If you’ve ever taken a cruise out of the New York cruise ports, you get it. Cruising from New York is like no other experience from any other port. There is something about leaving from New York and getting to sail past all the sites and glory of New York Harbor. The most notable being the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge.
Having had grandparents who emigrated to this country in the early 20th century from Italy, going past the Statue of Liberty has a unique feeling. One can put oneself in their shoes and image what it was like coming in an out of the harbor and into a new country.
Even though we are not coming into this country by ship any longer, we do get to experience what it was like for them when today’s cruise ships leave and arrive from a cruise. That feeling of passing the Statue just does something to you, something that doesn’t happen in any other port except New York.
The other great experience that is totally New York is getting to sail under the Verrazano Bridge and into the Altlantic Ocean. Other cities have their bridges, but the Verrazano is a bit different because of where it is. Those who have had the experience of cruising out of the New York ports know that you’re not on vacation until you’ve ducked under the bridge.
As we all know, once you’re under the bridge all the conveniences of New York drift away including your home cell phone signal. Therefore, it has become the association and advice that cell phones get put away or into airplane mode after passing under the bridge.
Every cruise has its sail away party when heading out into the ocean on departure day, but the sail away party is only amplified when in New York when passing the Statue and then the Verrazano Bridge. In fact, one might even ditch the ship’s sail away party and head straight to the bow or front of the ship to experience the moments and even have their own Jack and Rose moment.
Florida might be the cruise capital of the world with just about every itinerary leaving from one of its many ports, but no port in Florida in my opinion is equivalent to the images that leaving from New York can create.
