Miami and Tampa are two of the busiest cruise ports in the US. But it is worth exploring the cities before or after your sailing on a cruise and stay deal.
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When booking a cruise, your holiday doesn’t have to start as you get on the ship or even when you disembark.
Instead, many passengers choose to combine a land-based holiday either pre or post-cruise.
Data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), based on 2025 passenger data, found 64 per cent stayed at least one night in the cruise port city before or after their sailing. Another 15 per cent stayed one night before and one night after.
This has given rise to what tour operators and travel operators described as cruise and stay packages, with many offering deals that combine both.
You can also build you own deal by booking flights, hotels and cruises separately.
Arriving at or close to a cruise port ahead of your sailing can help you acclimatise to the different weather or timezone, or just ensure you don’t miss the ship’s departure.
Extending your trip on land after disembarking from a cruise can also give you more time to explore the final port on your itinerary or venture further.
I have spent a lot of time around the US covering major cruise ship launches such as MSC World America and Norwegian Luna to embark on Caribbean cruises in the popular Florida port of Miami before heading across the Floridan coast in Tampa for land-based stays where it can be cheaper and quicker to fly home to the UK.
But there is not always a rush to go home.
Here is where I would choose to cruise and stay in the popular ports of Miami and Tampa.
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Miami is the largest cruise port in the world, serving around 8.5 million passengers a year.
Many embark on Caribbean and US sailings from PortMiami with popular cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Disney, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
I’ve sailed on MSC World America and Norwegian Luna on round-trip sailings from Miami.
But there is much more to do among the palm-tree lined streets of the city beyond getting on or off a ship.
Driving along the MacArthur Causeway that runs by the port, I have often enjoyed ship-spotting both before and after a cruise. You may be lucky enough to see some of the world’s largest and newest cruise ships such as Icon of the Seas and Celebrity Xcel waiting in the water at the start or end of a sailing.
I am often drawn towards South Beach on a visit to Miami. Just a 15-minute drive from the cruise terminal, you get expansive beaches where you can swim and spot more ships sailing in the distance. There is also Muscle Beach, where I have spent too many afternoons trying to conquer the monkey bars.
Once you are done exercising, you can bolster your history knowledge with an Art Deco tour, where guides point out the 1920s architecture and the history behind some of the most colourful buildings on the stretch. Highlights include the Versace mansion and the Breakwater Hotel, which has a nautical blue, white and yellow facade, as well as a large spire in the centre, making it look like a large ship’s sail.
With temperatures reaching 32C in the summer and high levels of humidity, it’s worth planning some indoor activities, although I would recommend taking an extra layer. The climate can often change from fiery outside to frozen once you enter a building when the air conditioning kicks in.
An immersive indoor option just 10 minutes from PortMiami is the Frost Science Museum, which showcases the abilities of the body and mind. Visitors can learn the art of parkour or try to beat the 11-minute world record for holding their breath. There is also a cool planetarium that teaches you about the history of earth and stars. Conveniently for cruise guests, there is luggage storage if you are stopping by on the way to or from a cruise.
You can also opt for a more adventurous afternoon at the iFly Skydiving centre, where instructors will teach you how to fly in a wind tunnel and will even put on a show for you. Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class ships such as Anthem of the Seas already have smaller versions of the iFly tunnels on board, but this could be worth a visit if you didn’t have the option or missed out during your sailing.
It is worth venturing out of the centre of Miami for quieter venues. I spent a day with my family this summer at Kings Doral, a retro bowling and arcade venue with a wide choice of neon-lit lanes, comfortable leather seating and even a karaoke room just 20 minutes outside the centre. Other family-friendly options include Escapology escape rooms next door.
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Miami is an expensive city to dine in, but there are ways to keep your costs down such as by stocking up in the supermarkets and finding independent brands rather than large chains.
If you are travelling in August and September it is also worth looking out for restaurants involved in Miami Spice. This is an annual event where restaurants offer a reduced fixed price lunch, and menus with discounts of at least 30 per cent.
Hundreds of restaurants are involved, including some at the Aventura Mall, the largest shopping centre in Florida, so you can browse and break bread. I had a delicious three-course lunch at Eataly in the mall for just $40 per person, which included fresh bruschetta, homemade gnocchi and a delicious affogato. There is also a $14 kids’ menu featuring a bunny-shaped pizza.
You can also be more adventurous in Aventura at Jarana, which specialises in Peruvian dishes such as smoky roast chicken and fresh tuna tacos all washed down with the native sweet pesco spirit. Its Miami Spice menu is $50 per person for three courses.
For a more dressed-up evening, the upmarket French Mediterranean-style LPM Restaurant in Brickell, Miami, also takes part in the Spice season with a three-course $65 per person menu. I recommend the succulent sea bass and burrata.
Backing onto its own private area of South Beach, the Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel feels like you are staying in a luxury surf club with giant lit-up boards on the wall and light, sandy decor. Spacious family rooms can sleep four and there are private pool cabanas and free bike rentals for two hours so you can explore the city and beat the traffic. The hotel is also just 10 to 30 minutes away from the cruise terminal depending on the time of day. Rooms start from £180 per night.
If you want a closer option to the cruise port, the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay is just a 10-minute taxi ride from the port. It has plenty of space to relax, including a rooftop bar with a great view of the Miami skyline, and the swimming pool beside a bright tropical-themed mural. Rooms start at £116 per night.
Port Tampa Bay welcomed a record 1.8 million cruise passengers in 2025 across its three terminals.
Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Margaritaville at Sea regularly use the port for western Caribbean or central American sailings.
Staying in Tampa can be crowded and pricey but just a 20-minute drive across the bay, St Pete-Clearwater offers a quieter and more serene alternative. There are also plans for a ferry route between the destinations later this year.
St Pete’s soft white sandy beaches and relaxed family-friendly activities make it one of my favourite parts of the US.
St Pete benefits from the calm warm waters of the gulf coast, so it is a perfect place for activities such as paddle boarding or kayaking on the calm sea.
Its fiery sunsets at the one-mile stretch of Pass-a-Grille beach are unrivalled and there is a strong arts scene with activities such as candle-making at Sea Love in the Edinburgh-inspired Dunedin area and stained glass-making at Glass of Life, where you can take your creation away on the same day.
You can also immerse yourself in the history of the region by visiting the St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club. Founded in 1924, it is the oldest shuffleboard club in the world and where the rules of the global game were established.
The grouper fish sandwich is a must-try lunchtime staple in St Pete, served at restaurants such as Caddy’s on Treasure Island that overlooks the sandy beach.
Alternatively, Perry’s Porch, just by the St Petersburg Museum of History on St Pete Pier does a great snapper sandwich and a brilliant bread with specialty butter.