There are many cruises that go from Fort Lauderdale and Miami to New York City, but for the most part they take the scenic route, with port stops in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Europe. Trip choices include 11-day, 13-day and 51-day itineraries, with departures in March, April, May and November. Typical stops include the Netherlands Antilles, Nassau in the Bahamas, Ocho Rios in Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico. If you're headed from Florida to New York City, there are worse ways than a ship to get there.

Norwegian Jewel

Norwegian Jewel, part of the Norwegian Cruise Lines' fleet, has 11-day and 13-day cruises from Miami to New York City. The 11-day "Caribbean Escape" makes stops in Nassau, Ocho Rios, San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean port of Aruba and Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles. Departures are in May.

The 13-day "Caribbean Escape" option on the Norwegian Jewel sails in April. Port stops include Cozumel in Mexico, Belize City in Belize, Roatan Island in the Honduras, the Caribbean port of Aruba, Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles and Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Built in 2005, the Norwegian Jewel can carry 2,376 passengers and a crew of 1,154. The ship's 15 decks include outdoor and indoor pools, hot tubs, a beauty salon and a spa.

Norwegian Jewel Norwegian Cruise Lines 7665 Corporate Center Drive Miami, FL 33126 866-625-1166 ncl.com

Norwegian Gem

The Norwegian Gem has 13-day cruises from Miami to New York City. Ships embark in November and include port stops in Nassau, Ocho Rios, Aruba, Curacao and San Juan. The 15-deck ship can handle 2,394 passengers and a crew of 1,154. The ship was built in 2007 and offers a library, a night club, an Internet cafe and a fitness center.

Norwegian Gem Norwegian Cruise Lines 7665 Corporate Center Drive Miami, FL 33126 866-625-1166 ncl.com

ms Prinsendam

Holland America Cruise Lines' ms Prinsendam offers 51-day cruises from Fort Lauderdale to New York City. The "Grand Mediterranean" cruise sails in March to port stops in Gustavia in the Netherlands Antilles, Funchal in Portugal, Tangier in Morocco, five cities in Spain, St. Tropez in France, Livorno and Civitavecchia in Italy, three cities in Greece, three cities in Turkey, Sochi in Russia, Batumi in South Georgia, Valletta in Malta, Ponta Delgada in the Azores and Hamilton in Bermuda. The ms Prinsendam was built in 1988 and refurbished in 2007. The ship's nine decks hold 885 passengers and a crew of 428. Features include an atrium, a casino, a theater and an Internet cafe.

ms Prinsendam Holland America Cruise Lines 300 Elliott Ave. West Seattle, WA 98119 877-932-4259 hollandamerica.com

About the Author

Leah Waldron is the head of Traveler Services at First Abroad, a gap year travel company based in Boston and London. As a travel, research and LGBT news writer, Waldron has publication credit on magazines and newspapers including "Curve Magazine," "USA Today," "The Sun Sentinel" and the "The Houston Chronicle." Waldron has a bachelor's and master's degree in creative writing from Florida State University.

Photo Credits

  • Miami Beach Sunset image by Wimbledon from Fotolia.com
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