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Cruises thrive at Manhattan, Brooklyn and NJ ports

BY ALISON GREGOR | Special to Newsday

September 21, 2008

New Yorkers may be feeling the pinch of a poor economy but that doesn't mean they won't scrape together the change to enjoy a good cruise.

In fact, perhaps because times are tough, cruises - where one price gets you a room, meals and entertainment - have been steadily growing in allure for travelers, whose ranks have increased at an average of 7.4 percent each year since 1990, according to Cruise Lines International Association. And if you don't have to fly or drive to the port of embarkation, cruises become a very attractive option, indeed.

In recent years, New Yorkers have seen a vast improvement of midtown Manhattan's New York Cruise Terminal, the construction of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at Pier 12 and the creation of the Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J., leading to a growing number of cruises departing from home.

A CRUISE TO NOWHERE

They're short and sweet. One- and two-night cruises are a great way for New Yorkers to taste the fruits of cruising without plumping for the entire meal.

And at around $150 a voyage, these getaways also make sense for travelers whose wallets are lighter this season than in recent years.

Norwegian Cruise Line (866-234-7350, ncl.com) offers one-night "cruises

to nowhere" on the Norwegian Spirit, which sails

from Manhattan's West Side. Norwegian is a proponent of "freestyle cruising," an increasingly popular form of cruising where schedules are a no-no, and travelers can eat where, when and with whom they want.

Thus, the Spirit is a veritable sailing smorgasbord with 11 restaurants and nine bars and lounges. With prices starting at $179, cruises are offered Sept. 27, Oct. 4 and Oct. 11.

For a two-day cruise,

Carnival Cruise Lines (888- 227-6482, carnival.com) is offering a "cruise to nowhere" from Brooklyn (prices start at $249) Oct. 16 on the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, which is topped by a ruby-red glass ceiling on its 11-story atrium.

This winter, the Norwegian Gem, which has a new bowling alley, offers one-night cruises (4 p.m. to 8 a.m.) Jan. 3 and Jan. 24, with prices starting at $179. The cheapest one-night cruise, which starts at $149, launches April 30 on the Norwegian Dawn.

SAILING WITH KIDS

Whether they call their nonalcoholic beverages "Coke-tails" or "mocktails," all the cruise companies are getting creative to make the time at sea relaxing for families with kids - as well as the childless passengers who don't want tots underfoot. New Yorkers with children in tow can check out cruises on Royal Caribbean's 3,114-passenger Explorer of the Seas, which leaves from Bayonne, N.J. (866-562-7625, royalcaribbean.com).

The ship has an ice-skating rink, in-line skating track, nine-hole miniature golf course and rock-climbing wall, along with the University of Miami Ocean Lab, an oceanographic and atmospheric science lab. Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean program keeps children ages 3 to 17 busy with sports challenges, educational programs, games, talent shows and pool parties. Fisher-Price has helped create playgroups for parents of children ages

6 months to 3 years.

This fall, Royal Caribbean is offering five-day cruises from New Jersey to Bermuda starting at $599. It also offers nine-day cruises to Canada, along with numerous Caribbean itineraries, starting at $899.

For 12- to 14-year-olds, Carnival has been outfitting ships with children's clubs with dance floors, gaming pods, high-tech sound and lighting systems and plasma-screen TVs. These "Circle C" clubs can be found on the Carnival Victory, which makes a seven-day excursion from Brooklyn's pier to New

England and Canada Sept. 27, starting at $449.