Sailors and tiger cruise participants conduct a tactical combat casualty care exercise during damage control Olympics on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Nimitz as part of a tiger cruise in the Atlantic Ocean on June 26, 2026. (Raven Fraser/U.S. Navy)
USS Nimitz held a short “tiger cruise” for family of crew members at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., last week before heading north to the International Naval Review 250 in New York Harbor as part of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
“Tiger cruises are an opportunity for sailors’ families and loved ones to embark on a short-term visit underway, providing a first-hand perspective of sailors’ day-to-day life, increasing morale and public understanding of the work conducted aboard Navy vessels worldwide,” the Navy said in a statement.
The next stop will be the INR 250, where the carrier will join other U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels, along with participants from 50 allied and partner nations.
“Nimitz brings unparalleled historical significance to what will be the largest international maritime spectacle in U.S. history,” the Navy said.
Sailors and tiger cruise participants take part in a 5K run on the deck of USS Nimitz, June 26, 2026. (Peter K. McHaddad/U.S. Navy)
Sailors shift colors on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Nimitz as the ship departs Naval Station Mayport, Fla., on June 28, 2026. (Molly Guy/U.S. Navy)
Sailors fold the American flag on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Nimitz as the ship departs Naval Station Mayport, Fla. (Molly Guy/U.S. Navy)
Named for World War II Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the carrier represents more than 50 years of active global defense.
“Adding USS Nimitz to the International Naval Review 250 roster brings a legendary piece of American naval history and maritime dominance directly to the heart of this celebration,” Vice Adm. Doug Perry, the commander of U.S. 2nd Fleet, said in a statement. “For five decades, the sailors aboard Nimitz have stood the watch, defending freedom and ensuring global maritime security. Having this iconic warship anchor in New York Harbor alongside our international partners will be a breathtaking tribute to our nation’s 250th anniversary and a powerful demonstration of American resolve.”
Nimitz arrived in Mayport this month at the tail end of a circumnavigation of that took the Navy’s oldest — and longest-serving — aircraft carrier from its former homeport at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Wash., along the Pacific Coast of North America, Central America and South America, through the Magellan Strait at the tip of Chile and Argentina, then north along the southeast coast of the continents, through the Caribbean, and on to Mayport, near Jacksonville, Fla.
Along the way, Nimitz took part in Southern Seas 29, a multinational exercise that saw military leaders from 15 countries cooperate with maneuvers or visit the carrier while at sea.
Following its participation in INR 250, Nimitz is scheduled to arrive at its new homeport of Naval Station Norfolk, Va. The carrier is slated to retire in March 2027 when the Navy is scheduled to commission USS John F. Kennedy, the second Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, to replace Nimitz in the fleet.
An MH-60S Sea Hawk, attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6, conducts a vertical replenishment with the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean on April 23, 2026. (Timothy Meyer/U.S. Navy)
