Forget the Gateway Expressway, we’ll take a casual ferry ride to our neighbors in St. Pete any day. The Cross-Bay Ferry, a new mode of transportation that travels between downtown Tampa (333 S Franklin Street) and downtown St. Pete (250 8th Ave SE), will end its 2023-24 season June 15. It will return in the fall of 2024 (sometime in late October/early November).
The ferry has bike racks on board and is dog-friendly. Passengers can take advantage of the onboard bar. There are plenty of seats inside the ferry, with additional seating on the front and back of the ferry, in addition to covered seating on the upper deck.
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- Adults $24
- Senior (65+), Military, and College Student (w/ ID)*: $22
- Youth (5 – 18): $20
- Wheelchair: $10
- Children (4 years and under)*: Free
Connecting Tampa Bay’s two bustling downtowns
Organizers just announced a special event on board the ferry with the Tampa Bay Rays street team and mascots, Raymond and DJ Kitty. Set sail on the 4:45pm St. Pete departure or the 6:15pm Tampa departure on Friday, May 17 to join in on the festivities. Riders can score free swag and have the chance to win autographed baseballs and other fun surprises. You’ll want to reserve your tickets online before they sell out.
The Cross Bay Ferry is a unique public-private partnership between Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and HMS Ferries designed to provide a new transit connection for residents and tourists to visit their favorite destinations, explore Tampa and St. Petersburg, and continue to drive economic development on both sides of the Cross Bay Ferry connection. And the early benefits of ferry service are just the beginning of what the future can hold for St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Pinellas and Hillsborough.
Plans are in the works for year-round service between the two cities, with expansion plans to MacDill AFB, and potentially the Sarasota area. 
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