Friday, April 21, 2023 9:14 AM
Red Hook, Brooklyn (WABC) – A brand new cruise ship has just entered the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook.
MSC Meraviglia arrived at her new port Thursday morning, ready to launch her year-round sailing out of Brooklyn.
Officials say the ship will create more than 10,000 full-time cruise terminal jobs.
Just last month, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal was used to house asylum seekers. MSC Meraviglia will be the first cruise line here all year long.
Do you dream of a vacation? This ship will offer trips to the Bahamas, Florida, Bermuda and Canada, among other destinations.
City leaders say this ship is business and tourism opportunities for thousands in New York City.
The mayor expects an economic boom of $102 million annually in tourist spending.
“We expect 219,000 commuters to arrive in New York City annually,” said Mayor Adams. “Anytime we have international travelers, we spend money, we spend money, we spend money.”
News of the ship is exciting to many, but the station itself was the subject of controversy when immigrants were first taken there as temporary shelter.
The hope was to relieve pressure on the city’s shelters, but some of the defenders were not happy with the conditions. They were compared to detention centers.
Officials say their plan has always been to transfer the men when cruise season begins. These immigrants went to new relief centers in Bushwick and Times Square.
The ship’s maiden voyage is from Brooklyn on Saturday.
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