Philadelphia Pre/Post Cruise Visit – Food, Food and More Food
Every local is proud of our food and we’ll ask JEET? aka “Did you eat”? because we are conditioned to feed you all day everyday and make sure you go home with bags and boxes of more food, treats or we may empty the cupboard so you don’t leave empty. I may have dug into my freezer more than once to share food to take home. It’s ingrained in us. Even on business trips to visit co-workers in other cities, I’m known to show up with local Philly treats such as Asher’s Chocolate Covered Pretzels or Sea Salted Caramels because soft pretzels have a short life when dealing with flights and time changes.
Key Takeaway – Philadelphians love to eat and love even more feeding you and having you discover all the amazing foods in the city from water ice to Michelin starred restaurants and everything high and low in between.
Top tip – Pack your stretchy pants and appetite because you will be spoiled with choice from food carts, food trucks, farmers markets, pizza joints to our award-winning chefs and restaurants which now includes three Michelin starred options. Every neighborhood is full of flavor and its overwhelming to figure out where to start.
A few great resources to start your food adventures in Philly –
- Reading Terminal Market (includes Pennsylvania Dutch aka Amish stands)
- A food tour with Tiny Table Food Tours
- Follow Philly Publicist on Tik Tok for food (he loves food, is PR for the best restaurants and also has gluten free finds in the city) and event information
- The Philadelphia Bakery Guide highlighting 30 bakeries in the city (a few of my favorites made the list while others didn’t which says a lot about the plethora of bakery options throughout the city).
For treats to bring back to the ship visit PA General Store in Reading Terminal Market for locally made treats such as Asher’s Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Eclat Chocolate Bars and Good Good Chocolates, Hope’s Cookies and so much more. They all ship in the U.S. if your luggage is already full.
To enjoy in the market, I love the PA Dutch Eating Place for blueberry pancakes (breakfast) and the hot turkey with fries (lunch). For dessert, I go to Bassett’s (ice cream), Sweet Nina’s (banana pudding) and Termini’s (cannoli and bakers cheesecake). Outside the market, on 13th street (short walk away), I recommend Open House for local goods and foods (the salted caramel budino is an award winning dessert).
What to Visit in Philadelphia?
The exciting part of cruise ships coming to Philadelphia is that more folks will discover what I already know about my city – it’s a wonderful place to visit the history (Liberty Bell, Constitution Center, First Bank, Betsey Ross House, African American Museum, Jewish Museum and so much more history throughout the city), the arts (gems include The Philadelphia Art Museum, The Barnes Foundation, Rodin Museum and the quirky Magic Gardens), eat all the amazing old time Philly foods (icons include the Philly Cheesesteak, Italian Water Ice, Philly Soft Pretzel, Roast Pork sandwich, Stock’s Pound Cake, Butter Cake and Tomato Pie), drink the local beers and spirits, take in a sporting event to revel in our highs and lows of being a Philly sports fan (CHEAT Code – when you see anyone in an Eagles jersey all year round, a simple “Go Birds” will suffice). It’s a unique city to visit for a day or two pre/post cruise so hopefully you’ll add time to explore near and far. Most of the center city is walkable with attractions such as the Philadelphia Zoo, the oldest in the nation, reached by the Philly PHLASH bus or Hop On/Hop Off bus routes.
Tax Free Shopping in Philadelphia
Did I mention tax free shopping on most clothing/shoes? Center City has many boutiques as well as national shops along Walnut & Chestnut Streets in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. You should also look to explore the city’s many neighborhoods for local bookshops, antiques and a plethora of artisan goods. Shopaholics will want to explore the behemoths of King of Prussia Mall and Philadelphia Outlet Mall to spend the day. Also new to Philadelphia is Netflix House in King of Prussia which offers minigolf, virtual reality, escape rooms and other experiences tied to Netflix series/brands for kids of all ages. The KoP mall can be 30 mins to more than an hour from the Philadelphia Cruise Port depending on the day. There is no direct public transit from Center City so a car or taxi will be required so plan accordingly.
Where to Stay in Philly pre or post NCL cruise
There are so many great options in the city from the luxury Four Seasons in the sky to boutique hotels and many options in between. I’ve done staycations at many such as: The Logan Hotel, Kimpton Palomar, The Sofitel, The Notary Hotel, Ritz Carlton, Westin, Loews Philadelphia. I don’t have reviews for the newer hotels such as The W Philadelphia, Element Philadelphia, Hyatt Canopy but you get the idea, all the hotel options are here for you to consider. And if you are a luxury NCL cruise travel for whom The Haven is the standard, well, we have an amazing Four Seasons Philadelphia for you.
Norwegian Cruises from Philadelphia
Visiting Philadelphia for your NCL cruise, don’t forget to add a few days on either side of your cruise to explore the city. It will surprise you and make for an added wonderful memory of your vacation. This was just a quick overview of downtown Philly and what it can offer. With more time to explore you can visit Lancaster County (Amish buggies and foods), Valley Forge National Park and a little further afield Hershey, PA. Philadelphia is a great gateway to explore Pennsylvania before or after the cruise.
As always, if I can help you with your Philly itinerary or book your hotels, let me know.