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How's this for a weekend getaway: You load the boat with a few friends, take a leisurely cruise on sheltered water and end up at a resort marina that offers everything from dockside room service to spa and golf course privileges. Better still, all this luxury sits right in the middle of a hip, vibrant downtown scene where you can take in concerts, major league sports and a whole range of dining and dancing indulgences.

There are actually a number of urban waterfronts that could host this type of shore leave. But in years past, Tampa and St. Petersburg would not have made that list. It was either a case of being too sedate and dated, or industrial and impersonal. Today, the times have changed and both the east and west sides of Florida's largest bay can offer a tempting assortment of upscale urban delights for visiting boaters.

We know, because not too long ago, the Motor Boating crew got a taste of Tampa Bay's downtown waterfront attractions. It began with a sea trial. But instead of the usual nuts-and-bolts run-through, I decided to turn an evaluation of Sea Ray's new 500 Sundancer into a mini vacation for some of our hard-working staffers who don't always get enough time on the water.

It couldn't have been easier, because the boat was kept bayside at MarineMax of Clearwater, and the dealership was quite amenable to our needs. And so, on a mild weekday morning in January, we found ourselves in the middle of Tampa Bay, skimming across glass-calm waters while keeping a lookout for breaching dolphin. The sunroofs were open to the mild sunshine, and we were able to maintain casual conversations above the subdued rumble of the Cummins 550s. At the helm, Capt. Keith Lake was showing off the boat's integrated Raymarine electronics package, which overlaid everything from radar and interactive e-charts to engine diagnostics on a pair of touch-screen displays.

You didn't need sophisticated navigation software to see our first destination. Just north of the distinctive St. Pete Pier, the pink bell tower of the venerable Vinoy Resort rose above the green of its namesake waterfront park. At the adjacent marina, dockmaster Wes Stevens was on hand to assist with lines — a service that hardly seemed necessary with the pinpoint control provided by joystickequipped Zeus drives. More importantly, he briefed us on the amenities made available to transient guests of the marina. Our overnight slip fee would include access to all of the Vinoy's amenities, including the fitness center, day spa, pools, tennis courts and 18-hole golf course.

By itself, the Vinoy would provide sufficient diversion for a weekend away. But its other selling point is location. Many St. Petersburg downtown attractions are within strolling distance, and the rest can be accessed by public transport, which stops right outside the hotel. Fifteen years ago, it would have been laughable to write about the lure of urban St. Pete. But the city has long since shaken its somnambulant reputation and today boasts a vibrant downtown scene that includes a weekend market, galleries, sidewalk cafes and boutique hotels. Major League Baseball is played at nearby Tropicana Field, the Salvador Dali Museum is just one of a halfdozen significant cultural venues, and there's enough night life to draw a younger, hipper crowd than the city's historic streets have seen in many a year.

Long before we ran out of potential activities, it was time to move on, because just across the bay lay another downtown Cinderella story. Once again, maneuvering around the docks was made easy by the precision of joystickcontrolled pod drives. Several female crew members who had never operated anything larger than a ski boat took turns making crosswind departures and returns look easy.

Once out in the open waters of Tampa Bay, I took the helm to put the 500 through the familiar speed and fuelconsumption paces. Having recently sea-trialed Sea Ray's new 45-foot Sundancer, which also features Zeus drives, I wasn't surprised to find that the 500 delivered sport boatlike handling, low sound levels and exemplary fuel economy. In the days before e-diesels and pod drives, I would never have believed that a boat of this size and style could deliver 30 knots while burning just 45 gallons per hour. Optimum fuel burn seemed to come around 2,700 rpm, which yielded 28 knots at just under 40 gallons per hour.

Relinquishing the helm, I headed downstairs to check sound levels in the salon and cabins. As expected, the roar of the powerful engines was muted to a background rumble, and there was almost no rattling of joints — though we were admittedly in fairly calm water.

Like other recent Sundancer models, the 500's interior blends cream-colored fabrics with dark, rich wood trim that might have turned a different boat's interior into a dreary dungeon. But the combination worked well in this case, thanks to the high volume of light brought in by the overhead hatch and the trio of large fixed ports that adorn the hull sides. The two-cabin, two-head arrangement would certainly provide ample privacy for two couples, with a pullout couch in the salon for spares.

Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the 500's layout is the way common areas are addressed, both above and below. A half-dozen friends could gather downstairs in the salon for drinks, while a dozen more could lounge in the central and aft lounge areas of the deck. When at rest, the dual-wide helm seat can be pivoted to create a starboardside settee, further opening up the central cockpit, while the aft deck can transform into a summer kitchen, complete with the option of an electric grill, wet bar, refrigerator and bulkhead-mounted flat-screen monitor.

After detouring northward for a lunch stop at a popular dockside pub near the Gandy causeway, we made our way around the peninsula housing MacDill Air Force Base and into Hillsborough Bay. Historically, the northeastern reaches of the bay were a working waterfront, and the shoreline still sports an interesting assortment of cranes and commercial wharfs. But these days, you are as likely to cross paths with a cruise ship as a bulk carrier, and the arrival of these fun ships has transformed Tampa's downtown waterfront from pure business into an entertainment district — and one of the city's most desirable addresses.

To the west, Bayshore Boulevard is still home to some vintage water-view mansions, but much of the new money has migrated to the exclusive confines of Harbor Island. As we idled north toward the mouth of the Hillsborough River with Harbor Island to starboard, Lake provided a running commentary on the who's who of the waterfront. The register ran the gamut from professional ballplayers to captains of industry; most all had one or more boats docked out front. A surprising number of these were Sea Rays.

"We have a really strong brand presence on the bay," Lake told me. "We do sell a fair number of flybridge models, but this is really a great environment for an express boat. You have the speed to island hop, a low profile for the area's fixed bridges and an open, hard-top layout that lets the captain be part of the party but can also provide climate control and shelter if you get caught out in a rain squall."

The Tampa skyline has a sufficient number of high-rises to give it a big-city feel. The heart of this urban cluster sits at the northern tip of Hillsborough Bay, flanked by the namesake river to the east and a commercial channel to the west, where cruise ships now dock. With the cruising crowds came redevelopment, and during the past two decades, the waterfront wharfs were transformed into a fun zone that includes the Florida Aquarium, the Channelside complex of shops and eateries, and the Ice Palace, which is home to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Also within easy striking distance is the historic Ybor City district.

Right at the mouth of the river, and in the thick of the action, Tampa's Department of Parks and Recreation maintains a 28-slip dock adjacent to a small urban park and the Convention Center. The dock is a great way to access downtown for a day trip, but it does not have water or power and is not intended for overnight stays.

For longer-term stays, one need simply turn right and head under the Franklin Street Bridge. Here, the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel presides over the Channelside district, offering a full range of amenities that include a 32-slip, full-service marina. This would be our destination, and our base of operations for forays into downtown and beyond. During big games and events such as Gasparilla Days, this marina books up months in advance. But at other times, there are usually a few open slips to be had.

At both the Vinoy and the Marriott, we were pleased to discover that slip fees were reasonable ($2 a foot), and when considering the amenities that accompanied slip privileges, dockage seemed like a real bargain. Anyone passing through the Tampa Bay area — as well as area locals who are looking for a change of pace from the usual beach-side venues — should consider a few days of shore leave in the downtown districts of St. Pete and Tampa, where getting away can put you right in the center of the action.