“Build it and they will come” a voice from above tells Kevin Costner’s character in the movie “Field of Dreams” as he walks through an Iowa cornfield.
The rebuilding of Peekskill’s Fleischmann Pier just might be the Hudson Valley’s version of that classic film come to life.
It took millions of state dollars, years of planning and execution by city officials, plus the vision and drive of two entrepreneurs to make it work, and now that dream is coming true.
Captain Frank Adam and wife Laura are delighting tourists and day trippers with cruises up the Hudson River on their ship the “Emerald Princess” as their company RMS Cruises brings visitors and dollars here, helping build Peekskill’s economy and reputation as a destination.
After a career driving boats for 38 years, Frank Adam set his sights on retirement. “I was going to retire and my wife said ‘why don’t we just take your retirement money and buy a boat.'” And that’s what they did in 2020. “This actually is my dream,” Laura says. “I’ve wanted to do this for a really long time and here we are.” Her experience as an event planner and his knowledge of every inch of the Hudson River combined to make a business.
Cruising up the Hudson
The Emerald Princess sets off every Saturday and Sunday from Fleischmann Pier for the weekend brunch cruise. The two and one-half hour trip boards at 10:30 a.m. and leaves at 11 a.m. traveling up the river along West Point and back. The food served from Cole’s Market in Montrose offers fluffy French toast and pancakes, sausage and bacon, fresh scrambled eggs, mini-gourmet sandwiches, quiche, a made-to-order omelet station and a complimentary mimosa for guests 21 and over or juice or soda for younger travelers.
Travelers can stay in the lower-deck buffet and dining area with the cash bar and climate-controlled comfort or head up to the second-deck sky view area. “Everyone comes to the upper deck because the views of the Hudson Valley are spectacular,” Laura says.
The cost is $65 for seniors and veterans and $75 for adults. Children age five and under are free and five to 12 year olds pay $37.50. “We’re getting a lot of seniors lately who find this a really good price point for a relaxing day on the water,” Laura said. A free shuttle service connects Fleischmann Pier, the railroad station and downtown Peekskill.
Specialty cruises, charters and corporate events are another part of the Emerald Princess Hudson River offerings. “We pride ourselves on being 100% customizable,” Frank says. “When we do a charter, whatever they want is what they get.”
Central Park Liquors of Peekskill sponsored a DJ-event party cruise on a Saturday night from 9 p.m. to midnight. Promoters from the Poughkeepsie area are hosting events that draw people down from Beacon and Albany for a cruise. The Ginsburg Development Company hired the Emerald Princess for events connected to The Abbey at Fort Hill and invites residents from their rental properties along the Hudson to take the scenic Hudson River tour on the ship. RMS Cruises will host West Point’s ring ceremony on board in August and several other events with West Point alumni and the lacrosse team. The ship also hosts dockside music concerts at Fleischmann Pier.
“We’ve done charters where they wanted McDonald’s cheeseburgers and french fries, Chick-fil A nuggets and pizza, and we’ve done it,” Frank says. “Another group wanted Henry Hudson and George Washington on the boat so we hired a theatrical company and we put Henry Hudson and George Washington on the boat.”
“They stayed in full character the whole time and our guests loved it so much that they left us a 100% tip,” Laura says.
“People are coming to Peekskill from all different places. This year we had a family come from Iowa that found us online. They love the history here and planned their entire vacation around us. This past week we had the Elmsford mayor with the Elmsford seniors to do a cruise and then they spent over $2,000 at Taormina restaurant to have dinner with 72 seniors. We’re bringing people in from everywhere,” Laura said.
Laura said she and Frank work closely with the local business community including the Chamber to benefit companies here.
“RMS Cruises has been a welcome addition to our riverfront, and we’re incredibly grateful for their partnership with the Chamber,” said Carole Voisey, executive director of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce. “Their commitment to fostering connectivity and goodwill across our business community helps shine a light on the exciting opportunities available here. With Peekskill’s one-of-a-kind bay, having RMS Cruises invest in local enterprises has been a game-changer for regional happenings.”
“The rebuilding of Fleischmann Pier was the first step in making Peekskill a more attractive tourist destination,” said Bill Powers, executive director, Peekskill BID.
‘The introduction of the free Discover Peekskill Shuttle service on weekends, which stops at the pier park, was step two of an overall plan to put more feet on the street. Now, with the addition of RMS Cruises, we are hoping to shuttle their passengers into downtown Peekskill so they can discover everything we have to offer,” Powers said.
A match meant to be
Capt. Frank Adam discovered his career passion, at age 16, when he learned to drive sightseeing boats at the New Jersey state amusement park in Lake Hopatcong where he grew up. “A bad day out on the water is still better than a good day in an office,” he says.
Adam drove dinner boats off Manhattan for many years for numerous companies including Hornblower, Cornucopia and others, and when word got out that he had his own ship those companies reached out to him.
“I have a great reputation in the city as a captain, so once the brokers and the promoters and other companies found out that I owned my own boat they said ‘can you help us out – my boat broke down, can you bring your boat over’ and it took off.” For the first three years they kept the Emerald Princess working steadily in Manhattan, but always with the intention of heading north.
Frank and Laura lived on their 70-foot, three-bedroom yacht anchored in Verplanck for ten years and know the area well. In fact, Frank operated a crane that did some of the work that rebuilt Fleischmann Pier. So when Peekskill went out to bid last fall to find cruise operators for 2025, RMS Cruises jumped at the chance.
“I knew the water, and I knew our boat would be a great fit,” Frank said. “The other bidders weren’t going to start until [spring 2025] and I told the city fine, but the fall foliage season is starting and I want to come up now if you let me.”
The Common Council voted unanimously to let RMS Cruises launch last year and the resulting success of those fall cruises proved Frank’s point. “We had seven different local businesses contact us last fall saying whatever you’re doing, thank you because our business has increased dramatically,” Laura said.
Impact on the community
Becoming a part of Peekskill is part of the mission for Frank and Laura. “One of my biggest reasons to start the business is to be able to give back to the community,” Laura said.
Excess food is donated to the Jan Peek Shelter and they’ve hired several locals through the Peekskill Youth Bureau who are learning practical skills and earning money. “Does it get any better than this – really,” Laura said. “The amount of people that we meet, and the smile on their face when they get off our boat, is a wonderful feeling.”
“Peekskill is very pleased to have RMS’ Emerald Princess operating its home port out of Fleischmann Pier and offering an array of cruising activities for the local marketplace and bringing residents and new visitors a new perspective on Peekskill destination and tourism options,” said Peekskill City Manager Matt Alexander. “The RMS Cruises are being very well received and are inspirational in their beauty and content about the Hudson. RMS is working with the community in terms of sourcing local food purchases, hiring local employees and providing food donations to CHHOP. We look forward to a long term cooperative relationship with RMS Captain Frank Adam and business manager Laura Adam.”
The weekend cruise attendance keeps building, now averaging about 65 people per trip. ” We are just scratching the surface,” Frank said. “As much as we’re getting the word out we still have people on a daily basis saying we didn’t even know you’re here.”
