Cruise from Philadelphia: the new terminal and Norwegian's sailings

The Philadelphia cruise port

Philadelphia went more than 15 years without a regular cruise ship. That changed in 2026, when Norwegian Jewel began sailing from a new cruise terminal built by PhilaPort, the port authority, next to Philadelphia International Airport. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has a seven-year agreement with the port that runs to March 31, 2033, so this is a long-term home port, not a one-season experiment.

It is not the old Philadelphia Cruise Terminal at the Navy Yard. If an older guide or map sends you to South Broad Street, it’s out of date.

Terminal

PhilaPort Cruise Terminal, 4 Atlantic Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19153 (use Entrance A)

Location

Next to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), off I-95

Lines

Norwegian Cruise Line

Ships

Norwegian Jewel (2026 season, ended September 2026), Norwegian Pearl (November 2026 to April 2028), Norwegian Gem (from summer 2028)

Terminal access

Not before 9:30 a.m. on sailing day

The first 2026 sailings boarded through temporary facilities while construction finished. The permanent terminal opened with a ribbon-cutting on August 27, 2026, and Norwegian Jewel sailed from it the same day.

Philadelphia cruise port parking

• No parking at the terminal. PhilaPort’s FAQ says there’s no passenger parking at the terminal itself.
• Hotel lot with a shuttle. The port sends drivers to Park & Jet at the Clarion Hotel Philadelphia International Airport, 76 Industrial Highway, Essington. Parking was $16 per day per vehicle (checked September 2026), with a free shuttle to and from the terminal. PhilaPort recommends paying ahead; you book by phone or email through the hotel.
• Drop-off. Having someone drop you at the curb, or taking a taxi or rideshare, avoids the parking question entirely. The drop-off area is in front of the embarkation hall.

Getting there

• By car: the terminal sits by the airport and I-95, so it’s an easy drive from Center City, South Jersey, Delaware and the Lehigh Valley. Southbound, use I-95 Exit 14 (Bartram Avenue/Essington Avenue); northbound, Exit 15.
• By air: this is one of the few U.S. cruise terminals where the airport is next door. A short taxi or rideshare from PHL gets you to the ship, or you can buy Norwegian’s own airport transfer.
• By train: Amtrak serves 30th Street Station in Center City, and SEPTA’s Airport Line runs from Center City to the airport terminals. From there it’s a short taxi or rideshare. There’s no public shuttle to the cruise terminal.

Staying the night before

If you’re flying in, an airport hotel is the obvious pick: you’re minutes from the ship. Staying in Center City puts you near restaurants and sights, but plan for traffic on I-95 on the way out.

Which cruise lines sail from Philadelphia?

In 2026–2027, only Norwegian Cruise Line runs regular sailings from Philadelphia. The new terminal was built around Norwegian’s deal with the port, and every 2027 Philadelphia departure we found is on Norwegian Pearl. Oceania and Regent, Norwegian’s sister brands, have no Philadelphia departures listed. That’s the honest answer to “what cruise lines sail out of Philadelphia”: one.

• Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Pearl arrives in November 2026 and sails 5- to 14-day trips to Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Canada and New England through April 2028. Norwegian Gem takes over with 7-day Bermuda and Atlantic Coast trips from summer 2028.
  From $529 per personChecked September 2026

Sample sailings from Philadelphia, 2026–2027. From-prices per person, checked September 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Dec 8, 2027	Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Pearl	5	5 Night Bermuda-Philadelphia (from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)	$529	Check price

Want more choice? The nearest bigger ports

• Baltimore, about two hours down I-95: Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
• New York and New Jersey, about two hours up the New Jersey Turnpike: the widest choice on the East Coast, including Norwegian’s newer ships.
• Norfolk, farther south: Carnival only, but it’s also a port of call on Pearl’s summer Bermuda trips.

Best cruises from Philadelphia by season

• Late fall: Bermuda. Pearl’s first trips in November 2026 are 7-night Bermuda round trips with three days at Royal Naval Dockyard, arriving mid-morning on day three and leaving mid-afternoon on day five. That’s the best Bermuda time you’ll get from here.
• Winter: the Caribbean and the Bahamas. From late November to March, Pearl mostly runs 10- and 11-night Caribbean round trips (Tortola, St. Thomas, San Juan and Puerto Plata on most of them), with a few 8-night Bahamas trips in February and March that call at Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay, Port Canaveral and Jacksonville.
• Spring and summer 2027: Bermuda. From April 2027, the bread-and-butter trip is a 7-night Bermuda and Atlantic Coast round trip that adds a stop in Norfolk, Virginia. A few 5-night Bermuda round trips are scattered through the schedule.
• Early fall 2027: Canada and New England. In September and October 2027, Pearl sails 10- and 11-night trips to ports such as Boston, Eastport, Saint John and Halifax, some one-way between Philadelphia and Quebec City. For those, you’ll need a flight or train at one end.

Three insider picks

1. Pick the Bermuda sailing by its time in port. Bermuda is two days at sea each way from Philadelphia, so time on the island is what you’re paying for. On a 5-night trip you get far less of it than on the 7-night trips with three days docked. If you’d rather save sea days, compare Bermuda trips from New York or Boston, or see our Bermuda cruise guide.

2. Know what you’re getting with an older ship. Pearl is one of Norwegian’s mid-2000s Jewel-class ships, with room for about 2,300 guests. It’s smaller and simpler than Norwegian’s newest ships, with fewer big-ticket attractions. That suits people who want a calmer ship and a short drive. If the ship matters more than the port, read our Norwegian guide first.

3. Sort out parking before you book. With no parking at the terminal, your plan is the Clarion lot, a drop-off or a park-and-fly hotel. Pay for the lot ahead in busy weeks.

Philadelphia cruise FAQ

Which cruise lines sail out of Philadelphia?

Only Norwegian Cruise Line runs regular sailings: Norwegian Pearl from November 2026 to April 2028, then Norwegian Gem from summer 2028. For Carnival or Royal Caribbean, look at cruises from Baltimore.

Where is the Philadelphia cruise terminal?

The PhilaPort Cruise Terminal is at 4 Atlantic Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19153, next to Philadelphia International Airport and off I-95. It replaced the old terminal at the Navy Yard, which no longer has regular sailings.

Is there parking at the Philadelphia cruise port?

Not at the terminal itself. PhilaPort sends drivers to the Park & Jet lot at the Clarion Hotel in Essington, with a free shuttle to the ship. It cost $16 a day per vehicle (checked September 2026).

Are there 3-day cruises from Philadelphia?

No. The shortest trips are 5-night Bermuda round trips on Norwegian Pearl. For a real weekend at sea, see our short cruises guide.

Do I need a passport for a cruise from Philadelphia?

On a round trip that starts and ends in Philadelphia, U.S. citizens can usually sail with an original birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID. The one-way Canada and New England sailings that start or end in Quebec City are not closed-loop trips, so you need a passport or other WHTI-compliant document for those. More in our no-passport cruises guide.