The Lost Pearl

Tampa’s Only Pirate Ship: The Lost Pearl

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Gather up your young scallywags and join the swashbuckling krewe of the Lost Pearl for an unforgettable 90-minute cruise out of downtown Tampa!

This is the perfect way to impress your guests or even just enjoy a day out on the water with the kids. We got a chance to set sail with the Lost Pearl’s very own Captain Terrible T.J. to see what he and his krewe have in store for you.

Tampa’s Only Pirate Ship: The Lost Pearl

Okay, Captain—what can families expect when they step aboard your ship?

Captain Terrible T.J.: Guests who come aboard are recruited to join our pirate crew and actively defend the ship against invaders who may be coming to steal our treasure. We provide pirate training activities, which are a bunch of fun, active, hands-on activities, and ultimately train our young scallywags to man our water cannons in defense of the ship from invaders, which typically are Pirate Water Taxis or Yacht StarShip.

Let's talk about some of the things that we can see in the water. It’s almost like a nature cruise too.

Captain Terrible T.J.: That is correct. The Tampa Bay is the largest estuary in Florida. And as a result, there's a lot of diverse wildlife that calls the Bay home. We've seen Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, manatees, spotted eagle rays, cow nose rays. There are spinner sharks that do a pirouette as they jump out of the water as they chase after fish. Half of the entire population of the brown pelican calls Tampa Bay home. So pelicans will be diving into the water, going after schooling fish. And because this ship is so tall, we're able to get an amazing view of the area around which we're traveling.

The Lost Pearl

This is also a fun chance to see the Port in action!

Captain Terrible T.J.: We do spend a certain amount of time cruising through Port Tampa Bay, our commercial seaport, and you'll see large container ships. You'll see petroleum vessels coming in and out of the Harbor.

You may even see some low-flying aircraft as they go in and out of MacDill Air Force Base, Peter O'Knight or Tampa General Hospital. It's always something different. Every cruise, although we operate in the same general area, we alter course to show off the most interesting things happening in the harbor at the time.

Any favorite Tampa pirate stories?

Captain Terrible T.J.: Well, I think my favorite pirate story is about how Gasparilla got started.

And it was pretty much a marketing ploy to advertise Tampa and get the word out. Just like Henry Plant built unusual architecture hotels along his railway to get people talking about it, the Gasparilla pirate lore was to entice people to visit Tampa. And now we're known for our pirates, and this is downtown Tampa's only pirate ship.

Tampa’s Only Pirate Ship: The Lost Pearl

It looks like you have some fun in store for guests on their special event cruise on July 4!

Captain Terrible T.J.: July Fourth is, in particular, just a lot of fun on board this ship. The open deck provides amazing fireworks viewing, and this ship will be front and center in the holiday boat parade, leading the ships as we make a loop around Harbor Island to Sparkman Wharf.

 

Lost Pearl Quick Facts:

  • FAMILY-OWNED: The Lost Pearl is part of the local family-owned Manthey Hospitality fleet of ships, which also includes Pirate Water Taxi, Yacht StarShip and Craft.
  • LOCATION: Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin St., Tampa, FL 33602 (Pirate Water Taxi’s Stop 7 Dock)
  • PARKING: Several nearby parking garages are available, including Tampa Convention Center Garage, Pam Iorio Parking Garage and Fort Brooke Garage.
  • WHEN TO ARRIVE FOR CRUISE: Boarding will begin 15 minutes prior to the scheduled cruise time. Please allow extra time for parking and traffic.
  • FOOD AND DRINKS: Your full-priced admission includes complimentary soda, domestic beer, house wine and house spirits. Snacks are available for purchase.
  • TICKETS: Adult: Starts at $35* | Child (ages 2-12): Starts at $30 | Infant (under 2): Starts at $12*  *Plus tax and fees
  • DON’T MISS THIS LIMITED-TIME DEAL: Summer Sail-ebration and enjoy BOGO 50%* off all public pirate adventure cruises through Sept. 1, 2025
  • WHEELS FRIENDLY: The Lost Pearl is stroller, wheelchair and mobility scooter friendly.


LEARN MORE: TampaPirateShip.com

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*Presented by Lost Pearl | Originally published in the July 2025 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.