In our 20+ years of cruising, we’ve sailed into and out of lots of ports. That includes the Caribbean, Alaska, New England, Canada, North Europe, the British Isles, the Mediterranean and Asia. But of them all, none beat the splendor and awe we felt departing and arriving into New York harbor.
For all the negative press the city receives, we’ve never heard anyone complain about sailing New York harbor. Perhaps the last disgruntled cruisers at New York harbor were the British sailors arriving in a June 1776. They arrived aboard a 45-ship armada that anchored in Lower New York Bay. And they likely were even more sour when they departed. That was November 1783, when the last of the British militia and loyalists were ordered to evacuate New York City.
Highlights of our late afternoon departure included passing Lady Liberty in the late afternoon, watching the New York Skyline fade away off our bow, and finally sailing under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.
No questions, our sail out of the harbor was spectacular. But I was more thrilled that I arose early on our return and watched our sunrise arrival into the harbor. And I’ll even admit that I may have wiped tears from my eyes as we sailed past Lady Liberty.
By Dawn’s Early Light
By dawn’s early light, the majestic Statue of Liberty welcomed us into New York harbor, as she has with countless arriving immigrants and travelers since her dedication in 1886. We docked at the cruise terminal in Brooklyn. There, we looked across Governor’s Island to see those broad stripes and bright stars gallantly streaming. And while the National Anthem may have been written by Francis Scott Key to describe the flag flying over Fort McHenry in Baltimore after a battle, we certainly could channel some of those patriotic feelings as we entered New York harbor with the twinkling backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.
More Enchanted New York Harbor
Following are a few more of our favorite photos from our departure and arrival into New York harbor on the Enchanted Princess. But there’s more, too. Keep scrolling past these photos.
Plus, The Staten Island Ferry
On our final evening in the Big Apple, we headed back to the harbor, this time for a cruise on the Staten Island Ferry. It’s an iconic and free trip, departing from the tip of Manhattan, sailing past Lady Liberty, and then returning again.
