Just booked the Legend in Tampa...need info about Tampa

[firefly333]

Can someone tell me how much the cab ride is from TPA to the port?:confused:

 

Iv been told $25 to $30.

[pcrum]

bubbles,

 

Enjoyed your pics from your last few cruises; we're doing your Miracle Itinerary for Spring Break 2013.

 

If you fly in a full day or even a partial day early I would recommend staying in Clearwater Beach. Clearwater beach has the best sand of any beach I've been to and the atmosphere is very festive, but not crowded or rushed. I'm not knocking Tampa, but Clearwater is our favorite beach and we always stay there.

 

I'm a Tampa native so should be pushing Tampa hotels, lol, but I second Paul's opinion that if you have the time, Clearwater Beach is not to be missed (and only about 40 minutes from Tampa Airport). We love the Sandpearl Resort on Clearwater Beach.

[bubbles1209]

Geez, everything's $129 and up! Being closer to the airport is just as expensive that time of year as being close to the port. Never seen so many suites rather than just a room. Those are great prices for suites, but seems to be a waste for just 1 night considering a kitchen is the last thing I wanna see on vacation :eek::D Seriously, for the money it's a great deal, but the hotels with "regular rooms" are just as expensive. Really don't want to take the chance of flying in the day of and just paying for a shuttle. :confused:

Gonna keep researching. Not sure how hotwire and all that works, don't like the idea of not knowing which hotel you are getting. Anyone that can enlighten me on how all of that works?

[Superbear]

If you go to Tampa, you MUST eat at the best steak house in the world! (Or so our family thinks!) Go to Bern's Steak House on S. Howard Ave. The food is unbelievable- they have a whole room just to age the steak. If you skip the fancy deserts, wine, etc. you can have a complete, fabulous, gut-busting diner for maybe $4o each. They have the world's largest (no fooling) wine selection- with free tours of part of the wine cellar and of the kitchen. From the outside it looks like a warehouse with valet parking, but inside the walls are covered with red velvet, gold framed art, statues, etc. I've been eating there whenever I go to Tampa for years. (Used to live there.) Reservations a good idea, but I usually just pop in.

[Lobster Mama]

Can anyone tell me how much it is to park at the port terminal? We winter in Sarasota & it's only about an hour or so to Tampa so we thought about just driving up that morning. Or is it cheaper in the long run to get a hotel and park there and have them shuttle us over? We are looking into the Feb 26 cruise on Carnival Legend. Any help would be most welcome as we don't know this area well. :o Thanks all!

[firefly333]

Geez, everything's $129 and up! Being closer to the airport is just as expensive that time of year as being close to the port. N

 

I got $52 on hotwire plus a small fee, about $63 total .. I can tell you which hotel it is by the amenties listed, and got hyatt place for $45.. and these are both expensive times of the year.

 

you can email me your date or post it here and I can look. My email is in my profile. hotwire you just match up the amenities, and also can look on betterbidding.com for matches.

 

Hotwire to me is easier, because I look for the shuttle amenity is how I pick, because I know I wanted at least a free airport shuttle. If you are looking for parking, holiday inn seems to have the best deals.

 

I got hotels cheap .. airfare.. now thats another story, as I said my leg home would have been $310 on 3/26, the end of spring break? so Im spending a extra night Id rather not spend.

[love2relax]

Geez, everything's $129 and up! Being closer to the airport is just as expensive that time of year as being close to the port. Never seen so many suites rather than just a room. Those are great prices for suites, but seems to be a waste for just 1 night considering a kitchen is the last thing I wanna see on vacation :eek::D Seriously, for the money it's a great deal, but the hotels with "regular rooms" are just as expensive. Really don't want to take the chance of flying in the day of and just paying for a shuttle. :confused:

Gonna keep researching. Not sure how hotwire and all that works, don't like the idea of not knowing which hotel you are getting. Anyone that can enlighten me on how all of that works?

The first time that I cruised out of Tampa, I stayed at the La Quinta by the airport. They had a free airport shuttle, and the room (just a room, not a suite) was pretty cheap. Breakfast was included, but we had to arrange our transportation to the port. You can take a cab or shuttle. I believe there was a AAA Auto Club discount if you have a membership.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Geez, everything's $129 and up! Being closer to the airport is just as expensive that time of year as being close to the port. Never seen so many suites rather than just a room. Those are great prices for suites, but seems to be a waste for just 1 night considering a kitchen is the last thing I wanna see on vacation :eek::D Seriously, for the money it's a great deal, but the hotels with "regular rooms" are just as expensive. Really don't want to take the chance of flying in the day of and just paying for a shuttle. :confused:

Gonna keep researching. Not sure how hotwire and all that works, don't like the idea of not knowing which hotel you are getting. Anyone that can enlighten me on how all of that works?

