Getting here
Everyone arrives by water.
It is the first question every inquiry asks, so here is the whole answer in one place — every service, every fare, the last boat, what happens in weather, and what a charter costs.
Ferries
Three services run to the island.
Governors Island is reachable only by boat. The Carder sits yards from the Manhattan ferry landing, so the walk from the gangway to the front door is measured in seconds.
Governors Island Ferry
The Trust for Governors Island
- Battery Maritime Building — 10 South Street, Manhattan
The primary service, and the one your guests will use. The Carder is yards from the Manhattan ferry landing once you step off.
Seasonal weekend service
The Trust for Governors Island
- Red Hook / Atlantic Basin, Brooklyn
- Brooklyn Bridge Park
Additional weekend runs during the high season, useful when a meaningful share of your guest list is coming from Brooklyn.
NYC Ferry
NYC Ferry
- South Brooklyn line
- Governors Island shuttle (weekends)
A daily alternative on the city ferry network, with a dedicated Governors Island shuttle on weekends.
The last boat
11:30 PM
The last boat off the island for guests on a weekend event night. We sit directly at the ferry terminal, so the crew has been known to put their head in the door to confirm everyone is out.
Going later
Private charter
Private charter service is the answer for two situations: an event that wants to run past the last public boat at 11:30pm, or a guest list that wants a more considered arrival and departure than a scheduled ferry provides.
All private charters are pre-approved by the Trust for Governors Island.
Typical cost
- Single run
- from $2,500
- Multi-hour block
- $7,500+
If someone misses the last boat
It is unlikely — we are directly at the terminal and the ferry personnel are thorough. In the event it happens, the Trust for Governors Island provides emergency after-hours service for a fee.
Reliability
What happens if the boats stop.
The honest answer is that they very rarely do, and the island has more redundancy than most people assume.
The boats run in weather
Governors Island operates on its normal schedule through storms, snow and most conditions. The island has operational requirements of its own, so the Trust works hard to minimise weather downtime.
Three boats, plus a contingency plan
The fleet is the Harbor Charger (up to 1,200 passengers or 30 vehicles), Governors 1 (passenger-only, up to 400), and the Mark G Goode (auxiliary, vehicles). The Trust holds a contingency plan for both passenger and vehicle service in the event of concurrent mechanical issues.
The rare exception
Harbor-wide closures for Presidential arrivals and departures from the Pier 6 heliport can halt service temporarily. These are not announced until a few hours beforehand and last roughly 60 to 90 minutes. They are rare.
Staying over
Where your guests sleep.
There is one place to stay on the island and a great many within walking distance of the boat.
Collective Retreats
On Governors Island
The only overnight accommodation on the island — a glamping site of 29 upscale tents and private suites across six waterfront acres, looking out at the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the lower Manhattan harbor.
Casa Cipriani
Battery Maritime Building, Manhattan
Upscale rooms inside the Governors Island ferry terminal itself. Your guests wake up in the building they board from.
The Financial District generally
Walking distance from 10 South Street
Many hotels sit within an easy walk of the Battery Maritime Building, and weekend rates in the Financial District are comparatively affordable precisely because the neighbourhood empties out.
Load-in
Vendors
We expect to name an exclusive audio-visual partner for The Carder and are not yet ready to announce it.
Beyond that, there is no hard preferred-vendor list. What we are looking for is straightforward: high-quality vendors who understand and can comply with the particular realities of loading in and out by ferry boat. That constraint is real, and it is the first thing we will discuss with anyone you bring.
Inquire
Tell us about your day.
We host one party a night, which means every inquiry gets a real conversation rather than a rate sheet. Send us the date you have in mind and we will tell you plainly whether it works.
Doors open Memorial Day weekend 2027.
Reservations open Friday, September 3rd, 2027.