Florida is established as the cruise capital of the world, but one of it's smaller principalities offers some of the best value cruises available.

Nearly all of the cruises from Florida sail from the east coast of the state, with one exception: Tampa.

What I love about Tampa is it's a small, but easy to access cruise port that also offers the best pricing right now across Royal Caribbean ships.

The reason why you'll find lower cost cruises from Tampa is the same reason that hampers the port from ever expanding to bring in those pricier ships.  

Simply, the port is blocked by a bridge that is too low to accommodate big ships. As a result, only Royal Caribbean's older and smaller ships can visit, and those ships are terrific values.

Small, but fun ships that won't break your budget

You won't find Icon, Wonder, or Voyager in Tampa. But ship size isn't the only reason to pick a ship.

Royal Caribbean has anywhere from one to three ships sailing from Tampa during the year, and lately it's been shifting towards the Vision Class.

Enchantment of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas are there currently, and you'll see others come and go with the various seasons.

Vision Class ships are indeed the oldest in the fleet, but they're also priced quite nicely.

You'll find weekend cruises as well as longer voyages, and the price tends to be quite attractive.

Royal Caribbean advertises a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise on Enchantment of the Seas beginning at just $358 per person.

Moving up to a 7-night cruise, you can sail on Rhapsody of the Seas for $484 per person for a January 2026 sailing.

Many fares begin in the $400-$700 per person range, which is quite a difference from Icon of the Seas or Star of the Seas that command prices beginning over $1,000 per person.  

Of course, there's a major difference between a Vision Class ship and an Icon Class ship in terms of what's offered onboard.  You pay less, but there's a lot less to see, eat, and do.

For a lot of people that choose to cruise from Tampa, that's an intentional decision.

The combination of value and a relaxing experience is what draws them to these sorts of cruises.

In January, I took a long weekend cruise on Enchantment of the Seas as a getaway trip. While I missed all the fun things on Icon, I still found things to keep me busy and occupied.

People that cruise a lot will tell you it's a "classic cruise experience", meaning low on thrills, big on enjoying time in a deck chair, in a lounge, or watching the world pass by.

If you're okay with forgoing water slides, big production shows, and a cavalcade of top deck activities, these ships will still deliver an enjoyable tropical sailing.

Easy in, easy out

Something else I like about cruising from Tampa is how convenient it is.

To be fair, Royal Caribbean has nailed the whole embarkation process.  Thanks to advances in its app and a fine-tuned terminal approach, you'll get on your ship fast.

One difference in Tampa is the parking garage is conveniently located across the street from the terminals, making it a short walk.  Tampa even advertises its parking as affordable, clearly comparing itself to how much on site parking costs at other Florida terminals.

For example, pre-paying at the Port of Tampa's website, it's $90 total to park your car for a 5 night cruise.

I especially love the valet parking option.

Drive up, hand them your keys, and walk into the terminal.  Then at the end of the cruise, they bring your car right to you.

It's only $15 more (total) on top of the standard parking rate, and worth it every time to me.

Inside the cruise terminals, it's quick and easy.  They aren't as ornate as the new ones in Miami or Port Canaveral, but they're functional.

Overall, it's an easy process and makes it more attractive to sail from knowing there aren't any hassles waiting.

It's easy to overlook a Tampa cruise, but it's the best value right now

If you're on a budget, a cruise from Tampa is usually going to be the cheapest Florida cruise out there.

With cruise prices on the rise, I'd recommend looking for cruises here to save a lot of money.  You might be able to move up to a balcony or suite for the same cost of a lower category stateroom on a bigger ship.

The key in choosing any ship is understanding what it offers and doesn't offer, but our readers consistently ask for tips on how to save money on their cruise vacation.

Tampa recommendations

Readers often ask for recommendations for where to stay, eat, and explore while in Tampa, so here are some easy favorites:

Hotels offering free shuttles

• Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa/Ybor City/Downtown (free shuttle to downtown and cruise port)
• Tampa Marriott Water Street: TECO trolley (city run) stop is next to hotel. Free to use to get to terminal
• Quality Inn at Airport/Cruise Port: Free airport shuttle, extra cost shuttle to terminal
• Embassy Suites Tampa Downtown: TECO trolley (city run) stop is next to hotel. Free to use three stops away from terminal

Restaurants to try

• Columbia Restaurant: Cuban cuisine
• Toojay's: New York style diner
• American Social: Sports Bar
• Rick's on the River: riverside pub
• Harpoon Harry's: surf n turf

Experienced cruisers know that the port you choose to sail out of has a big impact on your embarkation day experience. 

