Tampa: Florida Gulf Gateway to the Caribbean and Mexico

Port Tampa Bay's cruise terminal at Channelside is in the heart of downtown Tampa, adjacent to the Riverwalk and a 15-minute walk from Ybor City. Carnival operates from here with sailings to the Caribbean and Mexico. The terminal is modern and the boarding process is efficient. Tampa is one of the more interesting embarkation cities in Florida — it rewards arriving a day early.

From Tampa International Airport (TPA): 6 miles, $20–28 by rideshare, 15–20 minutes. TPA consistently ranks as one of the most convenient US airports for car pickups. Parking at Port Tampa Bay: $17/day for cruise terminal parking, book through the port. The TECO Line Streetcar runs along the waterfront from Channelside to Ybor City — worth the $3 ride the evening before embarkation.

USD. Standard US tipping: 18–20% at restaurants. Ybor City bars expect $1 per drink. Cash is useful in some of the older Ybor City establishments.

The Tampa Cuban sandwich — not to be confused with the Miami version — uses salami in addition to the standard ham, pork, pickle, mustard, and Swiss. The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City (open since 1905, the oldest restaurant in Florida) serves a version worth trying alongside the flamenco show. For a more casual version, La Segunda Bakery in Ybor City sells Cuban bread and sandwiches at cost. The Ulele restaurant by the river does creative Florida-ingredient cooking. For the night before a cruise, Ybor City's 7th Avenue has enough bars and restaurants to cover any preference.

Ybor City is Tampa's cigar-manufacturing district — a National Historic Landmark with Cuban, Spanish, and Italian immigrant heritage baked into the architecture and food. The cigar factories still operate; free factory tours are offered at a few shops on 7th Avenue. The Tampa Riverwalk is a 2.5-mile waterfront path connecting the cruise terminal neighborhood to the Tampa Museum of Art and the Florida Aquarium ($28) — an easy morning-before-boarding walk.