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Cruises from the Gulf Coast frequently include New Orleans as a port of call on Western Caribbean routes. Lines such as Royal Caribbean and Disney offer direct Tampa-to-Galveston routes with New Orleans in between. However these cruises are less common than one-way voyages or longer itineraries focused on the Western Caribbean.
New Orleans, Galveston and Tampa are popular embarkation points for cruises to the Western, Caribbean, Belize, Honduras, the Cayman Islands and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. This is the reason why many Americans prefer not to fly, and the ports around the Gulf Coast have convenient road and rail connections to the rest of the country. Serving a large area, a radius of 800 kilometers has over 47 million cruise ship passengers. This is another reason why major cruise lines, primarily Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and NCL, have ships headquartered in these ports.
Tampa
Almost opposite Cape Canaveral on Florida’s Gulf Coast lies Tampa, a small city by US standards. Its 12-hectare Garrison Seaport Cruise Terminal at the Port of Tampa was modernized and updated in 1998. It has car parking and baggage handling facilities, and is only 24 km from Tampa International Airport.
The city is becoming popular as a turnaround port and most of the main cruise operators berth ships here, mainly sailing to Mexico and the islands of the Western Caribbean.
With a few hours to spare you will find plenty to do in the terminal’s massive Channel side complex. This complex offers shops full of designer clothes and cigars, bars and cinemas. The modern Florida Aquarium, regarded as one of the greatest in the United States, is a must-see. This Aquarium features more than 4000 varieties of fish including sharks and stingrays.
Theme Park Thrills
If you are staying in Tampa for a few days, you can experience an Orlando-style theme park at Busch Gardens. More akin to an African safari theme park, some world-class thrilling rides that are guaranteed to scramble your brains. Arrive prepared to get wet on some rides and allow a day to get the best out of a visit. Next door is Adventure Island Water Park with more action-packed thrills. Orlando with its famous theme parks, is only 120 km away and worth a day trip.
Downtown Tampa
The majestic minarets of the 19th century Tampa Bay Hotel look out of place on the city’s modern skyline. Hotel was built by a former Florida railway magnate and become part of the University of Tampa campus. Today, the former hotel, is home to the Henry B. Plant Museum, which contains some of its original furniture and valuable artifacts.
Ybor City represents a restored Cuban neighborhood centered around a large cigar factory. Many of the old cigar shops and factories are now classy restaurants, bars, antique shops and boutiques. The area is one of only three landmark districts in Florida.
Busch Gardens has one of the best collections of rollercoasters in Florida. If you are visiting the park, be sure to collect a map at the entrance because the layout is confusing.
New Orleans
This throbbing city of jazz and gumbo, in Louisiana on the Mississippi River, is one of the fastest growing cruise ports in the US. The Julia Street Cruise Terminal has berths for three ships. Larger terminal is planned for the adjacent Erato Street wharf.
New Orleans is a great place in which to spend a few extra days, offering world-famous nightlife and riverboat trips. Within walking distance of the terminal lies the atmospheric French Quarter, where there is no shortage of walking or taxi tours to choose from. Royal Street and Bourbon Street are the most colorful, especially at Mardi Gras, which marks the last day before the beginning of Lent.
Jackson Square is the ideal place to start a tour, on foot or by horse-drawn carriage. Most tours take in the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum and a Creole meal at Brennan’s Restaurant Wax Museum on Conti Street, featuring dioramas depicting important people and events in Louisiana’s history.
Galveston
Galveston, an island town in Texas, had a promising future as a port until 1900. Destroyed by a hurricane it was rebuilt with a US $30 million expansion.
The Strand, a refurbished warehouse neighborhood near the terminal, has shops and restaurants reminiscent of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. Galveston celebrates Mardi Gras in a similar manner to that city. If unable to attend the pre-Lenten carnival, go to the Mardi Gras Museum, dedicated to the subject and showcases historic costumes and other memorabilia. At the Seaport Museum you can explore a restored, 19th century square-rigged tall ship.
Houston
About 80 km north of Galveston, the Port of Houston flourished at the expense of its hurricane-blown neighbour. A canal turned the city into an inland port, which is one of the three busiest in the US. A veritable forest of skyscrapers knitted together by motorways , the city is home to NASA’s Space Center, and has a culture of eccentricity.
Houston’s Bayport Cruise Terminal was a cruise port for Princess and Norwegian Lines that offered Western Caribbean trips until 2014, when it was officially shuttered. Major cruise business has transferred to the nearby Port of Galveston for Texas departures, while Houston remains a significant cargo port with deep channels. While technically equipped, Houston has recently discontinued its regular passenger excursions in favor of cargo, but it continues to offer unique Ship Channel tours.
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