New York Harbor Welcomes Its
Autumn-Foliage Ship Visitors
This fall several cruise ships made port calls to the Big
Apple as part of their series of autumn foliage cruises to the Canadian
Maritimes and New England. Shipsandcruises took the opportunity to visit several
cruise ships when they came to call in the New York/New Jersey harbor in
September and October. Each ship, we found, has its own special characteristics
and touches, and each was enticing enough to stow away on. Here’s a quick
rundown of the ships visited.
Cunard’s Queen Victoria paid a port visit in
September as part of her New
England/Canadian itinerary and docked
overnight at Manhattan’s Westside Terminal. Cunard’s newest ship, the
2,014-passenger vessel represents premium cruising with handsome British traditional
ocean-liner décor and service. Check out the three-deck-high Grand Lobby with
its sweeping staircase. Cunard memorabilia and models of former Cunard ships are
displayed in the public areas that offer a look at the history of the
169-year-old cruise line. Queen Victoria offers worldwide itineraries for
passengers with the time to spend cruising to exotic ports
as well as short cruises in European waters. She currently is operating
European cruises out of Southampton before departing on January 4, 2010 for her
108-day world cruise. (Segments of the world cruise are available.) Website: www.cunard.com
Costa Cruises’ Costa Atlantica visited
the New York port several times this fall as she operates cruises to New
England and the Canadian Maritimes. Her twelve passenger decks are each named
after movies directed by the famous Italian director, Federico Fellini and are
decorated with prominently displayed paparazzi photos of movie stars. Carrara
marble, Murano-glass accents, in-laid mosaic tile and a Venetian atmosphere are
among the many elements that make the Atlantica cruise ship glitzier than the
rest of the visiting ships. Sure to please the young at heart with its piazzas and cafes and lots of hip entertainment.
In November, she will operate a series of seven-night cruises
in the Caribbean until April out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She will then return
to Quebec as part of a limited series of 11- to 17-night routes throughout
Canada and New England. The ship will then be positioned in Copenhagen sailing
Northern Europe for the summer before embarking on another series of 11- to
17-night routes throughout
Canada and New England in fall 2010. Website: www.costacruises.com
The bow of Celebrity’ Cruises’ Celebrity Constellation is prominently displayed against New York City’s skyline--seen at a distance
from the ship’s mooring at the Cape Liberty
Termi nal
in Bayonne, New Jersey. The ship paid one of several visits to the port this
month as she operated cruises to New England and the Canadian Maritimes before
sailing off to Miami, Florida for her late Fall/Winter season of Caribbean cruises.
The ship then redeploys in April 2010 to Europe for her
Photo courtesy of Celebrity
Cruises
Spring/Summer season of cruises. The premium line’s ship
sports a quiet elegance in her restaurants that serve delicious cuisine by an
attentive staff. A new series of enrichment programs covering food,
intellectual pursuits and life-enhancing seminars and classes offers guests a refreshing
onboard experience. For more information on Constellation,
click Ship
Reviews for a review of the ship.
Fred.Olsen’s flagship Balmoral was also in the Big Apple
for an overnight during her short season of Canadian Maritime and New England
cruises. The ship (ex Norwegian Crown,
ex Crown Odyssey) joined the fleet in
2008 after a major refurbishment, which 
included a
99-foot stretch in the midsection of the vessel. The lovely ship accommodates 1,350
passengers (do) in comfy settings. Public room names include the main restaurant,
Ballindalloch, named after a stately home set in the Grampian region of
Scotland, and the Morning Light Pub, which was the name of Fred. Olsen’s
biggest sailing ship when it was bought in 1891.The Balmoral is ideal for
couples or singles interested in destination-intense itineraries accompanied by
British-oriented surroundings, food and entertainment, attended to by a
friendly Filipino hotel staff. Balmoral’s cruises represent good value for a
cruiser’s money.
The ship will operate a late fall/early winter series of
cruises to the Canaries and Mediterranean before embarking on a World Cruise on
January 5 out of Dover, England. (Segments of the world cruise are available.) The
line's reseller, Borton Overseas, handles the line's US bookings at www.bortonoverseas.com or visit www.fredolsencruises.com
In port at
the same time as the Balmoral was Aida Cruises’ AIDAaura, which made a three-night
stopover before sailing to the Dominican Republic for her fall/winter season of
Caribbean cruises. A smaller ship than the Balmoral passengerwise, she carries
1,296 passengers (do). The ship is a handsome appointed vessel with European
touches as she caters to the German-speaking trade. On-deck nooks and cranies
afford privacy for sunbathers (there’s even a secluded nudist area on the
uppermost deck). The décor and offerings on board will appeal to all ages. Aida
Cruises is part of Costa Cruises, which is a unit of Carnival Corp & plc. Website: www.aidacruises.de
-- PW Mooney
