The Tampa terminal will remain in front of the Tampa Convention Center.
The service will replace the former Cross Bay Ferry, which first launched in 2016 with a leased vessel and generally operated seasonally before expanding to year-round service during its final season.
The route ended in 2025 after Hillsborough County commissioners voted to terminate their agreement with former operator HMS Ferries.
PSTA selected Hubbard’s Ferry last year to operate the new service.
Unlike the previous ferry, the Tampa Bay Ferry will begin with vessels owned by PSTA, a change officials believe will provide more dependable service.
The agency used a $4.8 million Federal Transit Administration grant, originally awarded in 2021, to purchase two vessels with guidance from the Hubbard family.
The 250-passenger Bay Breeze has arrived at Tarpon Marine Services in Tarpon Springs for inspections and refurbishment. A second vessel, the 149-passenger Bay Clipper, formerly known as the San Juan Clipper, is also being refurbished there.