Just returned from a 5 night out of Tampa. We stayed in the Hampton inn in Ybor city which had a cruise special for around 120 a night. It was a great choice as we enjoyed meeting old friends and family the night before and morning before cruise. Ybor has a lot of restaurants and entertainment, and it was all with walking distance. There was a free shuttle to port which took only a few minutes.
Embarkation at about 1:30pm was a breeze.
It was spring a break, and the fellow pax were about 75% college aged. We are 40 and 48, and were in the minority. Nevertheless exposure to youth was a refreshing change of pace from the usual experience. My sympathies to the crew and security...rowdy bunch!