Park and Cruise Hotel-Jacksonville

SteelerCruiser · #1 January 31st, 2010, 09:06 AM

Hey,

We are taking a 4 day in May out of Jacksonville and would like to know any tips on a Hotel that will let you park your car and shuttle you to the port. We have done this several times in Pt. Canaveral with the Raddisson and would like to find something similar in Jacksonville. The more options/suggestions the better.

Thanks in advance!!!

JohninDC · #2 January 31st, 2010, 09:31 AM

Check parksleepfly.com for deals like that. Good luck!

KroozFoolz · #3 February 1st, 2010, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KroozFoolz

Holiday Inn Express (on New Berlin Rd) is the closest motel to the cruise port and offers park and cruise packages.
There are several hotels near the airport that offer park and cruise packages as well. We have stayed at the Clarion Airport and Conference Center twice (ask for a tower room), once using the park and cruise package and once free with our Choice Hotel points. We have also stayed at the Microtel near the airport. Both good choices that we would (and probably will) use again. Other choices near the airport include Travelodge, Best Western, and Hilton Garden Inn.

More here:

Quote:

Originally Posted by KroozFoolz

http://www.visitjacksonville.com/packages/

Most of the hotels/motels that offer park and cruise packages are near the airport.

If you have a favorite hotel/motel chain, check to see if there is one in Jacksonville near the airport area and then check if they have a park and cruise package available.

JohninDC · #4 February 1st, 2010, 06:55 AM

Understand that the JAX airport area is a long way north of town. If you are looking to enjoy downtown nightlife and dining prior to your cruise, an airport area hotel is not a good choice. Good luck!

KroozFoolz · #5 February 1st, 2010, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelerCruiser

Hey,

We are taking a 4 day in May out of Jacksonville and would like to know any tips on a Hotel that will let you park your car and shuttle you to the port. We have done this several times in Pt. Canaveral with the Raddisson and would like to find something similar in Jacksonville. The more options/suggestions the better.

Thanks in advance!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohninDC

Understand that the JAX airport area is a long way north of town. If you are looking to enjoy downtown nightlife and dining prior to your cruise, an airport area hotel is not a good choice. Good luck!

Good point - if that is a consideration, I believe the website I listed above may include some places closer to downtown. This map may help a bit.

JackofHearts · #6 February 8th, 2010, 06:50 PM

Hi--I'm an import to Jacksonville, moved here about 5 years ago. I love Jacksonville, but to be honest, there isn't much of a downtown nightlife here. Almost embarassingly little. But there are the beaches--that's where we live--which do have a thriving nightlife, especially Jacksonville Beach. Of the hotels listed on the site mentioned above, the Comfort Inn appears to offer what your looking for, and everything you could want to do is within 2 to 10 blocks walking, and you're on the ocean. The Casa Marina is a neat old spanish hotel on the ocean, even closer to all the nightlife, but no parking. The port is about a 20-25 minute ride from Jax beach. Since you have a car, you could stay at the Crowne Plaza downtown and the San Marco area is about a mile away, with some nifty restaurants and bars. Morton's steakhouse, River City Brewery and the Chart House are also within walking distance of the hotel. I know nothing, and have heard nothing, about the areas around the northside and airport hotels.

BTW, when we cruise out of Jax, we always drive and park at the terminal. Convenience is worth it. So, if I were you, I'd choose the Casa Marina and park at the terminal.

jsscuba2 · #7 February 21st, 2010, 07:36 AM

I always attempt to drive to my port at least one day in advance.The reason that I try to find a park,stay and cruise is that sometimes I can get all three of these things cheaper then parking at the port. One other thing, I try to find is a hotel with a free cruise port transfer. Does anyone know if any hotels in Jacksonville offer all of these services? So far I have found a hotel in most of the ports that I have sailed from.

deang1205@hotmail.com · #8 February 26th, 2010, 09:56 PM

The Jax plaza hotel and suits has a shuttle for like $18 pp.

jsscuba2 · #9 June 13th, 2010, 08:11 PM

I was able to find that the Best Western Airport has a stay, park and Cruise package with transfer to Cruise pport.

