The New York hotel specialists

Fleet Week

Almost every year, in late May, New York City plays host to thousands of sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen during Fleet Week New York. This celebration, begun in 1984, honors the men and women who travel the seas in the service of their country. Manhattan's streets will be filled with uniformed military personnel, as well as visitors who have come to see the ships.

Fleet Week begins with the Parade of Ships, as the visiting vessels travel up the Hudson River and then back into New York Harbor. New York's West Side piers are a great place to watch the ships pass.

The 2009 Fleet Week featured eight American and five Canadian naval ships, including destroyers, guided missile cruisers, amphibious assault vessels, and Coast Guard cutters. The ships then dock in Manhattan, at the New York Passenger Ship Terminal, or Staten Island, at Stapleton Pier.

During Fleet Week, the ships are open for free tours every day, except Sunday, from 8 AM to 5 PM. (Lines may close earlier to ensure that everyone who comes is able to take the tour.)

Naval, Marine, and Coast Guard personnel will conduct displays and events around the city to entertain and inform the public. These include demonstrations of Coast Guard search and rescue techniques and Marine helicopter insertion drills. Exhibitions of military equipment, martial arts demonstrations, and lectures on maritime and military subjects will be held at the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum and elsewhere.

Most of these events are free, but those at the Intrepid Museum require purchase of a ticket. Admission to the Intrepid Museum is free for current and retired US military personnel. A reenlistment and promotion ceremony is also held at the former site of the World Trade Center.

But it's not all work for the servicemen and servicewomen -- there are lighter events as well, including eating contests, Marine and naval band performances, a "best chow" contest, the Stem to Stern Relay Race on the Intrepid, and the annual Navy-Marine tug-of-war. Staten Island also hosts a free music festival during Fleet Week.

Fleet Week ends with the Memorial Day celebration, honoring those who have given their lives for their country. Ceremonies at the Intrepid include a singing of "Taps," a rifle salute, the laying of a wreath, and a military jet flyover. Many of the sailors and Marines also take part in Memorial Day parades around the city.