Business History Books » Business Consultant » Tampa – Booking flights
Tampa – Booking flights
Question:
I’m going to book my flights soon for my cruise. I’m leaving on Carnival Sensation in October 2004 out of Tampa. Ship leaves Tampa at 4pm on a Saturday, and returns at 8am on Thursday. My questions: Should I try to get down to Tampa the night before departure? Or if I get a flight that arrives in Tampa by 10am Saturday morning, is that okay? My And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get from the dock to the airport. Thanks, Heather
Response:
I would always recommend getting in a day early, no matter what time the ship leaves. A couple of hours (it was easily more then that with the delays last week from the storms in Orlando) and you miss the ship. Go in the day before if you can.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’m going to book my flights soon for my cruise. I’m leaving on > Carnival Sensation in October 2004 out of Tampa. Ship leaves Tampa at > 4pm on a Saturday, and returns at 8am on Thursday. > My questions: Should I try to get down to Tampa the night before > departure? Or if I get a flight that arrives in Tampa by 10am > Saturday morning, is that okay? My > And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be > able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get > from the dock to the airport. > Thanks, > Heather
Response:
You can take a chance arriving the same day- but an overnight is better. I wouldn’t book a flight before noon leaving Tampa. Just to be on the safe side.
Response:
Heather: Go down the day before. You can get rooms cheap enough downtown close to the port via priceline. The Hyatt Regency downtown usully comes up for a reasonable price and it’s about a $6.00 cab ride to the port. Book the return flight for Noon or after. It’s about 20 minutes or so to the airport depending upon traffic. Cab fare will run about $26.00 with tip. Babette
Response:
interjected: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I’m going to book my flights soon for my cruise. I’m leaving on >Carnival Sensation in October 2004 out of Tampa. Ship leaves Tampa at >4pm on a Saturday, and returns at 8am on Thursday. >My questions: Should I try to get down to Tampa the night before >departure? Or if I get a flight that arrives in Tampa by 10am >Saturday morning, is that okay? My >And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be >able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get >from the dock to the airport. >Thanks, >Heather
Heather, Don’t take a chance on your flight being delayed or canceled. Go down the evening before. We stayed at the AmeriSuites in the Airport neighborhood. There’s plenty of places within walking distance of the hotel. Also, close by is a shopping Mall for all those last minute things you may have forgotten. There’s a free shuttle from the airport. You also get an expanded continental breakfast including Belgen Waffles. We took a cab in the morning and were at the port in 15 – 20 minutes. We booked our return flights at 6:00 pm. The Florida Aquarium (in Tampa) is walking distance from the port. Cruise ship passengers can store their luggage free while the Aquarium is open. Admission is reasonable and worth the price. You get in/out privlidges. It’s right on the street car line (inexpensive). Tampa downtown on a weekend is dead, but Ybor City is happening. We took the street car over to Ybor City for shopping and sightseeing. We were surprised it was time to take a cab to the airport before we knew it. Next time, if my sister and I can coordinate flights we may do a two days post-cruise in Tampa. There’s a lot to see and do on week days. — To email me, Edit "xt" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!" View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
Response:
>And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be >able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get >from the dock to the airport
Don’t book a flight earlier than 1pm, 2pm is even better.. Carnival booked a customer of mine using cruise Air at 12 noon and she missed the flight. Carnival could not get them on the flight until the next day. They also provided accommodations at the Airport Marriot. Diane Giambalvo Travel Consultant GalaxSea Cruises And Tours East Brunswick, NJ 1-800-357-9393 http://www.galaxseaeb.com http://hometown.aol.com/iv18/myhomepage/business.html
Response:
It is always best to go down the night before thereby eliminating the chance of any delays the day of your cruise. Tampa airport is only approximately 10 minutes (non rush hour) to the port. There is a nice Marriott Waterside that is less than 5 minutes from the port. Do not expect disembarkation from the Sensation to go quickly. When we got off the ship it took several hours; customs agents were very slow in clearing the ship, and our luggage was haphazardly scattered all over and we had to ‘hunt’ for all the pieces. Transportation in and out of the port itself was not organized. I live near Tampa, and I would rather drive to Port Canaveral for a cruise and get home quicker than going to Tampa which is 20 minutes from where I live! Debbie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be >able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get >from the dock to the airport > Don’t book a flight earlier than 1pm, 2pm is even better.. Carnival booked a > customer of mine using cruise Air at 12 noon and she missed the flight. > Carnival could not get them on the flight until the next day. They also > provided accommodations at the Airport Marriot. > Diane Giambalvo > Travel Consultant > GalaxSea Cruises And Tours > East Brunswick, NJ > 1-800-357-9393 > http://www.galaxseaeb.com > http://hometown.aol.com/iv18/myhomepage/business.html
Response:
I’m going to book my flights soon for my cruise. I’m leaving on Carnival Sensation in October 2004 out of Tampa. Ship leaves Tampa at 4pm on a Saturday, and returns at 8am on Thursday. My questions: Should I try to get down to Tampa the night before departure? Or if I get a flight that arrives in Tampa by 10am Saturday morning, is that okay? My And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get from the dock to the airport. Thanks, Heather
Response:
I would always recommend getting in a day early, no matter what time the ship leaves. A couple of hours (it was easily more then that with the delays last week from the storms in Orlando) and you miss the ship. Go in the day before if you can.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’m going to book my flights soon for my cruise. I’m leaving on > Carnival Sensation in October 2004 out of Tampa. Ship leaves Tampa at > 4pm on a Saturday, and returns at 8am on Thursday. > My questions: Should I try to get down to Tampa the night before > departure? Or if I get a flight that arrives in Tampa by 10am > Saturday morning, is that okay? My > And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be > able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get > from the dock to the airport. > Thanks, > Heather
Response:
You can take a chance arriving the same day- but an overnight is better. I wouldn’t book a flight before noon leaving Tampa. Just to be on the safe side.
