Brooklyn Plans for QM2 Home Porting

On April 15, the long awaited arrival of Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 will become reality, as the world's largest ship makes New York City's new $52 million Brooklyn Cruise Terminal her home port. Cunard reports that New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and other dignitaries will be on hand to welcome the liner as she sails into New York and docks in Buttermilk Channel to celebrate the official opening of the new full-service facility at Pier 12 in Red Hook. Cunard Line as well as Princess Cruises will use the Red Hook facility. In April 2004 after years of cruise line complaints about the poor conditions of the West Manhattan terminals, the Bloomberg Administration reached a historic agreement with Carnival Corp. that calls for the company to support the city's investments in cruise facilities in Brooklyn and Manhattan through port charges in exchange for berthing rights. In its first year of operation, the 182,000-square-foot Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is expected to welcome approximately 40 ships, including the new Crown Princess launching in June 2006.