It’s been almost 20 years since a cruise line has sailed out of the “City of Brotherly Love”.
Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that it will begin offering sailings out of Philadelphia, PA, with the first cruises scheduled for April 16, 2026.
The cruise ship Norwegian Jewel will offer 7- and 9-day sailings to Bermuda from the Pennsylvania cruise port at the SouthPort Marine Terminal Complex.
The local government of Philadelphia is currently working on plans to develop the facilities at the port which has not seen a cruise ship in almost 2 decades.
Norwegian will be the only cruise line to operate out of the port and is scheduled to offer cruises through October of 2026.
According to reports of the announcement, President of Norwegian Cruise Line, David J. Herrera, said he wants to make cruising more accessible to residents of the region.
“We remain committed to delivering more experiences for our guests to create unforgettable memories, so they can vacation better with us,” Herrera stated. “We are particularly proud to partner with PhilaPort to launch cruising in the area, making it even more accessible to the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region.”
Executive director and CEO of PhilaPort also announced excitement over the partnership between the cruise port and Norwegian, stating,
“The Port of Philadelphia is extremely excited to partner with Norwegian Cruise Line, one of the world’s premier cruise lines. 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. This new service rounds out the portfolio of services offered at PhilaPort, and we look forward to this next phase of growth.”
