SeaPA1

Does anyone know what downtown will be like on Sunday morning - January 26 the day after Gasparilla?

On the 26th things will be pretty quiet, other than the cleanup crews. Most everyone else downtown will be too hung over to produce traffic, noise, or crowds.

We need to catch a cab but only need to travel approx 3/4 mile,how do cabdrivers react to such a short journey and will they you.

 

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They typically have a minimum fee; if you're at a place where they wait in line it is higher than if you just flag one down when he's driving down the road.

I think the minimum fare for a cab leaving the AIRPORT is $15, I'm not sure what it is from the cruise port.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Will probably look into renting a car. We have done that previously when we have flown out of Miami for an extended overseas trip. Car rental is fairly inexpensive in Florida and there is no 'one way' drop off fee. Will let you know what we end up doing and how it worked out.

I'd consider a park & cruise hotel room, too. You'd quite possibly be able to do that for cheaper than the cost of renting, and it would likely be less hassle.

thanks for all the help; I think this will work for us. I did call the Port Authority and they said the cost is $125.00 for the week. He did not say anything about when leaving the ship, but he thought they will give us a ticket and pick the car up for us.

Do you think we should give them a tip since we are paying 20 dollars more for the valet?

I think I'd tip the guy a few bucks.

Drive thru the same area as for self-park; one lane will be clearly marked for valet. Go through, hand over your keys & pay; porter grabs your luggage, you go to the terminal (right next to where you've left your car).

I don't remember the exact cost, I know it's a few dollars more per day than selfpark.

The Wesley Chapel exit will be another 25 to 30 minutes of drive time on your way. I don't remember what all hotels are at that exit but I don't think there is a huge selection - I think only maybe a couple. There are more restaurants, some shopping, and a movie theatre; it's also a much busier, far more congested area than the Brooksville exit (and confusing as hell to drive around in if you do not know the area & the way the roads are set up). It's roughly halfway between the Brooksville exit & the port area - so would add 25 to 30 minutes to your drive on the way down, but cut that amount from your drive in the next morning.

I'm somewhat familiar with the area you're hunting in, since I was born & raised there and have lived all of my fifty years in the vicinity.

There are a few hotels at the Highway 50 exit of I-75; they would probably be referenced as "Brooksville", with an address of "Cortez Boulevard." This will leave you a drive in to Tampa of 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic & your driving style.

There are several hotel options at this exit - Hampton, Quality Inn, Microtel, and Days Inn.

There is not a lot to do in the area, but it is quiet & safe for someone just looking for a convenient place to sleep for a night before heading to the cruiseship the next morning. There's a Cracker Barrell, Mcdonalds, Wendys, and a few other fast food chains (typical Interstate exit grub - Denneys, Waffle House, stuff like that); also, an excellent Italian restaurant a couple of miles away if you want something nicer. Also, a Winn Dixie if you need some type of food supplies.

I'm not 100% certain, but I think if you use the port parking garage you will not be able to leave your car there until after the game. But even if not, there is relatively inexpensive parking available nearby, both in a short-term parking garage and in an outdoor lot that is next to the Channelside entertainment complex (which is a short walk from the hockey arena).

Does this $10 pp minimum include children? I have a picky 5 year old that would never eat and drink $10 while there.

In the times I've been there, they've never included my kids in the per person minimum (my boys are 10 & 8 now, but were younger when we've been there - closer to the age of your child).

Good, it should have never been free. They should've always been charging the exact same price as everyone else pays to park in the port lot.

I haven't flown through mia in 8 or so years but used to do so with some frequency, heading to various islands on dive trips (having kids killed my dive travel budget).

When we used to go through there & the weather was nice, we'd often go up to the poolside bar at the top of the airport hotel (blanking now as to which brand it is). Not sure if it's still there or if they still allow it, but we'd go up & have a sandwich & a drink. If you wanted to use the pool you could do so, sometimes they'd charge an additional fee for non-hotel guests & sometimes they wouldn't (I think they were supposed to but it depended on the staff & how crowded it was - if there weren't many people there the staff who made their living on tips wasn't going to chase away tipping customers over a couple of dollars pool fee).

I believe the Pour House is owned by the same folks that owned Wine Design. They're very nice folks, and the PourHouse has a decent selection at reasonable prices.

There's not much else in the immediate area of the Port, other than a convenience store that would only have Mad Dog, Night Train, and the other fine bumwines.

If you're coming from the airport, there is both a TotalWine and an ABC Liquor store that are just off the Interstate & almost right on the way. The cabbie should know where they are; if not, they're on Dale Mabry, just north of the Interstate.

Other than keeping it up to health dept standards and basics, doubt they would spend money on anything to improve any more expensive upgrading. What would be the point for that short of time?

No, it's the Hilton property that has been sold & is to be demolished. She is asking about the Sheraton, which is across the road. At one time there was talk that it too might be taken down, but I believe that has changed.

Hate to piggy-back, but it's sort of related. We always would stay at the Sheraton pre-cruise (their points nights were so low). Last time it was pretty run-down, and we heard that it was BECAUSE they thought they'd be closing because of the runway expansion...since now it seems it does not affect them, does anyone know if they have spiffed up the place or will it be even worse 2 years later than our last trip? And will the runway expansion make them NOISY??

 

And is the Hilton going to completely shut down and go away?

I don't think the runway expansion would have much effect, noise-wise. The land where the Hilton is located won't be part of the actual runway, it's just in the "keep clear zone" above the descent area.

