Cruise enthusiasts are poised to set sail after a year of uncertainty as cruises return to Florida ports. Port officials and travel agents in Tampa Bay are also ready to reopen the ports to cruise traffic.
“Florida has long been the global headquarters of the cruise industry – not just for its actual corporate headquarters, but also for cruise home ports and cruise ports,” said Michael Rubin, president of the Florida Ports Council. “The return of this industry means millions of state and local revenues and hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
Rubin said nearly 20 million cruise passengers passed through Florida Port Council seaports prior to the pandemic. Port Tampa Bay is one of the 14 member ports of the Florida Ports Council.
Port Tampa Bay communications director Lisa Wolf-Chason said pre-pandemic cruise revenue represented 17% of Port Tampa Bay’s budget.
“The return of the cruise will give our port and the surrounding businesses that are dependent on tourism a huge boost,” said Wolf-Chason. “Fortunately, Port Tampa Bay is one of the most diversified ports in the country with cargo, bulk and a robust container business, which helps it continue to have a strong financial position.”
In 2019, Port Tampa Bay had 1,149,289 cruise passengers. Patrick Harrison, Visit Tampa Bay’s chief marketing officer, said the loss of these passengers was having a negative impact on the Tampa Bay tourism industry, especially with most of them coming from outside Tampa.
“It’s not just the number of passengers, but also a number of hotel nights we’ve lost in the area,” Harrison said. “In addition, it is the associated jobs of the people that we use in restaurants, even in the parking lots, people have to fly in and use the airport.”
Bari Golin-Blaugrund, vice president for Strategic Communications and Public Affairs for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), said prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise industry supported nearly half a million American jobs and over 1.1 million jobs worldwide.
“Based on these numbers, more than 40% of the jobs the industry supports are in the United States,” said Golin-Blueground. “A very high percentage of these jobs are actually in Florida.”
Cruise Planners franchise owner Kathleen Pohl is a land and cruise travel agency based in Tampa. With more than 4,000 customers in the past 14 years, Pohl said the COVID-19 pandemic had profoundly affected their work. From 2019 to 2020, Pohl lost 75% of her income as a result of the pandemic.
“It’s been a very challenging 15 months. We are definitely happy that we have light at the end of the tunnel, that the ships are sailing and that people can experience a cruise holiday again, ”said Pohl.
The lack of cruises has impacted not only the economy but also cruise lines.
Robin Penix from Dade City has been cruising for over 30 years. The cruise enthusiast is one of Pohl’s customers and is more than ready to get back on a boat.
“The last year has been dramatic for me,” said Penix. “I have a cruise for August. If that goes through, I’d like to be the first on the boat. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll have one in October. I also have one for December next year. “
Julie Gherini from Brandon is also one of Pohl’s customers. However, Gherini said she currently has no urgency to cruise.
“I’m not saying I wouldn’t sail as I would be comfortable cruising as vaccinations have been introduced,” said Gherini. “I would sail with a smaller ship because I don’t care about the huge ships with too many people.”
In the past two weeks, Pohl has booked around 25 cabins on cruise ships for 2021 and 2022. However, 2021 could be a difficult year for her as a cruise broker, Pohl said.
“We work on a commission basis and are only paid when our customers travel,” said Pohl. “However, I definitely believe we will see some really good corporate numbers in 2022 and 2023 and hopefully get back to what we were before the pandemic.”
Golin-Blueground said the return of cruise operations will be a gradual process.
“We’re not assuming that the ships will come back all at once and everything will go back to normal,” said Golin Blueground. “Of course, public health and safety is a top priority.”
When planning ahead for a cruise vacation, Harrison said, people need to take a long-term approach.
“If you plan to travel in November and spend a night or two or three nights in a hotel before you go sailing, book the hotel at the same time you book your cruise or even before you book your cruise,” said Harrison. “Make sure a hotel is available because the first part of your trip sets the tone for your entire vacation.”
Harrison also said travelers need to be more flexible while on vacation.
“We’re all still in the recruiting phase trying to find people to take on many of the positions people have been suspended or laid off in during the pandemic,” Harrison said. “People have to be more understanding.”
Port Tampa Bay expects cruise lines to resume in November. However, the exact date may change due to decisions made by health authorities and the state government.
