is about $4 per day, through 717 Parking. They operate a Union Station Lot that’s a mile or two from the cruise terminals. There is no shuttle offered, so you’ll have to get a ride to the cruise terminals.

Go south on 21st Street and turn right on Adamo Drive (Highway 60), then left onto Channelside Drive. You’ll want to keep this expense in mind when selecting flights. While it might be cheaper to fly into Orlando, the extra transportation cost could make a costlier flight to Tampa worth it. For that reason, we recommend other forms of transportation. You can also call a cab from points all around town, such as if you are staying in an area hotel. We have all of your options and full details for getting to the port here.

Last Florida Cruise Port Reopens After Hurricane Idalia - Cruise Hive

Last Florida Cruise Port Reopens After Hurricane Idalia.

Posted: Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Still, to park for a week you won’t find any cheaper place unless you stay at a hotel with free cruise parking. Book a room, get a night’s stay and have your parking taken care of as well. Often you’ll need to book a package with the hotel that includes cruise parking, but it often includes both parking and transportation to the ship. Although Port Tampa Bay has some of the best official parking rates, it can weigh a little heavy on some budgets. Therefore, here are a few other parking options near the cruise port that could possibly let your wallet breathe a little easier.

Royal Caribbean's ships Rhapsody and Grandeur homeported in Tampa for 2025-2026 winter

tampa cruise terminal

Below are a few options for each, but we suggest seeing our full list in the articles linked above. Despite the lack of notoriety, Port Tampa Bay offers a ton for cruise passengers. This includes multiple terminals with a constant stream of ships, lots to do in the area, more convenience, and fewer headaches than dealing with a larger port. There are many advantages to choosing acruise from Port Tampa Bay Cruise Terminal. Quieter, and easy to reach, theport serves less cruise ships than other cruise ports in Florida including Portof Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral. Tampa Cruise Terminal is close toOrlando, making it ideal for combining a cruise with a stopover for shoppingand theme parks.

If you are familiar with rideshare companies, then you’ll be happy to know that both Uber and Lyft operate in the Tampa area. If you don’t know these companies, they operate a service where you can request rides around a city from your smartphone. The entire transaction takes place through the phone — from requesting a ride to paying.

The city is home to a number of attractions and theme parks, including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Adventure Island, ZooTampa at Lowry Park and The Florida Aquarium. Center for the Performing Arts, the Tampa Museum of Art and the USF Contemporary Art Museum. The Florida Orchestra also is based in the Tampa Bay area. For those looking to get outdoors, opt for paddleboarding, canoeing or kayaking on Tampa Bay, or soak up the sun on some of the region's top-notch beaches. While there is some public transportation offered, it’s not particularly convenient, unless you are coming from Ybor City.

Official Port ParkingMany people like to park at the official port parking lots. They offer a lot of convenience as they are right next to the cruise terminals. The main parking spot is a garage located across from terminals 2 and 3. Rates are $15 per day and you can pay in advance online to have everything taken care of before you arrive. There is also valet parking available for an additional $20.

tampa cruise terminal

In 2017-Q1 (winter season) the port handled 239,301 passengers (3% increase over 2016-Q1). The number of homeported cruise liners increased to 7 (from 5 in 2016). One of the new boats based here for turnarounds/roundtrips was RCI's Empress of the Seas - which itineraries also visited Havana Cuba (starting April 2017). In 2017, the cruise port handled a total of 961,000 passengers.

Luckily, transportation, parking, and lodging is very easy to find here, and won’t cost you too much (depending on the options you go with). Additionally, Tampa is filled with rich history, dining, and entertainment for anyone in your group to experience and enjoy. Plan to stay for an extra day or two so you can enjoy as much as can before shipping out on your cruise.

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