Cruising out of NYC

Over the past several years I have travelled hither, thither and yon to various and sundry places on the globe.  One of my favorite ways of travelling is to take an ocean cruise.  In the course of my travels I have sailed out of Seward down the Alaskan coast to Vancouver; from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan; from LA to Miami through the Panama Canal; from Barcelona to Malta, Naples, Civitavecchia, Florence and the French Riviera; from New Orleans to Cozumel, Belize City, and San Tomas in Costa Rica; and from Port Lauderdale to Jamaica, the Caymans and St. Kitts.  All of these trips have been great, and I would not have traded those experiences for anything, but I have to admit...I like sailing out of my hometown: New York City and its environs.  And it is now possible to do that year round.   


There are three places to embark on a cruise in the metropolitan area. I have experienced two of the three...hopefully next year I will actually get to depart from the third.

Norwegian Cruise Lines...my normal "go-to" cruise line, docks at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on the Westside in the 40's.  This facility has space for four cruise ships to dock at one time.  We were actually caught in a nightmare of a traffic jam one Sunday when four ships: an NCL, a Carnival, a Celebrity and the Queen Mary were all docked and loading on board.  We were attempting to get to my Uncle Bill's 80th birthday party and were snarled on the west side for 45 minutes longer than necessary...but it was nice seeing all those lovely ships there at one time...kind of a mixed blessing.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has made a long term commitment to New York City making year round cruising available from this port city.  There are at least two NCL ships in port on any given weekend. The Breakaway is stationed here all year long.  It is currently out on a two night "Cruise to Nowhere" returning early tomorrow morning only to clean up and restock to cruise to the Caribbean on Sunday afternoon.  In the fall she will begin sailing to Port Canaveral, an island near Eluthera and then Nassau for a weekly trip until the end of April when she starts her Bermuda runs.



 I sailed from Southampton in England to NYC on her maiden voyage and loved it. When October rolls around the cycle starts again. My travelling peeps: Paul and Diane and I will be taking one of those cruises out of NYC to Nassau in a few weeks to get away from the dreary North American winters. The NCL Gem also ports in NYC and sails to the Eastern Caribbean.  It is also one of the nicest ships in the NCL fleet.  I took a cruise on the NCL Gem to Bermuda recently and actually took the ferry to the #1 train to 51st Street and walked to the ship.  It was quick and easy.


The NCL Gem

                                                                                                














And there are not just the normal US friendly cruise lines that dock in Manhattan.  The Aida Cruise Line, a German company, docks in NYC in the summer and early autumn months with cruisers on their way back from or going to the warm Caribbean...they come to NYC to shop, so the ship docks for two whole days. Their ships also have a distinctive "look"..each one has a set of ruby red lips and "Cleopatra" eyes...kind of scary for the kids...but fun none the less. I also think that stopping in Manhattan makes the crew happy...they get to  catch up with friends and family here and in Europe by phone and also shop, albeit for essentials as opposed to designer handbags. 

Both Princess and Cunard use the new Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. It is a wonderful facility in Red Hook. It is facing Buttermilk Channel and looks at the back of Governor's Island.  Big ships like the Cunard's Queens can fit here with ease.  One of the most exciting nights happened a few years a go in NYC when all three Queens: Mary, Elizabeth and Victoria, were in port at the same time! What a magnificent sight! The Queens do Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean as well as Canadian cruises in the fall. I took a fall cruise to New England and Canada from there on the Caribbean Princess and actually liked it better than Manhattan....faster in and out.


 

The third terminal is in Bayonne, NJ where the US military used to have a port to ship supplies around the globe. Our cousin Charles worked there in both a military and civilian capacity until its closing.  The city of Bayonne took it over and turned it into a cruise port called Cape Liberty Cruise Port.  Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise out of this port. I can actually see them when I walk to the SI ferry, or from my deck on Sunday afternoon as they leave.




So, one can see why this town is a great place to cruise from: no hotel or airfare to pay...several options on ports to visit....different curise lines with different levels of service and destinations. What is not to like?  Try it...you will like it.