Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
NEW YORK (AP)–If you're taking a cruise that begins or ends in New York, you could find yourself in Brooklyn instead of Manhattan.
With the arrival of the Queen Mary 2 on April 15, the city opened a major new cruise terminal in Brooklyn's gritty Red Hook neighborhood.
The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is the new designated "home port" in New York for the QM2, its sister ship Queen Elizabeth 2, and several other ships from the Cunard and Princess cruise lines, both owned by Carnival.
Most of the city's cruise piers are in Manhattan, located just a short cab ride from Times Square, the Broadway theater district and many Midtown hotels.
The Brooklyn terminal, in contrast, is in a relatively out-of-the-way, working-class neighborhood with small brick homes, warehouses and few tourist amenities in the immediate vicinity.
But Brooklyn's borough president, Marty Markowitz, is hoping that some visitors will arrive for their cruise a little early, or have time when their cruise is over, for some local sightseeing.
Taxis are expected to be waiting, when ships are in port, to take visitors or crew members either into Manhattan or to some of Brooklyn's attractions–like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or Coney Island, where you'll find Nathan's Famous hot dogs, the New York Aquarium, and an old-fashioned boardwalk.
If you need directions or help in planning some local sightseeing, look for an information desk at the cruise terminal staffed by volunteers from an organization called Brooklyn Tourism.
If you'd rather explore the Red Hook neighborhood than venture off to Manhattan or Coney Island, local representatives will be on hand to help you find a place nearby where you can eat lunch or have a drink. Or ask for directions to Valentino Pier–about a 15-minute walk from the Brooklyn terminal–for a stunning view of the Statue of Liberty. Also located a short drive from the cruise port is the Atlantic Terminal shopping mall.
For more information, visit http://www.brooklyncruiseguide.com.