After experiencing the thrill of setting sail from the bustling large ports of Port Canaveral and Miami on my first two cruising adventures, I decided it was time to explore a new Florida port. 

For my third cruise, I embarked on a 5-night Radiance of the Seas sailing, departing from the smaller, more intimate port in downtown Tampa.

If you’re considering sailing from a smaller cruise port like I did, here’s what you can expect from embarkation day out of Tampa, Florida. 

I didn’t prepare as carefully as I usually do for embarkation day

While picking an earlier check-in time saves you from waiting in line, I didn’t make it a priority for this cruise.

My friend and I checked in on the app only about a week before the cruise, so we had to select a later check-in time in between 12:00 P.M. and 12:30 P.M. 

On previous cruises, I have arrived a little earlier, but I was glad I got the chance to experience the later time block on embarkation day. 

Additionally, my friend decided to fly into Tampa to meet me the very morning of the cruise: arriving at about 8:00 A.M.

Usually, we recommend flying in the night before your cruise, to ensure that nothing goes wrong and you can still make it onto the cruise ship in time.

However, my friend had no issues, and we still had several hours to spare before our cruise.

My friend and I ordered an Uber to arrive at the port around 12:00 P.M. 

Despite our looser planning, all went well, and we arrived right on time! 

When we arrived at the port, finding the terminal was complicated

Located in downtown Tampa, right next to the aquarium, this port was filled with cargo ships and other cruise ships. 

Whereas my cruises out of Port Canaveral and Miami had a much more international presence, it seemed like the Tampa port attracted a lot of native Floridians. 

Once I was onboard, almost everyone I talked to seemed to come from somewhere in Florida.

When I first arrived, I thought it looked crowded for such a small port. Little did I know that would become the theme of the day.

Our Uber driver had to circle around a couple terminals to find the correct one. While we waited in the car, we completed the mandatory safety briefing on the app so we wouldn't have to do it once we got onboard. 

At the Tampa port, Royal Caribbean uses both terminals 1 and 3, depending on which ships are in port. Since Grandeur of the Seas was embarking on the same day, Radiance of the Seas was located further down at Terminal 3.

It was hard to navigate through—we had to go around aquarium parking and other terminal entrances—but thankfully, security guards stood at several locations to give us directions.

Finally, our Uber driver was able to pull into the port and drop us off at the entrance. 

Immediately, a porter stopped us and took our bags. This was one benefit of being at a smaller terminal: we were able to find a porter and hand off our bags right out of the car’s trunk!

However, the experience became a lot harder from there.

We had to wait in line for an hour before we could even enter the terminal

We got in line to go up the stairs or escalator to enter the terminal. However, as soon as we got in line, we saw that the stairs and escalator were closed off, and staff were preventing people from walking up. They said that it was so crowded inside the terminal that we had to wait down the stairs to prevent it from getting congested.

After about 10 minutes, staff opened up the escalator and allowed us to walk up. However, the lines only grew longer from there.

The lines stretched out past the entrance onto the outdoor level of the terminal.

We had to walk around the building to even get in line, and the lines only grew longer from there.

We stood in the heat for quite some time, waiting for the line to even move forward into the shade.

I found myself regretting not packing my sunglasses in my carry-on. As time went on, it became more of an issue of survival, and I wished I had packed more water and snacks.

As Florida tends to be in the middle of the day, it became very hot and sunny.

I started to worry that some people would start to pass out. If I was feeling overheated, how much worse would the elderly and children feel?

I could hear babies crying behind me in line, as the line started to stretch on even longer and wrap around the outside of the terminal.

However, one positive aspect of sailing out of this port is that we had a beautiful view of downtown Tampa, the water, and the palm trees as we waited. 

Since Radiance of the Seas is the smallest ship I've sailed on so far—only carrying 2,300 passengers—I was surprised that such a small ship would have longer lines than I’m used to. 

As we surveyed what looked like hundreds of people in line with us, I heard someone behind me say: “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

It was an hour before we even made it inside the terminal and into the blessed relief of shade and A.C. 

Once we made it inside the terminal, the process went much faster 

After that, however, things went smoothly: staff checked our passports and SetSail Passes before we got into a fast-moving line through security. 

The security there told us that it was a very hectic day, but I still found myself wondering why such a small ship would have so many people in line. 

That seems to be the disadvantage of sailing out of a smaller port: there is not a lot of space for people to wait, especially indoors. 

After that, a crew member checked our passports and SetSail Passes again, and we entered one last checkpoint where a crew member examined our SetSail Passes.

It was easy sailing after that last checkpoint: we just had to exit the terminal, walk up the gangway onto the boat, and find our muster station.

