Tampa - accessible transportation to/from airport

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

I don't know if this makes more or less sense to post in the Tampa forum but I was wondering if anyone has experience with taxis and/or ride services in Tampa.

 

In particular, we're going to be flying in with my daughter, who has a power wheelchair. The airport's website says they have wheelchair taxis but you should allow "a reasonable amount of additional time," which could mean anything (and, in my experience, tends to be not so reasonable).

 

I did find a few services you can reserve and it sounds like Uber WAV could be available but it's hard to get a sense how reliable/useful they are.

 

Similarly, I'm wondering when we get off the ship if there are likely to be wheelchair taxis of some kind available or if it's better to pre-book a service (and if so, which ones are good.) 

 

Thanks for any assistance!

[Essiesmom]

I would also post this in the Florida Departures board.  EM

[FOPMan]

I have a significant lack of faith in uberwav for an essential ride. If the service is available in a region, it doesn’t mean there will actually be a vehicle available to serve you when you request one.

 

To get FROM the ship to the airport, I highly advise using the ship’s transfer service, requesting power wheelchair transport. They will likely use Greyhound-style buses which have a wheelchair lift near the rear wheels.

 

To get FROM the airport TO the ship, I do NOT recommend flying in the same day, but you might want to look at purchasing hotel and transfer services through the cruise line, shifting responsibility for a wheelchair accessible vehicle to the cruise line.

 

Cabs can be hit or miss. We’ve had drivers show up 10 minutes early and 3 hours late. Earlier in the day (9a) seems to be better than late in the day.

 

 

Safe travels!

 

 

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

Thanks for the responses. I will try the Florida group too.

 

We are currently planning to fly in the night before - yeah, I would never try flying in same-day, especially in the winter and especially with a wheelchair. And, yes, I've also found Uber WAV can work great but reliability is definitely a concern.

 

Our current hotel says they have a shuttle to the port. I expect it's not AODA compliant but I also understand they are obligated to provide equivalent service so I'm planning to call them well in advance and see if they will book an accessible cab on our behalf. If I have any concerns, I would then try the cruise transfer. 

 

So, in the meantime my main concerns are getting from the aiport to the hotel and then what's available when we get off the ship, as we are hoping to book a noonish flight out. It may be that ship transfers would simplify this as well.

[FOPMan]

Yes, under law they are required to provide equivalent service, but that is sometimes difficult for hotels to internalize. They also may be in a limited position to drive a taxi to actually appear as scheduled. A medical transport specialist company is more likely to adhere to a schedule. Technically, if she is enrolled in special transit services at home, she would also be qualified in Tampa, subject to the program services in Tampa.

[CruisingAlong4Now]

It would probably be best to secure your own reservations for a wheelchair accessible taxi at the airport and at the ship for the return.

 

After you speak with the hotel, you can determine if you feel comfortable with their ability to provide transportation to the pier.

 

Accessibility Services | Tampa International Airport (tampaairport.com)

Ridewyse (ridewysefl.com)

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

On 9/9/2023 at 8:35 PM, CruisingAlong4Now said:

It would probably be best to secure your own reservations for a wheelchair accessible taxi at the airport and at the ship for the return.

 

After you speak with the hotel, you can determine if you feel comfortable with their ability to provide transportation to the pier.

 

Thanks, this is basically what I'm doing.

I contacted Yellow Cab, which fowarded to West Coast Transportation and it seems like a good option for to/from the airport, albeit at 2x the cost of a normal cab. But it's accessible and seems reliable.

 

I spoke to the hotel and it wasn't so encouraging. They said they would not pay for an accessible cab but I could take the free trolley, which doesn't seem like the worst option (it's maybe a 3-min walk from hotel and it looks like it goes just as close to the terminal), though we have to lug all our luggage on it. They made it sound like we wouldn't be the first people to take all our bags to the cruise terminal on the trolley and if it's the worst-case scenario, it's not so bad; look like 15 minutes, door to door.

 

But, as I still have a few months until the cruise, I'm deciding how far I want to go in advising the hotel of their ADA obligations and seeing if they'll find a way to do the right thing, as a matter of principle. It's part of the Hilton chain and it really feels like they should know this stuff by now.

Edited September 13, 2023 by TJ O'Pootertoot

[DUTRAVEL]

If the hotel offers a shuttle they are required to either offer accessible transportation or pay for an accessible taxi (or provide tranportation at the same cost of the shuttle). Ask to speak to the hotel manager. I am attaching a PDF that you can send to the manager that outlines their obligations.

Accessible Ground Transportation final2019.pdf

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

Thanks for that. I wasn't getting anywhere on the phone so I asked for an email and sent them something very similar to that... possibly that exact document.  I'm being nice so far and cautiously optimistic they'll understand it's a legal obligation rather than a friendly request 🙂

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

To make a long story short, it did take some time and making my way up the corporate ladder but the hotel is arranging the transportation. And hopefully now they'll know for next time.