Introduction
This is a complete guide to Port Tampa Bay Cruise Parking for Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruise lines.
Port Tampa Bay Cruise Parking – The 3 available options:
- SHIP-SIDE PARKING AT Port Tampa Bay
- COMMERCIAL OFF-SITE PARKING (private lots near the Port)
- HOTEL PARKING
NOTE: If you arrive in the area on the morning of your cruise then you cannot park at a hotel.
What is best for some may not work for others so ultimately you have to pick what fits your budget and needs!
Port Tampa Bay Cruise Terminal and Area Map
Here is a detailed map of the Port Tampa Bay Cruise Ship terminals and parking lots for passengers. You will find accurate locations of:
- Cruise Hotels
- Rental Car Agencies
- Cruise Terminals
- Cruise Terminal Parking lots and garages
- Public Transportation Maps – Trolley
Please go here to open a full-screen map in your browser – Cruise Port Tampa Bay Map
Port Tampa Bay Parking Ship-side: The most convenient and expensive option
Here is a map of the cruise terminals and parking garages/lots at Port Tampa Bay.
Officially the parking lots/garages open early for entry. In reality, if you arrive before 9 am then you have to deal with vehicles slowly departing the current cruise meaning you may not get a spot near the ships or elevators (yet)!
- You drive up to the cruise terminal, drop your family and/or luggage at the porters, then
- Drive around to park your vehicle in the garage (terminals 2 and 3) or open parking lot (terminal 6), and
- Walk back to meet your family.
- Valet parking is available at extra cost and is recommended if you have trouble walking.
No hassles and no waiting on shuttle buses especially after your cruise when the family is tired and grumpy!
TIP – Please know there are many attendants ready to direct you when you arrive at the cruise terminal. DO NOT BE WORRIED about a thing! Just get yourself to the correct terminal and the attendants will show you where to drop your luggage, where to park, how to pay, etc.
This convenience is not cheap ($15 per day – you must include your departure and arrival days). Credit cards only. Attendants are available in case you need assistance.
3-NIGHT CRUISE – $45
4-NIGHT CRUISE – $60
5-NIGHT CRUISE – $75
6-NIGHT CRUISE – $90
7-NIGHT CRUISE – $105
8-NIGHT CRUISE – $120
Oversized vehicles such as RVs must park in open-surface lots nearby. Special rates apply.
You can reserve and prepay for parking online – there is a $5 convenience fee. Simply pick your cruise ship and date on the Port Website and complete the booking process in just a few minutes! You will then receive a bar code via email that will be scanned by an attendant when you arrive. You may or may not be handed a parking sign to place on your dashboard.
For the latest information please visit the Official Port Tampa Bay website
The Official Parking Garage
There are two official Port Tampa Bay parking areas –
- Surface Lot at Terminal 6
- Multi-level Garage across from Terminals 2 and 3
Both are managed by The Car Park with properties nationwide.
Note the entrance to the Garage. It is at the northern end of the building at 810 Channelside Drive as shown in the photo below. It is best to approach the entrance from the north because turning right is easier than making a left across oncoming traffic.
The maximum height of the parking garage is 8’2″ as shown in the photo below.
The parking garage has 6 floors. There is an ATM on the ground floor. Be careful when crossing Channelside Dr. It is a very busy road at times.
Terminal 2 – Royal Caribbean
It gets very busy at the entrance to Terminal 2 because the location is in the middle of several Downtown attractions. It is best to approach the entrance from the south along Channelside Dr so you can turn right into the Terminal. Coming from the north is frustrating because you have to turn left facing endless oncoming traffic.
- Set your GPS to 651 Channelside Drive, Tampa.
- Try to approach from the South (drive north along Channelside Dr)
- Turn right into the Terminal then keep left towards the luggage handlers/valet and drop your luggage/passengers. If you paid for valet parking your job is done! Otherwise,
- Drive out and veer left and around to return to Channelside Dr.
- Turn right on Channelside Dr and get in the left lane to turn left into the Parking Garage.
- Attendants will assist you at the pay stations.
- You continue to drive higher until you find a place to park.
- You then take the stairs or elevator down to busy Channelside Dr, cross the street to meet up with your family and enter the main building where you clear security.
Terminal 3 – Carnival, Norwegian
Terminal 3 is easier to navigate than Terminal 2 because there is less traffic further north along Channelside Dr.
- Set your GPS to 815 Channelside Drive, Tampa.
- At the traffic light, turn onto E York Street towards Terminal 3 and then take the first right.
- Veer left towards the Terminal and find the luggage handlers/valet. Drop your luggage/passengers. If you paid for valet parking your job is done! Otherwise,
- Drive out and turn left to E York St and left again at the traffic light on Channelside Dr.
- Drive south on Channelside Dr in the right lane to turn right into the Parking Garage.
- Attendants will assist you at the pay stations.
- You continue to drive higher until you find a place to park.
