Downtown Organizations Collaborate to Give AIDA Passengers a Taste of Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. (November 25, 2015) Today marked the first sailing for the German cruise line AIDAVita 2015/2016 season. Each month between November and March, 1,200-1,400 passengers disembark at the cruise terminal in Downtown Tampa, eager for a day of fun.

Over the past six months, local organizations including the Tampa Downtown Partnership, Visit Tampa Bay, the St. Pete Clearwater CVB, Ybor Chamber, and others have been planning ways in which to engage the visitors.

“Businesses have been prompted to open earlier; HART opened up the streetcar for morning use by the passengers, and staffed the streetcar stop with staff members to aid with ticket purchases; native German speakers and students at the nearby universities have been trained as tour guides; and committees have worked with AIDA, its excursion agent, and the local excursion management company to build plans that keep the passengers closer to Downtown so that they can make the most of their time here. It is great to see the collaboration between the agencies. Building positive experiences for the travelers prompts AIDA to continue to consider Tampa as a port of call, not to mention capitalize on the return visit potential for the cruisers,” said the Tampa Downtown Partnership AIDA Committee Chair Sarah Lindemuth.

The ship departs from Miami prior to arriving in Tampa, and then sails on to New Orleans, Cozumel and Key West before returning to Miami.