anyone know of hotels that offer shuttle service located half way between Tampa and Port?  Trying to save the most money to spend onboard!  :)

I know that the Hampton Inn and Suites Downtown offers a shuttle to the port and a free shuttle within a 5 mile radius of the hotel.  It is about 7 1/2 miles from the airport to this hotel so you can call them and check...some hotels that don't offer it for free offer it for like $10 pp...it is worth a phone call to find out.  It does have a free breakfast in the MA so that may make up a bit if you have to pay for transportation.

Not really too sure about anyone else.

Just returned from the Inspiration on 10/24/09.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express at Rocky Point and used the "snooze & cruise" package.  Don't get me wrong when I say the hotel was just "OK."  I don't think we'll ever use this hotel again.  The rooms were clean on the surface but when my 20 month old ran around in her socks for about 20 minutes in the room, her socks were black.  The bathtub would not hold water so I could give her a bath.  Not really an issue but an annoyance.  The hallway to the room reeked of stale cigarette smoke.  Not that I expected 5 star quality but not up to par with other Holiday Inn Express hotels I've stayed at.  My biggest problem was with the shuttle.  They share shuttle service with the Hampton Inn at Rocky Point.  2 vans between both hotels.  Getting to the port was not a problem but returning to the hotel was an issue.  We waited for over an hour for the shuttles.  The best I could count was around 60 people waiting to take 2 vans either back to the hotels or to the airport.  If we sail out of Tampa again, I will stay right outside of Tampa then drive to the port and pay for port parking.  We were off the ship by 9:35 but didn't get back to the hotel until 11:30. Just some points to ponder when booking your hotel.  Ask about shuttle service and if they schedule shuttles and how many they have.  Hope you have a wonderful time!

Melissa 

Thanks teddysgirl!

I am researching hotels for my large group or July 2010 and this info really helps in my decision making.

i've done a ton of research on this matter as we are sailing out of there in january.  it pretty much appears just about every hotel either downtown, rocky point, or the airport area offers free shuttle either for the airport or the cruise but not both.  the shuttles to the port are all the same $10 per person, it appears its basically the same service company that does it- hence the problems people have reported on here and trip advisory and everywhere else i've seen as far as waiting.  what i've found and we're planning is this- hotel near the airport that has free airport shuttle to pick us up, then we're just going to call a cab the morning of the cruise to go to the port and also going to just grab a cab on debarkation day to the airport (we have an early flight and don't want to wait for shuttle service). a cab from the airport to port or back is $25- and i called the cab company and they advised me this was for up to 4 people- we are a party of 4 traveling so this will end up being 1/2 that the shuttles charge- 1/3 the price carnival charges for their transfers and best yet- no waiting!!!