- March 28, 2024
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TAMPA — When it comes to cruising, Florida is still king.
The Sunshine State remained the go-to state for cruising in 2012, with Tampa and three other Florida ports among the nation's top 10, says a report by a cruise lines industry group.
Cruise lines generated $7.6 billion in direct spending in Florida last year, as 6.1 billion people embarked on cruises from Miami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral and Tampa, says the Cruise Lines International Association report.
While Tampa is among the 10 most active cruise ports in the nation, it trails the other three Florida ports, which lead the U.S.
Embarkations in Tampa grew 8.5% in 2012 over the previous year. Nearly 490,000 people traveled from Tampa, served by Carnival Corp., Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Florida accounted for 36% of the $19.6 billion spent across the country, with about 131,000 Floridians employed by cruise lines, says the report.
Locally, port officials, in a report last month, say cruise activity contributed $380 million to the Tampa area economy, with about $91 million in wages and salaries.
Miami, the top cruise port in the U.S., saw a 5.8% drop in embarkations last year to nearly 1.9 million. Port Canaveral led Florida in growth with a 15% increase, to 1.7 million embarkations.
The nation's top ports, top to bottom, are Miami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral, Galveston, Texas, New York, New Orleans, Tampa, Seattle, Long Beach, Calif., and Baltimore.