Email
Print
FeedThe Love Boat
Honeymooners have more cruise options than ever.
(page 1 of 2)
Picture you and your new husband cuddling on your private balcony on an oceangoing ship, the warm breeze tossing your hair, the black sky dotted with hundreds of stars, and all is silent but for music wafting in from a distant deck and the whooshing of the ship as it cuts through the sea.
When it comes to honeymoons, cruises have a lot going for them, not the least of which is the pure romance of being at sea.
And with cruises now leaving from ports all over the Eastern seaboard, it’s easier than ever to take a cruise. In the mid-Atlantic region, cruises depart from the New York City area, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Norfolk. If you’re willing to drive a little farther, you can add Charleston and Boston as well.
The choices of destination from local ports are also pleasantly varied: New England and Canada, Bermuda, Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean. Princess and Norwegian even offer transatlantic cruises from New York to the British Isles and mainland Europe. If you have barely any time for a honeymoon, try one of Carnival’s two-night cruises to nowhere.
Dedicated cruisers Jennifer and Kevin McPherson of Milford have embarked at mid-Atlantic cruise ports for five of the six cruises they’ve taken. “I just feel like when you have to fly to get to the cruise port, you spend more time traveling and less time on your vacation,” Jennifer says. Leaving from a local port also eliminates the expense of airfare.
When Jennifer and Kevin got engaged, they agreed that they wanted a wedding that was out of the ordinary, and because they love cruising, they planned a destination wedding and honeymoon cruise all in one, with 16 family members and friends accompanying them.
Jennifer says her parents were skeptical at first, but everyone had a terrific time and agreed that it was a memorable wedding. Cindy McCabe, owner of Bethany Travel/Dream Vacations in Milford, made all the reservations, collected the money and handled all the questions, relieving Jennifer and Kevin of the burden.
The whole crew took a van to the Norwegian Cruise terminal in New York City to embark on a 10-day Caribbean cruise. Jennifer worked with a wedding planner to arrange a beach wedding in St. Thomas, the ship’s first stop.
“It was so different and so romantic,” Jennifer says. “That night the cruise line transferred us from an inside cabin to a balcony room, and they had decorated the bed with towel swans and rose petals.” Norwegian made special arrangements that night for the newlyweds and their 16 guests to be seated together for dinner—a reception already covered by the cost of the cruise.
Page 2: The Love Boat, continues...