Response:
Heather: Go down the day before. You can get rooms cheap enough downtown close to the port via priceline. The Hyatt Regency downtown usully comes up for a reasonable price and it’s about a $6.00 cab ride to the port. Book the return flight for Noon or after. It’s about 20 minutes or so to the airport depending upon traffic. Cab fare will run about $26.00 with tip. Babette
Response:
interjected: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I’m going to book my flights soon for my cruise. I’m leaving on >Carnival Sensation in October 2004 out of Tampa. Ship leaves Tampa at >4pm on a Saturday, and returns at 8am on Thursday. >My questions: Should I try to get down to Tampa the night before >departure? Or if I get a flight that arrives in Tampa by 10am >Saturday morning, is that okay? My >And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be >able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get >from the dock to the airport. >Thanks, >Heather
Heather, Don’t take a chance on your flight being delayed or canceled. Go down the evening before. We stayed at the AmeriSuites in the Airport neighborhood. There’s plenty of places within walking distance of the hotel. Also, close by is a shopping Mall for all those last minute things you may have forgotten. There’s a free shuttle from the airport. You also get an expanded continental breakfast including Belgen Waffles. We took a cab in the morning and were at the port in 15 – 20 minutes. We booked our return flights at 6:00 pm. The Florida Aquarium (in Tampa) is walking distance from the port. Cruise ship passengers can store their luggage free while the Aquarium is open. Admission is reasonable and worth the price. You get in/out privlidges. It’s right on the street car line (inexpensive). Tampa downtown on a weekend is dead, but Ybor City is happening. We took the street car over to Ybor City for shopping and sightseeing. We were surprised it was time to take a cab to the airport before we knew it. Next time, if my sister and I can coordinate flights we may do a two days post-cruise in Tampa. There’s a lot to see and do on week days. — To email me, Edit "xt" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!" View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
Response:
>And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be >able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get >from the dock to the airport
Don’t book a flight earlier than 1pm, 2pm is even better.. Carnival booked a customer of mine using cruise Air at 12 noon and she missed the flight. Carnival could not get them on the flight until the next day. They also provided accommodations at the Airport Marriot. Diane Giambalvo Travel Consultant GalaxSea Cruises And Tours East Brunswick, NJ 1-800-357-9393 http://www.galaxseaeb.com http://hometown.aol.com/iv18/myhomepage/business.html
Response:
It is always best to go down the night before thereby eliminating the chance of any delays the day of your cruise. Tampa airport is only approximately 10 minutes (non rush hour) to the port. There is a nice Marriott Waterside that is less than 5 minutes from the port. Do not expect disembarkation from the Sensation to go quickly. When we got off the ship it took several hours; customs agents were very slow in clearing the ship, and our luggage was haphazardly scattered all over and we had to ‘hunt’ for all the pieces. Transportation in and out of the port itself was not organized. I live near Tampa, and I would rather drive to Port Canaveral for a cruise and get home quicker than going to Tampa which is 20 minutes from where I live! Debbie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->And, on the return, when should I expect to get off the ship, and be >able to get to the airport? I’m not sure how long it takes to get >from the dock to the airport > Don’t book a flight earlier than 1pm, 2pm is even better.. Carnival booked a > customer of mine using cruise Air at 12 noon and she missed the flight. > Carnival could not get them on the flight until the next day. They also > provided accommodations at the Airport Marriot. > Diane Giambalvo > Travel Consultant > GalaxSea Cruises And Tours > East Brunswick, NJ > 1-800-357-9393 > http://www.galaxseaeb.com > http://hometown.aol.com/iv18/myhomepage/business.html