The Allure of Tampa Cruises

Tampa cruises are extremely popular because Tampa is a common port departure for many Caribbean cruises.

What's so Great About Tampa?

For starters, Tampa's in a perfect location to be the launching point for Caribbean cruises. It's right on the water so the cruises can easily leave the port and head toward a vast array of Caribbean islands including the Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands and Mexico.

Tampa's also very easy to get to. It's one of Florida's major cities and has an airport making it very easy for Tampa cruise guests to get to their cruise starting point. Because it's such a main flight destination, Tampa also has reasonably priced tickets. It's generally cheaper to fly to Tampa than it is to fly to Hawaii, which is another popular cruise destination.

Tampa's also a great place to start your cruise experience because it's a fun city. Tampa is an Americanized version of the Latin influence you'll see on your Caribbean Tampa cruise. You can visit Latin restaurants that are located throughout Tampa. You can also visit Ybor City, which is Tampa's Latin district.

Tampa's nightlife is very vibrant and flavorful. But there's a lot to do during the day too. Tampa is home to Busch Gardens, Raymond James Stadium, Lowry Park Zoo, the Museum of Science and plenty of shopping. It also has a lot of coastline so if you fee like it, you can work on your base tan before you step on the cruise ship!

Tampa is also close (about 60 miles) from Orlando. Orlando, of course, is home to the infamous Disney World! Tampa is a great place to start or end a cruise. If you plan on using Tampa as a launching point for your Tampa cruise, consider arriving early or leaving late so you can take in all Tampa has to offer.

The Cruises

No one cruise defines Tampa cruises. However, Tampa is known for sending cruisers on their way to Caribbean, Mexican and Latin American. Tampa has ports for three different cruise lines. This includes Royal Caribbean, Carnival Legend and Holland America. Most of these cruise lines offer several different cruises a day and they go to a variety of different places. Cruises to the Western Caribbean and Mexico tend to be the most popular. You can find cruises that last for three to 14 days.

You should book your cruise in advance. You can find a cruise on one of these lines by going to the cruise line's Web site. These sites are very easy to navigate and will give you a list of cruises according to departing city, attractions, seasonal activities or part of the world. All Tampa ports for Tampa cruises are close to the interstate. Parking for Tampa cruises costs about $12 a day so be sure to include this in your vacation budget.