Sailing Margaritaville at Sea from Port Tampa Bay? Here is where it docks, which ships sail from Tampa, and how to lock in parking. Portside is expanding here, so join the waitlist for a reserved spot near the terminal.
Margaritaville at Sea sails year-round from Tampa aboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander on 4-, 5- and 7-night cruises to Mexico, Key West, The Bahamas and the Western Caribbean. Portside is not at Port Tampa Bay yet, so join the waitlist and, 90+ days out, we will work to hold you a reserved spot near Cruise Terminal 6.
Margaritaville at Sea sails from Tampa out of Cruise Terminal 6 at Port Tampa Bay, on McKay Street in the Channel District near downtown. The terminal opens at 9:30 am on embarkation days, and the cruise line closes its doors at 2:30 pm, so guests who arrive later are refused boarding. The ship based in Tampa is Margaritaville at Sea Islander, and the line offers three ways to park at the port: pre-paid self-parking, pre-paid valet, or self-parking paid on arrival.
Port Tampa Bay lists Cruise Terminal 6 at 1333 McKay Street, Tampa, FL 33602, and Margaritaville at Sea gives 1331 McKay Street, the port's parking address beside the terminal. It sits a few blocks from Terminals 2 and 3 on Channelside Drive. Port Tampa Bay's own garage is across the street from Terminal 3 at 810 Channelside Drive, and the port says the self-parking spaces closest to Terminal 6 are limited, so it encourages guests to pre-pay to reserve them.
| Length | Itinerary |
|---|---|
| 4 nights | Cozumel Express (Cozumel, Mexico) |
| 4 nights | Progreso Express (Progreso, Mexico) |
| 5 nights | Key West and Cozumel |
| 5 nights | Cozumel and Progreso |
| 5 nights | Key West and Progreso |
| 7 nights | Key West, Belize and Mexico, and other Western Caribbean routes |
The line's Tampa page also lists a 5-night Bahamas sailing. Itineraries and dates change, so check your sailing on the cruise line's site.
Sources: Margaritaville at Sea, Port of Tampa departure information; Margaritaville at Sea, Cruises from Tampa; Port Tampa Bay, Terminal guide and cruise FAQs.
Margaritaville at Sea deploys Margaritaville at Sea Islander from Tampa. Pick your ship for its own parking page:
Port Tampa Bay is a popular drive-to cruise port for Central and West Florida, with easy access from Orlando and the Gulf Coast. Port parking is limited and books up, so a reserved off-site spot with a shuttle gives Tampa cruisers peace of mind. On-site parking at Port Tampa Bay runs about $18 a day to self-park in the Channelside garage (3,000+ spaces, two-thirds covered) plus tax, with valet at $18 plus a one-time $20 upgrade, while private off-site lots advertise rates from about $5 to $15 a day before taxes, fees and shuttle. You pay for each day your car is parked, so a 7-night cruise runs around $137 with tax in the port garage. Both the boarding day and the return day count, so a 7-night Margaritaville at Sea cruise is billed as 8 parking days. Reserving ahead is the way to guarantee a spot on a busy Margaritaville at Sea embarkation day.
Portside is not at Port Tampa Bay yet. Joining is free, and it is how we decide where to open next. If your cruise is 90 or more days out, that gives us the runway to secure a lot near the terminal and hold a spot for you before you sail.
Portside is live at Port Canaveral now: $14.95 a day, free shuttle, guaranteed reservation.
Reserve Port Canaveral parkingYes. Margaritaville at Sea sails year-round from Tampa aboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander on 4-, 5- and 7-night cruises to Mexico, Key West, The Bahamas and the Western Caribbean. Its Tampa ships include Margaritaville at Sea Islander. Portside does not have a lot at Tampa yet, so join the free waitlist and, if you sign up 90+ days before you sail, we will work to hold a reserved spot near your terminal.
Parking near Port Tampa Bay is about $18 a day to self-park in the Channelside garage (3,000+ spaces, two-thirds covered) plus tax, with valet at $18 plus a one-time $20 upgrade, and private off-site lots advertise rates from about $5 to $15 a day before taxes, fees and shuttle. You pay for each day your car is parked, so a 7-night cruise runs around $137 with tax in the port garage. Portside is building a reserved, shuttle-served option here; join the waitlist to be first in line.
Cruise Terminal 6 opens at 9:30 am on embarkation days, according to Margaritaville at Sea. Since July 1, 2025, the line has closed the terminal doors promptly at 2:30 pm, and guests who arrive after that are denied boarding and treated as no-shows under its cancellation policy. Bring your printed or digital boarding pass, because guests without one are sent to the standby check-in line and can face delays.
Port Tampa Bay lists the valet upgrade fee at $20, charged on top of the standard daily parking rate. Margaritaville at Sea says guests can choose pre-paid self-parking, pre-paid valet, or self-parking paid on arrival, and that the self-parking spaces closest to Terminal 6 are limited. Pre-paying is the port's own advice if you want one of those closer spaces on a busy sailing day.
From $14.95 a day, free shuttle straight to your terminal, no hidden fees.
Rates start at $14.95/day. Weekend and peak sail dates, and last-minute bookings, can be higher based on demand and the day of the week. Your exact daily rate is always shown before you pay.