Taxis from alternate terminal in Tampa?

[Host Caroline]

If you use self disembark can you get a cab to the airport at the alternate terminal on Sunday morning if the Miracle has to dock there? I know it docked further down the channel a couple of weeks ago when friends were on board but they don't recall if there were cabs there or not since they drove to the port (duh.. must've been hung over)

or do you still have to take the bus back to Channelside to get a cab???

[Donnask8pro]

I did not see cabs, but why would you? Carnival has buses there early enough and its paid for. They know if you have early flights. You need to show them your tickets so they're prepared. Have fun.

[steveaaaa]

If you use self disembark can you get a cab to the airport at the alternate terminal on Sunday morning if the Miracle has to dock there? I know it docked further down the channel a couple of weeks ago when friends were on board but they don't recall if there were cabs there or not since they drove to the port (duh.. must've been hung over)

 

or do you still have to take the bus back to Channelside to get a cab???

 

I was on this ship when we needed to be bused. The day I was there,the answer was no for the cabs.It was a security issue I was told. I did not get off at the alternate pier, I got on.I did speak to people at the airport who missed their flights.One couple had self disembark but they got delayed because you cannot bring your bags on the bus, they needed to go under it and then you had to enter the terminal and fetch it and then go thru customs.

One of the big issues with the other pier was luggage.It all had to be brought over to the other terminal.

I hope you do not have a flight out earlier than 1pm.

Steve

[BrendaB1]

Guess I will find out soon because I have an early flight out.

[derf5585]

Instead, the 960-foot-long ship docked at an industrial area of the port.

from

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/01/20/Business/Cruise_ship_makes_por.shtml

[serene56]

I have a 1pm flight and Now I stress for 2 weeks wondering if I will make it. I made these arrangments before all the changes. What do I have to do if I miss that plane?

[simkoreb]

Mine is earlier than one! But I'm not stressed, we'll see what happens!

[derf5585]

What do I have to do if I miss that plane?

 

Take the next available flight and take take a tender or a helicopter to the ship. Or meet the ship at the next port.

 

For reference read MASQ story

Travel lessons learned the hard way

Posted by: masq (IP Logged)

Date: December 21, 2003 12:18PM

from

http://cruise-addicts.com/forums/re...9,710955,page=1

[steveaaaa]

I have a 1pm flight and Now I stress for 2 weeks wondering if I will make it. I made these arrangments before all the changes. What do I have to do if I miss that plane?

 

I would recommend you bring a cell phone and the # to your airline,if you have a loyalty card from your airline bring it and call the special number on the back to avoid the elevator music while on hold with the regular #.

As soon as you know if you have a problem,call and you will be able to get the next flight out which is probably only 2 hours later.

Steve

[jewopaho]

Here's what I sent to the Tampa Port Authority after inquiring about the situation, and receiving the usual obligatory response:

--------------------------------------------------------

I genuinely appreciate your taking the time to to reply in such detail, the PR spin notwithstanding. I'm asking that you remove that hat for a moment, and imagine yourself to be a Carnival Miracle passenger, who has been anticipating a spectacular experience on a brand-new cruise ship for months (most folks book well in advance), landing at the nation's #1 airport the day before the sailing (as most out-of-towners do), exploring Channelside and Ybor before the cruise, looking forward to boarding at the state-of-the-art cruise terminal ... only to be shuttled to a dingy, smelly cargo-laden port, and having to return to the same place, wondering whether there will be enough time to catch the flight home.

 

Lest there be any misunderstanding, I am a champion of the Port of Tampa, having sailed from there on numerous occasions. Needless to say, I became more enthusiastic with each improvement (both in the quality of ships and the condition of the terminal). When Carnival committed the Miracle to year-round sailings, I though we'd hit the cruise lottery!

 

The message boards on those sites I mentioned are replete with horror stories of filthy conditions, missed flights, major inconveniences (especially from those who were being picked up by family and friends) ... I don't think that you or your colleagues understand the magnitude of the situation. Right now, the ship is sailing at capacity because reservations were made months before it even hit the water. But as this fiasco becomes more publicized, you can bet that sales will decrease. For us locals, it's a relatively short drive to Port Canaveral (where there are two gorgeous new ships sailing each week without incident, in addition to the Disney Something-Or-Other), and folks coming from out of state can just as easily fly to Orlando as to Tampa.

