DCL Coing to Tampa?

[daly7o9]

My daughter just told me that she was shopping in Ybor City yesterday and one of the employees in the shop that she was in told her that Disney has bought a lot of property near the port of Tampa. Anyone else heard anything about this? I would be sooo excited if this happened. Disney would be in my backyard practically!

 

[DDLand]

My daughter just told me that she was shopping in Ybor City yesterday and one of the employees in the shop that she was in told her that Disney has bought a lot of property near the port of Tampa. Anyone else heard anything about this? I would be sooo excited if this happened. Disney would be in my backyard practically!

Hello!
So as far as we know currently, Disney hasn't been rumored to or announced purchasing any land in the Tampa Area. That's not to say Disney hasn't looked at it in the past:
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/1999/05/03/story1.html

Back in the late 1990s the city tried to get Disney to build a home port in Tampa. While it never happened, it is interesting nonetheless.

If you check back here, we'll be the first ones to let you know about all their plans rumored or confirmed!

 

[daly7o9]

Thanks for the info DDLand!

 

[OKW Lover]

My daughter just told me that she was shopping in Ybor City yesterday and one of the employees in the shop that she was in told her that Disney has bought a lot of property near the port of Tampa. Anyone else heard anything about this? I would be sooo excited if this happened. Disney would be in my backyard practically!

I'm not sure this would indicate a potential DCL ship being docked at Tampa. I think in the other ports its not the cruise line that owns the terminal, its some quasi-municipal organization like a port authority. The cruise lines just rent facilities at the port.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

DCL doesn't have to buy or rent a terminal in Tampa, there are a number of places along the bay they could dredge and open a terminal. These areas would likely be better as there is open land and space for parking etc. One place is Port Manatee, which I know for a fact has been looking to bring cruise ships into their port.

One problem is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge down the bay and vessel air Drafts. The bridge clearance height is listed as 174'. Vessel air draft means the height of the vessel from the water line to the top of the highest mast. This does limit the entrance of some vessels into Tampa. I would think the Magic class could make it under the bridge, but not the Dream class. I have been looking for the air draft of the vessels, but cannot seem to find them.

AKK

 

[OKW Lover]

Interesting info about the air draft @Tonka's Skipper, I had never heard of that before but it makes so much sense. I know that there are quite a few cruise ships operating regularly out of Tampa that must go under that bridge. Do you have any idea what the largest (in terms of air draft) are of those?

 

[PortMickey]

The Sunshine Skyway bridge has been a big problem for the Port of Tampa. None of the new large cruise ships can get under the bridge. Only the older, smaller cruise ships can get to the port. The Magic and Wonder can fit under the bridge. They would be perfect fits for Port Tampa. I'm sure Tampa would cut them a great deal. One of them docked at Port Tampa (Channelside) a few years ago when they could not get into Port Canaveral during a storm.

Not much over an hour Bus ride from the Disney resorts to Channelside.

 

[Barbydoll8]

I live near the port of Tampa and the problem is the bridge. I believe that currently there are only about 4 ships among all the big commercial lines that will fit under the Sunshine Skyway bridge to get out into the gulf and they barely fit. There has been debate on building a new port out of St. Petersburg but it's still in the early discussions. I don't see DCL coming to the port of Tampa anytime soon I'm personally sorry to say.

I didn't even think the Wonder or the Magic would fit. The stacks are way too high to squeeze under the SSW.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I always thought they could put a cruise terminal below the bridge. Plenty of space and two large airports nearby, Tampa and Fort Meyers. Short distance from the gulf to the terminal.
Also closer to the Yucatan, GC, Key West, etc.

AKK