Fleet Week 2025 sails into NYC with annual Parade of Ships on Hudson River

Fleet Week 2025 starts today in New York City, kicking off with the annual Parade of Ships up the Hudson River.

We have everything to know about how to watch live and what else is happening this week.

How to watch the NYC Fleet Week Parade of Ships

Watch aerials of the Parade of Ships arriving in New York Harbor in the video player above.

Unfortunately, Chopper 2 was not able to fly over the procession because of the weather.

Despite the rain, people still lined up along the Hudson River to catch a glimpse.

When is Fleet Week 2025 in NYC?

Fleet Week starts on Wednesday, May 21 and ends Tuesday, May 27, the day after Memorial Day. This is the 37th annual celebration in the city, and the theme is “Honoring the Past, Defending the Future: 250 Years of Sea Service Excellence.”

It’s a chance for the public to meet U.S. Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen and check out the latest military technology. 

“This year’s Fleet Week New York is especially meaningful as we commemorate our Navy’s 250 years of maritime excellence and unwavering commitment to freedom and global security,” Rear Adm. Carl Lahti, Commander of the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, said in a release. “Our Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen have been on the front lines of freedom, demonstrating courage, commitment, and readiness for two and a half centuries. We once again look forward to this 37-year-old tradition of connecting with the great city of New York and honoring the spirit of service that drives our nation forward.”

What time does the Parade of Ships start and end?

Fleet Week kicked off with the Parade of Ships on Wednesday, May 21. The procession was scheduled to start around 7:45 a.m., then end around 11 a.m., but the ships didn’t come into view until shortly before noon.

They sailed into New York Harbor and then up the Hudson River. The voyage travels past the Statue of Liberty and Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, then by Hudson River Park on the West Side, cruises past the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum at Pier 86, before wrapping up just below the George Washington Bridge.

List of ships participating in NYC Fleet Week

Two U.S. Navy ships, two U.S. Coast Guard cutters and five U.S. Navy Academy Yard Patrol boats will be on display and open for tours throughout the week. They will also be joined by a ship from the Royal Canadian Navy. 

• USS New York (LPD 21)
• USS Oakhill (LSD 51)
• USCGC Calhoun (WMSL 759)
• Bay-class cutter USCGC Sturgeon Bay (WTGB 109)
• Canadian Navy Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel HMCS Frédérick Rolette (AOPV 434)

The USS Oak Hill and the USCGC Sturgeon Bay will be at Staten Island Homeport Pier for tours Thursday through Monday. 

The U.S. Naval Academy YPs will be at the Intrepid Museum off Pier 86 in Manhattan Thursday through Saturday. 

The USS New York will be next door at Pier 88 Friday and Saturday, and the USCGC Calhoun will be at Pier 90 Friday and Saturday.

The Canadian vessel is not open for tours. 

Special connection with USS New York

The USS New York holds a special place in the hearts of New Yorkers. The bow of the amphibious transport dock ship is built with 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center wreckage.    

One of the captains who was on board Wednesday said their motto is “Never Forget.”

“I think that’s just kind of emblematic to us as a nation and our relationship to 9/11, and how we need to ensure that we keep our traditions and keep the nation going and follow on, complete the mission at hand,” said Marine Corps Capt. Christian Gonzalez-Bayer.

Allen Devlin and

Christina Fan

contributed to this report.