A cruise from New York to the Caribbean

By Chris Melzer Nov 22, 2011, 3:06 GMT

New York - New York City is a strenuous place. The world metropolis, which attracts nearly 50 million visitors each year, offers so much - and is so expensive - that one does not want to waste even a minute in the hotel room. Museums, concert halls, shopping: you're forced to be on the move all the time.

Should a vacation be something different? Well then why not combine a huge city sapping your energy with a relaxing cruise to the Caribbean? A few days of Manhattan Island, and then a week in the Caribbean, wrapped up with another few days in New York.

Those who can run a tight ship, budget-wise, can have all this for less than 2,000 euros (2,750 dollars). Such a combination is well-known in the US and Canada, but still a bit of a secret on the other side of the Atlantic.

The Caribbean is not even three days of travel time away from New York. The floating hotels may not travel much faster than a bicyclist, but they are underway day and night. Of course, with a week-long cruise there is only time for two, maybe three, days on a sun-drenched island. But as with every cruise, the actual destination is the trip itself.

'We absolutely wanted to visit New York,' say Dagmar and Wolfgang Bernaschek, a German couple. 'But we also always wanted to take a cruise, one to the Caribbean.' For the couple, a visit of only five or six days to New York was too expensive.

'But because a cruise to the Caribbean from Europe is too expensive and takes too long, we checked out what it would cost starting from New York. And we were surprised how inexpensive it could be if you make a few compromises.'

For the Bernascheks this meant sharing a cabin with another couple they knew.

'Sure, it's a bit cramped,' acknowledges Bernd Fritsche, who travelled with his girlfriend. 'But you are only spending time in the cabin in order to sleep and otherwise while on the ship you are constantly on the go.'

After a few busy and strenuous days visiting New York's museums and department stores, the sunshine-filled cruise was exactly on-target. 'Just leaving the harbour was worth everything,' Fritsche said.

The ship slowly glides past Manhattan Island, offering passengers a view of the skyline with the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center, Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. And, of course, the Statue of Liberty. Virtually every passenger is standing on the starboard side in order to view Lady Liberty and take pictures of each other with the statue in the background.

The next morning, the air is already distinctly warmer as the cruise ship has reached the latitude of the southern US states. Just one more day and night at sea and the vessel will be cruising into the first harbour. For many shipping lines, the first stop is Port Canaveral.

This not only sounds similar to the famous US space centre site, but it in fact is the port where the fuel tanks of the Space Shuttles are fished out of the water. The huge NASA building can easily be seen from the ship.

The standard program includes excursions to Orlando, 80 kilometres away, with such attractions as Disney World, Universal Studios, Seaworld and Busch Gardens. Or, simply a trip to the NASA space centre. The tours can be booked on board the cruise ship.

But the total package deals are expensive. Those who want to save money should take one of the buses travelling from the port to the nearby tourism attractions for a few dollars. The beach comes free of charge.

The next day, the cruise passengers wake up in the Caribbean. The US companies Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean own their own small private islands amounting to little more than a beach and palm tree. The passengers are taken to shore on boats.

It is advisable to get one of the early ones, for while there are enough beach cots available, very few of them are in the shade. But what is available in sufficient quantity is food and beverages, which are likewise brought to shore on the boats.

Twin cabins can be booked starting at 800 euros, but generally an interior cabin is going to cost about 1,200 euros for a week. Those wanting a cabin with a window will have to pay 300 euros more. And if it is to come with a balcony, then the couple will have to shell out some 1,800 euros, maybe on occasion something much less.

But such a cabin then offers the luxury of watching the arrival in Nassau, the main port of the Bahamas, from the privacy of one's own room. And the same luxury of course when gliding into New York harbour again, past the canyons of streets.

And maybe the shadows cast by the skyscrapers are a welcome relief after a week in the sunshine.