The Islands of New York City

“No man is an island,” wrote the 17th century British poet John Donne.  Skyline Cruises certainly won’t debate his belief that people shouldn’t live in isolation. In fact, we’re all about bringing people together for anything from corporate events or family celebrations to a spectacular night aboard one of our public dinner cruises. But we would like to point out the importance of islands and how they contribute to the amazing excursions we’ve been bringing you for 25 years.

Plan Your Event or Night Out With Skyline

Skyline Cruises are perfect for any occasion. We host any type of celebration you can think of. We’re one of New York City’s most unique wedding venues and we’ve also hosted countless Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 16 parties, Quinceañeras, business meetings and just about anything else you can name. Or if you’re looking for a memorable night out, there’s nothing better than one of our public dinner cruises. Our 3-deck luxury ship, the Skyline Princess is climate controlled and sails year-round.

The Two Big Ones: Long Island and Manhattan

It’s impossible to tell you all about the islands you’ll encounter on a Skyline Cruise without mentioning the two biggest ones. Long Island and Manhattan Island. Long Island is where our home port at the World’s Fair Marina, which was built in the shadow of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fair Grounds, is located in the New York City Borough of Queens. The borough of Brooklyn is also part of Long Island as are Nassau and Suffolk County which are not part of the city.

Both Dutch and  English settlers claimed the island in the 17th century, according to Britannica. The same is true of Manhattan Island where Skyline will show you iconic skyscrapers. But the Dutch surrendered their claim in 1664, according to history.com, after New Amsterdam was conquered. You may have heard the story that Native Americans sold Manhattan Island to the Dutch for $24. Not really. Charles T. Gehring, director of the New Netherland Research Center at the New York State Library points out that trade goods such as iron kettles and axes, which were invaluable to the Native Americans, were part of the deal.

Other Islands on Your Excursion

As important as Manhattan and Long Island are, you will pass other islands large and small as you travel on the Skyline Princess including: 

• Rikers Island: The soon to be closed correctional facility served as a training ground for soldiers during the civil war.
• Randall’s and Wards Island: These two islands were connected by landfill in the 1960s. Randall’s Island houses the New York City Fire Academy and Wards Island was the home of a British training facility during the revolution.
• North Brother and South Brother Islands: Both are owned by the city of New York. North Brother Island once housed medical facilities but is now abandoned. South Brother Island serves as a Bird Sanctuary, according to the Trust For Public Land.
• Roosevelt Island: Home to many apartments and known for its tramway to Manhattan, this is now the home of Cornell Tech’s 12 acre campus.
• Belmont Island: Also known as U Thant Island, this manmade island was rented to a Buddhist group who renamed the island after the United Nations Secretary-General. The island was constructed when workers dug a trolley tunnel between Manhattan and Queens.
• Governors Island: This island in New York Harbor was settled by the Dutch before Manhattan was settled. It served as a military facility for much of its history.
• Ellis Island: A historic island which housed America’s largest and most active immigration station from 1892 to 1924. Over 12 million immigrants were processed there.

Skyline Gives You Incredible Views of the Statue of Liberty

Our final island is Liberty Island the home of French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi’s gift to America the Statue of Liberty, which was dedicated in 1886. Skyline Cruises gives our guests up close looks and incredible opportunities for photos. Skyline Cruises works with all types of groups large and small for events and our dinner cruises cost less than you think. Contact us today via the form on this page or call our main office at (718) 446-1100.