Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises

Alright, so we got a little touristy. I am a sucker for these kind of things, so on the ferry we went. We paid $ 23 for our guided tour, and it was worth every penny. We departed from Pier 83 and cruised down the Hudson at twilight. Our guide, David Parker who lives in Queens and was not at work on ⁹⁄₁₁ or The Blackout, was not my favorite tour guide ever. The context of his tour was not bad– we learned a lot of fun little facts, and he was great about pointing out things for us, but his own comedic anecdotes were making me queasy. We sailed up the East River, about as far north as the Queensboro Bridge, and back down. This time, we went around the Statue of Liberty and she was a sight to see in the night lights of the city. It was beautiful– everyone kind of hushed as we passed Lady Liberty. Circle Line offers several cruises– I would recommend taking any of them except the dinner cruise. You’ll miss too much while you’re eating.

We snagged a good deal for the one hour Lady Liberty cruise on Travelzoo and decided to do this on a cold January morning. The staff was extremely friendly, and the process to check in and board the ship was quick, easy, and painless.
Our tour guide whose voice permeated through the ship via various speakers was knowledgeable, entertaining, and made this one hour trip a delight. As far as the trip itself, you will get some great views of the Manhattan skyline as well as the New Jersey side, and the coup de gras, is the opportunity to get a spectacular view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
The boat itself is clean, it has a snack bar on board, restrooms, and ample seating throughout. This was a great one hour trip we have the opportunity to take a lot of terrific photographs, and we had an overall great time. It was a great way to kick off the day.

The very first time I was in New York, I went on a 2 hour Semi-​Circle Cruise. The boat went down the Hudson River along the Chelsea Piers, then out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, along the Lower Manhattan financial district, under the Brooklyn Bridge, and up the East River to the UN Building. The tour guide described the sights we passed and I learned quite a lot, especially about New York Harbor and many of the Manhattan buildings. We passed Castle Clinton on Governor’s Island, which I had not seen before.
The three hour cruises completely circle Manhattan. There are also sunset cruises if you can wake up early enough. The sightseeing boats have a concession counter with food, beverages, and sundries in case you ever get hungry.
If you have the time and the inclination, Circle Line provides a great overview of Manhattan. It will also give you ideas about places to explore further on land.

Great way to visit NYC in different views. We did 12 pm «Best of NY» tour and it was phenomenal! We circled around the whole island where you not only get to see Statue of Liberty closely, but also Ellis island, Brooklyn bridge, Columbia university, Yankee stadium, New Jersey, etc in one time. The speaker person is very informative and knowledgeable. He explained NYC in a very detailed, historical, and smooth way.
During the winter is a bit too old to do the cruise line. Be prepare for a windy trip.
One point down for ticket line. It’s pretty confusing when you’re waiting in line to get tickets. There are two lines. One for hotel/​vouchers/​/​VIP/​City pass; the other one for regular tickets. But people are waiting in both lines cuz lines are too long and they don’t have enough staffs. Meaning GET THERE EARLIER TO WAIT IN LINE EVEN YOU HAVE CITY PASS. In addition, even you have voucher, you’ll need to pay $ 5 – 10 bucks for the Best of NY tour. Other than that, everything was great. Staffs are very nice and friendly.

«Best of NYC» cruise was fantastic! Our tour guide (Chris I think!) was great at his job. He was very knowledgeable, and funny too. Was great to listen to. They also took the time to slow down a lot around the Statue of Liberty, and went past it twice so that people on both sides of the boat would have an unobstructed view and could take photos.
My only grievance was that they allow smoking on the outside decks, and that was really the best place for photos and such. We had to go inside towards the end because we just couldn’t stand the smokers anymore.
Surely they could say no smoking. It is only a short cruise…

É uma ótima opção para conhecer a cidade.
Há vários tipos de «mini cruzeiro» para escolher.
Adquiri o que tem duração de uma hora e vai até a Estátua da Liberdade, você aprecia a paisagem, de uma lado observa New Jersey e do outro Manhattan.
Vale a pena fazer o passeio.