- You then take the stairs or elevator down to busy Channelside Dr, cross the street and walk back to Terminal 3 to meet up with your family, and enter the main building where you clear security.
Terminal 6 – Celebrity, Royal Caribbean
Terminal 6 has a surface parking lot adjacent to the terminal building.
- Set your GPS to 1331 McKay Street, Tampa.
- At the traffic light, turn onto McKay St towards Terminal 6 and then take the first right.
- Veer left towards the Terminal and look for the luggage handlers/valet. Drop your luggage/passengers. If you paid for valet parking your job is done! Otherwise,
- Drive out and turn left to McKay St and left again into the surface parking lot.
- Attendants will assist you at the pay stations.
- You then walk back to Terminal 6 to meet up with your family and enter the main building where you clear security.
Port Tampa Bay Parking Off-site Near the Port – Shuttle bus services at a lower cost
There are six commercial off-site Port Tampa Bay parking options – shown on my map above. Some are booking agents – online companies that offer parking via discounted contracts with local hotels and parking partners.
If you drive up on the day of your cruise looking for discounted parking, off-site parking will save you money. You will use a shuttle bus to and from the cruise terminals – it is not as convenient as ship-side parking – but cheaper!
If you stayed at a hotel you will most likely park your vehicle at the hotel for the duration of your cruise. Generally speaking, the hotel security is not as good as the fenced & gated off-site parking facilities. So you have to consider more than just cost when comparing your parking options.
Booking Agents
When you search online for cruise parking at Port Tampa Bay, you will see ads for several booking agents. These online agents don’t own parking lots (or transport vans in most cases). Instead, they have agreements with local hotels, parking facilities, and transport companies to sell parking spaces/transfers online – often at a discount to the consumer.
They change partners and rates quite often and it is hard to keep up with their parking options! Please visit their respective websites for the latest choices.
How safe is it to book parking with agents instead of booking directly with a parking facility? Agents come and go and change names and partners all the time. So it is impossible to generalize but you should be OK with established agents. Just know that you are not dealing directly with a parking facility/operator. Should something go wrong, you cannot address the problem in person at a parking facility. You must deal with an online agent who may be thousands of miles away from Tampa!
Rightway Parking – A nationwide agency with parking partners at many airports and cruise ports. At Port Tampa Bay, they offer several parking options, including hotel parking.
Park Connect – A local agency with good deals for cruise parking near Port Tampa Bay. They offer nearby parking garages at a lower cost than booking direct.
Parking Cost Comparison:
Always check the websites for the latest pricing because they change often. Book online for the best rates:
Ship-side parking for 8 days – 7-night cruise – $110
- 241 Car Services. $8.99 per day + taxes + booking fee = $74.65 for 8 days.
- Park4Cruise. $10.50 + taxes + booking fee = $83.03 for 8 days.
- Rightway Parking – Hampton $12.99 per day + taxes + booking fee = $119.99 for 8 days.
- Rightway Parking – 26th St. $6.99 per day + taxes + booking fee = $70.21 for 8 days.
- Rightway Parking – Channelside. $9.99 per day + taxes + booking fee = $97.78 for 8 days.
- Rightway Parking – 1063 Channelside. $7.99 per day + taxes + booking fee = $85.57 for 8 days.
- Rightway Parking – Union Station. $4.99 per day + taxes + booking fee = $51.04 for 8 days.
- Park Connect. $75.25 for 8 days.
Location considerations for off-site parking:
- 241 Car Services – Two locations. The main lot is a short distance to the north of Terminal 6 across the road at 1236 Channelside Dr. There is a small lot behind the Port Parking Garage at 223 South 12th Street. You must leave your keys at both locations because they squeeze the vehicles into the lot spaces. Security gate at the Channelside lot only. Shuttles available.
- Park4Cruise – Across the road from Terminal 6 at 1016 Channelside Dr. Security gate. Shuttles available.
- Rightway Parking – 5 lots with free shuttle service. The lot near Union Station is the least used. No security gate. The 26th St lot near Ikea is the largest and cheapest. Security gate. The busiest lot is across the road from Terminal 3. Security gate. The 1063 lot across the road from Terminal 6 is small with no security gate. If you want a parking garage, I strongly suggest the garage connected to the Hampton Inn / Home 2 just a few blocks away. This lot is expensive.
- Park Connect – A local discount parking agent. They use garages within a block of the cruise terminals. Garage directions are emailed upon booking. No shuttle services – you can walk to the terminals.
Port Tampa Bay Parking At Hotels Near The Port
We think there are excellent parking deals at some hotels but the negatives often negate the positives!
Please read my article about Hotel Parking near Port Tampa Bay.
TIP – Do not worry about parking until much later in the booking process. First, book the perfect hotel for your family, then start to think about your parking options.
For example, if you have young kids who like pools then pick a hotel with a fun pool design. If you want to watch the cruise ships come and go then pick another. Or do you want to overlook the ocean and beach, or just hope to stay as cheap as possible anywhere within 30 minutes or so from the port?