This part held most of the ease I was expecting from embarking on a smaller boat. It was quick and easy to enter the ship and find our muster station. We received a short safety briefing from the crew member at our station, made sure that we had already completed the safety lessons on the app, and we were free to go.

After arriving at the terminal at 12:00 P.M., we finally finished checking in at 1:30 P.M. It was the longest embarkation process I’ve experienced so far. 

But now that the process was completed, my friend and I could explore the ship and head up for lunch at the Windjammer.

We were ready for the adventure to begin! 

Tampa offers a convenient embarkation port for cruises to the Caribbean, including many with Royal Caribbean.

When you think about cruising out of Florida, Miami and Fort Lauderdale are probably the first ports that come to mind. If you are looking for something a little quieter, on Florida’s west coast sailing into the Gulf of Mexico, you’ll find Tampa.

Port Tampa Bay is the home port for eight ships from five cruise lines, offering itineraries to the Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean and even transatlantic cruises.

Here's everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean cruising from Port Tampa Bay.

How to get to the Tampa Cruise Port

Port Tampa Bay is located just 8 miles from the Tampa International Airport, and less than a mile from downtown Tampa, making it one of the easiest cruise ports to get to. 

The address of Port Tampa Bay is 1101 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602.

Royal Caribbean typically uses Terminal 2, but will also use Terminal 3 when needed. Passengers should follow the digital signage at the port to find the correct terminal for their ship. 

Flying to Tampa Cruise Port

Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Flying into the Tampa International Airport is the easiest for those needing to fly in prior to their cruise. With over 90 nonstop destinations and 260 daily departures, travelers have plenty of options to choose from to get to and from their cruise.

With the port located so close to the airport, it is recommended to use a taxi or rideshare app to get to Port Tampa Bay, which will usually cost between $18 and $25. The drive should only take 15 to 20 minutes.

One of our biggest tips at Royal Caribbean Blog is to fly into your departure port the night before your cruise, to ensure that you don’t encounter delays that could make you miss your embarkation time. There are plenty of hotels to choose from located near both the Tampa airport and Port Tampa Bay, making getting to the port on embarkation day a breeze. 

What time should I schedule my flight from Tampa?

When booking your travel home after your cruise, it is important to not book too early of a flight, as you do not want to risk missing the flight home. 

Even though TPA is located close to the port, we recommend booking a flight home no earlier than 11:30am. While you may be able to walk off the ship by 8:00 or 9:00AM on disembarkation day, it isn’t guaranteed, and you don’t want to end up missing a morning flight.

Royal Caribbean Shuttle Service

Royal Caribbean offers shuttle service from the airport to the port (and vice versa), for an extra fee. There are also outside vendors who offer shuttle services such as Infinity Transportation.

Since the airport is located so close to the port, we recommend utilizing a rideshare or taxi service over a shuttle. Not only will prices typically be lower, you also won’t have to wait for a shuttle to fill up before being able to leave.

Parking at Port Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay has very convenient parking options for the cruise terminals. Since it is located so close to downtown Tampa, there are plenty of parking garages to choose from. 

The closest option is the Port Tampa Bay parking garage, located just across the street from the three terminals. The price for self parking is $15.75 per day while oversized parking (like RVs) is $34.35 per day. 

Port Tampa Bay also offers valet parking for $15.75 per day (effective October 23, 2022, previously $15), plus a one-time fee of $20. This is a great option for those who have trouble walking or don’t want to deal with the hassle of parking their car. To utilize this option, you simply pull up to the curbside of the terminal entrance, and the valets will take care of the rest. 

Where to stay the night before your cruise from Tampa

As we mentioned, it is highly recommended to fly in the day before your cruise departs. When doing that, booking a hotel is an important part of the planning process when cruising from Tampa. 

If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you may want to stay closer to the cruise port and downtown Tampa. This will give you an opportunity to explore the city and see the sights before leaving for your cruise. The Tampa Bay Riverwalk and Channelside areas offer plenty of dining, shopping, and sights. 

If your flight is arriving later in the evening, you may want to stay closer to the airport and head to the cruise terminal in the morning. The Westshore area is located just outside the airport, and has plenty of hotels to choose from. 

Recommended hotels include:

• Embassy Suites Downtown Tampa
• Tampa Marriott Water Street
• Hampton Inn Tampa Downtown Channel District
• Hampton Inn Tampa Avion Park Westshore
• AC Hotel Tampa Airport

Some hotels will offer a shuttle service to the terminal on embarkation day, but we still recommend using a rideshare service as you will have flexibility on the timing. 