Hands down totally worth doing and do yourself a favor and get premier ! When you get your tickets while you’re waiting you are seated in a waiting area under a tent you are walked on first when you board and have a special roped off seating area with someone to bring you drinks and snacks. We did best of NYC out on the boat two and a half hours great views you go right past Statue of Liberty and see all the amazing skylines of Manhattan our guide was entertaining and knowledgable and I really enjoyed him loved this cruise it’s a must do in NYC !

We had a wonderful time on the Bear Mountain cruise in September of 2015. The weather was much warmer on the outside deck than I had anticipated, but I came prepared and was layered up. We got there early, parked at the lot attached to the pier which was super convenient and priced similarly to others in the area. I had preordered my tickets via Goldstar, which has their own queue line for check-​in… That was a piece of cake and the attendant was friendly– make sure to bring photo identification and proof of purchase/​confirmation if preordered.
Boarding took awhile, they stated that we could board but waited in line instead for at least 30 minutes. When we got onboard they were still setting up. We got indoor seats up top near the window and got cozy with conversation with our fellow passengers. On the way back to NYC, we sat inside on the bottom deck and enjoyed the Oktoberfest band. Some people were even dancing! The MC/​announcer was very informative and interesting, we learned about the buildings and communities that we passed. My only wish would be to have more time at Bear Mountain State Park.

The ride itself was beautiful, the drinks were reasonably priced ($ 7.75 for wine), there was a good variety of food, but the narration was way too much! According to the website, it was supposed to be «light narration» and then music playing since there wasn’t a live band this time around. It was nonstop and extremely loud.
Overall the boat and ride itself were nice, however because of the loud and slightly obnoxious narration we’re taking the train back. I would do it again, but only if there was a live band or someone not so loud and talkative on the mic.

An oldie but a goodie.
Cancelled plans for a double-​decker bus tour in favor of the circum-​Manhattan Circle Line Cruise. Good call. Boarded the boat on a sunny but cool day in October. 42^nd Street terminal was easy to find; from Grand Central, M42 drop off is directly in front of the boats.
Best to sit on the port side of the boat, as the cruise travels counterclockwise around Manhattan, putting every sight except for Yankee Stadium on the left. Best views actually from the bow, though it can get chilly in the shade.
Snack bar with food and beer. Full bathrooms with running water below deck.

Very disappointed with the Bear Mountain cruise.
There are not enough seats inside for all the people on the boat. We arrived back at the boat at the required time of 2.45 and every seat was already taken by a person or their bag. The staff asked us to move several times for standing by the windows or sitting on the floor, so in the end our only option was to brave the outside. 3 hours cruising down the river in chilling winds was not fun and not worth the $ 60 paid.
Half the upper deck is taken up by ‘premium seating’, which from what I gathered was an extra $ 25 to guarantee a seat. I was also annoyed that the staff didn’t do more to ask people to move their bags from unoccupied seats. We asked several times if seats with bags on where taken, to which people always answered yes, but we rarely saw anyone sitting there.
Bear mountain is very pretty. We wanted to have lunch but the restaurant was full. We had to line for about 25 minutes in the café and it just felt like wasted time at a beautiful location. I would recommend making a reservation at the restaurant or bringing a picnic.
The tour up as far as George Washington bridge is interesting but after that the guide didn’t have a huge amount to say. It would have been nice to have maybe got a bit more history of the area rather than the standard ‘Manhattan tour’. I would recommend people just do the classic tour and not waste the time and money doing this.

