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Can Tampa Get Some Love?

FuturzMinion

By FuturzMinion,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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amber381

amber381

Posted
Posted

Ok, wait.... Did I miss something with the Paradise potentially NOT getting upgraded, as scheduled???? I haven't been paying a whole lot of attention lately so this is news to me- any info would be appreciated! We sail on her for our Honeymoon in April and I was SO hoping for the 2.0 upgrades!:confused:

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FlaMommy75

FlaMommy75

Posted
Posted
Tampa- 4PM

Key West- Noon-7PM

Sea Day

Grand Turk- 8AM-3PM

Half Moon Cay- 10AM-6PM

Nassau- 8AM-5PM

Sea Day

Tampa- 7AM

 

;)

 

I would love this! I would definitely stay on the ship on Nassau day and make it another sea day, but it would be nice for everyone to have the option. We absolutely love the convienance of cruising out of Tampa and are really bummed there are going to be no 7 night cruises after the Pride leaves.

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Captain Carnival

Captain Carnival

Posted
Posted
Ok, wait.... Did I miss something with the Paradise potentially NOT getting upgraded, as scheduled???? I haven't been paying a whole lot of attention lately so this is news to me- any info would be appreciated! We sail on her for our Honeymoon in April and I was SO hoping for the 2.0 upgrades!:confused:

 

Paradise will have a 2-week dry dock starting on 2/26 that will focus on hotel maintenance upgrades. There "may" be another full "2.0" dry dock later this year.....Shhhhhh!

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Captain Carnival

Captain Carnival

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...Captain Carnival basically tried to say Tampa has a lot to bring to the table...

 

 

Yes, as another viable cruise port that many lines use. As for Tampa's offerings...I agree that the entire Channelside area be torn down and redesigned, which is in fact currently being undertaken but will take a few years from start to finish but certainly a step in the right direction. There's always room for improvement (in any cruise port) and Tampa can and will bring more to their table.

 

As for the bridge, it's not going away, however it seems that for some (on this thread) they just seemed to be Tampa haters for some odd reason. Oh well.

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EZ4

EZ4

Posted
Posted

Yes, as another viable cruise port that many lines use. As for Tampa's offerings...I agree that the entire Channelside area be torn down and redesigned, which is in fact currently being undertaken but will take a few years from start to finish but certainly a step in the right direction. There's always room for improvement (in any cruise port) and Tampa can and will bring more to their table.

 

As for the bridge, it's not going away, however it seems that for some (on this thread) they just seemed to be Tampa haters for some odd reason. Oh well.

 

Not haters. Just realistic, non rose colored glasses wearers. The cruise lines are not in the business of building ships that cater to Tampa's port. They're in the business of seeking out ports that fit their model. It will be up to Tampa to entice them to continue to sail from there by providing the facilities that meet the cruise lines needs. Will Tampa step up? We'll see.

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falkcor

falkcor

Posted
Posted
Paradise will have a 2-week dry dock starting on 2/26 that will focus on hotel maintenance upgrades. There "may" be another full "2.0" dry dock later this year.....Shhhhhh!

 

that is unrealistic. they never have and i'd wager never will complete a routine or not drydock, only to do 'another full '2.0' dry dock later this year'... never.

 

there is absolutely no reason that would make any sense, and i'd add that fantasy class ships for the most part have not received any of the 'full 2.0' upgrades, aside from re-branding of bars and such.

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joepeka

joepeka

Posted
Posted (edited)

It live out West so I'm a bit out of touch on this but a few years ago there was quite a bit of talk about dredging for and building a new cruise terminal outside the bridge. I also seem to recall that it was meeting financial and/or environmental obstacles. Whatever happened to that idea?

 

FWIW, I loved the one cruise we did out of Tampa on Legend - the port seemed very well run and it's still our favorite, despite just that one visit.

Edited by joepeka
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BabyJacks17

BabyJacks17

Posted
Posted (edited)
]

 

Certainly won't get much sympathy from me as we and most people have to fly to our cruise port.

 

I don't think an extra 2 hour drive is asking much.:)

 

Bill

 

THIS.

 

Sincerely,

Envious of anyone who lives w/in driving distance of a port.

Edited by BabyJacks17
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falkcor

falkcor

Posted
Posted
why can't you hop in your car and drive to port Canaveral. They offer plenty of different itineraries that are 7 days in length.:confused:

 

I live in Tampa and enjoy the cruising out of Port of Tampa but drive to Port of Miami for a lot better ships and Itinerary's to chose from. We in FL are spoiled with all the ports here

 

^^this.

