Fleet Week NYC is
an annual, week-long event, usually
occuring around Memorial Day, which
provides a close look at modern military
ships and their crew and cargo. Fleet
Week events include concerts, parades and dozens of
military demonstrations and displays, but
for many people, it is the the chance to
tour ships on active duty that provides
the real draw. You can think of Fleet
Week as updated version of the Intrepid
Sea-Air-Space Museem;
the key differences are that that Fleet
Week's ships are curently deployed so the
technology is up-to-date, and also that
the lines to tour Fleet Week ships tend
to be much longer (so plan accordingly).
Ships are docked at both Pier 88 in
Manhattan (close to the Intrepid) and
at Stapleton Pier on Staten Island.
Three
branches of the U.S. military participate in Fleet Week: U.S.
Navy, the Marines, and U.S. Coast Guard,
plus there are ships from other
countries.
If
you are visiting with kids, you are
likely to spend the most time on the
cargo ships. This is because kids love to go on all the
vehicles that are stored there. If you
have any questions, the
servicemen and women who operate the
vehicles are always happy to answer them.
Check
out the latest on the Fleet Week official schedule and the FAQs before you head out the door.
