Port Tampa Bay Plans Fourth Cruise Terminal as Passenger Numbers Hit Record Levels

Port Tampa Bay has announced plans for a fourth cruise terminal after a year of record growth.

According to a 10 Tampa Bay (WTSP) report, passenger totals reached 1.66 million in 2025. The port is on pace to reach close to 1.8 million passengers this year. March set a new record with 51 cruise ship calls.

The three existing terminals at Port Tampa Bay are at or near capacity, prompting the port to turn away itineraries as demand remains strong and the Channelside area undergoes a transformation.

According to 10 Tampa Bay, the proposed fourth terminal would be built on the north end of the channel, north of the current terminals. Planning is already underway to conduct traffic flow, parking, and passenger access studies.

The new terminal could add up to 200 ship calls per year and bring more than 1 million additional passengers annually. 

“We might be two and a half or three years away, but this is going to be the combination that's going to allow us to expand our cruise industry, generate more jobs, and create an economic impact in the region,” said Raul Alfonso, Port Tampa Bay's executive vice president and chief commercial officer, in a statement shared with 10 Tampa Bay.

Even with a fourth terminal, access may be limited by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Despite that limitation, Alfonso believes that Tampa specializes in midsize ships carrying approximately 2,500 to 3,000 passengers.

Port Tampa Bay serves as homeport for five lines — Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Margaritaville at Sea, and Norwegian — with itineraries to the Western and Eastern Caribbean, according to a Cruise Critic report.

Local support for the expansion highlights the benefits to travel options and businesses. Some residents, however, have raised concerns about increased traffic and congestion from additional cruise activity in the area.

Officials expect the new terminal to be completed in approximately three years, although a construction timeline has not yet been released.

The proposed expansion at Port Tampa Bay comes amid another state expansion project that is not moving forward. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation blocking the Skyway Port project in Manatee County. That project would have permitted larger ships to dock on the Gulf side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.