There may be great advantages to leaving from Tampa Bay rather than the more traditional Miami, Florida. The most likely advantage is cost. Since Tampa Bay is farther north on the Florida peninsula, logic dictates that your cost to get to this port should be lower. Unfortunately, logic never seems to be a driving factor with airline prices!

The other major advantage is that it is easier to got to western ports of call from Tampa Bay rather than Miami. This can result in more exotic places to visit such as Cayman Islands, Mexico, and Jamaica. While other cruises from Miami may get you to these exotic locales, it will surely take longer and likely will include a stop at a “boring” place like the Florida Keys.

It is important to do a lot of price comparisons when looking for a cruise. Balance all of your costs as well as balance the hassle of getting to your debarkation port. Tampa Bay may just fit the bill when you balance all of this out.

At some point in the future, I will write about individual cruise itineraries.

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