NYCruiseInfo Blog

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Escape Delayed Dur to Fueling Issues Sunday (yesterday) was a unique day in New York with scattered thunderstorms and frequent breaks of sunshine, bright blue skies and fluffy clouds. During the key departure hour (4 PM) the Celebrity Summit actually departed a little early leaving at 3:50 PM under bright sunshine. I was anxiously awaiting the departure of the Norwegian Escape at 4 PM but at 5 PM I was still waiting. It appears that the re-fueling of the ship for her 7 day cruise to Bermuda was running drastically behind. Refueling usually takes 4-6 hours.  It was not until about 7:50 PM where the Norwegian Escape pulled away from the pier and headed down the Hudson River. The departure delay is NOT expected to impact the ship's schedule since 2 days are allowed for the 1 - 1.5 day trip to Bermuda. Refueling delays are not common and I can say I was disappointed because the 4 hour delay was too long to stay to see the ship depart. C...

French Line's SS France (shown) Later Became Norwegian Cruise Line's Norway Originally built in 1962 for the French Line, the futuristic liner ss France was the longest liner of the day, measuring 1,032 feet and weighing 66,000 tons. The elegant 3 class ship had her trademark majestic winged funnels; elegant furnishing and white glove service. A victim of many strikes by the seaman union; the increased popularity of air travel; and mounting losses due to increased fuel prices, fuel hungry engines and low passenger counts. The ss France was laid up in 1974 awaiting a buyer. The ship was eventually purchase by Norwegian Cruise Line, who renamed her Norway and brought her to Bremerhaven, Germany for an extensive conversion to a 1 class cruise liner. Totally refitted from stem to stem the ship reemerged as the Norway with all cabin remodeled, all public rooms renovated, an extensive platform lido area was place on the stern ideal for her new role as a Caribbean Cruise shi...

Cunard Line's QE2 of 1969 in her original glory and color scheme. In a flash back to the past, I found this photo of Cunard Line's Queen Elizabeth 2 (built 1969).  Affectionately known as the QE2, the ship was a regular fixture on the Transatlantic route - sailing between New York and Southampton, England - with an occasional call at Cherbourg, France. The QE2 underwent a number of refurbishments and extensive refits to extend its life, but this photo show the QE2 in her original glory. The QE2 is still in existence, permanently docked in Dubai as a hotel and convention center. Check Out Our Sister Sites: Nick's Cruise Corner Blog to Learn About World Wide Cruising NYCruiseInfo.com to Learn About Cruises From New York and New Jersey. ,7y

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Gem To Offer Special South America, Panama Canal  and Western Mexico, . Norwegian Cruise Line has announced a 19- day repositioning cruise between New York and Los Angeles, via the Panama Canal, onboard the Norwegian Gem. The itinerary details shown below lists some of the unique ports of calls not normally visited on cruises departing from the Port of New York. The cruise is extensively focused on  the Southern Caribbean, the North Coast of South America, Central America, the Canal and the West Coast of Mexico (Destinations made popular by the TV series - "the Love Boat". The cruise depart New York on January 2, 2019 and ending in Los Angeles, California on January 20th. The sailing will be conducted on the popular Norwegian Gem which has a strong following among Norwegian Cruise Line fans. The ship offers a rock climbing wall, water slides, extensive spa facilities, casino, pools, hot tubs and many dining establishments / freest...

Artists Rendering of Carnival Cruises Carnival Sunrise Formerly the Carnival Triumph I was very surprised when Carnival Cruises quietly substituted the brand new Carnival Horizon with the 1999 built Carnival Triumph for the 2019 New York season. Carnival did not publish a press release or any communication - the only way I found out was by searching for 2019 cruises on their website. About 2 weeks after I saw the 2019 cruises on the internet, the following, great, press release came out announcing a $200 million refit. In April 2019, the Carnival Triumph will emerge as the Carnival Sunrise and virtually a new ship, Here is the official Carnival Press Release and the details of the refit............. Carnival Cruise Line today revealed plans for a nearly $200 million bow-to-stern makeover for Carnival Triumph in the spring of 2019 that will include renaming the ship to reflect its significant transformation.  The ship will join Carnival’s Sunshine class and will be named...

Oceania Cruises Insignia is a regular caller at the port of  New York. This weekend saw an unusual amount of cruise ship activity over a 3 day period. Here is the line up of ships this past weekend. Friday Royal Caribbean's - Adventure of the Seas - Sailing to New England and Canada. Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 - Transatlantic  Saturday Norwegian Cruise Line - Norwegian Gem - Sailing to Florida and the Bahamas. Royal Caribbean's - Anthem of the Seas - Sailing to Bermuda. Oceania Cruises - Insignia - Sailing to Newport RI and Bermuda  Sunday Both sailing to Bermuda Norwegian Cruise Line - Norwegian Escape  Celebrity Cruises - Celebrity Summit. The fall season will see more ships arriving and leaving on a regular basis with the beginning of the New England - Canada starting early September. Check out the great array of fall cruises from New York and New Jersey at www.NYCruiseInfo.com   Check Out Our Sister Sites: Nick's Cruise Corner ...

An alternative to the 5,000 to 6,000 passenger ships, for the more adventurous is a freighter cruise. Limited to only 10 passengers, these cruises are on working ships. The itineraries are flexible, stopping and staying as long as the cargo handling dictates.  In addition, the cruise duration can fluctuate and can be extended or reduced depending on cargo demands. These freighter cruises offer solitude for up to 10 passengers. and crew. There is no formal entertainment, you create your own entertainment, including movies, music, a good book or enjoyable conversation. There is a a dining room and guests may eat with the crew but overall the food is good but can be basic. In addition, as a passenger, you have access to the kitchen and refrigerator and are able to get yourself a snack or small meal if you like. These freighter cruises tend to dock at cargo handling facilities and not the tourist laden cruise terminals so it may be a trek to get to the center of town.(Even in New Y...