Well before dawn on Saturday, April 15th, with the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 berthed alongside with its bow pointed toward Upper New York Bay and stern virtually flush with the entrance to Atlantic Basin, the brand-new Brooklyn Cruise Terminal opened for business. The liner had just completed its three-month round trip to South America, the West Coast via Cape Horn and Hawaii that began January 15, 2006 on New York’s West Side.

Queen Mary 2 berthed at Pier 12 Red Hook Brooklyn.
(Photograph Theodore W. Scull.)

The $56 million terminal, a converted cargo shed built in 1954, measures 182,000 square feet and is designed to handle several of the world’s largest ships, one at a time. Besides the 148,528-ton Queen Mary 2, Princess Cruises’ 108,977-ton Crown Princess and 116,000-ton Star Princess, which will make multiple calls, the 70,327-ton Queen Elizabeth 2 and 24,492-ton Saga Ruby will also tie up here rather than at the Manhattan’s Passenger Ship Terminal.
This reporter arrived at the new terminal located on the Red Hook waterfront using public transportation, via the F train to downtown Brooklyn and the Transit Authority’s B61 bus to Van Brunt and Pioneer streets. Security was much in evidence on Red Hook’s streets as were local onlookers ranging behind the newly erected fences.
Entering via a pedestrian gate, rather than the more distant Bowne Street vehicle entrance, the Queen Mary 2 loomed mightily over the newly painted white shed and the expansive staging areas for buses, taxis, limousines and private cars.

Another view of Queen Mary 2 at the new terminal.
(Photograph courtesy Branch Member Mario Bozzolo.)

Entering the terminal from the south, we checked in at the media desk then at 10:30am gathered outside below the bow of the Queen Mary 2 for the official opening ceremonies moderated by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Speakers included an ebullient Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Cunard President Carol Marlow who praised the new terminal and the fact that it got built on time, with a thousand workers on site in the final weeks.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomburg is at the podium
with to his left, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz,
Cunard Line President Carol Marlow and Queen Mary 2 Captain Bernard Warner.
The two men to the right represent the NYC Economic Development Corporation and the Port Authority of NY & NJ.
(Photograph Theodore W. Scull)

Everything seemed to be going smoothly and with most cruise passengers having disembarked, invited guests filed aboard via an escalator and gangway for a reception in the Queens Room and lunch in the Britannia Restaurant.
The 360-degree view from the starboard-side upper decks of the Queen Mary 2 is out over Governor’s Island to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and up through Buttermilk Channel to the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. From the portside, the less defined sweeping arc takes in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook, downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights.
A large ocean liner has not embarked revenue passengers at a Brooklyn pier since well before World War II, although until the container shipping era arrived in earnest in the 1960s, the Brooklyn waterfront from Greenpoint to Bay Ridge was teeming with shipping activity, repair facilities, railway connections, industry and warehouses. The stories of crime, violence and intrigue gave rise to “On the Waterfront,” though the film was actually shot over in Hoboken.

(Photograph courtesy Branch Member Mario Bozzolo.)

Eastbound transatlantic passengers began boarding in the early afternoon and the Queen Mary 2 slipped her lines at 5:15pm bound for a six-night crossing to Southampton, with this reporter watching the departure from the former New York City Fireboat John J. Harvey. Three fireboats were on hand and salutes were exchanged as the Queen Mary 2 passed into the shipping channel in Upper New York Bay. The Harvey, built in 1931, had greeted original Queen Mary on her maiden arrival in May 1936 and also saluted the QM2’s first New York appearance in April 2004.

(Photograph courtesy Branch Member Mario Bozzolo.)

There are two fireboats in this photograph taken from Queen Mary 2.
The smaller one spouting red, white and blue water is hidden behind
the historic fireboat John J Harvey on the starboard side of the liner.
(Photograph from Queen Mary 2 via Ben Lyons.)

The day turned out to be sunny and warm with an auspicious beginning for the new cruise terminal.

Photos will be added as they come in.

QM2 and Owls Head. Owls Head is a sanitation vessel operated by the
Department of Environmental Protection headed via the East River to Wards Island.

QM2 leaves berth.

QM2 gets a salute.

QM2 and Staten Island ferry Andrew J Barberi.

A view of the new Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
at Red Hook after the Queen Mary 2 departed.