New NCL deployments announced for 2025 / 2026, NYC cruises reduced even more for the winter season.

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

as somebody who lives - literally - blocks away from the MCT (yes, as many of you know, i walk to the terminal), i have very mixed feelings about NCL having a significantly reduced schedule out of manhattan on smaller, older ships.

 

on the one hand, i'm going to miss waking up at 9 am and being onboard the breakaway or the joy or the prima at 11:20. (OK, that's not entirely true... i won't miss being on the prima at all ever.)

 

on the other hand, NCL is a major contributor to air pollution and traffic congestion in this neighborhood. and by that i mean not just the smoke coming from the ship itself, but the exhaust from the fifteen to twenty trucks that line up overnight, for as long as 24 hours, idling their engines illegally and causing traffic disruption as they wait along the west side highway to unload their cargo. sometime the trucks go as far back as W 57 street.

 

every day that a ship docks at the MCT and  is not connected to shore power, it puts the equivalent of the emissions of 34,000 tractor-trailers into my neighborhood. the west side of manhattan has some of the worst air quality in manhattan and that is not coincidental.

 

back to the reduced schedule... manhattan is the USA's fourth busiest cruise port... it doesn't make sense to me that they would reduce the schedule... you gotta go where the people are and where it's easiest for your customers to get to. the new york area has remarkable air lift, with direct flights to most major cities. and many people enjoy pre or post vacations within the city, which is a tourist favorite all by itself.

 

 

indeed.

 

with regard to one point I made above, about the ship's power and smoke coming from the ship... all cruise lines have agreed to be connected to shore power while in port in NYC by 2028, both brooklyn and Manhattan. while the cruise lines have agreed to this, it's likely because it's backed by legislation... so they have to do it. they can't possibly be happy about it, despite every line touting their "sustainability" and eco-friendly efforts.

 

MCT currently has no access to on shore power.

 

brooklyn does, but it's only being used about half the time. in many cases, that is because the ships lack the capacity to connect to onshore power. all the newer ships have that capbility.

 

ships are in port in manhattan 227 days this year, while there are 43 days during which ships will dock in brooklyn.

 

as part of this shore power initiative, expect a $1 per passenger levy, which will go into a community fund. sorry. (not sorry.)

I appreciate your perspective and information. I’m of the Boomer generation and more often look past ecological impacts.  Not because I don’t care…mostly because of my ignorance.  Thanks for reminding me.

[Buford T Justiice]

I think both the Pearl and Gem are unassigned at the moment for Feb 2025 itineraries. 

[Homosassa]

11 hours ago, laudergayle said:

I appreciate your perspective and information. I’m of the Boomer generation and more often look past ecological impacts.  Not because I don’t care…mostly because of my ignorance.  

How can that be?  

 

We are the generation of Rachel Carson, the First Earth Day Celebration and the rise of environmental science classes (majors) in college and universities, the creation of the EPA - the list could go on.

[laudergayle]

2 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

How can that be?  

 

We are the generation of Rachel Carson, the First Earth Day Celebration and the rise of environmental science classes (majors) in college and universities, the creation of the EPA - the list could go on.

Wow…not only am I old and ignorant, I am under-educated, too.  🤓

[PistolPete13]

15 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

 

on the other hand, NCL is a major contributor to air pollution and traffic congestion in this neighborhood. and by that i mean not just the smoke coming from the ship itself, but the exhaust from the fifteen to twenty trucks that line up overnight, for as long as 24 hours, idling their engines illegally and causing traffic disruption as they wait along the west side highway to unload their cargo. sometime the trucks go as far back as W 57 street.

 

every day that a ship docks at the MCT and  is not connected to shore power, it puts the equivalent of the emissions of 34,000 tractor-trailers into my neighborhood. the west side of manhattan has some of the worst air quality in manhattan and that is not coincidental.

 

 

 

with regard to one point I made above, about the ship's power and smoke coming from the ship... all cruise lines have agreed to be connected to shore power while in port in NYC by 2028, both brooklyn and Manhattan. while the cruise lines have agreed to this, it's likely because it's backed by legislation... so they have to do it. they can't possibly be happy about it, despite every line touting their "sustainability" and eco-friendly efforts.

 

MCT currently has no access to on shore power.

 

brooklyn does, but it's only being used about half the time. in many cases, that is because the ships lack the capacity to connect to onshore power. all the newer ships have that capbility.

 

Thanks for this information.  I'd never thought about the impact of all those trucks lined up to restock the ship and idling.  NYC has some pretty strict laws on idling cars and I've even see local news reports of some people making $$$ reporting violators and getting a cut of the fines levied.

I guess commercial vehicles could be exempt?

Shore power is another surprise to be because I would assume that is a given.  I'll be at the Brooklyn terminal for a sailing next month for the first time and will look for the connections and differences of that location vs. MCT.

[JIMESOPUS]

Shore power/pollution in NYC, the article is about 10 months old

 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/11469-new-york-brooklyn-cruise-terminal-shore-power-design

[UKstages]

On 12/15/2023 at 11:17 AM, PistolPete13 said:

I guess commercial vehicles could be exempt?

 

no, commercial vehicles are not exempt.

 

the law was specifically designed for commercial vehicles, particularly busses.

[v3cruiser]

Seems like the weather in Dec can be quite hairy. Just got off getaway and Bermuda was canceled. It will be interesting to see if the getaway makes it this Mon Tues to Bermuda considering forecast is even worse. I think the gem is supposed to dock in Bermuda this week too. 

[JIMESOPUS]

2 minutes ago, v3cruiser said:

Seems like the weather in Dec can be quite hairy. Just got off getaway and Bermuda was canceled. It will be interesting to see if the getaway makes it this Mon Tues to Bermuda considering forecast is even worse. I think the gem is supposed to dock in Bermuda this week too. 

Gem has sailed past Bermuda and is expected to be in the NY harbor sometime tomorrow.