The Spirit of Tampa Sailing Into the Sunset: Tampa’s Forgotten Dinner Boat

The Dinner Cruise Ship, The Spirit of Tampa, is docked at the corner of Brorein St and Ashley Drive in Tampa. Circa 1985. © The Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

With the recent hubbub about the Cross Bay Ferry, I was reminded of another commercial marine venture back in the 1980s. In November 1983, the Spirit of Tampa, a 160-foot, three-deck cruise ship from New Bedford, Massachusetts, began offering seasonal service in Tampa during the winter months. Before that, in 1966, Lee’s Riverboat restaurant operated from that same spot, but was sold to Louis Pappa’s Riverboat, Inc. in 1967. While none of them was a ferry like the Cross Bay, they served in some of the same waters.

Each summer, The Spirit of Tampa returned to New England. Docked along the Hillsborough River at the foot of the Brorein Street Bridge (135 Ashley St.), the vessel joined a competitive market that included four other dinner boat operations in the area. The Spirit of Tampa offered scenic sunset cruises and excursions to nearby beaches, accommodating up to 650 passengers, though dinner service was limited to just 150 guests. Their highest premium offering was a seafood dinner featuring ingredients flown in from New England, priced at about $12.50. For its inaugural New Year’s Eve, the ship hosted a party cruise complete with a champagne breakfast and party favors for $25 per person. Despite its charm and competitive pricing, the Spirit of Tampa struggled financially and said bon voyage to Tampa for good in 1987.

By comparison, today’s Craft Tampa dinner cruise, which began service in March 2024, starts at $79.95 per person for a two-hour voyage, with its 2024 New Year’s Eve package—featuring a three-course meal—starting at $250 per guest, plus fees.

The new Cross Bay Ferry joint venture between the Pinellas and Hillsborough County transit authorities has an initial cost of $4.8 million for two ferries. It remains to be seen whether the controversial service will be worth the investment. The Hillsborough County Commission canceled the original contract with a private company in May 2025 due to the company's plan to replace the current boat with a slower, smaller vessel. An agreement commits Hillsborough County to transfer $4.8 million to Pinellas County Transit Authority to assist with the purchase of two new ferries to run between Downtown Tampa and St Petersburg. The new service will be a permanent offering, replacing the seasonal service from the private company. A start date has not been announced.