Military facilities near ports

[wraithe]

Priced hotels in the vicinity of Port Everglades at more than $150/night US for the night before my last cruise at any hotel whose name I recognized. Did some searching and found out that I could stay at the Homestead Air Reserve Station's Homestead Inn for $33/night. This is for personnel who are authorized to use military facilities, active duty, reserves, retirees and such. There is a small base Exchange, the gym and club are open at sort of strange hours. No service station, or commissary. Click here to get to the Station's fact page, which includes the Homestead Inn phone number. As a Reserve Station, they are quite busy on Reserve weekends, but it's worth a call to see if you can get a room. It's about 50 miles to Port Everglades, but it's a straight shot, and easy to navigate. If you're interested in pictures, leave a note, and I can post some.

 

If you have information about other bases or facilities on the East Coast, please post, I'm interested in any way to save a few bucks while traveling.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Port Canaveral is near Patrick Air Force Base. Shades of Green at Walt Disney World is not far either.

The Port of Tampa is near MacDill Air Force Base.

JAXPORT is near many navy bases.

 

I'm not familiar with these bases TLQ facilities but surely they have them too.

 

A good idea for those that qualify.

 

BobK/Orlando

[wraithe]

Port Canaveral is near Patrick Air Force Base. Shades of Green at Walt Disney World is not far either.

The Port of Tampa is near MacDill Air Force Base.

JAXPORT is near many navy bases.

 

I'm not familiar with these bases TLQ facilities but surely they have them too.

 

A good idea for those that qualify.

 

BobK/Orlando

 

I checked into Patrick when I went down to P'Can, but they usually have a pretty long wait list.

 

Shades of Green can be sort of expensive, although the rooms are super nice from what I've heard.

 

I found the info about MacDill AFB last night while writing my original post, they have some really nice rooms. I don't know about availabilitiesyet, but I'll find out come next April, when I get ready for my Grandeur cruise starting from Tampa.

[Kentucky60]

Holiday Inn Port of Miami gives military discounts we booked a room for $107.00 for 5/19.

[sk8teacher]

If you go to http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,ML_onbase,00.html you will be able to search by state and branch of service. For example, Norfolk VA has the Navy Lodge (very nice by the way) for $62 per night. Each room comes with kitchenette. I believe there is additional lodging in the area as well.

 

There's a lodge on Staten Island for $85 per night going out of New York. For Baltimore cruises there isn't anything close enough to make it worth while.

 

The above site is great for general travel around the US and some foreign countries as well.

 

Cheers,

[wraithe]

Great info Bill, I get miltary.com newsletters, but hadn't thought to check their web site for info. Appreciate the heads up.

[wraithe]

Here's a link to NWS Charleston's MWR site, in addition to the bowling alley, food courts, relatively new Commissary, and decent NEX onsite, they offer lodging now in renovated base housing units known as Foster Creek Villas. Prices are decent, 2, 3, or 4 bedroom units, and 15 to 20 miles drive to the port.

[wraithe]

Cape Henry Inn is an Armed Forces Recreation Center lodging facility fairly close to the Norfolk port. Looking at the prices, it's very inexpensive compared to my experience with Tidewater area hotels. Worth checking out.

[Steamboatin]

Remember that the majority of facilities that you all are talking about are going to be controlled by the Space A (Availability) rules. Therefore, they will not be able to give you a room confirmation until just a few days out.

 

Than factor in the travel cost for a car rental or cab to the distance to the port and you may just be better off on the local economy with a facility that offers military discounts.

 

What are you all thoughts on this?

 

Was stationed down at Homestead AFB back in the 60's and it is close to a 50 mile trip up into the City of Miami. Factor in travel time and cost of car rental and I personally would not do it. I would stay overnight in Miami.

[sk8teacher]

Actually thats changed somewhat Steamboats. A lot of facilities now do accept advance reservations. I know that the Submarine base at Groton does (not sure exactly how far in advance), and so does the Cape Henry Inn (reservations can be made up to 53 weeks in advance). And some of the more popular ones actually require an advance reservation.

 

You are right however that some are indeed not close to the various ports. But in a lot of instances, the lodging cost is far less than the local motels, and most local motels do not give discounts to retired military.

 

I think that most of us who might consider staying in military lodging would be driving to the cruise port anyway, so the travel cost would not be a consideration. Flying into a cruise port and trying to stay at a military facility would not be cost effective because you would need a rental car to get from the airport to the facility, then to the cruise port etc. In that instance than I agree that it probably would be just as cheap or cheaper to simply book local lodging.

 

Cheers,

[Steamboatin]

The last time I inquired back in 2005 most USAF bases VOQ's operated on a Space A basis with only a 3 day advance reservation system in place.

 

By the way, what is the name of the Naval Facility in Ft. Lauderdale? Is that base Mayport? And do they have VOQ facilities?

[Steamboatin]

Military on base lodging web sites:

Air Force: http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,ML_airforce,00.html

Army: http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,ML_army,00.html

Marines: http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,ML_marines,00.html

Navy: http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,ML_navy,00.html

Coast Guard: http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,ML_coastguard,00.html

[sk8teacher]

The last time I inquired back in 2005 most USAF bases VOQ's operated on a Space A basis with only a 3 day advance reservation system in place.

 

By the way, what is the name of the Naval Facility in Ft. Lauderdale? Is that base Mayport? And do they have VOQ facilities?

 

Yep, USAF VOQ's always were space A. I think they still are. As retired enlisted I am not normally eligible for them so I'm not that familar with them. That said however VOQ's are different from the lodges that wraithe and I have been referring to. The lodges are very similar to hotels/motels, and are temporary facilities (normally limited to a maximum stay of 2-4 weeks), and for folks transiting through the area and are available to active duty and retired no matter what your rank is.

 

Mayport is just outside of Jacksonville, don't know if they have VOQ facilities or not, but they are fairly large so I would assume so.

 

I don't recall anything around Lauderdale but I haven't been there in years either. The last time I was in Florida was 1974 when I transferred to South Carolina.

 

Cheers,

[Steamboatin]

Back in the Spring of 2005 when we sailed on the HAL Westerdam from Ft. Lauderdale on a transatlantic cruise to Rome we passed a Naval Facility in the inter-harbor channel on our way to the ocean.

 

Wondering what the name of that Naval Facility in Ft. Lauderdale is?

 

Am somewhat familiar with the Navy Lodge concept as we have one here at the Naval Base in New Orleans. We pass it all the time going to the commissary, service station and the pharmacy. However, have never stayed at one or really inquired about their rates and policies.

[wraithe]

I made reservations for the Homestead Air Reserve Station lodging 30 days in advance. It was about 50 miles to Port Everglades, but I already was planning to rent a car anyway, since I was arriving the day before and driving down to FLL from Sanford, got outrageous good air fare direct from Youngstown, OH to Sanford. Anyway, you can make barracks reservations up to 30 days in advance a lot of times, now. I stayed at Homestead for $33. It was well worth the drive IMHO.