Background Information : We are previous cruisers - this was our 7th cruise overall, 6th cruise on Carnival, and our 2nd cruise aboard the Inspiration. We are late 50's/early 60's, and this time another couple, friends of ours, joined us. We booked our cruise directly with Carnival as we have consistently gotten better prices & specials by dealing with them instead of going through a TA.
Travel To Port of Embarkation: We live about 90 miles south of the Port of Tampa, so driving to the port is a breeze. Even though we can easily drive to the port on the day of departure, we chose to drive up a day early and get into the "pre-cruise" mode.
Hotel Info: We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Rocky Point Dr. - only a few minutes from the Tampa Airport, and about 8 miles from the Port of Tampa. We like this location because of the Bahama Breeze Restaurant which is adjacent, only a short walk across the parking lot. We checked into our hotel early - around 1pm - and went directly to the restaurant where we enjoyed a few brews and some appetizers. We came back to the hotel for a few hours, then returned later, as some other family members joined us for dinner. The next day, embarkation day, was a leisurely drive to the port and check in.