More than one million people left New York's three ports (Manhattan, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey) in 2007, according to Economic Development City of New York Corporation, and that number is expected to increase in 2008.

Since 9 / 11 the number of ships and passengers increased to the point that opened new berthing facilities in Red Hook, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey. Today every cruise line has several ships in the port of origin New York for extended seasons of voyages ranging from a day of a cruise of 100 +-day circumnavigation of the globe.

Four cruise lines (Cunard Line, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line) have year-round service from New York. Itineraries range cruise of the parties 99 days to one full day circumnavigation of the globe. Cunard Line Queen Mary 2 continues the tradition of regular transatlantic service between New York and Southampton.

Selections of the best ships and itineraries for 2008/09:

Best Cruise Lines and SHIPS

The star of New York: The Queen Mary 2. Ballroom dancing with orchestra live, high tea perfectly served, scholarly guest lecturers, a kennel and the latest amenities to keep the British maritime heritage alive and well.

Best ships for Families: Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas. A big boy to please their climbing wall, skating, ice skating and club adolescents deprived, Explorer of the Seas is very popular with cruisers of all ages.

Top luxury ship: Crystal Symphony (Crystal Cruises) with the highest higher food and service, penthouse suites with private butler and enrichment programs aboard Crystal Symphony steals the show in luxury cruises.

Best Itineraries: Princess Cruises Caribbean and Canada / New England cruises from Brooklyn.

Best boats for a relaxing People: Norwegian Cruise Line. This popular line cruise "Freestyle Cruising" program means you can choose to dine in many restaurants, when and with whom you want. And, no tuxes required.

Best Food Program on board: Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess. Princess offers the choice of single open seating dining or traditional two seating dining plus a Lido Restaurant, serving food 24 hours a day.

Best itineraries 2008/09

Caribbean: (Princess) Caribbean Princess sails on nine days of travel Eastern Caribbean roundtrip from Brooklyn to Bermuda, Grand Turk, San Juan and St. Thomas

Bermuda: (Royal Caribbean and NCL Royal Caribbean Explorer of the candles in six days Seas Bermuda cruise from Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey and Norwegian Norwegian Cruise Line's Dawn makes seven-day trips to Bermuda Manhattan

Canada / New England: (Princess) Princess's Sea Princess sails ten night cruises between Brooklyn and Quebec City (with a night of stay on board the ship). Ports of call are Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown

Europe: six transatlantic crossings night between New York and Southampton aboard Queen Mary 2

Short Cruise: 29 August 2008 from three nights at no cruise aboard Holland America's brand Eurodam Sailing New Manhattan.

Best Cruise length: 14-Sea Princess' day Iceland and Greenland voyage from Southampton, United Kingdom, Brooklyn, 30 August 2008. Bergen, Norway, Shetland, Scotland, Faroe Islands, Denmark, Iceland; Nanortalik, Greenland, St. Johns, Nova Scotia.

World Cruise: Queen Victoria sails from New York to Barcelona on a 99-Day cruise exit 10 January 2009. The ship visits Curacao, Guatemala, Cabo San Lucas, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, India, Dubai, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Rome, Barcelona.

Copyright Anne Campbell, 2008

Anne Campbell, a journalist who has been covering the cruise industry for 15 years, is editor-in-chief of Cruising From New York (http://www.cruisingfromnewyork.com) Visit this new web site for reviews of all ships sailing from New York, 2008/09 itineraries, cruise deals, in-depth information on the ports of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty (Bayonne) NJ.

Manhattan Sailing Club – Classic Week Pride II