Port Tampa Bay values the health and wellness of its employees, tenants, industry partners, visitors and our cruise line partners’ passengers.
We strive to create a healthy and safe environment at all times. At this point there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Port Tampa Bay. While we have always enforced healthy habits and good hygiene, we have put more measures in place to keep our Port healthy and prevent the spread of all viruses, including COVID-19.
UPDATED: August 5, 2020
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended a no-sail order for cruises in the United States through Sept. 30, 2020. Additionally, Cruise Lines International Association has chosen to voluntarily suspend cruises through Oct. 31, 2020. Both decisions were made in the interest of public safety. As a reminder, Holland American Line, Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises were not scheduled to sail from Port Tampa Bay until November of 2020.
We encourage any impacted cruise passengers to contact their travel agent or cruise line directly for more information.
If you have questions about a specific cruise line's sailing schedule, your upcoming trip, or safety protocols, visit the below links for more information:
For options regarding your canceled cruise ship parking, please visit this link: Port Tampa Bay Refund Form
Here is an update from Cruise Lines International Association provided on August 5, 2020:
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading voice of the global cruise industry, announced today that its ocean-going cruise line members have agreed to voluntarily suspend U.S. cruise operations until at least 31 October 2020.
The Association issued the following statement on behalf of its members:
Despite the valuable alignment between CLIA’s previous voluntary suspension to 15 September and the CDC’s current No-Sail Order date of 30 September, we believe it is prudent at this time to voluntarily extend the suspension of U.S. ocean-going cruise operations to 31 October. This is a difficult decision as we recognize the crushing impact that this pandemic has had on our community and every other industry. However, we believe this proactive action further demonstrates the cruise industry’s commitment to public health and willingness to voluntarily suspend operations in the interest of public health and safety, as has occurred twice prior. CLIA cruise line members will continue to monitor the situation with the understanding that we will revisit a possible further extension on or before 30 September 2020. At the same time, should conditions in the U.S. change and it becomes possible to consider short, modified sailings, we would consider an earlier restart.
For more information about the cruise industry’s response to COVID-19, please visit the CLIA COVID-19 Resource Page.
We have rigorous cleaning and sanitation practices in place to maintain our cruise terminals, and we are now implementing an additional in-depth and cutting-edge process using an antimicrobial product, called mPact. This new process complements several other cleaning and sanitization efforts, including deep cleaning each terminal following a cruise sailing, regularly cleaning and sanitizing high-touch areas like railings, doorknobs, and countertops, and increasing hand sanitizer available to passengers, while in the terminal.
When the product mPact is applied (and allowed to dry), it leaves a thin bonded film that, at the nano level, resembles millions of sword-shaped road spikes – spikes that kill bacteria. It has been lab-tested and is proven to be 99.99% effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
The antimicrobial is colorless, odorless, and can be applied to wood or steel framing, sheetrock, carpets, upholstery and painted surfaces. Once the product is sprayed on, it bonds to the surface and retains its effectiveness for a minimum of 30 days. In comparison, most household disinfectants have to be on a surface for 10 minutes or more to “disinfect” or kill all the germs on the surface, and once they are dry, germ buildup resumes.
mPact will be used to clean and provide a protective barrier to all surfaces at our cruise terminals moving forward, including each upholstered chair. The high-touch areas will be treated after every cruise, and each terminal will be treated every 30 days.