September 24, 2005

Red Hook hosts its first cruise ship: Carnival's Oriana

Carnival Cruise Lines' Oriana docked at Red Hook's Pier 11 this morning, making it the first ship to dock at the future home of Brooklyn's Cruise Ship Terminal, which is expected to open in April 2006.

The transatlantic ship is only expected to dock in New York for the day and will set sail for Boston late tonight after passengers return via bus from city trips.

The Oriana is operated by Carnival's P&O Cruises. Its home port is London and has a maximum passenger capacity of 1,928. Don't miss the Oriana's webcam, which is currently looking south toward Staten Island and unfortunately misses the Statue of Liberty to the camera's right.

Sections of the industrial Red Hook neighborhood have received quick makeovers in recent weeks with new sidewalks and paving laid down for tour buses. Passengers and city officials entered and exited the port just to the north (map) of the proposed Imlay Street luxury condo project, which neighbors complain would go too far in changing the character of the area.

Next year, after the $30 million terminal is complete, both the Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II will use the Red Hook dock for part of the year. The dock is on the Buttermilk Channel, a small passage dividing Brooklyn from Governor's Island.

The city's main cruise ship terminal, also due for a massive renovation, is located in Manhattan on the Hudson River north of 42nd Street. The New York Cruise Terminal saw 547,000 passengers in 2004, making it the fourth busiest cruise port in the United States, according to a report released earlier this month by the International Council of Cruise Lines. It was a 25 percent increase in passengers from a year earlier.

For a full list of cruises departing from New York City, see CruiseCritic.com.

Earlier: Queen Mary II to dock in Red Hook, Brooklyn
Cruise ships to dock in Brooklyn later this year

September 24, 2005 03:25 PM in Out of Manhattan

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