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Cruising from Philadelphia: A Pathfinders Perspective
By P. J. Thomas
Weller and I have sailed on more than 30 cruises, most of them during the years we published Pathfinders Travel Magazine for People of Color from 1997–2022. There is hardly a cruise line we haven’t enjoyed, though there were a couple we found rather boring. As is typically the case, we weren’t mourning the last day when those cruises ended.
If you search social media, you’ll see reports of bad behavior and even brawls aboard Carnival Cruise Line ships. However, I would venture that these incidents are more likely associated with the 3- and 4-night “party-all-the-time” itineraries out of Miami and have little to do with the cruise line itself.
Two years ago, finding ourselves with no holiday plans, we jumped aboard an 11-night Christmas cruise on the beautiful Carnival Venezia, a gorgeous Italian-inspired décor ship departing from New York, where we had one of the best voyages ever. The cruise director, a brother from Brooklyn, kept the ship rocking with everything from Mardi Gras celebrations to Motown Nights. Even this relaxing cruiser, who is often in the cabin by 10 p.m., found herself in the atrium night after night, singing and dancing like no one was watching.
Since 9/11, homeport cruises have increased around the country, with ships departing from ports such as Galveston, Texas; New Orleans; San Diego; Seattle; Baltimore; Norfolk; Bayonne, New Jersey; and a plethora of sailings from New York City.
We’ve had the pleasure of sailing from most of them, and nothing compares to sailing past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. I don’t consider myself particularly patriotic in that way, but it’s a beautiful sight to look at the skyline and sail beneath those bridges on the way to open water.
So imagine our surprise—and, well, our glee—when we learned last year that cruises would be returning to Philadelphia after nearly two decades and that Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) would make the city one of its homeports. We’ve cruised NCL many times, so we were familiar with the brand and had sailed the Greek Isles on one of its ships just a few summers ago.
The first reviews about the challenges and hiccups regarding embarkation were to be expected, especially since the cruise terminal was still under construction. But by the time we sailed on May 7, the process had been streamlined. Passengers had the choice of parking their cars at the Clarion Hotel parking lot in Essington, being dropped off by rideshare services, or, if lucky enough, by family members.
After a quick check-in process in the hotel ballroom—which normally would have taken place in an NCL cruise terminal—guests were divided into groups in waiting rooms before boarding buses that transferred them to the cruise ship. And let me pause here to say that every step of the way was met with smiling, pleasant personnel, from the police directing traffic to the porters and parking attendants. There was not a Philly ‘Attytude’ to be found.
The Norwegian Jewel, the first ship sailing from Philadelphia, will remain through mid-October before being replaced by the NCL Pearl for longer itineraries that will include port visits to the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. And that’s a good thing because we found the seven-night itinerary aboard the Jewel—which included two days in Bermuda, one day in Charleston, and the remaining days at sea—far too brief.
Although there is plenty to do aboard the ship, or as little as you want, as was my choice on a couple of those sea days, time passes quickly. There’s the pool, billiards, trivia games, the casino, evening music in the lounges, Broadway shows, or the spa for complete relaxation.
Since we had several connections in South Carolina, we arranged private Gullah tours for our group in Charleston, and several people also visited the International African American Museum.
In November, the Norwegian Pearl will begin sailing from Philadelphia offering 10 day cruises and in December 11 day excursions. It, too, will offer a variety of price points and accommodations, ranging from solo cabins to balconies and luxury suites. Philadelphia’s favorite entertainment personality, Mister Mann Frisby, has already scheduled the Mister Mann’s Jam Cruise for April 2027. Check out the information on this page.
Our friend and colleague Jenice Armstrong travelled with us. You can read about her experience here.
We encourage family reunions, affinity groups, churches, fraternities, sororities, and other organizations to contact Pathfinders to arrange an effortless cruise from Philadelphia.
In the meantime, we’re already looking at a winter escape where we won’t have to do anything more than take an Uber to the cruise ship and leave the winter doldrums behind.
Great job, Philadelphia!
For additional information, contact us at info@pathfinderstravel.com or call (215) 438-2140.
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