Cruise & Cruise Line

Two Royal Caribbean Ships to Call Tampa Home for 2025-26 Winter Season

Image: Rhapsody of the Seas. (Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
Image: Rhapsody of the Seas. (Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 3:20 PM ET, Wed November 22, 2023

Tampa might be one of the most underused ports in Florida.

Royal Caribbean is hoping to do something about that.

There’s just one small catch.

Two Royal Caribbean ships will call Tampa home for the 2025-26 winter season, but they are two of the oldest boats in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

Rhapsody of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas will sail from the Port of Tampa on six- to eight-night cruises in 2025-26.

This doesn’t mean that Tampa is getting the bottom of the Royal Caribbean barrel, so to speak. These ships are just older, smaller and less grandiose than other ships in the cruise line’s fleet. 

Rhapsody of the Seas will sail to Belize City, Belize; Costa Maya, Cozumel, George Town, and Roatan. Grandeur of the Seas goes to the Bahamas, Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel, Perfect Day at CocoCay – the private island owned by Royal Caribbean -- and Roatan.

The two boats are Vision Class ships. They each can carry from 2,000 to 2,400 passengers.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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