TPA Transportation from Hotel to Port for Bigger Group

[MistyRo76]

Hi all! We have a large group going on the Paradise out of Tampa in April. Everyone is flying in from different parts of the country and at different times. So we will probably just Uber/Lyft to our hotel and back to the airport after the cruise. But we do have 8-10 of us all staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Ybor City the night before the cruise. Just wondering what would be the easiest way to get a larger group from our Hotel to the Port of Tampa. The hotel has a "courtesy shuttle" that goes within a three mile radius of the hotel. The port shows to be only a mile or so away, so I assume that courtesy shuttle would include Port drop offs. But overall, I'm not a huge fan of waiting in line for a first-come, first serve shuttle esp. with a big group! If anyone has any experience with this hotel's courtesy shuttle and drop-offs at the port, I'd love to hear them though! 

Otherwise, are there any good, reasonably priced transportation companies that could transport a group our size and all our luggage to the port? I'd like to check out those options and compare the price to getting 3 Ubers. 

 

Thanks! 

[JohninDC]

Two UberXLs or maybe 3 UberX cars will do it.  I would call the hotel to see if they can suggest a local provider or set you up with a dedicated shuttle.

[kewbrook]

Just stayed at this hotel after cruising on the Paradise last week.  We had 12 people.  The trolley picks up just outside of the hotel and there is a trolley stop right at the port between the parking garage and the ships.  The hotel shuttle was also available and convenient.  I would not hesitate using either of these or both options.  Some on the shuttle and some on the trolley.  They trolley is free this year and was a fun ride.  It was virtually empty.

[JohninDC]

Is there room on the trolley for luggage?

[MistyRo76]

I found a company called Rowe Transportation who would pick up just our group for $5 a person. It would be a sprinter van with plenty of cargo space. May do that if everyone in our group wants to leave at the same time. I just like being able to go when I want to go and not have to fight crowds or drag my bags any further than I have to! Lol 

 

If not everyone wants to go as early as we do, we’ll probably just hop in a Lyft. Lyft estimator shows it to be around $6-8.