Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
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This is the hotel next to the ship, and it ranks ninth. IHG calls it the closest hotel to the JAXPORT terminal, breakfast is free, and parking for the night is free.
It loses its points on the page itself.
One line mentions a Park & Cruise package; another says cruise parking is not available. IHG says no local shuttle, though old reviews describe one.
If the package and the shuttle are real, nothing here beats it.
Call and settle both before you book.
Book it if
- Anyone who wants the shortest possible morning
- Drivers who'll call about the Park & Cruise package
- RV travelers: the lot takes them
Look elsewhere if
- You want dinner nearby without driving.
- You're bringing a pet.
- You want the parking answer in writing online.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Holiday Inn Express Blount Island publishes.
An outdoor pool, 9 AM to 9 PM, a gym, laundry and coffee in the lobby. No restaurant, and not much around it: this is an industrial corner by the river, chosen for one reason.
IHG says there's no local shuttle. Old TripAdvisor replies from a manager mention a $5 cruise shuttle, and a 2025 review mentions a driver to the port; neither is on IHG's pages, so ask. A taxi or rideshare covers the trip.
Free, 6:00 to 9:30 AM.
IHG calls it "the closest hotel to the JAXPORT Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal" but gives no distance. Third-party guides say a little over a mile. Your cruise line’s documents name your terminal and check-in window.
IHG's page mentions a "Park & Cruise package" and, on the same site, says "cruise parking or extended parking is not available." Parking is free while you're a guest, in an 80-space lot that takes RVs.
Night-Before Score: 43 of 100
Scored only from what the hotel publishes. Here’s how the Night-Before Score works.
Getting here, and on to the ship
Pick where you’re coming from. Solid lines are rides the hotel publishes; a question mark is a leg you’ll arrange yourself.
IHG contradicts itself: the hotel page mentions a complimentary airport shuttle, the amenities and directions pages say there isn't one. About 8 miles from the airport.
IHG says there's no local shuttle. Old TripAdvisor replies from a manager mention a $5 cruise shuttle, and a 2025 review mentions a driver to the port; neither is on IHG's pages, so ask.
IHG calls it "the closest hotel to the JAXPORT Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal" but gives no distance. Third-party guides say a little over a mile.
From JAX without a hotel shuttle
zTrip runs the airport taxis from booths outside baggage claim and publishes no fares; Rome2Rio puts a cab to the cruise terminal at $28 to $35. Rideshare picks up on the lower arrival curb at Poles 1 and 2. Hotel shuttles use the north end of the upper departures curb.
IHG's page mentions a "Park & Cruise package" and, on the same site, says "cruise parking or extended parking is not available." Parking is free while you're a guest, in an 80-space lot that takes RVs.
Parking for your stay: Free for registered guests; 80 spaces; buses, trucks, trailers and RVs allowed.
IHG says there's no local shuttle. Old TripAdvisor replies from a manager mention a $5 cruise shuttle, and a 2025 review mentions a driver to the port; neither is on IHG's pages, so ask.
IHG calls it "the closest hotel to the JAXPORT Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal" but gives no distance. Third-party guides say a little over a mile.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; see the airport page and the landing check.
Distance
No mileage statedIHG calls it "the closest hotel to the JAXPORT Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal" but gives no distance. Third-party guides say a little over a mile.
Source: ihg.comShuttle departures
No shuttleThere’s no hotel shuttle to time, so a taxi or rideshare leaves when you’re ready. Your cruise documents give your terminal check-in window.
Source: ihg.comParking while you sail
Cruise parking
Cruise parking: contradictoryIHG's page mentions a "Park & Cruise package" and, on the same site, says "cruise parking or extended parking is not available." Parking is free while you're a guest, in an 80-space lot that takes RVs.
Source: ihg.comThe port’s own lot
$17 a cruise nightJAXPORT’s own lot is next to the terminal building: $17 a day with Florida sales tax included, or $68 for a 4-day cruise. Oversized vehicles are $34 a day.
It takes credit cards only, and no new prepaid reservations since June 22, 2026, so you pay when you arrive. The lot opens at 7:15 AM, and a golf cart runs you and your bags to the door. Compare every parking option.
