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American Princess Cruises, based in Neponsit, Queens under the TWFM Ferry Service, Inc., offers ferry, sightseeing, and yacht charter excursions in Long Island, New Jersey, and New York City. It is one of several private ferry operators in the Port of New York and New Jersey.
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Fleet
American Princess Cruises' fleet consists of two monohull boats, the American Princess, and the American Princess II. The 95-foot (29 m) American Princess built in 1988 by Breaux Brothers Enterprises can carry up to 250 passengers. The 120-foot (37 m) American Princess II can carry up to 288 passengers. Boats moor at New York Water Taxi's facility in Red Hook, Brooklyn and at Riis Landing in Roxbury.
New York Beach Ferry
American Princess Cruises' New York Beach Ferry brand operates New York Water Taxi's ferries to Gateway National Recreation Area beaches on the Rockaway Peninsula on Fridays, weekends, and holidays during the summer. Boats travel between Pier 11/Wall Street in Manhattan and Riis Landing near Fort Tilden.
Rockaway commuter service
New York Beach Ferry operated a commuter ferry under the New York Water Taxi brand between Wall Street at the Financial District in Manhattan and Riis Landing in Roxbury, Queens on summer Fridays, weekends, and holidays. The ferry also served the Brooklyn Army Terminal, East 34th Street Ferry Landing, and Sandy Hook Bay Marina on Fridays. The ferry, which used leisure boats American Princess and American Princess II made its maiden voyage on May 12, 2008, and was set to make its final voyage on March 19, 2010 due to low ridership (an average of 160 commuters used the ferry on weekdays). However, due to the action of City Councilman Eric Ulrich, as well as the Mayor's Office, Christine Quinn, and other members of the City Council in response to outrage by riders, the ferry was temporarily saved and funding continued until June 30, 2010. The $6 fare only recovered about thirty percent of the ferry's operating cost, with an average subsidy of $25 per passenger from the City. The ferry's daily rush hour service was indefinitely suspended on July 1, 2010.
In response to transit complications caused by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, ferry service was revived, thought the concession was given to SeaStreak.