Here are 5 things to know about cruising out of the Port of Tampa Bay.
I recently took a cruise out of the Port of Tampa Bay for the first time. I normally drive all the way to Port Canaveral or the Port of Miami, but I decided to stay closer to home this time.
My cruise was the first weekend in December, just a short Thursday to Monday morning jaunt to Mexico and back. I chose to board Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas. I know it may sound strange, but I love cruising by myself. The rate for this itinerary for a solo cruiser was really good, so I decided to do it. I live in the Channelside area, so I was really excited to get on a ship that I usually see every morning when I am driving to work. The ship was so clean and I felt very safe with all the COVID protocols before boarding and while sailing. There were a lot of out-of-towners on the ship but I was also surprised to find a lot of my fellow cruisers were from the central Florida area.
Below is my quick list of things to know about cruising out of the port of Tampa Bay. I hope you find this helpful and give it a try one day!
2. Smaller Ships
Because the ships will have to enter the Gulf of Mexico by going under the Sunshine Skyway bridge, the ships that leave out of the Port of Tampa Bay are smaller. This makes for less crowds on the ship during your cruise. It is also super cool around 3 hours into the cruise make sure you are standing at the front of the ship on the highest deck and watch as you and the ship just squeeze under the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
