Hornblower Group

Kacy Roseberry

Community Engagement Authority

Kacy Roseberry is a seasoned marketing executive with expertise in hospitality, e-commerce and digital transformation. Her experience across customer experience, lifecycle marketing and marketing technology enables her to build data-driven commercial strategies that strengthen brands and accelerate sustainable revenue growth.

Making Public Transit a Better Customer Experience

As a global maritime leader in experiences and transportation, Hornblower Group serves guests exploring iconic destinations through dining and sightseeing cruises, as well as riders who depend on ferry service every day. Our guests’ reasons for traveling may differ, but our responsibility remains the same: to provide a safe, reliable experience that earns their trust.

That responsibility is central to our public ferry operations, which include NYC Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, and other regional services connecting communities across waterways. Through strong government partnerships, we provide safe, reliable, and affordable transportation while continually improving the rider experience.

Bringing hospitality to public transit is not about adding luxury. It is about recognizing every rider as a customer, building loyalty, engaging in the community, creating inviting experiences, and providing a service they want to choose again.

Reliability Is the Foundation 

First, we have to get the fundamentals right. Commuters traveling to work and residents heading to appointments must be able to count on safe, dependable, and affordable transportation. From there, we focus on making every step of the journey convenient, comfortable, and welcoming.

At Puerto Rico Ferry, that means friendly Crew members available to answer questions, a clear and organized checkpoint process, secure storage for luggage and other belongings, and clean, comfortable vessels and terminals. On NYC Ferry, thoughtful additions such as onboard concessions, mobile ordering, and weekday happy-hour specials make the ride easier and more enjoyable.

Frequent service, sufficient capacity, and useful routes are also essential to earning riders’ trust. NYC Ferry’s seasonal Rockaway Reserve offering, for example, takes the uncertainty out of planning a beach day by guaranteeing riders a seat on select weekend and holiday departures, while maintaining the system’s essential role as public transportation.

This focus on the rider experience supports our efforts to grow ridership. NYC Ferry carried a record 7.4 million passengers in fiscal year 2025 and set a new weekly record in June 2026 with more than 260,000 boardings. Puerto Rico Ferry welcomed more than 558,000 passengers between June and August 2026, an increase of more than 13% over summer 2025.

Creating Connections with Riders 

Our team has built a strong community around NYC Ferry, with an approachable social media presence that engages riders and helps create opportunities for partnerships. Those partnerships bring memorable experiences to everyday journeys, from pop-up performances by Keith Urban and the Jonas Brothers to playful brand activations. Celestial Seasonings’ Sleepytime Bear rode the ferry, posing for photos and distributing tea samples, while Carvel’s iconic Fudgie the Whale greeted riders with free ice cream on National SoftServe Day.

NYC Ferry’s official merchandise collection further strengthens that sense of community. Borough-inspired apparel gives riders another way to celebrate NYC Ferry and the neighborhoods it serves, even when they are not onboard.

Supporting the Communities We Serve

Hospitality also extends to how we engage with the communities that rely on our service. Puerto Rico Ferry strengthens those connections by extending service hours for major celebrations like La SanSe and hosting events at its terminals.

In August, Puerto Rico Ferry partnered with La Central Cultural and dance educator Zuliemit Rivera Pagán to host BOMBA ZO! at the Cataño terminal, featuring traditional bomba music and dance, local artisans, and children’s activities. Experiences like these create welcoming spaces for riders while celebrating Puerto Rico’s culture and traditions.

A Better Experience for Every Rider ​

For Hornblower Group, hospitality in public transit starts with reliable service and extends to the details that make each trip easier and more enjoyable. Whether riders are commuting to work, heading to an appointment, or spending a day at the beach, our goal is to provide a journey they can count on and an experience that keeps them coming back.