Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
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It's a Holiday Inn Express off I-4, 4 miles from the port, and it takes third. IHG publishes the number that matters: $75 flat to leave one car for up to 14 days, or nothing at all if you book the Stay and Cruise package.
Breakfast is free either way.
The shuttle is the soft spot. The hotel runs one at select times and says charges apply — a ride, not a rate.
A cruise blog says $10 a person, which IHG doesn't confirm.
Book the package, then ask for the shuttle times and fare in the same call.
Book it if
- Drivers on a long cruise: $75 covers 14 days
- Anyone who wants free breakfast and a free night's parking
- Families in the two-queen rooms and king suites
Look elsewhere if
- You're bringing a pet.
- You want the shuttle fare and times in writing.
- You want dinner on site.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Holiday Inn Express East-Ybor publishes.
An outdoor pool, 7 AM to 6 PM, with a chair lift. There's no restaurant, so eat in Ybor City 3 miles away, or bring it back. Self-service laundry is on site.
IHG says shuttle transportation to the port is available at select times, and that charges apply. The fare and the times aren't published; a cruise blog quotes $10 a person with sign-up at the desk, which the hotel's page doesn't confirm.
Free, 6:00 to 9:30 AM on weekdays and 7:00 to 10:00 AM on weekends.
IHG puts the cruise port 4 miles away, and names Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity and Margaritaville at Sea. Your cruise line’s documents name your terminal and check-in window.
Free with the hotel's Stay and Cruise package. Without it, $75 flat to leave one vehicle for up to 14 days. Ordinary self-parking for the night is free, in a 110-space lot.
Night-Before Score: 68 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 says the shuttle isn't available for the airport, which it puts about 12 miles away.
IHG says shuttle transportation to the port is available at select times, and that charges apply. The fare and the times aren't published; a cruise blog quotes $10 a person with sign-up at the desk, which the hotel's page doesn't confirm. Departures: Select times, charges apply; not published.
IHG puts the cruise port 4 miles away, and names Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity and Margaritaville at Sea.
From TPA without a hotel shuttle
The airport says a taxi is a flat $40 to downtown and the cruise terminal on one page and a $35 maximum on another; the port calls it a 15-minute drive. Uber’s own estimate is about $28 for UberX, plus the airport’s $5 rideshare fee. Rideshare picks up at the Red and Blue Express curbsides.
IHG doesn't mention St. Pete-Clearwater.
IHG says shuttle transportation to the port is available at select times, and that charges apply. The fare and the times aren't published; a cruise blog quotes $10 a person with sign-up at the desk, which the hotel's page doesn't confirm. Departures: Select times, charges apply; not published.
IHG puts the cruise port 4 miles away, and names Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity and Margaritaville at Sea.
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.
Free with the hotel's Stay and Cruise package. Without it, $75 flat to leave one vehicle for up to 14 days. Ordinary self-parking for the night is free, in a 110-space lot.
Parking for your stay: Free for overnight guests, 110 spaces.
IHG says shuttle transportation to the port is available at select times, and that charges apply. The fare and the times aren't published; a cruise blog quotes $10 a person with sign-up at the desk, which the hotel's page doesn't confirm. Departures: Select times, charges apply; not published.
IHG puts the cruise port 4 miles away, and names Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity and Margaritaville at Sea.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; compare the airports and the landing guidelines.
Parking while you sail
Cruise parking
Cruise parking $75 flat, 14 daysFree with the hotel's Stay and Cruise package. Without it, $75 flat to leave one vehicle for up to 14 days. Ordinary self-parking for the night is free, in a 110-space lot.
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 East-Ybor | — |
| 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
PoolAn outdoor pool, 7 AM to 6 PM, with a chair lift. There's no restaurant, so eat in Ybor City 3 miles away, or bring it back. Self-service laundry is on site.
Breakfast
FreeFree, 6:00 to 9:30 AM on weekdays and 7:00 to 10:00 AM on weekends.
Address
North 50th Street, off I-42520 North 50th Street, Tampa, FL 33619
Hotel website
The fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Holiday Inn Express East-Ybor 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
Not stated by the hotel.
Resort fee
None stated
Wi-Fi
Free
Parking for your stay
Free for overnight guests, 110 spaces
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Free. Weekdays 6:00–9:30 AM, weekends 7:00–10:00 AM
Pool
Outdoor pool, 7 AM to 6 PM, wheelchair accessible
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 kings and two-queens, king suites, and mobility-accessible king suites and two-queen rooms.
Accessibility
Mobility-accessible rooms, accessible entrances, an accessible pool.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryYes
- Fitness centerYes
- Pets allowedNo
Nearby, by the hotel’s count
- Ybor City Historic District3 mi
- The Florida Aquarium4 mi
- Tampa Riverwalk5 mi
- ZooTampa7 mi
Distances as the hotel or its brand lists them. Bars use a square-root scale so short walks stay visible.
Also worth knowing
- Cruise parking without the package: $75 for one vehicle, up to 14 days
- Gym open midnight to 11:45 PM
- 24-hour business center
Before you book
Worth knowing
- The $75 flat rate is for one vehicle, up to 14 days, without the package.
- The shuttle runs at select times and charges apply; neither is published.
- Check-in 3 PM, check-out 11 AM. No pets.
What we couldn’t confirm
- The shuttle fare and departure times
- The Stay and Cruise package price
- Whether the shuttle comes back for you after the cruise
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 a short ride from the ship.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Holiday Inn Express East-Ybor for the night before. No payment on the form.
Holiday Inn Express East-Ybor FAQ
Does Holiday Inn Express East-Ybor have a cruise shuttle?
Yes, for a fee it doesn't publish. IHG says shuttle transportation to the port is available at select times, and that charges apply. The fare and the times aren't published; a cruise blog quotes $10 a person with sign-up at the desk, which the hotel's page doesn't confirm.
Does Holiday Inn Express East-Ybor have an airport shuttle?
Not that it publishes. From Tampa International: IHG says the shuttle isn't available for the airport, which it puts about 12 miles away. From St. Pete-Clearwater: IHG doesn't mention St. Pete-Clearwater.
Can I park at Holiday Inn Express East-Ybor while I cruise?
Yes. Free with the hotel's Stay and Cruise package. Without it, $75 flat to leave one vehicle for up to 14 days. Ordinary self-parking for the night is free, in a 110-space lot.
How far is Holiday Inn Express East-Ybor from Port Tampa Bay?
IHG puts the cruise port 4 miles away, and names Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity and Margaritaville at Sea. It sits in our East Tampa, off I-4 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?
The hotel publishes only the ride 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. Weekdays 6:00–9:30 AM, weekends 7:00–10:00 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.
Booking the cruise too?
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