For the first times in years, a major cruise ship will sail from Philadelphia

18.07.2024 - 20:25 / thepointsguy.com / Nova Scotia / saint John

It's official: Philadelphia is back as a home port for cruise ships.

Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday announced it would offer sailings to Bermuda from Philadelphia starting in the spring of 2026, becoming the first major cruise line to base a vessel in the city in years. The Miami-based cruise brand also announced plans to begin sailings to Canada and New England from Philadelphia later in 2026.

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The line said the trips would take place on Norwegian Jewel, a 2,376-passenger vessel currently based on the West Coast for sailings to Alaska. Unveiled in 2005, it's one of the oldest of Norwegian's 19 vessels.

"We remain committed to delivering more experiences for our guests to create unforgettable memories so they can vacation better with us," Norwegian Cruise Line president David Herrera said in a statement. "We are particularly proud to partner with [the port of Philadelphia] to launch cruising in the area, making it even more accessible to the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region."

A few small cruise vessels have made stops in Philadelphia in recent years. However, it hasn't seen big cruise ships like the ones operated by Norwegian since 2011. Even then, the ships that visited Philadelphia did so on voyages from other home ports.

Philadelphia has long been one of the only major cities along the East Coast of the U.S. that hasn't served as a cruise ship hub. Cruise ships currently sail out of Boston; New York City; Baltimore; Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and multiple ports along the east coast of Florida.

Norwegian said the new sailings from Philadelphia would include:

The Bermuda sailings will include a multiday visit to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda as well as a stop in Charleston.

The Canada and New England voyages will bring stops in such ports as Boston; Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax and Sydney in Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Saguenay, Quebec.

Fares for the Bermuda sailings will start at $1,197 per person, based on double occupancy. Fares for the Canada and New England trips will start at $1,441 per person.

Related: Cruise giant Carnival doubles down on Bermuda sailings

Norwegian said the trips would depart from Philadelphia's SouthPort Marine Terminal, a new port complex that opened in 2019; it's currently used by ships importing automobiles to the U.S. Plans are currently underway with the local government to develop a facility at the SouthPort terminal to welcome cruisers in 2026.

According to Norwegian, it would be the only cruise line sailing from Philadelphia through Oct. 17, 2026.

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