On which NYC pier will Spirit be based?

[bluewater]

We have booked for Spirit in August 2006. I know that it's early but we are wondering which pier the Spirit will be sailing from. Will it be from the west side of Manhattan or is there truth in the rumor that it will be base in Red Hook, Brooklyn? Thanks for any information.

 

[Don Clark]

Initially, the Spirit will sail from the pier on the west side of Manhattan next to the Sea-Air-Space Museum.
There is truth that NYC is building a new cruise terminal at Pier 12 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. I'm not sure anyone knows for sure when it will be completed, or opened.

Surf to this web page for a map:
http://panynj.gov/commerce/portmapmain.html
Surf to this web page for a story:
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/email/crd_newsletter12-04.html
Excerpts:
Now the city government is actually proposing something productiveâ€â€the conversion of the Port Authority-owned Pier 12 into a cruise terminal for the Carnival and Norwegian lines. The beauty of the plan is that it would maintain Red Hook’s working waterfront with a maritime use that is actually in economic demand. The booming cruise ship industry generated $600 million in local economic activity and some 3,300 jobs in 2004, according to the city's Economic Development Corporation. Far larger ships (designed for 3,000+ passengers), improved marketing, and better New York-based routes should continue to spur cruise industry growth, generating nearly $1.2 billion in economic activity by 2014, says EDC.
The city's expansion and upgrading of Manhattan's West Side terminals will not be sufficient to handle either the growth in cruise business or the gigantic new ships, which cannot readily maneuver into the existing perpendicular berths. Pier 12 will allow the ships to sail up Buttermilk Channel, slipping in parallel to the bulkhead.

Even if we knew the scheduled completion date, there's no guaranteed they would make it. And it's much too early to speculate. I suggest asking your question again next year.

 

[cruisercathy]

Hi!!

What date are you going on the Spirit????? I am looking at the 19th of August sailing. I have sailed about 15 times but only once with NCL and that was over 20 years ago.......Help me make the big step to book it......what will I like about NCL??? I really don;t like the free style idea Idining) so I hope to set up traditional once onboard.

 

[Cruizer]

cruisercathy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi!!
>
> What date are you going on the Spirit????? I am
> looking at the 19th of August sailing. I have
> sailed about 15 times but only once with NCL and
> that was over 20 years ago.......Help me make the
> big step to book it......what will I like about
> NCL??? I really don;t like the free style idea
> Idining) so I hope to set up traditional once
> onboard.


There is no traditional dining on any NCL ship. I did a review of my cruise on the NCL Star. I realize it is not the Spirit, but I spend a lot of time discussing the Freestyle dining. If you want to read my review, go to the links below ...

First six days:
http://www.cruise-addicts.com/reviews/readreview.php?id=0000004810

Last two days:
http://www.cruise-addicts.com/reviews/readreview.php?id=0000004811

 

[bluewater]

cruisercathy -

We are a family of three (husband, wife and teenage son) booked on the August 19th sailing. Since we have cruised only 3 prior times and never on NCL, I can't offer any insights about the line, ship, or freestyle dining. We chose the Spirit for the location (we live only about 25 miles from New York City) and because we've not been to the ports at which it stops. We have mixed feelings about the free-style dining. In some ways, it's comfortable to eat with the same group every evening but there also is something to be said about having the opportunity to meet some new folks and try out different dining options. The downside of freestyle, as we understand it, is having to make reservations ahead of time but I suppose that once you get that out of the way, it's no big deal. Frankly, the meals aren't the reason we choose to cruise. On our trip this past summer (RCI), we ate in the dining room only for dinner and actually ate elsewhere two of the nights. Since I enjoy relaxing while on vacation, I easily could go without having to put on the suit and tie for formal nights.

What is interesting to me is that I have heard two extremes about Freestyle Cuising...people with whom I've spoken and who have posted on this board seem either to love it or despise it. There seems not to be a middle ground. I suppose that someone who loves getting dressed up for dinner may not find freestyle dining to be appealing. For those of us who are in suits and ties every day for work, vacation is all about shorts and a Jimmy Buffett t-shirt!

 

[Don Clark]

On a NCL ship, you need only make reservations for dinner at the speciality restaurants, pay or free.
For the two main restaurants and the cafeteria, just walk right in, or wait in line.

On at sea days, the main restaurants can have long lines if you're later than 6 pm or so. Many rush to dine when the restaurants first open, around 5:30 pm on most at sea nights. The restaurants will fill up by 6:30 pm, but since it takes 90 minutes to eat 5 course meals or more, it'll be 7:00 pm before the very first diners leave.
So there's a 30 minute to 45 minute period of time when no diners are being seated. Either show up early, and wait to dine at 7 pm or later if you wish to avoid waiting for a long time for a table to open.

Good luck on your cruise, August is the start of the hurricane season, and itineraries can change. booking a cruise at this time of year one must be willing to face changes as the weather changes if you wish to have a great cruise.

I sincerly believe that those who report having terrible cruises are looking for things to go wrong, and overreact to things that go wrong. Just about every cruise line board has terrible reviews from cruisers affected by Hurricane Wilma. Hey, it is not the cruise lines fault.

 

[cruisercathy]

Bluewater..

I live in Rockland County by the Tappan Zee Bridge and this will be the first time I have cruised out of New York since 1988. My kids are really pushing me for it. I love the Spirit itinerary and it looks like I am going to book it.....we will be a group. The Dawn came out with a nice itinerary but it is less expensive to go on a 8 nighter on the Spirit than a 7 nighter on the Dawn.

I have read on other cruise boards that you CAN make arrangememts to eat in the same dining room at the same time at the same table every night..............I certainly hope this is true....cause if we are a group of 25 who want to sit together and discuss everyone days activities, they need to know we are coming..........LOL....Doesn;t matter to me what restaurant I am eating in as long as I am being served and I don;t have to do the dishes.......LOL

I will let you know when I book.

 

[cruisercathy]

Don Clark.............I have cruised over 15 times with 10 of them during hurricane season, as summer season is the only time I can travel as I am a teacher and my sons are still in school. Fortunately for me I have never expierenced any bad weather.................LOL.

I take the chance..............

Bluewater...............We are booked..........for August 19th..............

I was told by my TA that we can make arrangements for traditional dining for our group............

 

[bluewater]

We did miss one port last summer because of Katrina but that's the reality of taking a late summer cruise. However, we don't have a lot of choice in selecting vacation time. We have a son in middle school, so it's difficult to get away during the school year and I am a university faculty member who usually teaches at least one summer class that ends the first week of August. So, we tend to be locked-in to taking our vacation during the last 3 weeks of August. Since we "discovered" cruising only a couple of years ago, we have given some thought to a cruise over the winter/Christmas break but our son (and we) rather like being home on Christmas morning so we haven't pursued that option...maybe some year. For now, we are looking forward to sailing on the Spirit on August 19th and hoping for a calm week! Hopefully, our biggest concern will be making reservations at some of the specialty restaurants. And we are optimistic that the Spirit will be sailing out of Manhattan west side so we don't have to navigate over to Red Hook, Brooklyn.