The cruise industry here in New York has evolved rapidly over the last 30 years ,
with the ships getting bigger and the trends evolving NYC has had to keep up with the pace with lager ports on the east coast like Ft. Lauderdale and Miami down in Florida.
Here in New York City the arrivals change throughout the season with more ships calling in the Spring and Summer Months starting in March through October from there some ships re-position to Florida.
In the cold winter months Norwegian Cruise Lines has 2 deployed ships for year round cruising from New York to the Caribbean Norwegian Gem which offers 7 day round trip voyages to Orlando & Beaches (Port Canaveral ,Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas & Nassau, Bahamas , Norwegian Gem also offers in the fall a New England & Canada route in the fall visiting Halifax, Saint John , Bar Harbor & Boston.
Norwegian Jewel which has returned to NY for a short time and will soon in May be replaced by the new flagship Norwegian Breakaway which will be home ported year round from Manhattan and will sail to Bermuda and the Caribbean starting in October of 2013.
In the past New York was once the hub of the world where we had hundreds of passenger liners and ships from across the world ,today that legacy still continues with many ships from various Cruise Lines making their stop New York from world cruise port of calls to seasonal deployments.
In the spring and summer months is where we see the melting pot of all the great ships coming in and out of New York on their routine itineraries , this year we are in for a big surprise as this year is what I call “ Capital ship central.” Yes and when I mean by that I mean all of the big ones are coming to New York offering itineraries to the Caribbean , Bermuda and beyond and with some of the largest passenger capacity's to date.
Carnival Splendor in March replacing Miracle in March at 113,323 GT 3,006 passenger capacity
Norwegian Breakaway at 146,600 GT 4,500 Passenger capacity , Carnival
Glory returning in July at 110,000 GT 2,974 passenger Capacity
Last year we had the classic looking Disney Magic based her from May til late September of 2012 doing Caribbean sailing and in the fall a New England , Canada route , loved seeing her leave NYC reminded me of when the classic twin funneled ships of yesteryear used to to the same route such as the SS United States , SS Independence & Constitution & the regal SS Norway /SS France.
Speaking of Ocean liners New York is the official 2nd home to the Queen Mary 2 which has its parking space conveniently at the Brooklyn Cruise terminal doing its routine Trans Atlantic crossings / Northern Europe visits , Canada New England/Transatlantic/Northern Europe in the fall & then to the Caribbean and England in the fall.
Brooklyn also has 2 Princess the Emerald and Caribbean Princess which will be doing Caribbean and New England / Canada routes in the fall starting in September.
The vast thing that has changed about cruising out of New York is not so much the variety of ships that are visiting its the destinations and ports of call the lines have to offer such as the beautiful cities of Boston , Baltimore , Bar Harbor Maine , Halifax , Quebec city , Charlottetown all rich with history and must see attractions.
The main lines that sail out of New York , or simply titled "Home ported." Cruise lines are
Norwegian Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line
Crystal Cruises
Cunard Line
Holland America Line
Princess Cruises
The PORT OF CALL CRUISE LINES:
Aida Cruises
Fred Olsen Cruise Line
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Hurtigruten
Japan Grace Ltd
MSC Cruises
Norwegian Costal Voyages
NYK Cruises
P & O Cruises
Phoenix Reisen Cruises
Regent SevenCruises
Residence at sea
Saga Cruises
Silversea Cruises
Oceania Cruises
Aida cruises is stepping up the plate with offering cruises out of New York to the in September through October with its 2 Sphinx class ships AidaLuna and AidaBella with AidaLuna visiting NYC/Bermuda/Bahamas/Mid-Atlantic States and AidaBella doing the New England , Canada route.
The best experience of all is the sail away from New York , following the foot steps and the route so many have traveled in the bygone age of travel , to see the majestic skyline of New York with the Empire State Building and the rising new WTC1 tower and with the Jersey sights of Hoboken and Jersey city on the right hand side only to sail out into the harbor with the many boats and on lookers and to top it all off with sailing under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into the great wide ocean and New York in the horizon on the stern , for 1st time visitors taking this experience its best experienced on the Lido deck , mid ships section and bow section to get a full 360 degree view of the action.
Travel 101: HOW TO GET TO AND FROM THE TERMINALS
Here's a 101 on how to get to and from the Cruise Terminals in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
For those whom are visiting New York for the 1st time and need to know the landscape , getting to the Manhattan terminal is easy due to it being conveniently located at the edge of West 51st street off of 12th avenue.
To get there you can either take a cab walk there there's unfortunately no Subway stop on the edge of 12 ave the other way to get there quickly from NJ is by NY water way taxi from port imperial to
Midtown / W. 39th St.
The Brooklyn cruise terminal is located on
Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, 72 Bowne Street, New York, NY
The Ikea water taxi offers a quick and effective way to get to and from Red hook to & from Lower Manhattan at Pier 11 off of South Street in the South Street Seaport area.
in less than 30 mins , it also offers a stunning of the harbor & skyline as well as a grand view of Queen Mary 2 docked at the terminal as well as the other ships that dock there as well .
I leave you all with a Bon voyage and smooth sailing to these great regions .
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