Continuing on our exploration of the various cruise ports of Florida we found our way to Tampa.
This entire section of the trip is a mess. We are visiting some cities and places multiple times, making a timeline of where we are and in what order virtually impossible.
Add to this the fact that many of the itineraries are pretty similar and overlap considerably means that we will be in and out of ports so many times. Each time we endeavour to see and experience different things, so posting after a single visit is counter-productive.
Our Forays in and out of Tampa has seen us taking all manner of transportation (planes, trains and automobiles. For the most part, public transportation in the USA does not exist.
The exception to this is the Amtrak railway system. We have used this on numerous occasions in hopping between ports. Overall, we have enjoyed our trips on Amtrak, but they are far from efficient. The schedule is a guide at best and virtually every train has been late. One of them was 5 hours late to pick us up (and we got on the 2nd stop) and even more by the time we got off. While the train is always late, the trip and experience itself was quite enjoyable. You get to see the backblocks of rural america and watch the world go by in relative comfort.
Anyway, lets talk about Tampa, just before our first arrival the greater Tampa Bay region was battered by Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton in the span of just 65 days. Despite three big hits, the place was in remarkably good shape. You could see the repairs underway, but the place still looked good.
Our first experience was great, the place was clean, felt safe and was considerably cheaper than other port cities (notably Miami). Our meals were excellent and reasonably priced (although we could have shared one given the US portion sizes). The main thing that you notice about Tampa is the waterfront and its interaction with the city.
A bayside city really is pretty, Sydney has its whole lifestyle built around its harbour. We have seen them all over the globe and Tampa is no different. Being in the US (and Florida specifically), Tampa has its fair share of attractions, theme parks, zoos and aquariums. The cruise terminal sits directly next door to the Florida Aquarium.
Be warned, this place has dynamic pricing. If you just lob up on the day, a ticket will set you back $45 (higher on weekends). But if you know you are coming and are able to book a week or more out, then this can go down to $36.
A highlight to leaving Tampa by ship is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Spanning a 4 mile section of water, the bridge’s clearance only allows ships of a certain size to go under it.
Bayshore Boulevard is the second longest continuous sidewalk in the US stretching 7.2 km. It runs along the waterfront and offers some pretty spectacular views of the city.
After our first foray we headed off on a cruise and returned to spend a day before departing on another cruise. Our stopover saw us hopping onto the TECO Line Streetcar. This is a 2.7 mile free streetcar line that links the city with the Port of Tampa and extends through to the dining and entertainment district of Ybor City (more about this later). The streetcar features 11 stations and provides a fun, relaxing and historical trip.
Being in need of a few top up items, in between cruises, we hopped an Uber and headed to the local Walmart (quickly becoming a personal favourite of mine). Oh my, what a different view of Tampa we got. As beautiful as the city centre and waterfront is, drive a few blocks inland and the world changed very quickly. Within minutes you are into what can best be described as a slum.
The first Walmart-run was into East Tampa and was really very much into a slum. On a subsequent trip, we headed to the Walmart in West Tampa, and the experience was very much better. But this difference between a stunning waterfront, a nice western district and an absolute hovel was confronting. All three of these places are within about 5 km of each other.
The third foray into Tampa saw us setting up camp in Ybor City. The main reason for this was the expense of accommodation in town.
The average pricing closer to the port is around $500 a night, but if you head out a bit, this can drop to around $200. Still not cheap, but at least manageable for people on a long term journey.
Ybor City is the Historic district of town that is best known for its Latin and cigar manufacturing heritage. Its streets are filled with restaurants, bars, and cafes serving Cuban coffee and sandwiches. But sadly, the rentable accommodations in Ybor city are beyond the funky town and are underneath the freeway, on the edge of the slum area discussed a bit earlier. In the various trips in and out we stayed in 4 different places that could not have been more different if they had tried.
The first was a Holiday Inn that was perfectly acceptable, the next was an AirBnB that was awesome, the next was a hovel that was filthy and stunk of weed and we were woken the screaming of domestic violence. The next was a Quality Inn that was good, but the breakfast included the local homeless walking in and helping themselves to the buffet, and the last was back to the Holiday Inn.
Our biggest issue in being in Tampa is not having transportation. Everything is spread out (not in a crazy way but too much to walk, and (apart from the super cool tram) there is no functional public transportation system. This puts us at the mercy of taxis and Ubers.
On one day leaving the cruise ship the Uber started at $15, by the time we got off the ship their dynamic pricing had that number jump to $50. So we went across the road and got a cab (which tacked on a port pickup fee) and our trip to Walmart cost us $35. The return had dropped back down and cost us $13.
Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center – Manatees tend to prefer and search for warmer waters. Once upon a time they sought out natural springs as warm water refuges, but we humans have blocked, canaled, or drained many of them. Today the option left is that manatees tend to gather at power plants in the warm water the plants emit. So in Tampa they built the Manatee Viewing Center so everyone could have a chance to see manatees gather. The discharge canal is now a designated manatee sanctuary.
Overall, we enjoyed Tampa. As a transit point, it is nice, the city and dockside area were lovely and (apart from CBD accommodation) the place is much more reasonably priced than other Florida port cities. Future trips could happily include Tampa.