Park Connect in Tampa

[OCVTSGIRL]

On another board I had asked about parking at the port in Tampa.  Someone posted that they used Park Connect and were very happy.  Anybody here familiar with this?  It would cost us $35 for our 5 night cruise as apposed to paying $75 at the port.  Also, they made it sound like it was actually a parking deck at the port right across from where we would get on our ship (the Brilliance).  I would love to hear more feedback before I decide whether or not to go this route.  Thanks!

[JohninDC]

2 hours ago, OCVTSGIRL said:

On another board I had asked about parking at the port in Tampa.  Someone posted that they used Park Connect and were very happy.  Anybody here familiar with this?  It would cost us $35 for our 5 night cruise as apposed to paying $75 at the port.  Also, they made it sound like it was actually a parking deck at the port right across from where we would get on our ship (the Brilliance).  I would love to hear more feedback before I decide whether or not to go this route.  Thanks!

Have you posted this question on the Florida departures board?

[ZoeyVictoria]

I have used Park Connect twice, as recently as 1/31/19.  It seems almost too good to be true; you purchase online and receive a barcoded pass, present the pass at the entrance to the Channelside garage, and are directed to a specific level to park.  I just paid $29.96 to park for four nights on the Brilliance, about half of the normal cost.  It was very easy and flawless both times.

[OCVTSGIRL]

22 hours ago, JohninDC said:

Have you posted this question on the Florida departures board?

Yes and that is where somebody recommended Park Connect but I didn't get feedback from anybody else so I thought I would try here.

[OCVTSGIRL]

10 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

I have used Park Connect twice, as recently as 1/31/19.  It seems almost too good to be true; you purchase online and receive a barcoded pass, present the pass at the entrance to the Channelside garage, and are directed to a specific level to park.  I just paid $29.96 to park for four nights on the Brilliance, about half of the normal cost.  It was very easy and flawless both times.

So you park in the garage at the port?  

[GA cruising couple]

Wondering the same thing. Do you park in the port garage right across from terminal 3?

[ZoeyVictoria]

You do not find out where you will be parking until you have paid.  The poster who brought Park Central to my attention stated that it is always the Channelside Garage and, yes, both times that is where I was assigned.  As soon as you submit payment information, you are advised where to park, which was Channelside Garage.   When I arrived at the garage on embarkation day, I handed the attendant my barcoded printout and was told on which level of the garage to park.  I then walked across the street to the terminal (once for the Paradise in late September and again for the Brilliance on January 31).  It was the same parking experience that I have had in the past, with the exception of the amount paid (about half of what I had paid directly to Channelside on previous cruises).  I initially thought that this was too good to be true, but I realized that if my prepaid receipt was not accepted, all I had to do was pay at that time and contact Park Connect after I boarded the ship or even after the cruise.  If they did not make it right, I could have challenged the charge with my credit card company and let them refund me and handle the problem.

 

I just retired from a law enforcement agency and am generally suspicious of anything that is out of the ordinary, but I am fully supportive of Park Connect after using them twice during the last four months. 

[OCVTSGIRL]

Thanks all!  I just booked our parking through Park Connect since everyone here said they had a good experience and they received great reviews online.  Cost me $35 for 5 nights on the Brilliance as opposed to $75 I would have paid.

[GA cruising couple]

2 hours ago, OCVTSGIRL said:

Thanks all!  I just booked our parking through Park Connect since everyone here said they had a good experience and they received great reviews online.  Cost me $35 for 5 nights on the Brilliance as opposed to $75 I would have paid.

 

Did they park you in the Channelside Garage across from terminal 3? We have a cruise on Brilliance coming up and for our 4 day it is half of what it is to pay at the garage.

Edited February 11, 2019 by GA cruising couple

[OCVTSGIRL]

1 hour ago, GA cruising couple said:

 

Did they park you in the Channelside Garage across from terminal 3? We have a cruise on Brilliance coming up and for our 4 day it is half of what it is to pay at the garage.

Yes we are in the Channelside Garage.  This is our first time cruising out of Tampa so I don't know about terminal #s.  When I went in to book it I was given a choice of cruise lines and then it had the ships and their dates and I had to choose ours which is Feb. 18th.  It was $35 for the 5 nights as opposed to the $75 I was going to have to pay at the garage.  

[GA cruising couple]

1 hour ago, OCVTSGIRL said:

Yes we are in the Channelside Garage.  This is our first time cruising out of Tampa so I don't know about terminal #s.  When I went in to book it I was given a choice of cruise lines and then it had the ships and their dates and I had to choose ours which is Feb. 18th.  It was $35 for the 5 nights as opposed to the $75 I was going to have to pay at the garage.  

 

Thank you for bringing this topic up and answering my question! We are on the cruise before you. We will be getting off when you are getting on. Channelside Parking Garage is directly across from Terminal 3 where Brilliance should be docked. You should be able to walk across the street from the parking garage and straight into the terminal. This will be our 5th time cruising out of Tampa. We have always used Channelside parking garage when leaving from terminal 3 but it has always been way more expensive than this.

 

[OCVTSGIRL]

I know this sounded too good to be true for me but reviews were all good so we are giving it a try!  Good luck to you and have a great cruise!  This is also our first time on the Brilliance!  Not our first time on Royal Caribbean.  Soon we will be diamond!

[Dinda]

I can vouch for Park Connect which we used last month for our cruise on Brillance.  Our printed voucher told us to park on 3rd deck or higher.  We found an empty spot on 3rd deck, walker to elevator and easy walk to the ship.  We had dropped our luggage at ship drop off first so just had one carry on with us.  After the cruise my husband went back to get the car while I waited with luggage.  He pulled up to the exit and someone was there and he showed them our prepaid voucher and they let the bar up for him to exit.

