Cruising from New York City brings my mindset to the golden age of cruising. When it was more about getting from point to point than about everything else cruising is today. When I think cruising from New York City I think about cruising across the Atlantic to Southampton in England like the great ocean liners of the last century. Many cruise lines neglect New York as a port but Azamara has brought cruising from New York City back with several exciting options.
Starting a cruise from a major International hub like New York gives you a variety of options in terms of onward travel, world-class entertainment, restaurants, sports, and special events. New York is the capital of the world and my hometown!
Cruising from New York you can comfortably visit ports like Charleston, Bermuda, and even the Azores before reaching mainland Europe. But before you go, here are a few of my favorite things to occupy your time in the Greatest City in the World!
I’m going to focus on food for this post because I want to make sure you eat well. When I think New York, I think pizza above anything else and I am the biggest pizza fan you’ll ever meet! My favorites are all clustered around each other in the West Village of Manhattan.
On Bleecker Street, there is John’s for an amazing classic pie with no frills but no slices. It’s a New York institution. Across the street literally on Bleecker is Keste. A relative newcomer to the NYC pizza scene, the Naples style pizzas are to die for and it has been voted the best pizza in New York multiple times. I cannot argue!
Around the corner is Joe’s Pizza for the best slice in the City. I’ve literally eaten there over 3,000 times and I’m not exaggerating! As they say, it’s the quintessential New York street slice. A few doors down is Numero 28. This Italian style pizzeria is phenomenal and offers creative pies that’ll make your mouth water. You can’t go wrong with any of them!
Of course, New York has some of the best fine dining restaurants in the world including the worlds current #1 restaurant Eleven Madison Park. However, if stuffy isn’t your thing but you still want nice, I recommend some of NYC’s amazing and classic steakhouses.
The infamous Sparks, Keen’s, the original The Palm, and Old Homestead are all Manhattan masterpieces and you can’t go wrong with any of them. However, the best of the best might be Peter Luger in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s a short taxi across the bridge and well worth it!
Finally, New York is known for its delicatessens. While Second Avenue Deli is no longer located on Second Avenue it is still as good as ever with multiple locations! My personal favorite is Ben’s Kosher Deli in the Garment District. They do a perfect pastrami or corned beef and do it extra lean.
This is just a taste of New York because I don’t want to overload you with information. However, New York has the best of everything in terms of food. Just stay out of restaurants in Times Square or any national chain and you’ll be good to go! Enjoy cruising from New York City!