 

most of carnival's ships are in florida. most of carnival's best ships are in florida. they're all within driving distance of anyone who lives in florida. that is, i think, why some people are a bit 'skeptical' when those from tampa complain about their cruising options.

 

add to that, there is a bridge to contend with, which limits the ships that can sail from tampa. if those in tampa wish to see cruising flourish from your fine city (really i'm not a hater, just being realistic), i'd recommend you engage with your legislators and look to the future, which as it stands will not include any line's 'latest, greatest' ships, because your port is on the wrong side of the bridge :confused:

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cruzincurt

cruzincurt

Posted
Posted
It live out West so I'm a bit out of touch on this but a few years ago there was quite a bit of talk about dredging for and building a new cruise terminal outside the bridge. I also seem to recall that it was meeting financial and/or environmental obstacles. Whatever happened to that idea?

 

The tree huggers will never let it happen. They are concerned that any sea work will destroy the nearby beaches.

 

The permitting obstacles would never be overcome.

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cruzincurt

cruzincurt

Posted
Posted (edited)
So your saying you would rather them proceed and possibly cause negative effects to the surrounding area so you don't have to drive far to cruise?

 

Bill

No, there are many places, bridges, piers, dredged waterways that would be impossible to permit and build today. There are homes in Tampa sitting on the dredged spoils removed to cut a shipping channel into the heart of Tampa. Tampa would not be a port today without that past dredging. We enjoy and profit by those past transgressions that one could never build today.

 

The St. Petersburg Pier for example could not be built today but was no problem in the 1920s; today it is marketed as an iconic destination. I'm involved with one of the architectural firms in competition for the revised Pier design. We know for a fact that the footprint of the existing pier cannot be increased and many tree huggers would like to see it go away completely.

 

Building a port facility West of the skyway bridge would not affect beaches 10 miles up the coast. That's just fear mongering by the environmentalists IMO. Especially after they build their home on the beach first.

Edited by cruzincurt
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FuturzMinion

FuturzMinion

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No, there are many places, bridges, piers, dredged waterways that would be impossible to permit and build today. There are homes in Tampa sitting on the dredged spoils removed to cut a shipping channel into the heart of Tampa. Tampa would not be a port today without that past dredging. We enjoy and profit by those past transgressions that one could never build today.

 

The St. Petersburg Pier for example could not be built today but was no problem in the 1920s; today it is marketed as an iconic destination. I'm involved with one of the architectural firms in competition for the revised Pier design. We know for a fact that the footprint of the existing pier cannot be increased and many tree huggers would like to see it go away completely.

 

Building a port facility West of the skyway bridge would not affect beaches 10 miles up the coast. That's just fear mongering by the environmentalists IMO. Especially after they build their home on the beach first.

This guy. He gets it.

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EZ4

EZ4

Posted
Posted
No, there are many places, bridges, piers, dredged waterways that would be impossible to permit and build today. There are homes in Tampa sitting on the dredged spoils removed to cut a shipping channel into the heart of Tampa. Tampa would not be a port today without that past dredging. We enjoy and profit by those past transgressions that one could never build today.

 

The St. Petersburg Pier for example could not be built today but was no problem in the 1920s; today it is marketed as an iconic destination. I'm involved with one of the architectural firms in competition for the revised Pier design. We know for a fact that the footprint of the existing pier cannot be increased and many tree huggers would like to see it go away completely.

 

Building a port facility West of the skyway bridge would not affect beaches 10 miles up the coast. That's just fear mongering by the environmentalists IMO. Especially after they build their home on the beach first.

 

Beaches are there because the tides and currents deposit sand there. Dredging elsewhere can and will adversely affect the beaches by causing beach erosion and sand starvation, because it redirects the natural flow of sand. The beaches of Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores AL are constantly having to have sand brought in to rebuild the beaches because of the dredging of the Mobile ship channel, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars every few years. That's why permits will be difficult to obtain, if not impossible. My guess, Tampa will be out of the cruise business within the next 10-15 years, for all intents and purposes.

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joepeka

joepeka

Posted
Posted
Beaches are there because the tides and currents deposit sand there. Dredging elsewhere can and will adversely affect the beaches by causing beach erosion and sand starvation, because it redirects the natural flow of sand. The beaches of Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores AL are constantly having to have sand brought in to rebuild the beaches because of the dredging of the Mobile ship channel, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars every few years. That's why permits will be difficult to obtain, if not impossible. My guess, Tampa will be out of the cruise business within the next 10-15 years, for all intents and purposes.

 

Which truly is a shame. :(

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