 

 

OP, keep in mind that some of the hotels near the airport, such as the Holiday Inn, Hampton, and Chase Suites all on Rocky Point, do include all of your transportation needs. In addition, they all include a free hot breakfast and free airport shuttle. That is a savings of over $50 which is the flat rate taxi fare from the airport to the port and then from the port back to the airport after the cruise. Most hotels do not include this so that is a big savings to consider. If you book a cruise pkg at $129 just subtract $50 and it really isn't that bad. So basically your only other expense would be dinner that night, everything else is included.

[RN Cruiser 23]

I got $52 on hotwire plus a small fee, about $63 total .. I can tell you which hotel it is by the amenties listed, and got hyatt place for $45.. and these are both expensive times of the year.

 

you can email me your date or post it here and I can look. My email is in my profile. hotwire you just match up the amenities, and also can look on betterbidding.com for matches.

 

Hotwire to me is easier, because I look for the shuttle amenity is how I pick, because I know I wanted at least a free airport shuttle. If you are looking for parking, holiday inn seems to have the best deals.

 

I got hotels cheap .. airfare.. now thats another story, as I said my leg home would have been $310 on 3/26, the end of spring break? so Im spending a extra night Id rather not spend.

 

We will be sailing the 1/29/12 on the Legand and in need of 2 rooms for the 28th. I booked the Ramada Westport at 59 through priceline and can canel it easily. It did have a shuttle service from the airport and breakfast not sure about gettting to the port though. It appears you are finding better offers through hotwire maybe you can help me out with this. Thanks.:D

[firefly333]

We will be sailing the 1/29/12 on the Legand and in need of 2 rooms for the 28th. I booked the Ramada Westport at 59 through priceline and can canel it easily. It did have a shuttle service from the airport and breakfast not sure about gettting to the port though. It appears you are finding better offers through hotwire maybe you can help me out with this. Thanks.:D

 

We have Ramada booked nonrefundable for $58 total around $63 ourselves one night, so we are stuck with it. The other two bookings came later.

 

Ramada has a earlier shuttle, free wifi, free shuttle (earlier than Hyatt Place) free breakfast so we are telling ourselves how bad can it be? Someone said there is a strip joint 2 doors down, but Hyatt Place is .2 miles from the same restaurant that Ramada shows its .1 mile from .. have to be located close to each other. 2 star vs 3 star.

 

I think you can do better, up to you. If I had know with a 3 star bid for $45 I would get Hyatt place before I booked it .. would have done that instead.

 

Reviews on Ramada are not that great though, and we are concerned a little but not too much. Its like 102 out of 159 on trip advisor or some such.

[firefly333]

We will be sailing the 1/29/12 on the Legand and in need of 2 rooms for the 28th. I booked the Ramada Westport at 59 through priceline and can canel it easily. It did have a shuttle service from the airport and breakfast not sure about gettting to the port though. It appears you are finding better offers through hotwire maybe you can help me out with this. Thanks.:D

 

If you see a 3 1/2 star, no smoking, shuttle on hotwire, that is the one that we got sheraton suites for $52 plus taxes and fees. hotwire adds about a $5 fee and sneaks it into the taxes and fees portion, so a total of about $63 I think. All the hotels the total came in close.

 

hyatt place has better review than sheraton, but sheaton is suites too and more stars, so Im hoping we like it too.

 

I cant believe I have 3 hotels booked for two 4 day cruises, and two round trip flights. lol

[RN Cruiser 23]

If you see a 3 1/2 star, no smoking, shuttle on hotwire, that is the one that we got sheraton suites for $52 plus taxes and fees. hotwire adds about a $5 fee and sneaks it into the taxes and fees portion, so a total of about $63 I think. All the hotels the total came in close.

 

hyatt place has better review than sheraton, but sheaton is suites too and more stars, so Im hoping we like it too.

 

I cant believe I have 3 hotels booked for two 4 day cruises, and two round trip flights. lol

 

There is a 3 star with shuttle for 61 on the date I need with the same ammenities as the Hyatt Place. Thinking it might be that but one I guess can never be sure of what you will get. Have you stayed there before?

I am also working on 2 cruises, with my first leaving Nov2 ... so excited!!!

[SonnekeH]

we too are planning to drive into the port of Tampa on the morning of our cruise, Feb.5, 2012. Wondering what its costs for valet parking for 7 days, or parking in the parking garage?

[Gin60]

Its amazing you got a deal 01/28/11 that is during Gasparilla, the biggest event in Tampa think Mardi Gras with Pirates. The city is crowded and in a party mode all that weekend. Clearwater is beautiful but I live here.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

OP, just wanted to jump back on this thread and comment about flying in a day early. We just returned from our Inspiration cruise and thank goodness that we flew in the evening before the cruise. We had a perfectly sunny day for our flight so never thought there would be a problem. We boarded and taxied out to the runway where we sat for a very long time before the Captain came on and announced that we had a mechanical failure and were being towed back to the gate. If they could not fix it within a reasonable amount of time our flight would be cancelled. This was a full flight with no open seats so getting on another flight this late in the day would have been difficult. It turned out that after a long wait on the plane, the problem was corrected. We were late getting into Tampa and I just could not imagine the stress if this would have been our cruise day.

[crusinpsychRN]

Fly in day before. You never know what might happen.