All aboard: Cruises departing from NYC this summer

Increasingly, travelers two favorite words are, "all aboard." The love of sailing the seas shows no signs of slowing. According to AAA, some 21.7 million Americans will take ocean cruises this year and predicts the year-over-year increase will be an 8.4% jump from 2024 to 2025 and a 4.5% rise from 2025 to 2026. People love seeing several places in one trip and without the heavy lift of itinerary planning. The cruise option is sweeter still if you don’t have to fly to Miami or Fort Lauderdale to board the ship.

Here’s a look at some cruises leaving from Manhattan Cruise Terminal (711 12th Ave., 212-641-4440, cruise.nyc/manhattan-terminal) in New York City this summer.

June 20-27

Norwegian Cruise Line: 7-Day Bermuda Cruise, Norwegian Aqua 

Your first two days of vacay is all about cruising. En route to Bermuda take your pick of restaurants and bars. The Indulge Food Hall is where you’ll find global cuisine — think India, Italy, and Latin America, for example. For a fancy private dinner, it’s The Haven. There’s a good time to be had at the Glow Court, a high-tech LED sports floor for immersive play, as well as the Aqua Game Zone with arcade games like Donkey Kong.

Know that, when you land at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda you’ll have an array of choices — from exploring the Crystal Caves, Clearwater Beach & Cooper’s Island Reserve, a Bermuda Triangle Evening Cruise, catamaran cruise, Horseshoe Bay Beach, snorkeling, touring the island via minibus and more. Fortunately, with two days you might be able to fill your bingo card.

After the Bermuda blitz, chill your final two days at sea or keep partying- you decide. Book through Jet Blue Vacations and get reward points even though you didn’t fly.

• COST: Starting at $1,249 per person.
• MORE INFO: ncl.com

July 22-30

Carnival Cruise Line: 8-Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise, Carnival Venezia

Spend your first two days at sea finding yourself on fun central. Play pickleball, mini golf and try your luck on the slot machines. Keep the young ones happy with Camp Ocean, Circle "C" and Club 02 for various ages. You’ll have to tear them away from WaterWorks, the onboard waterpark. Feeling competitive, sign up your family to play Family Feud or see how you do at SportSquare with its ropes course, jogging track, outdoor fitness center and more. The Venezia is a floating feast whether you’re dining at restaurants like Marco Polo, Canal Grande or La Strada Grill, Tomodoro, Il Viaggio. Think Italian, Mexican, burgers and beyond. Go for bubbles at Amari, frozen treats at Rococo and entertainment at Piano Bar 88, Teatro Rosso and Gondola Lounge.

The good times continue as you arrive in Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island that’s just for Carnival guests. Anticipate a milelong white sand beach, freshwater lagoons, family-friendly areas, with splash pads, sports courts, as well as those for with swim up and swings bars, and a DJ island. What’s a vacay without a little retail therapy? Get your fix at Lokono Cove, with live music, local art and duty-free jewelry.

Day five, it’s all about the private island of Half Moon Cay. Hang out on the beach, snug in a cabana catnapping or being pampered by a masseuse. Feeling energetic? Horseback ride, kayak or snorkel, check out stingrays and more.

Next up, Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Take your pick of activities, swimming, touring historic Cockburn Town, snorkeling, shopping or getting up close to stingrays in Gibbs Cay.

Wind down your last two days as you head back to New York. Reflect on all the fun and make more memories. Book through Jet Blue Vacations and earn reward points even though you didn’t fly.

• COST: Starting at $999 per person
• MORE INFO: carnival.com

Aug. 3-17

Viking Cruise Line: 15-Day Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Viking Vela

Two weeks afloat is the kind of adventure you’ve been dreaming of. Take in the Atlantic as you head for Halifax. You’ll have a day to shake off your stress at the Nordic Spa, with its sauna and thermal pool. Feed your brain with Viking’s cultural enrichment programs — lectures and roundtable discussions on anything from arts to architecture and history.

Enjoy your day in Halifax. Go to Colonial Lunenburg and Mahone Bay for a hands-on crafts workshop in Mahone Bay. Take a coastal drive to the fishing village of Peggy’s Cove, cruise on a three-masted steel schooner or check out historic sites via a double decker bus.

As you sail the Gulf of St. Lawrence learn more about the destination via seminars, lectures and films. Arrival in L’Anse aux Meadows brings opportunities, like visiting the ancient settlement founded by Vikings and joining a local family on their fishing boat.

When the ship makes it way along the Labrador Sea decide if perhaps it’s a pool day, time to snuggle in a nook with a book in the Living Roomas you await Qaqortoq, Greenland. There you can walk around on your own and take in the Old Church, Stone and Man sculptures and museums. Or go for a more personal experience, sign up to meet with locals in their home. Also consider the iceberg safari.

Next up is Nanortalik, on the southwestern shores of Greenland. Do a meet and greet in the home of a local or on your own look out for performers doing traditional drumming visit the open air Nanortalik Museum and the wooden church where you might catch the choir singing. After a relaxing day of sea, it’s on to ĺsafjördur, Iceland, where you can kayak and spot seals, birds and other wildlife. Foodies will want to indulge their taste buds on the Seafood Trail. You can go whale watching, hike, bike among other activities.

Look forward to Akureyrl, the Capital of the North, choices including mountain hiking, reviving yourself in the geothermal waters of the Forest Lagoon, visiting a horse farm for a show as well as an ice cream farm. Bucketnlist adventures await in Seydisfjördur, Djúpivogur and Heimaey. The final Iceland stop is Reykjavik where you can do an extension, taking in the city, or begrudgingly fly home.

• COST: Starting at $10,999 per person
• MORE INFO: vikingcruises.com

Aug. 29-Sept. 5

Norwegian Cruise Line: 7-Day Canada and New England, Saint John and Halifax

The fun starts before Boston. While your children head straight for the Kid’s Aqua Park, mini golf, or programs targeted to them, you might be in the mood for Mandara Spa’s Thermal Suite, a dip in the infinity pool or simply kicking back in ship’s lounge, La Terrazza.

A stop in Boston is a history lesson of sorts, with visits to Paul Revere’s House, the Bunker Hill Monument, mansions of Beacon Hill, Boston Common, the oldest public park in the nation. You could also choose to tour Fenway Park or take the Boston Duck Tour on a World War II amphibious vehicle.

In Kennebunkport, Maine, tour the Old Port, with its restaurants, shops and galleries. Get that IG pic at Maine’s oldest lighthouse, the Portland Head Light. In Dock Square you’ll have time to eat and shop on your own. Don’t leave town without tasting a lobster roll or two. Another option is riding the vintage Conway Scenic Railroad into the White Mountains.

Next up, Saint John, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick. Make your way through fishing villages, the beach, sea caves, seafood chowder and goodies you find at the Old City Market. You might also take the trolley around Saint John or hike trails in a coastal park.

Finish off the Canadian experience in Halifax, Nova Scotia’s capital. Among other outings, your itinerary can include a tour featuring Citadel Hill, public gardens, the small fishing village of Peggy’s Cove and more. Exhale on your final day at sea before landing back in New York.

• COST: Starting at $929 per person
• MORE INFO: ncl.com