Hornblower Group

Our ferries have seen a record number of riders in 2024. The key to ferry success? Operating "via a collaborative public-private partnership between experienced transit agencies and an expert operator with highly-trained local crews," Timothy O'Brien, SVP, Ferries and Transportation at Hornblower Group, wrote in an op-ed for Marine Log.

You never who you'll see on one of our vessels, as Mr. Peanut himself joined NYC Ferry on its route to Staten Island last weekend. We take pride in turning everyday trips into memorable journeys for our guests - who do you think should join us on board in 2025? 

Today and every day, we are grateful to our veteran Crew members and all veterans for their service. As we honor the immense courage, sacrifice, and dedication of veterans, Damion Madison, General Manager of City Cruises Norfolk, shared what being a veteran means to him.

Our City Cruises Co-Chief Operating Officer Dan Russell recently spoke with Crain's Chicago Business on tourism in Chicago. Check out Dan's thoughts on attracting international tourists, hidden gems in Chicago, and the experience from abroad he'd most like to bring to the Windy City.

This week our City Cruises Norfolk Crew was thrilled to take the newly renamed Spirit of Norfolk on its inaugural sail along the Elizabeth River, with more than 150 military service members and their families onboard as guests. The return to the Spirit of Norfolk name not only honors its rich history in Norfolk but also embraces the future under the name that truly represents the community. We're excited to continue creating memorable experiences on the water!

Hornblower Group is honored to welcome Lisa Lutoff-Perlo as the Chairwoman of our Board of Directors! A renowned and award-winning leader in the global hospitality and cruise industries, Lutoff-Perlo will play a crucial role in guiding Hornblower’s strategic direction and fostering growth, innovation, and operational excellence across our diverse portfolio of businesses.

If you're heading to IMEX this October, stop by the City Cruises booth # D2548 to discover our amazing cruise experiences across 16 U.S. ports, from dining and sightseeing to cocktail cruises, private charters, and events. See you there!

Protecting the environment is among our company’s core values, and we’re grateful to our Crew across the globe who carry out this work in their local communities. Our City Cruises Marina del Rey Crew recently gathered for a harbor cleanup event, collecting around 50 pounds of waste from the harbor!

We are absolutely thrilled to announce the appointment of Mike Flaskey as the new Chief Executive Officer of Hornblower Group. Mike will officially join our team with immediate effect.  With an impressive track record in several relevant businesses and ventures, Mike brings a wealth of experience and an energized and visionary approach to Hornblower. Mike held senior leadership positions at Wyndham Vacation and Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Diamond Resorts. It was at Diamond that Mike rose from Chief Sales & Marketing Officer to COO, and ultimately CEO, leading the company through a period of major growth that led directly to its highly successful acquisition by Hilton Grand Vacations in 2021. Since then, Mike has served as a Senior Advisor to Capital Resorts and the McKinsey Leisure & Infrastructure practice, staying close to the people, operators, and industry that he helped shape though being a 1st mover in the hospitality experiential space. We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Kevin Rabbitt for his leadership and contributions over the past six years. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours. Please join us in thanking Kevin and welcoming Mike to the Hornblower crew! We are excited about the future. #Leadership #NewCEO #Welcome #CompanyName #Innovation #Growth

Congratulations to Scott Thornton, Chief Operating Officer of City Ferry, for being named to City & State's 2024 Transportation Power 100 list of movers and shakers who are keeping New Yorkers in motion!