Metro Cruise to Operate Brooklyn Cruise Terminal

Metro Cruise Services LLC entered a four-year agreement with the New York City Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC), where it has been designated as the sole and exclusive operator of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (BCT). This will be the first time in Metro’s company history that marine terminal and stevedore operations will be conducted in the Port of New York.

Metro’s cruise brand has grown in the Northeast region in recent years, beginning with the providing of stevedore services in the Port of Boston to Crystal, RCI, Celebrity and Carnival cruise lines. The addition of BCT, home port for Princess and Cunard, highlights Metro’s focus in this region and strategically positions the company in the Eastern Seaboard’s largest port. Brooklyn is one of three cruise facilities in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is the easiest terminal to reach by road and has excellent facilities that position it for future growth. Additionally, its friendly layout and beautiful views of Governors Island to the north and the Statue of Liberty to the west make it the perfect venue for special events, a major portion of Metro’s business proposition for the terminal.

Metro’s cruise team will work in tandem with the NYCEDC to attract new cruise customers to Brooklyn, while also creating the conditions to increase the call volume from existing loyal clients Princess and Cunard. Substantial effort will be deployed to offer the terminal facilities to special event planners and to work with the “Big Apple’s” largest destination management companies to bring corporate and sports events to the BCT. The first vessel, Queen Mary 2, arrived in May 2013. In the meantime, Metro Shore Services ground services and agency departments also have begun planning for growth.

Metro Cruise Services LLC President Stefano Borzone commented on this new business: “The plan, both current and future, is to expand in this port and broadly deploy our suite of services for our esteemed clients,” Borzone said. “We look forward to developing our new relationship with NYCEDC and demonstrating our commitment to excellence and dedication to the cruise industry.”

Metro Cruise Services LLC and Metro Shore Services LLC, which jointly provide a full suite of services to the cruise industry, is part of Nautilus International Holding Corp. Nautilus, headquartered in Wilmington, Calif., maintains oversight of various subsidiary companies concentrating in stevedoring, terminal operations, agency, logistics and risk management. The companies of Nautilus International Holding Corp. include Metro Ports, a contract stevedoring and marine terminal operator specializing in bulk materials, breakbulk cargoes, forest products, wind energy, and a variety of other marine cargoes; Metro Cruise Services LLC and Metro Shore Services LLC; and Metro Risk Management LLC, which specializes in claims administration and other risk management services.

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