Fog issues in Tampa

[Izziebella]

I believe it was last fall when I started hearing about fog really making things complicated in Tampa. The ships weren't able to pull back into port on time and thus debarkation would run hours late.

Anyone know if this is a normal issue in Tampa in the fall?

[Keith1010]

It is very typical of this port.

 

Keith

[mizzoufinal4]

This happened to us on Jewel of the seas two years ago. We even rescheduled our flight whil eon the ship for 3:50 conciere said we would make that easy! lol Well the ship did not dock will 3 pm. Luckilly we were staying in a suite and had priority debarkation so we were litterally the first ones off the ship, told the taxi driver to make it to the airport as fast as he could ( he went 90 on the hwy), got through security and was litterally the last ones on hte plane 5 minutes before take off.

I would not book a flight outta Tampa till 4pm ever again just to be carefull.

Last year we went on the same cruise and were at the airport by 8 am. You just never know! but $500 in airfare change fees later I learned my lesson and gladdly waited hours for our flight.

[Capt_BJ]

I worked on a ship out of Tampa Bay and only recall our being impacted by fog one time and that was in the winter. I certainly REMEMBER more foggy days but only being directly impacted once.

 

A quick search for "tampa bay fog" brings up 3 sets of news reports of cruise ship delays, which make for better press now a days than it did b4 ?@!$

 

18 FEB 12, 3 JAN13, 10 APRIL 13 ... and at least one of these mentions "happened last week " too ... this SUGGESTS winter into early Spring being the 'fog problem' time

.. cold wet air over warm bay waters = fog ..

 

ALTHO TONIGHT'S weather for the Tampa area mentions fog!!!!

 

*****

 

the REAL issue not the fog itself, but the transit from sea to the terminal for Tampa is LONG and somewhat complicated (water depth outside the channels is shallow, the route is unforgiving) AND there is a history of some pretty significant marine boo-boos in Tampa Bay: ship collision resulting in sinking of USCGC BLACKTHORN, ship allision with Skyway Bridge causing bridge to collapse, and a pretty dramatic collision between barges, one full of gasoline resulting in BIG BOOM and fire. So they tend to try and play things safer around Tampa now . . . maybe a wee bit more cautious than some other ports.