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.
