Manhattan is down a pier in 2026
The Manhattan terminal has been short of berths: Pier 92 has been closed for years, and in 2026 Pier 90 was also offline for infrastructure work. That squeeze is why Virgin Voyages moved Valiant Lady's New York sailings to Brooklyn from April 6, 2026. Brooklyn's regulars are Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Princess, plus Virgin this year. MSC Meraviglia ended its weekly Brooklyn run in April 2026.
Because some ships switched terminals this year, go by the terminal named in your cruise documents, not by the line.
Parking at the Manhattan piers
The terminal's own rooftop parking was $45 a night as of April 2026, credit card only, paid on arrival. All vehicles enter from the north at West 55th Street and Twelfth Avenue, and the height limit is 8 feet 3 inches - tall vans and roof boxes need another plan. Parking opens at 8am, porters start at 9am, and on disembarkation day you have to be out by 3pm.
A free ferry to Red Hook on big-ship days
Red Hook has no subway nearby, which is the terminal's main drawback. To ease it, the city's Economic Development Corporation runs a free direct ferry between Pier 11 at Wall Street and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on large-ship days - those with more than 2,000 passengers - from June through December 2026. Not every sailing qualifies, so check yours before counting on it.
The road side has improved too: after restriping and a larger pickup area, peak cruise-day congestion outside the terminal fell from about five hours to around 90 minutes.
Sources: thetraveler.org, deeparrival.com, cruisehive.com