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Cruises thrive at Manhattan, Brooklyn and N.J. ports

Improved departure sites offer convenience

BY ALISON GREGOR | Special to Newsday

September 21, 2008

The Carnival Victory will depart new york Sept. 27 on a 7-day Canada/New England cruise.

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 become alluring for travelers. Their ranks have increased on 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 York Harbor port facilities for cruise ships have improved and expanded. Travelers can now leave from New York Cruise Terminal in midtown, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at Pier 12 and the Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J.

A cruising 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.

Carnival Cruise Lines (888- 227-6482, carnival.com) is offering a two-day "cruise to nowhere" from Brooklyn (prices start at $249) Oct. 16 on the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, which has 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 sails out of Bayonne. (866-562-7625, royalcaribbean.com).

The ship has an ice-skating rink, in-line skating track, nine-hole miniature golf course and a 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.

Fall foliage cruises
Many travelers conjure visions of tropical palms when they think of cruises. But from the ports of the Northeast, it's easier to take in another type of foliage: The crimson and gold leaves of autumn.

Princess Cruises (800-774-6237, princess.com) has numerous itineraries to ports in New England and Canada, such as an 11-day trip on the Royal Princess Oct. 18, leaving from Manhattan or Brooklyn.

With 10 ports of call, including New London, Conn. (for Mystic Seaport); Boston; Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Canada; and Quebec City. Final port is Montreal. Prices start at $2,194.

The Royal Princess offers educational courses, multiple swimming pools, a casino, nightspots and production shows. Its library has more than 4,000 titles, along with fine wood paneling, leather armchairs and alfresco dining.

For slightly shorter cruises, Norwegian is offering six-day round-trips to Canada and New England from New York on the Spirit, departing Oct. 5, and Oct. 12, and calling at Martha's Vineyard and Boston, as well as Halifax and Saint John in Canada. Prices start at $299.

Other cruise lines offering fall splendor cruises include Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Cunard (800-728-6273, cunard.com).