Which Royal Caribbean ships sail from Port Tampa Bay?

One of the best parts of cruising out of Tampa is getting to sail under the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge to enter the Gulf of Mexico. However, this bridge can only accommodate ships that measure 180 feet from the top of the waterline. For this reason, Royal Caribbean uses Port Tampa Bay for its Vision and Radiance Class ships.

Enchantment of the Seas calls Tampa home. She offers 4, 5, and 7-night sailings to the Western Caribbean. Some sailings also visit Key West, Florida and The Bahamas, including Perfect Day at CocoCay, Grand Bahama Island, Bimini, and Nassau.

Grandeur of the Seas splits her time between Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Grandeur of the Seas sails from Tampa for most of 2024 and 2025. Starting in April 2025, she will offer 7-night sailings to the Western Caribbean and The Bahamas, including Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Serenade of the Seas will sail from Tampa starting in September 2024. She will offer 5 and 9-night Western Caribbean and 9-night Eastern Caribbean cruises through March 2025.

Radiance of the Seas will sail out of Tampa from October 2024 to April 2025, offering 7-night Western Caribbean cruises that visit Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, and Costa Maya. 

Rhapsody of the Seas will sail from Tampa to the Western Caribbean starting in November 2025. These 6, 7, and 8-night sailings visit destinations like Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, and Costa Maya.

Where to watch a sailaway

If you find yourself in Tampa before or after your cruise and want to catch a cruise ship sailing through Tampa Bay, there are plenty of areas to watch from. 

The closest viewing spot you’ll find is at the cruise terminal. Port Tampa Bay allows you to walk right up near the ships for an unforgettable view. 

If the ship is leaving from Terminal 2, you can walk over to the Sparkman Wharf to take in the view, while grabbing a drink from the beer garden or a bite to eat from one of the many food stands.

Another great option is David Islands Beach, less than 15 minutes away from the port. Here you can sit back and relax with your toes in the sand, or even get in the water as you watch the ships sail away from Port Tampa Bay. 

Arguably, one of the best sites to see is the ship sailing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This bridge is located about a 30-45 minute drive south of Tampa, and it takes the ships about two hours after departure to reach the bridge.

While you can’t stop on the bridge to view the ships, you can go to either the north or south fishing piers to watch them sail under the bridge.

The cruise industry restart has reached the Port of Tampa.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas arrived in Tampa on Saturday to begin offering cruises from West Florida, which is the first time a cruise ship has sailed from the Port of Tampa since 2020.

Serenade of the Seas will depart Terminal 6 on Saturday to begin a new cruise season there, having just wrapped up an abbreviated cruise season in Alaska.

Serenade will offer 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa, Florida, starting Oct. 16; and 7-night Caribbean itineraries, beginning December.

Royal Caribbean's return to Tampa is just as ceremonial as it is tangible to the area. Business Research & Economic Advisors estimated that a 3,000-passenger ship generates an average of $334,000 in passenger and crew onshore spending per call in a homeport city. 

Cruises have been able to restart from other ports in Florida, including Port Everglades, PortMiami and Port Canaveral, but this is the first time Tampa has been able to see ships leave.

Photos courtesy Port of Tampa

Later in December, Brilliance of the Seas will return to Tampa to offer 4- and 5-night Bahamas and Western Caribbean cruises beginning on December 16.

What's next for the restart

Four more Royal Caribbean cruises ships will restart operations before the year comes to a close.

Explorer of the Seas is scheduled to restart cruises when she sails from San Juan, Puerto Rico beginning on November 7. Explorer will sail 7-night Southern Caribbean sailings.

Royal Caribbean is especially excited to see Navigator of the Seas return to service, because it means the restart of cruises for the cruise line from the west coast.

Navigator will offer 3-, 4- and 5-night Catalina Island, California, and Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico cruises from Los Angeles, beginning November 19.

Grandeur of the Seas will start cruising again when she offers  7- and 14-night Southern Caribbean sailings from Bridgetown, Barbados, starting December 5.

Finally, Enchantment of the Seas will begin cruising again in December, when she sails from Baltimore on December 23, offering 8-night Bahamas sailings, and select 12-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean.

You can see Royal Caribbean's cruise ship restart plans for more deployment information leading into 2022.

While cruise ships have restarted from most of Florida's ports, Tampa has been conspicuously absent.

Many cruise fans have wondered when cruise ships would start sailing from the western Florida port, and October might be the first opportunity.

At the Tampa Port Authority board meeting this week, port officials said a mid-October is possible.

Royal Caribbean announced earlier this month Serenade of the Seas would offer 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa, Florida, starting Oct. 16.