[OCVTSGIRL]

2 hours ago, Dinda said:

I can vouch for Park Connect which we used last month for our cruise on Brillance.  Our printed voucher told us to park on 3rd deck or higher.  We found an empty spot on 3rd deck, walker to elevator and easy walk to the ship.  We had dropped our luggage at ship drop off first so just had one carry on with us.  After the cruise my husband went back to get the car while I waited with luggage.  He pulled up to the exit and someone was there and he showed them our prepaid voucher and they let the bar up for him to exit.

Our voucher says the same...park on the 3rd deck or higher.  I think we are going to be glad we did this.  Thanks for our input.

[GA cruising couple]

1 hour ago, OCVTSGIRL said:

Our voucher says the same...park on the 3rd deck or higher.  I think we are going to be glad we did this.  Thanks for our input.

I booked with them today and ours says 3rd deck or higher to. We will find out how well this is going to work tomorrow. Thanks again for posting about them. If this is as good as everyone says it saves us half of what it normally would have cost to park. Fingers crossed we will see tomorrow.

[GA cruising couple]

I just wanted to update this post with our experience since we got back from our Brilliance Cruise this morning 02/18/19. This worked out Great!! Park Connect worked just like the site says. I can see why they have all the great reviews! We were parked in the Channelside Parking Garage. Thank you all who replied with experiences in this thread. This helped us choose Park Connect.

[kelbell]

GA, can you tell me how it went when you left.  Was there an attendant when you left?

Did they ask to see your receipt or just your confirmation number?

I will be using them next week, thank you.

[GA cruising couple]

26 minutes ago, kelbell said:

GA, can you tell me how it went when you left.  Was there an attendant when you left?

Did they ask to see your receipt or just your confirmation number?

I will be using them next week, thank you.

 

When you arrive you take a ticket from the machine and park. When you leave you drive back to the exit and pull up to the machine with the bar down. Do not put the ticket in the machine to pay. There is a help button on the machine. Press the help button and someone will ask how they can help you. Tell them you have a confirmation number from park connect. The confirmation is on the email they send you. Give them that number and they will raise the bar and let you out. It was really easy..

[kelbell]

Thank you!!! I believe I can handle that.  lol👍  It's crazy how

I can let my over thinking things make me sound silly.😏

[GA cruising couple]

6 hours ago, kelbell said:

Thank you!!! I believe I can handle that.  lol👍  It's crazy how

I can let my over thinking things make me sound silly.😏

 

Not a problem. I did the same thing. If it had not been for OCVTSGIRL I never would have know about Park Connect and I would not have used them without having some good feedback on them.

[OCVTSGIRL]

On 2/19/2019 at 5:32 PM, GA cruising couple said:

 

When you arrive you take a ticket from the machine and park. When you leave you drive back to the exit and pull up to the machine with the bar down. Do not put the ticket in the machine to pay. There is a help button on the machine. Press the help button and someone will ask how they can help you. Tell them you have a confirmation number from park connect. The confirmation is on the email they send you. Give them that number and they will raise the bar and let you out. It was really easy..

Just getting to respond back since after our cruise we were in Disney for a week and just got back today.  We also had a great experience with Park Connect.  We parked on the 5th level.  After the cruise it was easy to get out of the parking garage.  We pulled up to the gate and didn't even have to hit the call button.  Someone spoke to us and I told them we had prepaid parking.  He said have a nice day and lifted the gate.  Never even asked for our confirmation #.  I highly recommend this to anybody cruising out of Tampa.

[legaljen1969]

On 2/11/2019 at 6:49 PM, OCVTSGIRL said:

Yes we are in the Channelside Garage.  This is our first time cruising out of Tampa so I don't know about terminal #s.  When I went in to book it I was given a choice of cruise lines and then it had the ships and their dates and I had to choose ours which is Feb. 18th.  It was $35 for the 5 nights as opposed to the $75 I was going to have to pay at the garage.  

How far is it from the port for the Brilliance?  We will be a family of two traveling parties. My father has a little difficulty walking- not so much that he needs a scooter or wheelchair but definitely not long distances.  I would love to save the money but if it's going to be too much for him, they may stick with the pre-paid valet parking advertised under the Port of Tampa which is $95 for the week.  
I definitely think the $40 savings between $35 for Park Connect and $75 for Port of Tampa is a good savings. I just don't want the walk to be a couple of miles or something. 

[OCVTSGIRL]

It is across the street.  It isn't a far walk but maybe you could drop your dad off to wait for you while you park the car.  It's a parking garage with an elevator.

[GTO-Girl]

7 hours ago, legaljen1969 said:

How far is it from the port for the Brilliance?  We will be a family of two traveling parties. My father has a little difficulty walking- not so much that he needs a scooter or wheelchair but definitely not long distances.  I would love to save the money but if it's going to be too much for him, they may stick with the pre-paid valet parking advertised under the Port of Tampa which is $95 for the week.  
I definitely think the $40 savings between $35 for Park Connect and $75 for Port of Tampa is a good savings. I just don't want the walk to be a couple of miles or something. 

Drop your Dad and the luggage off first and then go across the street and park.

[legaljen1969]

23 hours ago, OCVTSGIRL said:

It is across the street.  It isn't a far walk but maybe you could drop your dad off to wait for you while you park the car.  It's a parking garage with an elevator.

The logistics of getting the second car to the parking garage is where I am having a little trouble right now.  We will work it out. I'm just glad I found out about the Park Connect.