NORTHEAST COAST
Boston’s Flynn Cruiseport, located in the south side of the city and only a 15- minute drive from Logan International Airport, has certainly rebounded since the pandemic, according to Massport Director Joseph Morris. “We are thrilled to see that the demand for cruising continues to be strong as we work to support the recovery of travel and tourism in New England,” he said, adding that Cruiseport’s single terminal was refurbished in 2010 to double passenger capacity.
Cruise lines that home-port there include Holland America, Royal Caribbean, NCL, Oceania, Princess and Celebrity Cruises, visiting such destinations as Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada and New England, as well as Iceland, Greenland and Scandinavia. The port has also recently welcomed its first hybrid battery-supported vessel, Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amundsen. And the port is within easy reach of such major attractions as Faneuil Hall, the Freedom Trail, the New England Aquarium, Old State House and the Boston Public Gardens.
The Manhattan Cruise Terminal, based on the Hudson River’s Piers 88 and 90, benefitted from New York City’s 2004 decision to invest $200 million in ensuring that its terminals could serve the world’s largest ships. Norwegian is the only all-yearround home-ported vessel, but the cruise terminal is also used seasonally by Carnival, Cunard, Disney, Holland America and both Princess and Crystal Cruises, serving such destinations as Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
Linked to Europe and other destinations by two international airports, John F Kennedy to the east and Newark Liberty to the west, the city’s terminals are a few blocks from such attractions as the Lincoln Center performing arts hub and The Top of the Rock (the top three stories of Rockefeller Center with 360 degree views of Manhattan). Central Park is only a 20-minue walk away and, throbbing with life, theatre-surrounded Times Square is another must-visit.
The Brooklyn Terminal, at 210 Clinton Wharf in Brooklyn’s Red Hook district, is not only the USA home of the transatlantic Cunard Ocean Liner but MSC offers Western Caribbean cruises as well as sailing to Iceland, Greenland and Australia, while Princess Cruises has cruises to New England and Canada in August, September and October.
Those lingering in the borough will discover that Brooklyn Heights provides spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, while its attractions include Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. And as you sail back across the Atlantic you will get fabulous views of the city skyline, the Verrazano Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.