Visit the Peekskill waterfront in late February and, like most people, you’ll see a frozen sheet of Hudson River ice.
But that’s not what Captain Frank Adam sees. He owns and operates the “Emerald Princess” cruise ship with his wife Laura. For them, looking out on the Hudson reveals the vision of a ship packed with happy passengers out for a sail up the river on a warm spring day.
Last year, their company RMS completed the first season of passenger cruising off the city’s beautifully restored Fleischmann Pier at Charles Point. So successful was that inaugural year of voyaging that Captain Frank and Laura are coming back again in 2026.
“We’re definitely gung-ho because we have a five-year contract this time around,” Frank Adam told the Herald this week. “We want to make the pier a destination.
“Last year, for the first year, it went very well. We got great response, we enjoyed the people and we’re definitely looking forward to it again.”
Winning the Contract to Keep Sailing
The City of Peekskill issued a request for proposals for companies to operate a tour boat and manage services at Fleischmann Pier for five years from 2026 through 2030.
After reviewing the offers, city staff determined that of the three responses, RMS was the only bidder that could fulfill all the city’s goals.
“Responses were received from: Trinity Cruises/NY Boat (NYB) for pier manager services and ‘occasional’ use of Fleischmann Pier with a new boat which would dock regularly at their Riverfront Green dock; RMS to continue Pier Manager Services and to continue as operators of the Emerald Princess as their homeport; and, from Seatow, Hudson Valley for Pier Manager services,” City Economic Development Specialist Matthew Rudikoff wrote in a February 2026 memo.
According to the city, Seatow would only manage the pier at a higher cost and Trinity Cruises can’t operate larger cruise ships. So RMS was selected to be the cruise operator and pier manager. Trinity will be offered the chance to operate a second boat from Riverfront Green, where they sailed one boat last year.
“The RMS Fleischmann Pier 2025 season was successful with over 7,000 adult passengers served and Fleischmann Pier well managed with infrastructure upgrades and RMS and City staff cooperation for the Pier’s first operational year,” Rudikoff wrote.
The return of RMS and the Emerald Princess to Peekskill won the support of a local business organization.
“RMS has become a great draw to our community,” said Carole Voisey, executive director of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce. “Last October we had a Chamber Networking Breakfast on the Emerald Princess, and it was a huge success.
“Laura and Captain Frank Adam took such great care of us, and they have been actively seeking ways to increase tourism in Peekskill. The Chamber is excited for RMS and their continued presence at Fleischmann Pier.”
Cruising into the Future on the Emerald Princess
The Common Council passed a resolution on Feb. 23, authorizing the city manager to negotiate the five-year contract with RMS. The council will have the final vote on the contract.
Last year RMS paid the city a per person fee and Adam expects the same structure this year. “The RMS Fleischmann Pier 2025 season was successful with over 7,000 adult passengers served and Fleischmann Pier well managed with infrastructure upgrades and RMS and City staff cooperation for the Pier’s first operational year,” Rudikoff wrote in his memo.
Research by city staff revealed that granting a term of five years for the contract was important to attract a quality firm to provide cruising at Fleischmann Pier.
The Adams have already to work on the 2026 season. They’ve published a cruising calendar on their website that launches with an April 18 outing of their popular weekend brunch cruises. And there are other new offerings in the works.
The Emerald Princess can accommodate 153 guests aboard its two levels. The downstairs is climate controlled and upstairs is available for outside viewing. Guests can enjoy a full brunch menu of French toast, pancakes, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, mini gourmet sandwiches, along with an omelet station where the Michelin-trained chef will make omelets to order.
“We’re still working on other aspects of pier management,” Captain Frank told the Herald. “I’ve set up a couple of meetings with different companies, one that will bringing a pontoon boat down and possibly pedal boats and another company that’s going to be bringing jet skis.”
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.”
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.”
Looking forward to completing negotiations on the new five-year agreement, Frank and Laura Adam can’t wait to get started. “That’s why we pushed for a longer contract. We definitely want to stay here – Peekskill’s our new home.”