From what I've read, the County (or aviation authority, or whatever governmental agency handles the transactions) has already closed on the deal to purchase the Hilton land (I think it was finalized early this summer). The articles I read indicated that they'd be taking down the hotel's parking garage before the end of this year (I think I read late November, early December), and that the terms of the deal allow the hotel to stay open until March or April 2014. After that, it will be gone unless they acquire a new piece of land & build a new building.

Is the Sheraton across the road also in the way of the new runway?

I believe the Sheraton is not affected, just the Hilton (also a boat dealer that is right next to the Hilton).

I was just at that hotel the last couple of nights, down there for a seminar. I'd not hesitate to stay there again; my room was clean & comfortable, the staff was friendly. Yes, it's dated - something I'm sure won't change if it's true that the hotel is scheduled for demolition - but I was perfectly happy there.

Capt BJ - headed down to Siesta Key in a few weeks here--never been but hear the area is beautiful. Are you familiar with it?

If you're looking for a fun, casual place to eat, consider Casey Key Fish House; it's a little further south from Siesta, but not far - probably 15 to 20 minute drive depending on traffic.

Most days, the dog park on Davis Island would be a great place to watch the ship sail by. However, I think you'd be making a big mistake to try to get out there & back on Gasparilla day. ALL of the downtown area will be a madhouse.

I'm not even sure that you'd be able to get there; even if you could, you'd be in the middle of a drunken mob.

Where are you staying?

I think the closest bigger stores to that hotel would be TotalWine (on Dale Mabry), ABC (also on Dale Mabry, right across the road), or the previously mentioned Sweetbay. They're all a bit over a mile away. On foot you'd go north up Westshore, turn right at Spruce/BoyScout; follow Spruce, which comes out right on Dale Mabry right by the TotalWine. If you walk it, you might consider a stop at the Cigar City Brewery taproom; it's a craft brewery here that makes very good beer.

There's a small, locally owned store slightly closer, probably just under a mile - Lazzara Family Liquors. If walking, you'd go south on Westshore to Kennedy, then east on Kennedy about a half-block.

Hi,

 

I guess my post was vague. I am flying in the day before my cruise. We will not be getting a rental car, so I was hoping to find something in the vicinity of the airport or hotel we are staying at which is right near the port.

 

Thanks for your help:)

There is a nice little wine shop in the Channelside entertainment complex, which is located immediately adjacent to the terminal usedby Carnival. They have a pretty good selection, ranging from cheaper stuff to pretty high caliber/high price. Very friendly staff/owners. Iirc, website is www.tampawinedesign.com. If you're at either the Embassy Suites or Marriott Waterside, it's your closest option. There's also a Publix fairly close to those hotels.

If you're in one of the Ybor hotels, you could hop on the trolley & take it to the Channelside stop, which is about 1/2 block from the wine shop.

There is a nice wine shop in the Channelside entertainment complex, just a couple of blocks from your hotel. They have an excellent selection, running the gamut as far as price/quality. The staff & owners are very friendly & helpful, and iirc will wrap/package the wine for you to transport onboard. www.tampawinedesign.com

I'd suggest taking the trolley from the hotel to Ybor for your dinner at Columbia. There's a station right in front of the hotel; get a day pass, go all the way to the last trolley stop. It's a short walk (couple of blocks) from there to the restaurant. If you want to cut down on the walking you could stop at Channelside to get the wine either on the way to the restaurant or on the way back (think the wine shop's open until 10 pm on weekends).

I'll chime in, sans flame-retardent suit.

It is absurd that the parking is provided free of charge for anyone with a handicap permit. I have no problem with handicap-only parking (i.e. reserving the "up close" spots for those of limited mobility). But if it's at an event where there is generally a fee to park, the handicap spots should be subject to the same exact fee.

It is FAR MORE absurd for a healthy person to drop off the handicapped passenger, then go park and expect to park for free. And it should be a ciminal offense, subject to towing of the vehicle, if you drop 'em then go park in one of the handicap spots. Keep in mind that if you do that, the spots might fill & someone who ACTUALLY NEEDS THE HANDICAP PARKING SPOT will then have to go park in whatever's left & try to make their way to the terminal from that spot. Frankly, if you do that you deserve a physical beatdown.

BTW to those who think badly of me for my opinion on this - my mom is handicapped, having lost a leg in a car crash when I was 6 months old (48 years ago). As she aged, her mobility decreased; for the last 8 to 10 years she's been fully reliant on either a wheelchair or a scooter to get around, and fully reliant on my dad to do most everything for her. I guarantee you their thoughts on this mirror mine - they feel so strongly about people gaming the handicap permits that they had a falling out with one of my uncles over his abuses of the system.

I don't really care that much about a truly handicapped person parking free (i.e. like the earlier poster who mentioned that sometimes her disabled parents cruise alone & drive themselves to the port). But if you're dropping off the disabled person, then you're going to the garage & looking for a freeby parking spot, you're abusing the system & contributing to the negative perceptions many have towards the way the handicap parking system works.

I've not used them; I believe it is a relatively new operation. The limited reviews I've read were less than glowing.

I'd echo what sweeper said re maybe not needing one. I was with my wife & sons (7 & 5) and we had no problems walking from one end to the other in 20 minutes or so (including them stopping to kick or throw every single coconut - 75,000 or so - that they came across). :)