st petersburg vs tampa

[jenjens1023]

The best air arrangements I've found involve flying in and out of St Petersburg. We are cruising out of Tampa. Should we stay in Tampa or St Pete? Any ideas about transportation from St Pete to the port? I've read such wonderful things about Chase Suites, but they don't shuttle to St. Pete and they wanted $229 for the ship and shore package! :( I imagine I can Priceline two rooms and pay for shuttle service for less than that!

[cali-croozer]

Go to the St. Pete Airport website and research the transportation costs you will encounter. Remember, you'll be paying for that twice. I have also heard that, at times, there's a lot of traffic getting over to Tampa. We stayed in Tampa to be closer to the port although we could have gotten a direct flight into St. Pete. We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott for about $70 (booked directly through the hotel on-line). They had a free airport shuttle and free breakfast in the morning (expanded continental.....fruit, breads, cereals, waffles, etc.). They arranged for a taxi to bring us to the port for $20 fixed rate. We arrived in Tampa at 7pm, so this hotel was only for the peace of mind that we arrived a day before our cruise; I cannot tell you if this is a good location for sightseeing. The only negative about this hotel, for us, was that there is no on-site, or even close, dining. Our friends picked up some salads and sandwiches at a Subway down the block.....they were smart. We ordered a pizza, from who knows where, that arrived after 11pm. Other than that, the hotel was very clean and the rooms (suites) were spacious. Our room had 2 queen beds and a sofa bed, 2 tvs, a microwave and refrigerator. There was a pool, but it was raining the night we were there.

[cali-croozer]

PS.......if you scroll down, you will see links to other posts about this subject.

[LEtue]

Unless you are trying to get from St Pete to Tampa at 5 pm on a week night you will encounter almost no traffic. The St. Pete airport is located close to the bridge that leads right to Tampa Airport and the city so the time to get there is minimal.

 

You may want to out hotels near the St. Pete Airport - many have shuttle service and then us the Blue Shuttle Limo service to the Port of Tampa the following day. Or use the Blue Shuttle service upon arrival and go directly to the port of Tampa and overnight at the Marriot.

 

If you decide to arrive at Tampa Airport then most of the major hotels have shuttle service between both the airport and the port - which may turn out to be less trouble and money.

[jenjens1023]

Thanks for the help. I just realized that the cost of a shuttle is actually part of the whole transportation cost, so maybe PIE isn't such a great deal even if the flights are non-stop. These are the little details that drive me crazy!!