Cruises out of Tampa

moonstone523

My H and I have never been on a cruise and we'd like to test it out over a 4 or 5 day cruise over a long weekend maybe in the future.

Who has left from Tampa?  Which cruise lines are the best here?  And where can I look for the best deals for cruises?

Thanks!

tiffkane10

I know Carnival has a terminal there.  My brother and SIL took a cruise from there about a year or two ago... It was a 7 day though to Cozumel, Isla Rotan, and some place in Honduras (I think).  They enjoyed every minute of it.

As far as deals on cruises try travelocity... Carnival is the cheapest cruise line I've seen and you get more bang for your buck.  If you book early enough they sometimes give you an upgraded room (in the same room style, so a better oceanview room or whatever) or a $100 onboard credit to spend while you're on your cruise.  Wherever you book though, prices usually stay the same.

 HTH and GL!

KrystalsKitsch

I did a Carnival out of Tampa and it was easy to board the boat and return home. I did a 7 day one that went to Honduras, two stops in Mexico (Costa Maya and Cozumel) and Grand Cayman. It was cheap, fun, and memorable. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian leave out of Tampa too. We noticed a lot of locals and other Americans on our boat--as well as plenty of young adults. Our bartender said Tampa cruises have more locals for some reason as people from other countries usually do cruises out of Miami.

babybchbum

I 3rd the 7 day Carnival out of Tampa. The Legend is the larger boat and generally leaves on Sunday. You have 4 or 5 stops and it is generally a younger crowd.

 If you book at the last minute or way in advance you can generally score some great deals, with upgrades, on board credit etc.  Cruises are well worth the money in my opinion.

sara76

We did the 4 night Carnival Inspiration cruise to Grand Caymen and Cozumel.  We always just book right through Carnival. I say always, I've only been on 2.   My first cruise had 1 stop, 2nd cruise had 2.  I might be ready for a 3 stop next time but last time I was ready to get home after 4 nights.  It was pretty bumpy which they say is unusual.  They are definately a good time.  It's very social, we always meet a ton of people.  It's a lot different than being on vacation just the 2 of you somewhere.  If you've never done a cruise you should try it at least once. 

lauren9317

We've also done 2 Carnival cruises out of Tampa, both were 5-days. Both times we went in September, when the prices are good. We definitely enjoyed them, although I would love to try out a more "high-end" cruise line sometime.

2008PelicanBride

We have left 3 times from Tampa.  Twice on the Legend (7 nights) and once on the Inspiration (4 nights).  The Inspiration does 4 nights to Cozumel and 5 nights to Cozumel and Grand Cayman, so one of those would be what you are looking for if you don't want a longer cruise.  Those are all with Carnival, I don't know anything about the other cruise lines and Tampa.  I am sure that Royal Caribbean goes out of there too, but most likely Carnival will be less expensive.  Have fun planning!

nicoleg1982

We have only cruised once out of Tampa on Royal Caribbean.  We tend to find that a lot of the smaller, older ships are sent to Tampa, which we have not enjoyed as much as the larger ships that leave out of Ft. Lauderdale/Miami.  For us, it was worth the drive to Miami to have a nicer ship.

MrsShawanaB

I have to agree with Nicole, I love cruising but we usually don't sail from Tampa.  I've cruised about 8 times now and usually we leave out of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.  We've also gone on a few out of Port Canaveral.. they seem to have some really good prices there.  Also the thing with leaving from Tampa is that since it's farther from the islands, you usually only stop at 1 port even though you are on the ship for 4-5 days.  I like stopping at more than 1 port if possible.

A great first cruise would be to do one of the Key West/Cozumel stops, or the Nassau/Coco Cay cruise from Royal Carribbean.  RC's Majesty of the Seas leaves from South Florida (I think Miami) and the Sovereign leaves from Port Canaveral I think.  They aren't huge ships but they are pretty nice.  I've also been on Carnival Fascination and I thought it was a nice ship. My first cruise was Norweigan but I can't remember the actual ship - it left from Miami though and it was nice and had a lot of young people.  I've cruised with Celebrity as well which tends to be an older crowd so I don't recommend it as much even though it is nice. 

Keep checking expedia and other websites for deals.. last year I scored a 4 night cruise out of Port Canaveral for $229 and a $50 on board credit.  You can't go on a vacay and get your accommodations for that much let alone all your food so that was an awesome deal.

moonstone523

Thanks for all the responses.  Looks like it might be worth it to head to the east coast to leave. 

2008PelicanBride

Our first cruise was on the Majesty- and I agree, it was a great ship.  Although it is pretty old now it still continues to get really great reviews.

MrsShawanaB:

I have to agree with Nicole, I love cruising but we usually don't sail from Tampa.  I've cruised about 8 times now and usually we leave out of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.  We've also gone on a few out of Port Canaveral.. they seem to have some really good prices there.  Also the thing with leaving from Tampa is that since it's farther from the islands, you usually only stop at 1 port even though you are on the ship for 4-5 days.  I like stopping at more than 1 port if possible.

A great first cruise would be to do one of the Key West/Cozumel stops, or the Nassau/Coco Cay cruise from Royal Carribbean.  RC's Majesty of the Seas leaves from South Florida (I think Miami) and the Sovereign leaves from Port Canaveral I think.  They aren't huge ships but they are pretty nice.  I've also been on Carnival Fascination and I thought it was a nice ship. My first cruise was Norweigan but I can't remember the actual ship - it left from Miami though and it was nice and had a lot of young people.  I've cruised with Celebrity as well which tends to be an older crowd so I don't recommend it as much even though it is nice. 

Keep checking expedia and other websites for deals.. last year I scored a 4 night cruise out of Port Canaveral for $229 and a $50 on board credit.  You can't go on a vacay and get your accommodations for that much let alone all your food so that was an awesome deal.