For the first time in years, a major cruise ship will sail from Philadelphia
It's official: Philadelphia is back as a home port for cruise ships.
Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday announced it would offer sailings to Bermuda from Philadelphia starting in the spring of 2026, becoming the first major cruise line to base a vessel in the city in years. The Miami-based cruise brand also announced plans to begin sailings to Canada and New England from Philadelphia later in 2026.
The line said the trips would take place on Norwegian Jewel, a 2,376-passenger vessel currently based on the West Coast for sailings to Alaska. Unveiled in 2005, it's one of the oldest of Norwegian's 19 vessels.
"We remain committed to delivering more experiences for our guests to create unforgettable memories so they can vacation better with us," Norwegian Cruise Line president David Herrera said in a statement. "We are particularly proud to partner with [the port of Philadelphia] to launch cruising in the area, making it even more accessible to the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region."
A few small cruise vessels have made stops in Philadelphia in recent years. However, it hasn't seen big cruise ships like the ones operated by Norwegian since 2011. Even then, the ships that visited Philadelphia did so on voyages from other home ports.
Philadelphia has long been one of the only major cities along the East Coast of the U.S. that hasn't served as a cruise ship hub. Cruise ships currently sail out of Boston; New York City; Baltimore; Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and multiple ports along the east coast of Florida.
Norwegian said the new sailings from Philadelphia would include:
- Seven- and nine-night voyages to Bermuda that will take place from April 16, 2026 to Aug. 27, 2026
- 10- and 11-night voyages to Canada and New England starting Sept. 5, 2026, through early October 2026
The Bermuda sailings will include a multiday visit to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda as well as a stop in Charleston.
The Canada and New England voyages will bring stops in such ports as Boston; Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax and Sydney in Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Saguenay, Quebec.
Fares for the Bermuda sailings will start at $1,197 per person, based on double occupancy. Fares for the Canada and New England trips will start at $1,441 per person.
Related: Cruise giant Carnival doubles down on Bermuda sailings
Norwegian said the trips would depart from Philadelphia's SouthPort Marine Terminal, a new port complex that opened in 2019; it's currently used by ships importing automobiles to the U.S. Plans are currently underway with the local government to develop a facility at the SouthPort terminal to welcome cruisers in 2026.
According to Norwegian, it would be the only cruise line sailing from Philadelphia through Oct. 17, 2026.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
- 8 cabin locations on cruise ships you should definitely avoid
- Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
- Which cruise brand is best for you? A guide to the most popular lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise
- The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app