Source: cruiseparking.jaxport.comThe evening and the morning
The evening
PoolAn outdoor pool, 9 AM to 9 PM, a gym, laundry and coffee in the lobby. No restaurant, and not much around it: this is an industrial corner by the river, chosen for one reason.
Breakfast
FreeFree, 6:00 to 9:30 AM.
Address
New Berlin Road, by the terminal10148 New Berlin Road, Jacksonville, FL 32226
Hotel website
The fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Holiday Inn Express Blount Island publishes it. Where it says “not stated”, the hotel doesn’t say, and a quick call will settle it.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
To check in, per the hotel.
Resort fee
None stated
Wi-Fi
Free
Parking for your stay
Free for registered guests; 80 spaces; buses, trucks, trailers and RVs allowed
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Free, 6:00–9:30 AM
Pool
Outdoor pool, 9 AM to 9 PM
Pets
Not allowed.
Sail morning, on the clock
From the hotel’s published hours. Your cruise documents set your check-in window at the terminal.
Rooms
Standard rooms and suites.
Accessibility
Four accessible rooms and six accessible parking spaces.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryYes
- Fitness centerYes
- Pets allowedNo
Nearby, by the hotel’s count
- Jacksonville Zoo5 mi
- Huguenot Park and Beach16 mi
Distances as the hotel or its brand lists them. Bars use a square-root scale so short walks stay visible.
Also worth knowing
- IHG calls it the closest hotel to the JAXPORT Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal
- IHG's page mentions a Park & Cruise package; its directions page says cruise or extended parking is not available
- Late check-out is listed as available
Before you book
Worth knowing
- IHG's pages contradict each other on cruise parking and on an airport shuttle.
- Check-in 3 PM, check-out 11 AM; late check-out is listed as available. The primary guest must be 21.
- No pets.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Whether you can leave the car for the cruise
- Whether a shuttle runs to the terminal
- The distance to the terminal
Rates and policies are as the hotel published them on September 25, 2026. Confirm anything you’re counting on when you book.
Worth a look alongside it
Wake up next door to the ship.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Holiday Inn Express Blount Island for the night before. No payment on the form.
Holiday Inn Express Blount Island FAQ
Does Holiday Inn Express Blount Island have a cruise shuttle?
Not that it publishes. IHG says there's no local shuttle. Old TripAdvisor replies from a manager mention a $5 cruise shuttle, and a 2025 review mentions a driver to the port; neither is on IHG's pages, so ask.
Does Holiday Inn Express Blount Island have an airport shuttle?
Not that it publishes. IHG contradicts itself: the hotel page mentions a complimentary airport shuttle, the amenities and directions pages say there isn't one. About 8 miles from the airport.
Can I park at Holiday Inn Express Blount Island while I cruise?
The hotel doesn't say. IHG's page mentions a "Park & Cruise package" and, on the same site, says "cruise parking or extended parking is not available." Parking is free while you're a guest, in an 80-space lot that takes RVs.
How far is Holiday Inn Express Blount Island from the JAXPORT cruise terminal?
IHG calls it "the closest hotel to the JAXPORT Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal" but gives no distance. Third-party guides say a little over a mile. It sits in our Blount Island & New Berlin Road band.
Can I check in early or check out late on cruise days?
its directions page says cruise or extended parking is not available Late check-out is listed as available.
Will the hotel hold my bags?
The hotel doesn't say. Most hotels will hold bags between check-out and a late shuttle, but that's a call to make, not an assumption.
Does the port shuttle come back for me after the cruise?
There's no hotel shuttle to the port. JAXPORT's franchised taxi runs from the terminal to the airport on the meter, and the port puts JAX about 12 miles away.
What's the breakfast timing on sail morning?
Free, 6:00–9:30 AM. Your terminal check-in window is in your cruise documents, and the port asks you not to arrive before it.
Can I park an oversized vehicle or charge an EV?
buses, trucks, trailers and RVs allowed.
Booking the cruise too?
Tell us your dates and we'll line up the ship, the hotel and the ride. A real advisor does the work. No obligation.
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