Tampa Cruises Becoming More Popular
More and more travelers are choosing cruises from this pretty Gulf coast city.
For decades a popular destination on Florida's Gulf Coast, Tampa has begun to establish itself as a desirable homeport for the cruise ship industry.
Tampa cruises have greatly increased in popularity over the last few years and each season, it seems that another cruise line adds Tampa to their list of embarkation ports.
The Port of Tampa
The Tampa Port Authority recently reported that nearly a million passengers have passed through the gates of their cruise terminals annually in recent years. As the numbers continue to grow, so does the port and the surrounding areas.
The city continues to add new terminals and state-of-the-art facilities to make Tampa a desirable port from which to travel.
The Waterfront
To accommodate so many cruise ship passengers and make sure they're happy and occupied when they're not on-board, the city of Tampa has endeavored to make their waterfront area attractive and interesting.
Just a few years ago, the Channelside Entertainment complex was added to the waterfront district and you'll often find a vast number of Tampa cruise passengers roaming this venue.
This immense center boasts a large number of stores where visitors can buy everything from a bottle of wine to a Tampa Bay tee-shirt. Restaurants are plentiful as well and offer full-service meals or quick bites to eat.
You'll even find dance clubs and piano bars here for nighttime entertainment. After dinner, you can also take in a movie at the nine-screen theater or the 3D IMAX Theater.
Channelside is home to a 3,500 square-foot art gallery and one of the best concert venues in the city -- the St. Pete Times Forum -- where you can enjoy top names in entertainment as well as sporting events.
The Florida Aquarium is located in between two cruise terminals. This excellent two-story aquarium focuses largely on native marine plants and animals and boasts a separate outdoor play area for the kids. Brave visitors can even dive in the aquarium's shark tank.
Tampa Cruise Destinations
There are currently a number of cruise lines that consider Tampa as an ideal port for trips to the waters of the Caribbean, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland American, Celebrity Cruises, and the luxurious Radisson Seven Seas line.
The cruises that depart from Tampa range from several days to a few weeks. Most travel to the Western Caribbean and include ports of call such as the Grand Cayman Islands, Belize, and Costa Maya or Cozumel, Mexico.
Other Tampa cruises travel further south in the waters of the Caribbean, with possible stops in Puerto Rico, Dominica, the West Indies, Venezuela, Bonaire, or Aruba.
When to Go
Tampa cruises are scheduled all year long and Tampa itself is a great place to explore no matter what time of year.
Tampa offers a fine international airport. Travelers may also use the Sarasota International Airport, about 40 miles south. At times, fares to Sarasota are less expensive.