Carnival Paradise - Short Western Caribbean from Tampa

Where this cruise calls, day by day

4 ports and 2 sea days over 5 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Tampa, FL

   United StatesDepart

   Tampa's terminals sit in Channelside, in the city rather than out on an industrial spit, so you can walk from the ship to an aquarium and a row of restaurants. The catch is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge: everything sailing from Tampa has to fit under it, which caps ship size and keeps the megaships in Miami. Tampa International is about 20 minutes away.

   • The Florida Aquarium, next door to the terminals
   • Ybor City and Seventh Avenue - the old cigar district, reachable on the TECO streetcar
   • The Tampa Riverwalk from Channelside up to Armature Works
   • Busch Gardens if you have a full day and like roller coasters

   Getting ashore

   Cruise Terminals 2, 3 and 6 sit in Channelside within a few blocks of each other; Tampa International is about 10 miles out, usually 20 minutes.

   Best months

   Nov-Apr (summer is hot, wet and inside the hurricane window)

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3

   Cozumel

   MexicoPort

   Cozumel is an island 12 miles off the Yucatán that runs almost entirely on cruise traffic - three piers, up to six ships at once, and a downtown built to absorb them. Which pier you draw matters more than anything else: Punta Langosta puts you in San Miguel on foot, while Puerta Maya and the International Pier sit a few miles south and need a taxi. The reason to come is underwater, on the Palancar and Colombia reefs.

   • Snorkel or dive Palancar Reef
   • Chankanaab Park's lagoon and shore snorkelling
   • A beach club day at Mr. Sancho's or Nachi Cocom
   • San Gervasio Maya ruins in the island's interior

   Getting ashore

   All ships dock; Punta Langosta is a walk into San Miguel, while Puerta Maya and the International Pier are 3-4 miles south, about 10 minutes by taxi.

   Best months

   Dec-Apr is driest and calmest; Jun-Nov is hurricane season, and sargassum can wash ashore May-Aug

4. Day 4

   George Town

   Cayman IslandsPort

   George Town has no cruise pier, and that shapes everything: every passenger from every ship arrives by tender at one of two small harbourfront landings. When winter northwesters blow up, calls are cancelled outright and the ship sails on. Ashore it is a tidy, expensive capital of banks and duty-free shops - the actual draw is offshore at the Stingray City sandbar and up the coast at Seven Mile Beach.

   • Standing waist-deep with the rays at the Stingray City sandbar
   • Seven Mile Beach
   • Cayman Turtle Centre in West Bay
   • Starfish Point and Rum Point on the north shore

   Getting ashore

   Tender port - 10-15 minutes to the George Town landings, with Seven Mile Beach another 10-15 minutes by taxi or public bus.

   Best months

   Dec-Apr is driest; Sep-Oct brings the most rain and hurricane risk, and winter swells can scrub the tender operation entirely

5. Day 5 · At sea

6. Day 6

   Tampa, FL

   United StatesArrive

   Tampa's terminals sit in Channelside, in the city rather than out on an industrial spit, so you can walk from the ship to an aquarium and a row of restaurants. The catch is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge: everything sailing from Tampa has to fit under it, which caps ship size and keeps the megaships in Miami. Tampa International is about 20 minutes away.

   • The Florida Aquarium, next door to the terminals
   • Ybor City and Seventh Avenue - the old cigar district, reachable on the TECO streetcar
   • The Tampa Riverwalk from Channelside up to Armature Works
   • Busch Gardens if you have a full day and like roller coasters

   Getting ashore

   Cruise Terminals 2, 3 and 6 sit in Channelside within a few blocks of each other; Tampa International is about 10 miles out, usually 20 minutes.

   Best months

   Nov-Apr (summer is hot, wet and inside the hurricane window)