New York Cruise News & Views
The first person to sail into New York harbor was Henry Hudson aboard the Half Moon in 1609. While his visit was less than idyllic -- he reported numerous fights with natives, killing, drunkenness, looting and kidnapping – Hudson set the stage for what became one of the greatest ports in the world.
When sailing in and out of my city, passengers silently line the decks as the ship slowly sails beneath the Verrazano Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty and the towering canyons of Manhattan. Cruise passengers are continuing a 400-year tradition in the steps of Hudson and the millions of visitors and immigrants who followed him; perhaps your ancestors' first taste of the New World was the bustling port of New York.
While the invention of airplane jet engines resulted in the demise of the great liners that plied the transatlantic route between Europe and New York in the first half of the 20th century, the city is once again a major hub of passenger shipping. After 9/11, when travelers were reluctant to fly, the cruise industry discovered “Homeland Cruising” was a huge magnet to attract new passengers. New York cruises attract vacationers from all over the east coast and even Canada.
In 2002, Norwegian Cruise Line positioned the Norwegian Dawn to sail year-round from New York to the Bahamas and Florida. Since then, the number of ships and passengers increased to the point that additional berthing facilities were opened in Red Hook, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey. Today every major cruise line has several ships that home port in New York for extended seasons of voyages ranging from a one-day party cruise to a 100+-day circumnavigation of the globe.
If you're adding a pre- or post-cruise stay in New York, I'd like to personally welcome you to the greatest city on earth! I’ve spent a lifetime traveling to all corners of the globe, visited every continent on earth and strolled the streets of Europe’s sophisticated capital cities. In my opinion none of it holds a candle to New York, my hometown.
Whether you're a first-time visitor or one who knows this city well, I urge you to extend your cruise vacation and spend time exploring the myriad delights of the Big Apple.
While I’ve lived in New York for decades, fascinating new experiences pop up every week. In the “Best of New York” you’ll find suggestions on sightseeing, hotels, entertainment and shopping. I’m a typical New Yorker in that I love showing off my city and wish you a visit rich in memorable experiences.
And when you're sailing in and out of New York imagine the millions of people who, over four centuries, also stood in silent wonder on the deck of a ship as New York appeared or receded on the horizon. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (Mark Twain) Photograph: Joe Gaffney
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