Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Galveston… Philadelphia?
Think of cruising and Philadelphia is likely the last place that comes to mind, but the City of Brotherly Love is marking a milestone. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) just announced that starting in April 2026, it will start sailing from the city.
NCL will position Norwegian Jewel at the Southport Marine Terminal Complex at the Port of Philadelphia (also known as PhilaPort). There, the ship will sail 7-9 day cruises to Bermuda, with an additional stop in Charleston, South Carolina. Stops in Bermuda will include overnight calls, allowing passengers more time in port.
The cruise line schedule on the NCL website shows regular sailings from Philadelphia for April through October 2026. The trips are already open for booking.
Of course, before the ship can sail from a new port, it has to be built to accommodate cruise passengers. Norwegian says there are “plans are currently underway with the local government to develop a facility to welcome cruisers in 2026.” The current schedule gives roughly 21 months to complete the task.
For a city to launch completely new cruise service is a major feather in their cap, as it’s something that doesn’t happen every day. And once one cruise line makes a home there, it often leads to other lines following suit.
Meanwhile, cruises can act as a major draw to port cities, especially ones like Philadelphia that offer more than simply being a place to board the ship, but is also steeped in history.
“The Port of Philadelphia is extremely excited to partner with Norwegian Cruise Line, one of the world’s premier cruise lines,” said Jeff Theobald, CEO of PhilaPort. “Philadelphia has so much to offer, as the birthplace of freedom and the home to much of our nation’s history, we look forward to connecting cruisers with our world class city.”
Mid-Atlantic Becoming a Major Player in Cruises
Perhaps more interestingly, the addition of Philadelphia as a cruise port marks an important step for the entire region when it comes to cruises.
No one would confuse the Mid-Atlantic with Florida as a cruise haven. However, this area has quietly become a major player in the industry.
Multiple cruise lines including Carnival, and Royal Caribbean already sail out of Baltimore, which sits just 90 miles away from Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the New York City area is also served by major lines and offers three different cruise ports.
With the addition of Philadelphia, you now have three different cities to cruise from over a roughly 180-mile span (Boston, farther up the seaboard, also offers sailings). That’s approximately the same distance from Port Canaveral to the Port of Miami.
Now for several reasons — most notably the distance to ports of call in the Caribbean — the region isn’t going to ever top Florida in sailing options. However, the growth of the Mid-Atlantic is unmistakable, and the number of options within driving distance for tens of millions that live here continues to increase.