The first sailing is a five-night cruise to the Bahamas, followed by a 4-night sailing to Cozumel on October 21st.

Brilliance of the Seas is also scheduled to sail from Tampa to offer 4- and 5-night Bahamas and Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa, starting Dec. 16

Tampa officials now seem to echo that announcement in their own plans.

Tampa Port Authority Vice President of Business Development, Wade Elliott, said at a meeting that a mid-October restart is what they are expecting, "We anticipate that we will begin to see regular sailings from Port Tampa Bay starting again in mid-October, so we’re excited about that."

"We are encouraged to see the cruise industry slowly starting back up across the county."

Elliott said Port Tampa Bay’s facilities teams have been making cosmetic tune-ups to the terminals and the port will be ready for cruise travel in weeks.

"Structurally, we’re in good shape," he said.

For the first time ever, two Royal Caribbean cruise ships were docked at the Port of Tampa, which local officials were celebrating as a "historic day".

Vision of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas were both in port yesterday, which port executives marked as a first for Royal Caribbean.

Paul Anderson, president and CEO of the Port of Tampa port authority, commented on the news, "This is absolutely a beautiful day, a historic day for our port.  We are so proud to be partners with Royal Caribbean."

To celebrate this occasion, a plaque was given to Vision of the Seas' captain, Lis Lauritzen, in a ceremony that took place onboard the ship.

“I’m very proud that we were able to welcome her,” Anderson said afterward.

Vision of the Seas will depart every Saturday through April 11 on seven-day cruises to the western Caribbean. Brilliance of the Seas offers four- and five-day cruises to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico.

Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas made her inaugural cruise from Tampa, Florida on Saturday and is the ninth ship in the fleet to call Tampa home.

Brilliance of the Seas took her 2,100 passengers on a Western Caribbean cruise itinerary that will visit Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Roatan, Honduras.

When Brilliance of the Seas returns to Tampa next week, it will begin a series of four- and five-day cruises with ports of call in Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico.

Brilliance of the Seas will offer cruises from Tampa through May 1.

The Tampa Tribune reports to celebrate her first cruise, the Tampa Port Authority arranged a tour of the 12-story Radiance-class ship for authority board members and news reporters.

Royal Caribbean plans to deploy a second ship in Tampa for Caribbean cruises next year.

Royal Caribbean will add a second cruise ship that will sail out of Tampa starting in the fall of 2014.  Vision of the Seas will be added and offer seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa throughout winter 2014-15.  Vision of the Seas will join Brilliance of the Seas, which had been offering seasonal four- and five-night Western Caribbean cruises.

Vision of the Seas will sail a nine-night Southern Caribbean itinerary from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on November 6, 2014, to Tampa, with calls at Aruba, Curacao, Grand Cayman and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach paradise on the north coast of Haiti. Beginning November 15, Vision of the Seas will sail every Saturday from Tampa to destinations in the Western Caribbean, including Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan (Honduras) or Belize.  

Port officials are excited to welcome an additional ship to Tampa, which has been home port to Royal Caribbean ships since the first ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, called in January 2002.

Vision of the Seas is planned to recieve a refurbishment in September 2013, which will match Brilliance of the Seas' refurbisment that took place in May 2013.

Royal Caribbean will send Brilliance of the Seas to Tampa in 2013-2014, replacing Jewel of the Seas.

Brilliance of the Seas will offer four and five-night western Caribbean cruises with stops in Cozumel, the Cayman Islands and either Key West or George Town.

Prior to arriving in Tampa, Brilliance will enter drydock in May 2013 and be revitalized to give it a major refurbishment including New onboard dining and entertainment options, revitalized staterooms, and other amenities including Wi-Fi, digital way-finding systems and an outdoor LED video wall.

Royal Caribbean's partnership with Universal Studios Orlando is expanding to include cruises that go out of Tampa, Florida.

Royal Caribbean announced with Universal Studios that that they will start selling vacation packages that include a stay at Universal Studios Orlando along with a Royal Caribbean cruise.  The packages include three or four-night stays at Universal Studios along with four or five-night cruises on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean will be homeporting Jewel of the Seas in November out of Tampa.  

This new deal is in addition to the partnership the two companies already offer for cruises out of Port Canaveral.

For Royal Caribbean, the expanded deal with Universal is another move into Disney's lucrative family-cruise niche. The Miami-based cruise operator last year struck a separate deal with DreamWorks Animation to outfit some of its ships with characters from animated movies such as Shrek and Madagascar, much the way Disney Cruise Line features popular children's characters such as Buzz Lightyear and Donald Duck.