 

We cruisers are a very communicative bunch, comprised of literally tens of thousands of people from all over the world. We're always telling everyone what a great (or not-so-great) time we had on a given ship, where the deals are, how the ports of call rate, what to avoid, etc. As of this moment, the consensus is that Tampa is in over its head, and that until (and unless) the issue is resolved, the Port is to be avoided. No, I'm not one of those crotchety seniors who complains about walking another few feet; and the folks I correspond with are a nice mix of singles, couples, families and retirees.

 

I'd be happy to speak with anyone willing to listen, concerning the effect that the current situation would have on future revenue. Believe me, I'm Tampa's biggest cheerleader, and I want the cruise business to succeed as much as you do. But what line would be willing to send a newer ship here, seeing what is occurring with the Miracle? And how long will Carnival put up with this? Again, this is a serious condition which must be remedied forthwith. I'd hate to bypass Tampa; but I'm not about to be shuttled back and forth in a crowded bus to and from an ugly terminal, when there's a beautiful new facility at the same location. The fact that there are logistical issues is not my problem, or that of the thousands who will be cruising from other venues. It rests squarely with the Tampa Port Authority. I trust that good news will be forthcoming shortly.

--------------------------------------------------------

I also contacted Carnival, after I was reassured that such an incident was a one-time occurrence (yep, it occurs one time a week). Since the usual ten days hasn't yet gone by, I'll wait patiently for an answer, which is bound to be one of those "one complaint fits all" replies. We'll see what the cruise line and the port come up with. They both know that it can't continue indefinitely.

 

Al

[GoinCruisin]

I too have been worried about this... I was not going to even try an early flight, but thought I would chance it with the airport being so darn close... flight is at noon and at this point doesn't look like we will make it if they are still have problems in Tampa :( Oh well, there is availability on the evening flight, so looks like we could be spending a little more time in Tampa :rolleyes:

[Host Caroline]

Nice letther there! Will be interesting to see the answer... not holding my breath though :rolleyes: If they announce a day or two ahead of time I'll just email a friend and get her to change the reservation...

 

This is another example of why you get the trip insurance...the premium for the insurance we use would be 1/2 the change fee the airline would charge if you have to pay that for a missed flight and will also cover any additional charge for the ticket, expenses etc. due to a "trip interruption" like this.

[Charliesmom]

Al, thanks for writing to the Tampa Port Authority. You took the time to express what many of us feel and you did it eloquently.

 

We are on the 2/27 sailing of the Miracle. I just hope there aren't problems either on the 2/27 embarkation or the 3/06 disembarkation.

 

However, at least now I am mentally prepared for the problem.

 

Roberta

[GoinCruisin]

I guess my biggest problem with this situation is that they discussed bringing a bigger ship in there for quite some time... they know the weekly history, they know what goes on in the port, they HAD to be aware there would be a problem!!!! It just seems to me that before bringing a bigger ship in, these issues should have been addressed... I love the port of Tampa, but if these problems occur next weekend, I'm thinking I won't love it so much anymore... Nobody can tell me that with all the people involved in the decision to bring the Miracle to Tampa, that nobody thought of this... let's just hope that it doesn't affect too many more cruises :mad: Oh yeah, and I'm not buying anymore Citgo gas, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brneyznfl]

Host Caroline, good point about the trip insurance. I'd forgotten about that. I also have an early flight and almost changed it when I heard about this problem with the port of Tampa. I checked on later flights and there seems to be quite a bit of availability. Also the difference to change would have been over 250.00. :eek: I'm leaving my 11:40 flight as it is. If I miss that flight, I will definitely use this trip insurance that I've been buying for the past 9 cruises and never had to use. :cool:

 

I'm really dissapointed that the port of Tampa and Carnival have not resolved this issue. Surely after the 5 week agreement ended, they knew they would have a continuing problem. To backtrack even further, when Carnival was entertaining moving the Miracle to Tampa, why wasn't this issue addressed? Surely they knew they would have a problem. They knew how big the Miracle is and the Tampa Port Authority knows how big their port is! :eek:

[Indyjones]

I was on the Miracle January 23rd cruise, and we came into the cargo port. They got us off in good time if you had an early flight, and bussed us to the terminal called Channelside where we quickly found a shuttle, and made it to the airport in plenty of time for our 12:50 PM flight...I got to the airport around 10:30 to 11am as I remember. It is a bit of a hassle, and they do need to fix the problem, but don't get freaked out about this and enjoy yourself.

