Port Profile: Tampa, Florida

Looking towards the Tampa Convention Centre in early morning.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

When most people think of taking a Caribbean cruise, the assumption is that they'll be sailing out of Fort Lauderdale or Miami, Florida's leading home ports.  But another city in the Sunshine State offers a wide array of departures without the congestion that plagues the two aforementioned ports: the beautiful city of Tampa.

First spotted by Spanish explorers in the early 1500's, Tampa has grown to be the 54th largest city in the United States and was called one of the best outdoor cities by Forbes magazine.  The town that was originally little more than a trading outpost upon incorporation in 1853 is now a bustling metropolitan area and a rapidly growing destination for cruisers looking for a warm getaway.

 Ease of Access: Grandeur of the Seas is visible

just beyond the Florida Aquarium, at right.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

From a cruiser's perspective, Tampa has a lot going for it: Tampa International Airport is a mere twenty minutes from the downtown area and the cruise terminals.  The downtown area itself boasts plenty of hotels, restaurants and attractions, such as the Florida Aquarium and historic Ybor City with its distinctively Cuban flair.  In the case of the Florida Aquarium, it is situated two minutes' walk from the cruise terminals and leads to the multitude of shops along Channelside Drive.

One of the many interesting - and bizarre - fish

on display at the Florida Aquarium.

Photo © Aaron Saunders 

We visited Tampa in January 2009 and were instantly impressed with the friendliness of this city.  Clean and relatively quiet compared to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa possesses a more laid-back atmosphere.  Everything you could need seems to be within arm's reach.  In fact, other than to get from the airport to downtown, we never used a taxi at all, and even walked from our hotel to the cruise terminal.

All of this, coupled with an ever-increasing number of ships that call Tampa home during the winter, make this a Floridian port worth watching.

 Another Tampa attraction: the SS American Victory.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

Currency and Language: The United States Dollar ($) is used, and other currencies are not commonly accepted.  English is spoken throughout.

How to Get There: Tampa International Airport hosts direct flights from most major US carriers and cities.  Air Canada and WestJet provide direct service from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax, while British Airways serves Europe via London Gatwick.  Taxis to the downtown area are readily available, and cost approximately $25.

 Metalwork sculptures line the waterfront.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

Where to Stay: If you want to be within walking distance to the cruise terminals and stay in an excellent area of town, choose a hotel in the Channelside district.  Two notable properties are the Embassy Suites Tampa Convention Centre, and the Tampa Marriott Waterside.  While we're big fans of the Marriott, the Embassy Suites gets our vote for their spacious rooms and included breakfast buffet - a great way to start off your cruise.

 The Embassy Suites Tampa - Convention Centre.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

The Cruise Terminals: The Port of Tampa utilizes two terminals for departures from the city: Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.  Both berths are adjacent to each other, so there's no need to tromp around the city if you're leaving from one or the other.  For a detailed cruise ship schedule and port/berth information, be sure to visit the Port of Tampa's highly informative website.

To learn more about the city of Tampa, visit the Tampa Bay website.  (Fair warning: it's a good site, but it has some rather loud music & sound that you might want to have your speakers off for if you're viewing this at the office.  Not that we here at From the Deck Chair ever do that.  No.  Certainly not...)