ShotoJuku · #10 January 3rd, 2011, 10:02 PM

Any "new" updates from anyone?

I too am looking for either a decent HOTEL with FREE parking/shuttle -OR- a really decent HOTEL that is CLOSER to Jaxport than further as I will end up parking there.

BTW: How much is the parking at JaxPort?

THANKS!!!

mlyn · #11 January 4th, 2011, 12:40 AM

The Holiday Inn Express on Blount Island has a cruise package that includes parking and a shuttle to the cruise terminal. It is actually the closest hotel to the cruise terminal.

spdztr · #12 January 4th, 2011, 08:32 AM

Does anyone know if there are any hotels in Jacksonville that offer both an airport shuttle and a port shuttle?

fireyankee24 · #13 January 4th, 2011, 10:49 AM

Laquinta hotel does its on Dunn Ave, i am staying there at the end of the month before my cruise will let ya know how it is. Rates arent bad, and its free shuttle from airport and to the cruise port.

ShotoJuku · #14 January 4th, 2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlyn

The Holiday Inn Express on Blount Island has a cruise package that includes parking and a shuttle to the cruise terminal. It is actually the closest hotel to the cruise terminal.

Just got off the phone with them and they CHARGE for parking and the shuttle - 40 bucks for your car and 10 bucks per person for the shuttle.....and NO breakfast either!

KroozFoolz · #15 January 4th, 2011, 11:23 PM

"Parking is $15 per day per passenger vehicle ($60 for a 4-day cruise and $75 for a 5-day cruise), and $25 per day for oversized recreational vehicles ($100 for a 4-day cruise and $125 for a 5-day cruise). An oversized recreational vehicle is any vehicle that takes up more than one regular sized parking space. Cash or major credit cards are accepted. The parking lot is well lighted, fenced and patrolled by JAXPORT security 24 hours per day. The lot is located adjacent to the terminal building, requiring only a short walk. No reservations are required for parking."
http://www.jaxport.com/sea/c_drex.cfm

Jacksonville Plaza Hotel offers a cruise and park package which includes parking (for up to 14 days) and roundtrip shuttle service (for two - additional port shuttle $10+tax each additional guest) between the hotel and the cruiseport. It also offers free shuttle service to/from the airport.
http://www.jacksonvilleplazahotel.co...lysailsave.php

The rate for the date we need is $69.99 + tax for a total of $77.47.
We are taking a 7 day cruise - parking at the port would cost $15 x 7 for a total of $105. So staying at this hotel is less than parking at the port would cost us. That sounds like a reasonable deal to me.
Reviews on tripadvisor and similar websites are mostly favorable and I first learned of this hotel from reading a cruise review/report here on cc from a cruiser who regularly stays at this hotel and leaves her car there when she flies from Jacksonville to another port city (such as Fort Lauderdale or Baltimore) for a cruise.

There are (or at least there were when I researched a month or so ago) several other hotels near the airport that offer cruise specials (including shuttle service and parking). If you have a preferred hotel chain, I would suggest checking to see if they have a property near the airport and then call to see what they will offer you for a pre-cruise stay with shuttle service and parking included.
Hotels that I found that have such packages include the Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Best Western, TraveLodge, the Clarion, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, Quality Inn, Comfort Inn, and Fairfield Inn.

ShotoJuku · #16 January 5th, 2011, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KroozFoolz

"
Jacksonville Plaza Hotel offers a cruise and park package which includes parking (for up to 14 days) and roundtrip shuttle service (for two - additional port shuttle $10+tax each additional guest) between the hotel and the cruiseport. It also offers free shuttle service to/from the airport.
http://www.jacksonvilleplazahotel.co...lysailsave.php

Is this the same as their listed Park & FLY rate?