I’ve never been much of a cruise person — mostly because cruising for New Yorkers has traditionally meant hopping a plane to Florida in order to meet a vessel and then enduring a plane ride back again. But over the past few years, the New York City area has become an unexpected hub for global cruising.
Of course, luxury liners have been docking in Gotham since before the Titanic (tried). But what has changed is the sheer the number and range of cruises that are now locally available. Departing from piers in New Jersey, Brooklyn and Manhattan, this new crop of voyages offers journeys to everywhere from Bermuda and the Bahamas to Canada and the Caribbean.
I chose Canada for a quick four-night jaunt in late July that departed on a Thursday afternoon and returned back to Manhattan in time for work on Monday morning. My ship was the Carnival Splendor, a 951-foot Italian-made beauty with room for roughly 3,500 passengers and more than 1,150 crew. While the Splendor is certainly not the largest in Carnival’s fleet, it was hard to miss on the Hudson. Rising 13 decks above the shoreline, the vessel more than lived up to its name as it loomed large over the entire West Side.
Boarding was slated for 4 p.m., and by 5:30 we were off — gliding southward down the Hudson, past the new World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty, onward to Staten Island and the Verrazano Bridge and ultimately out into the Atlantic. Almost immediately we were summoned to an emergency drill to learn about lifeboats, life jackets and other “God forbid” necessities. For a cruising newbie like myself, the experience felt almost cinematically otherworldly.
And then it was time to eat. And we ate — boy, did we eat!
Indeed, along with the surprising comfort of our cabin, the food on the Splendor proved a revelation. First there was the sheer quantity: an entire deck devoted to Mexican, Italian, American and Asian cuisines. There was even an Indian tandoori station — which I later learned is among the company’s most popular. We favored the buffets for lunch, but accented our meals with more formal options for breakfast and dinner.
We particularly loved the Carnival Steakhouse — an intimate aerie perched in the ship’s penthouse deck serving cuts of wagyu and some serious lobster. We also spent an evening at the exclusive “chef’s table,” which included a behind-the-scenes tour of the Splendor’s elaborate kitchens paired with an El Bulli-style molecular gastronomy meal presented in a private dining room. The dishes were served at a cozy communal table with wine pairings. It was a welcome opportunity to actually get to know our fellow guests on this particularly packed cruise.
Beyond the eating, which comprised much of our day, life aboard the Splendor passed by with surprising swiftness. We spent all of Friday at sea — cruising north along the Eastern Seaboard past Boston, Maine and Canada’s lower Maritime provinces.
The weather was cool, but I still managed a few hours of sunbathing on the deck after breakfast and a long power walk before dinner on the Splendor’s upper-level running track. I also made it to the gym, a sprawling complex of weights and machines directly fronting the azure Atlantic. I also took a relaxing steam in the Cloud 9 Spa – a 40,000-square-foot duplex behemoth which also included a sauna and a hydrotherapy room.
The vessel also carried a basketball court, golf course, casino and swimming pool with organized games all day long.
We took a tour of the mammoth boat, which lasted four incredibly fascinating hours and included stops at the boat’s prison, morgue and cavernous refrigerators. It was great to learn how the crew lived and relaxed — particularly considering the level of detail and care we received from the waiters and housekeepers who seemed to always know our names.
Come nighttime, the ship took on a decidedly “Love Boat” ambiance with bingo games and a large-scale theater show — both of which proved surprisingly entertaining. Occasionally, I chatted with other passengers, most of whom were repeat cruisers if not certifiable cruise “junkies.”
Many lived in the tri-state area and loved, like I did, the ease of boarding from Manhattan. There were families of all ages and ethnic groups, which I liked. In an era of increasing social discord, it was fascinating to watch folks of every shade and every size patiently waiting for their pancakes or pasta.
By Saturday, we’d reached our destination, the tiny town of St. John in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The town is hilly and charming, filled with tidy row-houses and a vibrant local market. Had we wished, there were day-long tours to the region’s famed Bay of Fundy with its iconic, weather-worn coastline hewn from the highest tides in the world. But we opted to stick close to the ship and simply stroll through downtown, with pit-stops at Joe Fresh (it’s Canadian, after all) followed by a hearty poutine lunch.
Having “cleared” Canadian customs back in New York, embarking and disembarking were hassle-free. Back on board, we relaxed al fresco on our balcony’s cabin watching St. John unfold in front of us until it was time, once again, to return out to sea.
Sunday, like Friday, was spent sailing — and eating, particularly the thin-crust pizzas which fiery stone ovens baked 24 hours a day. We didn’t shop much on-board, despite our fellow cruisers’ clear appreciation for the ample duty-free options. Mostly, I relaxed, on our private balcony or on deck, watching the waves glide by and wishing for yet another day and another destination.
Sadly, that was not to be. By the time I woke up on Monday, we were gliding past Battery Park City for an 8 a.m. arrival at Pier 90 in Hell’s Kitchen. So after a quick breakfast, we made our way to the gangway and returned to our real lives in Gotham. It was early and crowded at the pier; every Uber occupied and every cab taken. So I opted to walk to work and made it to my Midtown desk in barely 15 minutes.
My debut cruise had come to an end. While I am not yet a convert, I am certainly ready for round two (ideally to somewhere tropical). Mostly, I now understand cruising’s appeal, its easy-on/easy-off creature comforts — made all the more easy now that there are so many options direct from Manhattan.
Info
The Carnival Splendor cruises weekly from New York to Canada through early October (seven nights from $609/double occupancy; carnival.com). For complete details on cruising from the New York City region, visit nycruise.com.