Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
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A Holiday Inn Express on Rocky Point, seventh overall and the best of the airport hotels. IHG publishes a $10-a-day rate to leave the car for a cruise, runs a free airport shuttle from 5 AM to 10 PM, and breakfast is free.
There's no port shuttle, and IHG gives no distance to the terminals — the arena downtown is 9 miles. So the morning is a taxi or a rideshare, which is where the savings on parking go.
Price the $10 a day plus a ride against the port's garage for your cruise length before you decide.
Book it if
- Fly-in cruisers landing at TPA the day before
- Drivers who want a set $10-a-day rate
- Dog owners
Look elsewhere if
- You want the ride to the ship handled.
- You want to be close enough to walk anywhere.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Holiday Inn Express Airport publishes.
Rocky Point is a small island of hotels on the causeway, and this one has an outdoor pool open 6 AM to 10 PM, a fitness center and self-service laundry. No restaurant. The airport is 2 miles.
IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned. A taxi or rideshare covers the trip.
Free, 6:30 to 9:30 AM.
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away. Your cruise line’s documents name your terminal and check-in window.
Guests can leave a car at the hotel to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day, per IHG. Ordinary self-parking for your stay is free.
Night-Before Score: 48 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.
Free shuttle, 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, from four pick-up spots outside baggage claim. IHG puts the airport 2 miles away.
Hotel shuttle
IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned.
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away.
IHG doesn't mention St. Pete-Clearwater.
IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned.
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away.
From PIE without a hotel shuttle
St. Pete-Clearwater is across the bay, about 17 miles from Tampa by Uber’s count. No official source gives a distance to the port. Uber estimated $36 for UberX to Tampa; Tampa Cruise Ship Shuttle charges $85 for the vehicle from St. Pete or Clearwater.
Guests can leave a car at the hotel to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day, per IHG. Ordinary self-parking for your stay is free.
Parking for your stay: Free for your stay; $10 a day to leave the car for a cruise or a flight.
IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned.
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; compare the airports and the landing guidelines.
Distance
No mileage statedIHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away.
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 $10/dayGuests can leave a car at the hotel to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day, per IHG. Ordinary self-parking for your stay is free.
Source: ihg.comThe port’s own garage
About $15/dayThe port’s garage is at 810 Channelside Drive, across the street from Terminal 3, with overflow lots at 810 Channelside and 1331 McKay when a ship is in. Port Tampa Bay doesn’t print a daily rate on its pages; Royal Caribbean and Celebrity put it at about $15 a day, subject to change, and Norwegian says $14. Pay on entry by cash or card, or pre-pay online with a full refund before your cruise date; valet is a $20 upgrade. There’s no shuttle leg. Compare every parking option.
Source: royalcaribbean.com| Holiday Inn Express Airport | — |
| Port Tampa Bay garage, no hotel | — |
This hotel’s published rates before tax, against driving straight to the port’s own garage on sail morning. Hotel parking counts your hotel night plus every cruise night. This hotel publishes no shuttle, so add whatever your ride to the terminal costs.
The evening and the morning
The evening
PoolRocky Point is a small island of hotels on the causeway, and this one has an outdoor pool open 6 AM to 10 PM, a fitness center and self-service laundry. No restaurant. The airport is 2 miles.
Breakfast
FreeFree, 6:30 to 9:30 AM.
Address
Rocky Point, by TPA3025 North Rocky Point Drive East, Tampa, FL 33607
Hotel website
The fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Holiday Inn Express Airport 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 your stay; $10 a day to leave the car for a cruise or a flight
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Free, 6:30–9:30 AM
Pool
Outdoor pool, 6 AM to 10 PM, wheelchair accessible
Pets
Dogs only, up to two, 75 lb, $75 plus tax per stay.
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; accessible rooms with a tub-shower.
Accessibility
Accessible rooms, four accessible parking spaces, ADA elevators and pool.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryYes
- Fitness centerYes
- Pets allowedYes
Nearby, by the hotel’s count
- Raymond James Stadium5 mi
- Amalie Arena9 mi
- Busch Gardens15 mi
Distances as the hotel or its brand lists them. Bars use a square-root scale so short walks stay visible.
Also worth knowing
- Guests can park to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day
- Dogs only, two maximum, 75 lb
Before you book
Worth knowing
- Cruise parking is $10 a day; the hotel doesn't say whether it's a flat rate per calendar day or per 24 hours.
- The airport shuttle picks up at four spots outside baggage claim, 5 AM to 10 PM.
- Check-in 3 PM, check-out 11 AM. Minimum age 18.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Distance to the port
- A ride to the ship
- EV charging
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 by the airport, with the ship a 15-minute ride away.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Holiday Inn Express Airport for the night before. No payment on the form.
Holiday Inn Express Airport FAQ
Does Holiday Inn Express Airport have a cruise shuttle?
Not that it publishes. IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned.
Does Holiday Inn Express Airport have an airport shuttle?
Yes, from Tampa International. From Tampa International: Free shuttle, 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, from four pick-up spots outside baggage claim. IHG puts the airport 2 miles away. From St. Pete-Clearwater: IHG doesn't mention St. Pete-Clearwater.
Can I park at Holiday Inn Express Airport while I cruise?
Yes. Guests can leave a car at the hotel to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day, per IHG. Ordinary self-parking for your stay is free.
How far is Holiday Inn Express Airport from Port Tampa Bay?
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away. It sits in our Westshore & the airport band.
Can I check in early or check out late on cruise days?
Check-in is 3:00 PM and check-out 11:00 AM. The hotel doesn't publish early or late terms, so ask when you book, not on the day.
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. a taxi from the terminals runs on the meter, Uber's own estimate to TPA is about $24, and Carnival's transfer is $24.99 a person for its guests.
What's the breakfast timing on sail morning?
Free, 6:30–9:30 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?
EV charging: not stated. Clearance and oversized parking aren't published. The port lists oversized parking as an option but publishes no clearance or rate; call parking at 813-905-7678 before you bring a trailer or an RV.
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