Cross Bay Ferry Service to Gasparilla Update

Looking to avoid Tampa traffic and the parking challenges that come along with Gasparilla? We have good news and bad news.

First, the good news. The Cross Bay Ferry will take you over to the festivities for the Children's Gasparilla and parade Saturday (January 20, 2024). Strollers are permitted on board and you can even bring a bike to get to your favorite Gasparilla viewing spot. And really, what better day is there to jump on a boat than to visit Gasparilla. Be a part of the invasion.

While you can bring bikes and strollers, there are some things you'll want to leave at home. Pets, coolers and alcoholic beverages are all prohibited items on board The Cross Bay Ferry. Food service is available on board. And although pets are not allowed to accompany you, they do make an exception for service animals. For info on that, contact them at 727-273-6877.

You might want to get there super early and book in advance. The Cross Bay Ferry is only about 100 feet long and the capacity of the vessel is 149 guests.

Departure times for The Cross Bay Ferry from St. Pete are at 10AM, 1:30PM, 4:45PM and 9:45PM. Service back to St. Pete from Tampa runs at 11:30AM, 3PM, 6:15PM and 11PM. The ride across the bay takes just under an hour... about 50 minutes, according to the ferry's website.

Adult fare is $12 each way. It's $2 less for kids ages 5 to 18. Little ones 4 and under ride for free. Seniors, military and college students get $1 off a ticket.

Now we have to give you the bad news. The City of St. Pete tweeted this morning that ferry service to Gasparilla will NOT be offered on January 27 and January 28. They say US Coast Guard restrictions prevent them from running the ferry service.

Heading to Tampa for the Gasparilla festivities? The weather should cooperate. Temps will be in the 70s and there's only a little chance of any rain. The invasion begins at 11:30am. The Parade of the Pirates goes from 2pm to 5pm.

Bring your patience. It does get crowded, people get rowdy and parking isn't easy. Gasparilla reps suggest using rideshare apps like Uber or Lyft instead. Also the streetcars will be running to and from Ybor.

Know before you go what can and can't be brought to the parade. You definitely don't want to have to do that long walk back to the car to drop things off. Organizers say you should leave these 5 things behind.

No marking your spot. They want to make sure everyone can see. "Tents of any sort" are prohibited according to GasparillaPirateFest.com. That also means no stakes, rope or fencing too. And you'll also need to leave the grill at home.

It's a long day at Gasparilla and you're going to get hungry. But don't bring your lunch to Gasparilla. They have vendors all over Tampa who will have everything you can imagine to eat.

Bicycles won't be allowed on Bayshore on either the land or water side. They say if you plan to ride your bike, plan an alternate route around Bayshore.

They probably wouldn't have enough staff to inspect them for buried treasures so they're forbidden. However, small soft-sided coolers and lunch bags are OK for childcare or medical needs.

Outside beverages will need to be left behind. Vendors will be selling them for charity though. One thing you don't have to worry about is Gasparilla is finding an adult beverage.