[jewopaho]

Thanks for the kind words about my correspondence with the TPA. I wanted to convey the severity of the situation, without appearing to be suffering from Chicken Little Syndrome, or losing credibility by some silly action as threatening a boycott. Hopefully, reason will prevail.

 

I agree that everyone dropped the ball on this issue. For those unfamiliar with the problem, the ship must pass the cargo area when departing (and, of course, returning). There's usually a tanker off-loading gasoline at the CITGO terminal, which effectively narrows the channel. When the Miracle began its run last November, CITGO agreed to suspend such activity for five weeks, so as to provide an opportunity for everyone to acclimate themselves to the newer, larger ship. Once the moratorium expired, and CITGO resumed normal activity, the American pilot in control of the ship (as is required of every vessel of foreign registry - the Miracle is registered in Panama) did not feel comfortable navigating the ship through the narrowed channel. Thus, the current situation.

 

Of course, the obvious solution is to prohibit CITGO from docking its tankers on Sundays. But the company's terminal has been there for decades, and is apparently unwilling to alter its schedule to accommodate the newcomer.

 

I believe that the matter will likely be resolved by placating CITGO monetarily - money talks. I don't see another viable alternative ... perhaps replacing the pilot with some professional stunt driver???? We'll see what happens ....

 

Al

[gtalum]

It's impossible to know for sure what will happen in the future with thi sissue. However, teh Port of Tampa has a new director as of a few weeks ago, and he has made it clear that the Miracle will not be forced to dock at the cargo port again. The previous director seemed to allow Citgo to tell him when their tanker would be in the port, instead of the other way around.

[jewopaho]

Maybe so; but it docked there last week, and according to the message I received, the Port Authority is still pursuing an as yet undetermined long-term solution. Unfortunately, this issue remains far from resolved.

 

Al

[TexasRed]

Well, I certainly hope they get this issue resolved and soon! Too many of us do indeed communicate here, and as they say, money talks and bs walks. We have a fairly early flight too, and while I am not stressing over it, it does make it inconvenient to make plans with whomever is picking us up in Dallas. I don't want the final few hours of what will be a FABULOUS cruise to be what I remember as unpleasant.

 

And by the way, jewopaho...YOU ROCK!!!!

 

Judy

[gtalum]

Maybe so; but it docked there last week, and according to the message I received, the Port Authority is still pursuing an as yet undetermined long-term solution. Unfortunately, this issue remains far from resolved.

 

:D

 

I'm a hopeless optimist. I do hope they get the issue straightened out though. It shouldn't be all that difficult to coordinate so that the fuel tankers are not at the Citgo terminal on Sundays. It likely will involve the port giving some sort of financial contribution to Citgo.

[jewopaho]

Thanks for the compliment, Judy. As I noted, I'm not one to shoot the messenger; but there's a rather significant issue here, and the Port of Tampa authorities don't seem to be as concerned as those of us who are (and will be) affected.

 

Incidentally, I haven't heard back from them; but I'm putting a positive spin on it, hoping that my message was forwarded to someone who has direct responsibility for the cruise operations.

 

We'll see .... Details at 11:00!

 

Al

[mikeymars]

Maybe so; but it docked there last week, and according to the message I received, the Port Authority is still pursuing an as yet undetermined long-term solution. Unfortunately, this issue remains far from resolved.

 

Al

 

This is correct. The Miracle was forced to dock at the "alternate" pier for a second time on 1/30, and there has been no official announcment from either the Port Authority or Carnival stating that it won't happen again.

