Celebrity Cruise Line Offers Incredible New Sailings out of Port Tampa Bay

[The Cruise Junkie]

 

[KathyC]

Tampa is my least favorite port to sail out of.  Both times we encountered problems.  First time the port was closed upon our return due to bad weather while we were gone, so we had to be re-routed to Port Canaveral, took a bus across the state to Tampa where our car was in the parking lot.  The second time we spent the night right outside the bridge as it was too foggy to get back.  We then had to sit much of the next day waiting for our turn to go under the bridge to get back.  Not giving it a third try - it's a jinxed port for us! 

[eaglesfaninfl]

1 hour ago, KathyC said:

Tampa is my least favorite port to sail out of.  Both times we encountered problems.  First time the port was closed upon our return due to bad weather while we were gone, so we had to be re-routed to Port Canaveral, took a bus across the state to Tampa where our car was in the parking lot.  The second time we spent the night right outside the bridge as it was too foggy to get back.  We then had to sit much of the next day waiting for our turn to go under the bridge to get back.  Not giving it a third try - it's a jinxed port for us! 

Good news for me anyway. Tampa does encounter fog problems occasionally, generally in January and February…I don’t recall one last winter, but they have occurred in the past. Since the height of the Skyway bridge limits RCL cruise ship size to Radiance and Vision classes, it is not surprising that RCL’s Celebrity line is refurbishing older Celebrity ships to service this market (and maybe Baltimore and others) that cannot handle the mega-ships/floating amusement parks RCL seems so bent on turning out. Living so close by (roughly 45-50 mins. condo to cabin), I am looking forward to this addition. Our first Celebrity cruise is next July from Seattle to AK and back, so we should get a taste of what is in store for us then!

[KathyC]

42 minutes ago, eaglesfaninfl said:

Good news for me anyway. Tampa does encounter fog problems occasionally, generally in January and February…I don’t recall one last winter, but they have occurred in the past. Since the height of the Skyway bridge limits RCL cruise ship size to Radiance and Vision classes, it is not surprising that RCL’s Celebrity line is refurbishing older Celebrity ships to service this market (and maybe Baltimore and others) that cannot handle the mega-ships/floating amusement parks RCL seems so bent on turning out. Living so close by (roughly 45-50 mins. condo to cabin), I am looking forward to this addition. Our first Celebrity cruise is next July from Seattle to AK and back, so we should get a taste of what is in store for us then!

 

My fog-delay was for the Brilliance this past winter.  We were in a group of 85 on that sailing.  We had to sit and wait for the Carnival ship that got stuck over night to go under the bridge, then we could get in.  Got off the ship at 6pm instead of 7am.  Spent an extra night in Tampa as there were no more flights back to NJ at that point. 

[Boston Babe]

I personally am looking forward to it! Booked "Connie" for 2021, 11 nights, and she's going to LABADEE too!!!

[JLMoran]

25 minutes ago, Boston Babe said:

she's going to LABADEE too!!!

Wait, what?? I admit I've only been recently watching itineraries on Celebrity, but has that line ever gone previously to the private islands Royal owns?

I know I've seen that with HAL, which visits the sister line's (NCL?) private islands -- @monorailmedic had talked about that on one of his trip blogs on cruisehabit.com; but that always struck me as a bit of an exception rather than a norm with the "mid-tier" sister lines.

[Boston Babe]

17 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

but has that line ever gone previously to the private islands Royal owns?

Yes, but Royal owns Celebrity.  I believe and don't quote me they used to go to Labadee as well.  I got sold on it going there too. It's a beautiful Itinerary.  I'm just praying I can go! LOL I hope all well with you Joe!

[monorailmedic]

On 8/15/2019 at 9:33 AM, JLMoran said:

I've only been recently watching itineraries on Celebrity, but has that line ever gone previously to the private islands Royal owns?

Yep, it's happened before - it's just not terribly common.  In Jan and Feb of 2021 Constellation will be calling on Labadee.

[FLGooner]

Thrilled that Celebrity is coming to Tampa, already booked.

Love that we can leave the house and be at the bar in under 30 minutes!!!

[michelle]

super excited for some of these itineraries - even a Panama Canal cruise from Tampa - that is rare

[Holidaygal1]

Might be interesting for a southern Caribbean cruise