FREESTYLE FROM TAMPA: A GEM OF A JOURNEY AT SEA WITH NCL

mPowers
Aug 8
3 min read

Updated: Aug 14

**🖌️ Hull Art On NCL Ships Isn't Exactly New, Per Se 🎨**

So many cruises originate from the busy Florida cruise ports at Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Port Canaveral (Orlando). If you’re arriving by plane, your arrival will involve anything from fighting crowds getting out of the airport to traffic jams getting to the cruise terminal. Wherever your cruise departs, you will hopefully book a hotel at least one day ahead of your departure – especially if your home city experiences inclement winter weather.

If you’re new-to-cruise, you need to be aware of your scheduled boarding time window in order to govern yourself accordingly. And that is a big reason why an agent or agency would admonish you to arrive at least a day ahead of your cruise departure. You should consider this when budgeting for your cruise vacation – but we digress…

**The ABC Islands PLUS Great Stirrup Cay...WOW!**

Tampa is growing in popularity as a jump-off point for cruises. Although the city has its own traffic issues, the airport’s proximity To the port can make for a smoother experience. There are a number of hotels within easy reach of the cruise ships near Ybor City, which has shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Other popular attractions in the Tampa area include Busch Gardens located north of downtown off I-275 on Busch Boulevard. The Florida Aquarium is located adjacent to the cruise port. Ample, enclosed parking for cruisers and tourists is nearby. And, if you're going to spend some quality time in the area, you might also consider a stay in St. Peteresburg or the beach area in Clearwater.

And, to underscore the growth of cruising for Tampa, site preparation is being done to make way for a fourth terminal that will begin construction in 2027. That is a big deal in and of itself! But something even bigger is being dreamed up tha twill be far more impactful. This big deal is so big that it must be addressed in another entry.

ABOUT NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE (NCL) HULL ART... The early NCL fleet - even the original Sunward (1966), featured a light blue stripe with yellow sunbursts on the port (left) and starboard (right) sides of the hulls. The sole exception was the former ss Norway (ex-Transatlantic Liner ss France) with its dark blue hull.

Tampa’s popularity is also reflected in the types of sailings available: From short hops to the Mexaribbean ports of Cozumel and Progreso to the 11 day sailing on NCL's Norwegian Gem featured here. There are enough choices to please many cruise fans. Do bear in mind that none of the biggest, newest, most superlative ships of our time sail from the city; there’s a very good reason for this.

Sailing in and out of Tampa Bay requires ships to pass underneath the Sunshine Skyway Bridge that separates St. Petersburg from the Sarasota-Bradenton area. With newer, bigger ships being as tall in the water as they are, and outfitted with masts, funnels, waterparks, chutes and ladders, go-cart tracks, etcetera, they simply exceed the height restriction of the bridge itself.

The ships that sail regularly from Tampa are the older and smaller ships from the fleets of the popular cruise lines. On some occasion, a ship from one of the upscale cruise lines might make a port call at Tampa. These ships are generally smaller and able to clear the bridge.

With 12 decks at 93,530 gross register tons and nearly 2,000-plus passengers at double occupancy, this ship fits the specifications for making it out to sea with no trouble at all. More to come soon...⚓