Arriving EXTRA early at the Tampa port?

[cocobam]

We're looking forward to our very first cruise on the Carnival Legend next month. Embarkation officially begins at 12:30, but I've read here that it really begins closer to 11:30, and it sounds like there is some specific waiting area for Carnival that opens at 10:30. We'll be flying in the night before and waking up in Tampa the morning of our cruise excited and ready to go, and I'm wondering if we can get to the port area even before 10:30 just to walk around and explore. We've got three young children, and I'm sure they would enjoy walking around and looking at the ships.

 

I'm having a hard time picturing the port area. We will be arriving there by taxi. Is there a Carnival building that we will want to go inside, but they won't let us in until 10:30? If so, can we check in our luggage before that, or do we have to get inside the building at 10:30 to do that? How far will we have to carry our luggage between the taxi and wherever we check it in? And can we even walk around and look at the ships, or can we only access that area after going through the Carnival check in?

[spbflseas]

The Legend departs from a pier in downtown Tampa. Literally on the pier where Legend departs is the Channelside shopping complex. They have restaurants, bars, a movie theater and some shops. On the other side of the terminal is the Florida Aquarium. So there is stuff there, but typically, you can get into the port building fairly early. We live in Tampa and have departed from here twice. I think we arrived between 10:00 am and 10:30 both times. Both times we were able to get in the terminal, check in and then sit in the waiting area until the ship was cleared, right around 11:30 am. There is a good article about things to do in Tampa at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1227720/a_travel_guide_for_tampa_bay_florida.html?cat=16