[Randy & Carmen]

My Question is........Why has this just come up?......Where was CITGO on Sundays say in December?:eek:

[Flip2cruise]

This is from Cruise News Daily.

 

This Channel Isn't Big Enough for Both of Us

There's a conflict playing out at the Port of Tampa that

pits their traditional cargo interests, which pay the

bills, against the cruise interests, which the port wants

to expand. Caught in the middle sometimes are the

passengers sailing on Carnival Miracle.

This isn't really a contentious conflict, and we

expect no shots to be fired, but it is a situation where

both sides can't be totally satisfied, because the port

is trying to be all things to both types of operators

(cargo and cruise), and it is coming up against the

limits of the facility.

The situation is that cruise traffic has shown healthy

growth at the port since Day One. The port has been very

active in promoting and assisting it. Carnival Cruise

Lines has steadily increased their capacity there, and

has grown to the point where, last November, they

upgraded their hardware and homeported Carnival Miracle

there.

Carnival Miracle is the line's second-largest class of

ship. There is little hope of Carnival ever adding

capacity by upsizing the ship again to a Conquest-class

vessel, because Tampa is hampered by a height restriction

imposed by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge which crosses the

channel and prevents the largest cruise ships being built

today from entering the harbor.

But even though Carnival Miracle can just barely fit

under the bridge, its modern size creates another

problem. Along Tampa's extremely long channel, there is a

Citgo petroleum terminal where oil tankers unload,

supplying gasoline and petroleum products to most of

Central and Western Florida.

When Carnival was making initial arrangements for

Carnival Miracle to utilize the port, Tampa's pilots

expressed concern about guiding the ship, due to its

length and width, through Sparkman Channel when there

would be a tanker unloading at the Citgo terminal, which

is near a bend in the channel.

Since it was a new type of ship for them to work with,

they wanted more experience with it before they either

said they could or couldn't do it. So a deal was worked

out with Citgo that for five weeks on Sundays, during the

two times when Carnival Miracle had to pass, Citgo

wouldn't have a tanker docked at the terminal. Citgo

doesn't necessarily schedule tankers to be there at those

times, so some Sundays it won't be an issue.

The five-week agreement ran out in mid-December, and

things have been going along well, but two Sundays ago,

however, the schedules collided - the schedules, not the

ships. On that Thursday, Citgo notified the port they

would have a tanker at their terminal on Sunday morning.

The pilots decided they weren't comfortable there was

enough clearance, so the port and Carnival decided to

disembark passengers at a cargo terminal at Hooker's

Point and bus passengers to the passenger terminal. The

reverse had to be done for the departing passengers. This

created significant delays and inconvenience for both

arriving passengers and the departure of Carnival Miracle

for the following cruise.

The following Sunday, again there was a tanker in the

way, but this time the operation went more smoothly

because they had experience with it, but it was still

inconvenient and caused delays.

It won't happen this weekend because Carnival Miracle

was chartered and won't turnaround in Tampa on Sunday.

Beyond that, no one knows, because Citgo doesn't know

until a couple days beforehand when a tanker will be at

their terminal conflicting with Carnival's schedule.

Carnival and the port are investigating alternatives.

The ultimate one would be widening the channel but

arranging funding and doing the work, together will take

a couple years, if not more.

Carnival spokesperson Tim Gallagher told CND they are

not expecting a solution in the near future. Of course,

when they can get to their terminal, they will, and that

is the optimum situation. (It has been working out that

way since the middle of December, and didn't conflict

until two weeks ago.) For times when they can't, he said

the port is working on a temporary terminal at the

alternate pier which will be ready within a few weeks,

and that will minimize the logistic issues.

Aside from inconvenience, the issue that affects

passengers most is if they will be able to get to the

airport in time for their flights home. Gallagher did

have this assurance for passengers, however: He said that

as long as you adhere to Carnival's guidelines, and don't

book any flight departing Tampa before 2:00pm, you won't

miss your flight.

It doesn't seem that Carnival can catch a break. If

it's not low-hanging power lines, it's a ship parked in

the way. This time Carnival has a "Miracle," and it

doesn't even help.