Cruising From Your Home Port
By: Sari PalmeriSeptember 26, 2017
Over the past few years, cruising has become my family’s favorite way to vacation. We love that there is something for everyone onboard the ship, and being able to see other places without flying there is an added bonus. Different cruise lines sail out of different ports, and being able to sail out of a local port without flying saves a lot of money! I am lucky that I have two ports conveniently located a short distance from my home – New York, NY and Cape Liberty, NJ.Every time we cruise from either of these ports we are able to drive in the same day, take a car service, or even have someone drop us off. We don’t worry about baggage fees, how much our luggage weighs, or airport delays. When we used to fly to other ports to cruise, we always flew in the day before in order to avoid any unforeseen problems like flight cancellations for bad weather. Cruise ships wait for no one!
Having the two ports so close, there are multiple options which cruise lines to sail with. For 2017 and 2018 sailings the choices are Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruise Line, Holland America, Oceania Cruises, Cunard and many more. Some of the destinations available out of these ports are the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Eastern Caribbean, and Southern Caribbean. The further you go, the longer the itinerary.There are a few drawbacks to sailing from a Northern port. In the colder months you may not be able to use the pool until you get into a warmer climate. Also, it takes longer to get to the Caribbean destinations so unless you can be away for more than a week, you may be limited to what destinations are available to you.
Over the past few years, cruising has become my family’s favorite way to vacation. We love that there is something for everyone onboard the ship, and being able to see other places without flying there is an added bonus. Different cruise lines sail out of different ports, and being able to sail out of a local port without flying saves a lot of money! I am lucky that I have two ports conveniently located a short distance from my home – New York, NY and Cape Liberty, NJ.Every time we cruise from either of these ports we are able to drive in the same day, take a car service, or even have someone drop us off. We don’t worry about baggage fees, how much our luggage weighs, or airport delays. When we used to fly to other ports to cruise, we always flew in the day before in order to avoid any unforeseen problems like flight cancellations for bad weather. Cruise ships wait for no one!Having the two ports so close, there are multiple options which cruise lines to sail with. For 2017 and 2018 sailings the choices are Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruise Line, Holland America, Oceania Cruises, Cunard and many more. Some of the destinations available out of these ports are the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Eastern Caribbean, and Southern Caribbean. The further you go, the longer the itinerary.There are a few drawbacks to sailing from a Northern port. In the colder months you may not be able to use the pool until you get into a warmer climate. Also, it takes longer to get to the Caribbean destinations so unless you can be away for more than a week, you may be limited to what destinations are available to you.
Personally, I’ve sailed to Canada, Bermuda, and been to the Bahamas many times from these two ports. We want to try some new destinations, but we have specific availability due to the kids’ school schedules and end up on similar itineraries. With numerous excursion opportunities at each of the cruise lines private islands, you can still have completely different experiences going to the same destination multiple times.Cruises are always picking up new itineraries and trying new destinations. For example, Disney just announced that they will be going to Bermuda from New York, NY in the fall of 2018 for the first time! There are many ports around the world, and there may be one close to you! I can help you find the best port to depart from along with the best destinations and itinerary for your vacation. Contact me at sari@wishesfamilytravel.com or find me on Facebook!