The Philadelphia Cruise Terminal was located at 5100 South Broad Street within the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard . The Delaware River Port Authority began operating the terminal in 1998 in Building 3 , a landmarked 1874 Navy Yard building . Following the September 11 attacks the Philadelphia terminal accommodated some of the ships that had been diverted from New York . Its peak year was 2006 when it handled 36 cruises . By 2011 the schedule had dwindled to just two cruises . The DRPA decided to close the terminal rather than invest additional operating costs or capital improvements . Its demise was attributed to a combination of the economic downturn , increasing size of cruise ships , and six hours needed to navigate the Delaware River before entering open ocean
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Port of Philadelphia