Tampa is the best cruise port in the world

One of the smallest cruise ports in the US's sunny state of Florida has been named the world's top cruise destination for 2024, according to a new survey. Tampa received high marks on most criteria.

British insurer Avanti Travel Insurance is behind the analysis showing Tampa is the top cruise destination in 2024. Tampa received the highest cruise index, 74, with a top score of 100. The destination was also rated as the “Most family”. Friendly,” and was number two in the “Senior Friendly” category, writes the cruise website cruise cell.

The destination is located in Tampa Bay, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico, and is about 85 miles — just under 140 kilometers — from Orlando, Florida's major theme park capital.

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The five cruise lines Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Margaritaville at Sea have a homeport for a total of eight ships in Tampa. Among the ships we find Carnival Paradise, Carnival Pride, Magic of the Seas and the Celebrity Cruises Constellation of the Seas.

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According to the Florida Seaport Mission Plan, Tampa is on track to welcome 1.1 million cruise tourists in 2024. That's far fewer than competing ports in Florida, such as Port Miami, with 7.3 million, and Port Canaveral, with 6.8 million registered in 2023. .

Cozumel and Barcelona are on the podium

Mexico's Cozumel came in second place overall, followed by Barcelona in third place. The index scores were 71.9 and 71.8, respectively.

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Both Cozumel and Barcelona scored highly in the “Most Romantic Destinations for Couples” rankings, receiving 17.2 and 20 points, respectively, out of a total of 20 points.

Barcelona remains one of the most popular tourist destinations as it has the largest cruise port in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. Barcelona is full of attractions to suit everyone, including attractions, great restaurants and nightlife, says Sarah Young, revenue director at Carnival Cruises UK, according to Cruise Hive.

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Barcelona also tops the list as the best river cruise destination, with 14.4 points (out of a total of 20 points).

Lisbon, Portugal came in second place, followed by Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Interest in cruise holidays has seen a significant rise in online searches in the UK this winter.

– It will be a peak year for cruises this year. Cruises are a very special form of holiday – there's nothing quite like a cruise. But for beginners, it can be very confusing when it comes time to book, says Kelly Johnston of Avanti Travel Insurance.

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For many, cruising means enjoying Caribbean beaches and coral beaches in the sun – but there is so much more to choose from. Image: Dreamtime

Greater selection than ever

Johnston advises prospective cruisers to look at different destinations and evaluate the ship's character before making a shortlist of cruise ships and cruise lines they would like to travel with.

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The choice has become greater with more cruise lines entering the market in recent years, such as Virgin Voyages and Ritz Carlton.

– The demographics of cruises are certainly changing as we see more non-traditional ships entering the market, such as the Ritz-Carlton, which has launched its first cruise ships, and more will arrive in 2024, says Young at Carnival Cruises UK.

The cruise port ranking methodology included collecting cruise port data and evaluating Trip Advisor reviews for each cruise ship.

Reviews and data were used to create the “Cruise Hotspot Indexes” that ranked the best cruise vacation destinations for couples, families, seniors, food and wine lovers, and travelers on a budget.