New York, New York - Want To Be A Part Of It?
Hell, yeah! The city that never sleeps also seldom disappoints, from its amazing and sometimes rather beautiful skyscrapers like the Art Deco Chrysler Building - the world’s tallest building until they topped off the Empire State – that’s actually just a few metres taller than MSC Meraviglia is long! Of course both these iconic Manhattan landmarks are worthy of a visit and both offer spectacular views. Now, if iconic buildings are your thing, make sure you visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2019 and still one of the world’s great intersections between art and architecture.
How Many Elephants Did It Take To Test The Brooklyn Bridge?
The first steel wire suspension bridge in the world, the Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River and connects Manhattan with Brooklyn. When it was built it was the longest bridge in the world, although a rumour that it was falling down shortly after construction in 1883 prompted a stampede that killed a dozen people. In order to restore public confidence - and to drum up publicity for his circus - P. T. Barnum led 21 elephants across the bridge the following year! This pachyderm parade included the famous ‘Jumbo’ who’d recently been purchased from London Zoo, prompting school children to write 100,000 letters of protest to Queen Victoria. You can still see Jumbo, or at least his enormous skeleton, at the American Museum of Natural History in Midtown Manhattan just west of Central Park.
Talking of elephants, why not cross the bridge and explore ‘DUMBO’ an area that’s teeming with great eateries like the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory? The DUMBO acronym actually stands for: Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass – but, don’t be misled by the name, DUMBO covers the Brooklyn Bridge too. You can enjoy brilliant views back across the city at night on one of our excursions and, while you’re out and about, keep an eye out for fellow Brits abroad, like local residents Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz.
How A New York Cruise Laid The Foundations For Carnegie Hall!
Strange, but largely true, in that a New York honeymoon cruise brought newly-weds Andrew Carnegie & Louise Whitfield together with young conductor, Walter Damrosch, whose vision of a new concert hall for New York City captured the imagination – and the purse strings! – of the wealthy industrialist.
The celebrated space that bears Carnegie’s name has, since completion in 1891, hosted performances from the likes of Mahler, Gershwin, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and the Beatles, who played their New York concert debut here in 1964 – the burgeoning ‘British invasion’ continued when the Rolling Stones played just a few months later. Carnegie Hall on the intersection of 57th and 7th is just south of Central Park where a traditional carriage ride is a great way to see this New York City institution. For an overview of the entire city try one of our New York Highlights tours that will bring you back to the cruise terminal that is the hub for New York cruises to Boston and beyond.
Say ‘Cheers’ To Boston
You’re in good company on your Boston cruise, and not just because you’re headed for the setting of the bar ‘where everyone knows your name’. Indeed, long before Norm settled on his favourite stool to deliver his world weary one-liners, George Gershwin was on a journey from New York to Boston facing an impossible deadline to complete ‘Rhapsody in Blue’. Regarded as a landmark in American music, it’s a great soundtrack for a cruise to the USA that includes so much of America’s D.N.A, from the natural beauty of New England in the Fall to the roots of the War of Independence.
Your cruise to the USA and Boston is your gateway to the famous Freedom Trail where the American Revolution is brought vividly to life – discover this slice of history of Boston on an excursion in the company of one of our expert guides. The walk can’t fail to feed your mind and it’s also a great way to work up an appetite for local specialities like clam chowder!
Where Can You Find A 1,500ft Cadillac And Titanic’s Last Deck Chair?
The great outdoors is never far away on a cruise to the USA and Bar Harbor is your gateway to the wonderful wilderness that you can enjoy on a trip to the Acadia National Park. Enjoy magnificent views from the summit of Cadillac Mountain – it’s 1,530 ft to be exact – and you can reach it on foot or by car. If you fancy a day at the seaside then the aptly named Sand Beach is simply, spectacular. If you want a true taste of Maine then the lobster from these waters is as good as it gets.
Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, nestles in a vast harbour that facilitated the ports rise and rise as one of the Atlantic trading hubs. Take an excursion to Peggy’s Cove and visit the famous red lighthouse and the Fairview Cemetery where 121 of Titanic’s passengers are laid to rest. You’ll find the only surviving deck chair from the infamous disaster of 1912 at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
On a lighter note, head for Halifax’s Lower Deck where the party never seems to stop.
Want To Meet Arctic Hares, Black Bears & Caribou Too?
Then Corner Brook, at the mouth of the mighty Humber River, is the place to head on a cruise to the USA and Canada designed to introduce you to wonderful wildlife and spectacular scenery. As well as being a UNESCO World Heritage site Gros Morne National Park is home to all the above and much more besides and can be experienced on one of our special excursions. If you visit at the end of the salmon run and, with a little bit of luck, you’ll see bears as they stock up for their winter hibernations on the salmon that drift back to the sea after spawning.
If you like the sound of what you’ve read and you’d like to cruise USA in 2019 with MSC, make sure you choose a USA cruise deal with us.