UPDATE: Looks like there was a bit of a ‘misunderstanding’:
via Cruise Currents:
The original press release made by the Port of Tampa stated that AIDA Cruises would begin home porting two ships in Tampa beginning in 2014 through 2016. AIDA Cruises later announced that the port had misunderstood their intentions, claiming that they only intend to call in the port, not embark and disembark passengers as a home port would.
German line AIDA have announced that they will homeport both the AIDAvita and AIDAmar in Tampa, FL.
Together, both ships will sail 11 voyages throughout the Caribbean with the AIDAvita’s starting in December 2014. AIDA has in recent years, really been focusing on cruises out of American ports.
photo via wikimedia