Walk from your hotel to the ship, sail under the Skyway by sunset.
Port Tampa Bay sits downtown next to the Riverwalk and the aquarium, so you can stroll from a Channelside hotel to the gangway and watch the city slide past from the pool deck. Six lines sail here on mid-size ships to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Key West and the Bahamas, with the occasional longer winter loop and Panama Canal partial. SmartCruiser shows every sailing leaving Tampa from every line, prices each one with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to sail from Tampa
Tampa is the Gulf Coast’s port for the Western Caribbean on ships that still feel like ships. Pick your length.
A 7 night Western Caribbean week
- Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Roatan or Belize and Costa Maya, with Key West on some loops
- Sunday departures on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, Norwegian and Holland America
- Mid-size ships of 2,000 to 2,500 guests, so you are off the ship in minutes in port
Best for: couples, families with teens, snorkelers, anyone who prefers a smaller ship.
4 and 5 nights to Cozumel or Key West
- Thursday to Monday on Carnival and Royal Caribbean: Cozumel and a sea day, or Key West and Cozumel
- The cheapest way to a Mexican beach from the Gulf Coast, often less than a hotel weekend
- Margaritaville at Sea runs even shorter Mexico and Key West escapes
Best for: first cruises, long weekends, drive-in trips from Orlando and the Panhandle.
Longer winter loops and the Panama Canal
- 10 and 11 night Western Caribbean loops on Celebrity Summit and Norwegian Gem, with Roatan, Belize and Jamaica
- Panama Canal partial transits through the Gatun Locks have sailed from Tampa in past winters on Holland America and Princess; when one is scheduled it shows in the list
- Half Moon Cay or Grand Cayman on the way home
Best for: retirees, snowbirds already on the Gulf Coast, a bucket-list sailing without a flight.
Tampa deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every sailing leaving Port Tampa Bay from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing from Tampa with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery sailing from Tampa
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where ships from Tampa sail
Pick a destination and the list above filters to the Tampa sailings that go there.
Which line from Tampa?
The Sunshine Skyway bridge keeps the giants out, which is why Tampa gets the mid-size ships cruisers love. Our one-line take on each.
When to go
Tampa is busiest from November to April, when the winter ships arrive. Summer is cheaper and emptier.
Tampa cruise questions we answer every day
How much is parking at Port Tampa Bay?
The port’s garages serving Terminals 2, 3 and 6 charge about $18 a day, paid on arrival by card or prepaid online, so a 7 night cruise is around $130 to $145. The garages are a two-minute walk from check-in. Off-site lots on Channelside Drive and around Ybor City run $8 to $12 a day with a shuttle, and most downtown hotels sell park-and-cruise packages.
How far is Tampa airport from the cruise terminal?
About 8 miles and 15 to 20 minutes. A taxi or rideshare from Tampa International to the port typically runs about $25 to $35, and the cruise lines sell transfers for about the same. St. Pete-Clearwater airport is 20 miles and about 30 minutes, often with cheaper flights from the Midwest.
Should I stay in Tampa the night before?
If you can. The port is downtown, so a Channelside or Water Street hotel puts you within walking distance of the ship, the Riverwalk, the aquarium and Sparkman Wharf. Ybor City, the old cigar district, is 10 minutes by streetcar for dinner. Several hotels include a week of parking with a one-night stay; we can add the night to your booking.
Why are the ships from Tampa smaller?
The Sunshine Skyway bridge across the mouth of Tampa Bay has about 180 feet of clearance, so the Oasis-class and Icon-class giants cannot fit. What you get instead are 2,000 to 2,500 guest ships like Celebrity Summit and Royal Caribbean’s Radiance and Vision classes, which many cruisers prefer: shorter lines, easier embarkation, and the famous sail-away under the bridge at sunset.
Do I need a passport to cruise from Tampa?
On a closed-loop cruise that starts and ends in Tampa, US citizens can sail with a government photo ID and an original or certified birth certificate. We still recommend a passport: if you miss the ship in Cozumel or need to fly home, you cannot board a flight without one. Any Panama Canal partial transit from Tampa is a round trip and qualifies as closed-loop.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses, per person, double occupancy. Gratuities, drinks packages, excursions and parking are extra.
Talk to a Tampa cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we price every line sailing from Tampa side by side with the fares you qualify for. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.