On October 14th, Waterfront Alliance will hold its annual Heroes of the Harbor gala aboard the Hornblower Infinity, a first-class engagement on a veritable seafaring luxury ballroom. Hornblower Group has been a long-time sponsor of the gala and is also celebrating 100 years of doing bravura business on waterways across the country.

In anticipation of the event, we had a wide-ranging chat with Hornblower Vice President of Global Public Affairs Jeff Brault about upgrades to the Hornblower-operated NYC Ferry, setting goals (and records), and what’s next after a century of success.

 

This year, our Heroes will toast the Harbor from one of Hornblower’s most prestigious vessels. Can you take me through your relationship with Waterfront Alliance and how we got here?

Waterfront Alliance is a major partner of ours, and we are elated to host the gala. We’re part of the Corporate Council, we regularly attend and speak at the Waterfront Conference and collaborate with the team whenever we can.

What makes the Alliance unique is how it basically brings 520 miles of waterfront together, connecting different voices, organizations, and concerns, be they operators, engineers, climate scientists, community advocates, etc. We’re working toward the same goals, sharing that same waterfront, and the Alliance really connects those dots. And Heroes of the Harbor provides an opportunity to highlight those who are excelling in our assorted industries and shared spaces.

While I haven’t seen the smash hit ‘Succession’ myself, I hear that the Infinity was a scene-stealing co-star. Can you tell me more about this celebrity ship?

First off, you absolutely need to watch Succession, and not just because Infinity did indeed make an appearance. But the Infinity is one of our local vessels under Hornblower’s City Cruises brand, which allows folks to take tours of the city and hold exciting events on the water, all with top-tier customer service on board. It’s on the hospitality side of Hornblower’s services, separate from NYC Ferry.

Another confession: as a Citi Bike sicko, I have only ridden NYC Ferry as few as one times.

Don’t worry about it! Ferries have been around for awhile now, but the NYC Ferry specifically started in 2017. It’s not that old! Nobody is late to the party.

And I want to note: we never view it as ferries v. buses, trains, bikes, etc. We’re all part of one interlocking transit network, and we want to ensure that when any New Yorker leaves home in the morning, the NYC Ferry is an accessible and reliable option. But to us, all of the aforementioned alternatives are better than a car.

And if you’re a sleet or snow, day or night biker, you might have more in common with ferry riders than you realize, because our regulars are committed. We’ll have to urge them to come in from the upper deck sometimes, because they’re standing out there in a 3 degree wind chill trying to take in the views.

Rumor has it that City Cruises began electrifying its fleet in 2024. What sparked that effort?

If I can step back from City Cruises for a moment, Hornblower has a long history of pushing the industry forward in everything from alternative propulsion, hybridization, electrification… we have fleets across the country that are leading the renewable energy charge in assorted ways.

At NYC Ferry, we’ve worked with NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) for years on a renewable diesel pilot program. We have long been working to transition fleets and individual vessels in ways that do not sacrifice safety or reliability for our riders.

And we’re steadily working to hybridize our Statue City Cruise fleets. We’re proud to continue making the industry greener and contributing toward rendering it one day emission-free.

Last year NYC Ferry completed its first ever route re-design since launch, in another collab with the EDC. We’re talking shorter commutes, a marked uptick in efficiency, a comprehensive optimization plan… can you speak about that effort?

Ferries, in general, are uniquely flexible. This is especially true of NYC Ferry where we have – under the leadership of the EDC and under multiple mayoral administrations – listened to evolving commuter needs, responded to changing patterns, and adapted to environmental concerns. We have the lowest per passenger subsidy of any comparable ferry system in the country, which also speaks to our financial sustainability.

This optimization plan implemented by the EDC is a continued effort to better support riders, unlock access to additional communities, provide people with more destinations, more reliable and enjoyable trips, and speed all of that up.

Throughout the process, the EDC was incredibly engaged with the community. They would take it directly to our neighbors: “here are the changes we’re considering. Tell us how these might affect your commute. Would you be more likely to ride the ferry? Less? Tell us why.” And the overwhelming positivity helped nudge the plan along.

We’ve since passed 55 million passengers since launch, but we have our eyes on 100, 200 million.

Every new regular rider means a reduction in congestion; our new routes help people get to work, get to medical appointments, get kids to school in a faster, safer, cleaner way.

Historians are already referring to this as ‘The Hornblower Century.’ How does it feel to celebrate a centennial milestone?

We carry upwards of 20 million passengers per year across our myriad operations. In New York, between events like the World Cup, Sail250, and our regular trips, we likely had our biggest summer ever. So we look forward to continuing to do what we do best: carrying millions of people around the country and across NYC safely, reliably, accessibly, and in a welcoming manner every single day.

We want to connect different communities and voices with both our waterways and one another, while implementing new technologies, new systems, new improvements, so people can see the maritime industry as one with great history but also an impressive future.

And we’re excited to keep working with organizations like Waterfront Alliance to figure out how we can reach new neighborhoods, make our existing stops more accessible, and honor all of the brilliant laborers that are getting it done at the ground level.

The NYC Ferry social team has built a strong presence online. How do you feel about the way they currently market and attempt to expand transit ridership online?

Just as a fan, I think that they’re uniquely adept at highlighting how, at any given moment, any New Yorker can see themselves reflected by our ridership, by our crew. The social team does an incredible job letting people know that these ferries are truly for everybody. They’re part of the New York experience.

I’ve had so many interactions where I introduce myself as being from Hornblower, the operator of the NYC Ferry, and people immediately respond how much they love the socials, love the videos. So let me shout out the NYC Ferry social and marketing teams, because they deserve the credit for that outsized engagement.

Now that you’ve established your expertise, how would you advise an NYC Ferry newbie on making the most of a weekend on the water?

I like to recommend people check out the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There are great restaurants and regular events in that area, near the Williamsburg Waterfront, but we also work with an organization called the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative. They operate a Naval Cemetery a short walk from the Navy Yard stop, and it’s a real gem; a little Garden of Eden-type oasis amid the hustle and bustle.

From there your options are ample. You can head up to Soundview in the Bronx, head out to the Rockaways. You can go to Staten Island! People tend to discount all that Staten Island has to offer, but there’s great food, there’s the Ferry Hawks, there’s the Alice Austen house. You can walk around Snug Harbor, check out the Children’s Museum. That’s a whole day right there.

And what is this regarding a recent world record that everybody’s buzzing about?

A few years ago, I met a high-schooler and self-proclaimed “transit nerd” named Ayush Maini. In an attempt to bring some attention to the ferry system, he spent a Saturday hitting every stop on the line. Breezed through it. When he went off to college, somebody sauntered in and beat his time by several minutes.

Earlier this summer, Ayush reached out, having done similar feats with other transit systems to highlight their convenience and accessibility. And he was ready to return and reclaim that record. So the one-time champ donned a GoPro and took to the ferry, with an expanded system and probably even a few new stops since his initial effort. He comfortably trumped his old time, and we’re just waiting for the Guinness committee to formally certify his world record. We’d love to get him a championship belt or something that he can don for subsequent voyages.

But it speaks to what we’re trying to convey at Hornblower and NYC Ferry: whether you’re trying to pop onto 25 landings in the span of six hours, or you’re just trying to make it to a job interview on time, we are here to serve every type of rider near and far. The ferry is for all of us.