Tiki Boat Cruise Tampa: BYO Drinks on Hillsborough River

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Duration1h 30m

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Drift past skyscrapers and the Riverwalk with your own drinks, a cooler of ice, and a captain at the helm

A 90-minute cruise on a floating tiki bar down the Hillsborough River in Tampa, piloted by a USCG-certified captain, lets you bring your own alcoholic beverages and food while drifting past downtown landmarks, the Riverwalk, Amalie Arena and the Straz Center. The boat includes a cooler with ice and a Bluetooth radio so you can play your own music; children age 6 and up are welcome.

1h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Cruise Tampa Riverwalk and landmarks

Meet at Waterworks Park Boat Dock
Bring your own drinks aboard
Cruise Tampa's Downtown Riverwalk
Cruise by Straz Center
Cruise by Amalie Arena

The Experience

You meet the tiki boat at Waterworks Park Boat Dock, just south of Armature Works, and board with whatever drinks and snacks you've brought. The captain—licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard—takes the helm while you settle in with your group. For the next 90 minutes, the boat drifts down the Hillsborough River past downtown Tampa's skyline, the Tampa Riverwalk, and the neighborhoods where locals actually eat and drink. You pass Amalie Arena and the Straz Center, close enough to see them from the water but far enough to feel like you're moving through the city instead of standing in line outside it.

The boat comes equipped with a cooler full of ice and a Bluetooth radio—plug in your phone and play whatever you want. There's no canned playlist, no bartender upselling you on top-shelf pours, no cover charge. Bring your own beer, wine, spirits, whatever fits your budget and your taste. Bring snacks too. The whole point is that you're not paying land-bar prices for drinks you could've brought yourself. Groups often book this before a game at Amalie Arena or a show at the Straz Center, turning a cruise into a pre-event tailgate that actually moves.

Service animals are allowed, and the boat works for all fitness levels. Public transit options are nearby if you don't have a car. If you want to add a gratuity for the captain, you can do that at checkout.

What’s included

USCG-certified captain piloting the boat.
cooler with ice.
Bluetooth radio for your music.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Cruisin Tikis Clearwater

Is this one for you?If you've got a free afternoon or a couple hours before a game and you're tired of paying bar prices for drinks you could bring yourself, this boat removes the markup and the land-bar wait. The captain handles navigation and safety while you control what you drink, what you eat, and what plays—the only floating tiki bar in Tampa where that's actually possible.