Port Tampa Bay expects to set records following pandemic pause

TAMPA, Fla. - The cruise industry in Florida is expected to see record numbers in 2023 after it essentially came to a screeching halt during the pandemic.

Port officials call Florida the cruise capital of the world. They say they’re seeing a lot of pent-up demand from the pandemic.

The Florida Ports Council expects to see record-breaking numbers in the coming years.

"It wouldn't surprise me to hit record numbers and 2024 for passengers going on and off these vessels," Florida Ports Council President and CEO Mike Rubin said.

File: Cruise ship. 

Port officials say Port Tampa Bay is one of the fast-growing ports in the state

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"We're on pace to meet our record year this year," stated Wade Elliott, Port Tampa Bay’s senior vice president of marketing and business development.

He says the boom in demand is not only a boost for the cruise industry but for employment, hospitality, tourism, and the overall economy.

Digital sign at Port Tampa Bay. 

"We've got a need to build more cruise terminals," Rubin shared. "We need to build more parking spaces in some of these areas. And it's a good problem to have at the moment. We're also seeing record cargo numbers with either containers or bulk cargo that's out there."

Elliott says they expect to see a record 1.2 million come through Port Tampa Bay this year.

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"We've had six homeported ships this winter and this summer we'll actually have three ships," Elliott said. "Normally we're down to one or two ships in the summer. So it's the first time we've ever had three ships. So we're year-round now."

A cruise ship at Port Tampa Bay. 

Elliott says 18% of Port Tampa Bay’s total revenue comes from the cruise industry.

Another major part of Port Tampa Bay’s business comes from handling cargo.

"We handle construction and building materials, everything from cement to steel to lumber to limestone," Elliott said. "We handle food and beverage, consumer products. Pineapples and bananas coming from Central America, furniture coming from Asia, gasoline, jet fuel."

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Elliott says they handle around 35 million tons of cargo.

File: Cargo ship

"We do almost 45% of all of the state's petroleum and energy products," Elliott explained.

The future is looking even brighter for Florida ports. Rubin says they expect to see the industry continue to grow, including in the Tampa Bay area.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see, you know, a couple more vessels going out to Tampa, maybe even one," Rubin said. "I think Manatee was looking at the potential for cruise vessel out of Port Manatee."

Rubin says several new cruise vessels in the state were on hold during the pandemic, but have since been brought online due to the demand.