Bear Mountain, on a weekend.
The tour guide had a lot of historical things to say, but he gave us the weekend version, which assumes most of the cruisers are locals.
The hike up to the Lake may be taxing for some. If you have any health issues, you make need to budget more time.
We weren’t sure if we could bring food for the park. The website said that we couldn’t. When we called they said we couldn’t. But, logically, it makes more sense that you can pack what you want to eat as long as you don’t eat it on board. We decided to play it safe and we didn’t bring lunch. When we got to the line and on board, there were people with outside food, packed and ready for the picnic. They discourage you to pack your lunch, but you can.
We ended up buying the food from the ship, it was overpriced (obviously), but you’re just better off eating something before hand. We got 2 coffees and a bagel for $ 10. The buffet was available for $ 13/​plate. It was Oktoberfest, so it had a German buffet.
There are a few options for food at Bear Mountain State Park. There are the fair type food that is located outside, which is cheapest, but make sure to get in line quickly, they tend to get longer while everyone is checking out the options. There is also a café inside the INN that has reasonably priced food as well, this is on the first floor. The restaurant at the INN on the second floor has a tapas side and a more formal sit down side. The line was ridiculously long, we opted to go back to the outside vendor and eat a hamburger and fries. The line grew longer at this point, we should have stayed there. The food was typical fair like food. It was lukewarm.
I was looking forward to seeing Perkins Tower and seeing the view of the NYC skyline, but that involves a hike or a car ride. There isn’t enough time for that unless you are planning on jogging up and down.
You only have three hours up there, so we ended up eating, taking a few pictures, walking around Hessian Lake, then rushing back to the boat, we had about 10 minutes to spare by the end.
Overall Impression:
Pack a lunch with the food you want to eat for the picnic at the Park. Plan on enjoying a scenic view of the Lake and foliage and relaxing. If you’re able to, it would be better to drive up there. But, this cruise isn’t bad if you get some type of discount. I’d recommend it. Just make sure you pack your food.

Really cool tour, not sure why there are bad ratings.
The Premier experience is a must, it’s worth the extra, but beware due to human beings being entitled freeloaders, if you are in Premier you will have to put up with people attempting to sneak in every couple minutes.
Great views, I wish there was a tour that started earlier and FINISHED as the sun was setting, had to do some moving around to get pix of lower Manhattan while you still had available light.
The Tour Guide Andy was super cool and did a great job shepherding people who struggled to follow the rules, but again I offer exhibit A (re: entitlement).
Boat cleared out quickly, things ran on time and the service during the trip was acceptable.
Will do again in the winter, got a chance to talk to captain on the way out and he was super cool too, it was very obvious that he likes his job.
Buy with confidence and splurge for premier, it’s groovy.

Not your average tourist trap.
I was so surprised by how wonderful our tour on the circle line was. We went around sunset on a Friday… the boat ride itself was close to 2 hours long. our guide was awesome — he provided a lot of interesting facts about the buildings and towns surrounding the area.
If you have a party of 4 or 5, make sure to come around 40 minutes early if you want to snag a seat together!
Overall, a great experience!

Planning a vacation to NYC? This is a definite must do. Not only is it an ideal way to see the sights, but if it’s ridiculously hot and humid like it was the day I went, it’s was an great way to cool off.
I booked my cruise about a month in advance and used the coupon to get five bucks off. Definitely recommend doing it that way. I had printed out my ticket, so I didn’t have to wait in the long line to pick-​up/​buy a ticket. They say to arrive 45 minutes early and if you want the perfect seat that’s right about the right time to do so. At first I sat on the upper level, but then I came to my senses and realized that I would sunburn so bad without sunscreen or a hat. So if you sit up there bring those! I moved to the first level where they had the AC going so it was still cool. One annoying thing about sitting on the lower level is that people take up the chairs by setting their bags on the seats. It’s just rude if you’re sitting next to the window and I can’t get a close enough view because your damn bag is in the way.
I decided to do the Landmark Cruise. 90 minutes and you hit most of the main sights of the city. Statue of Liberty, a glimpse of Ellis Island, Brooklyn Bridge, and views of the Freedom Tower to name a few. The view of the Statue of Liberty was great. I can’t imagine seeing it any other way. Perfect for photos. The fellow who was narrating everything was great too. Very informative. Be prepared for a bunch of restless children running around. They also say unsupervised children aren’t to be on the bow. Well I saw several. Not safe at all.
I think $ 31 was really a bargain for all I got to see. I would do it again if I ever come back to NYC. Maybe do their longer Best of NYC cruise. I highly recommend this outfit if you’re looking for a sightseeing cruise.

Great tour, good price (you can almost always find some kind of discount on line or through a coupon book) The chairs could be a bit more comfortable and the food and beverage vendors could serve a bit quicker, but overall this is a must if you are a tourist. Even if you are a resident it’s a nice 3 hour trip that could potentially be a way to cool off on a hot day.
Also note that they run a boat up to Bear Mountain in the late summer through the fall which is a much longer trip, but definitely well worth it for leaf peeping.

So, I want to give these guys more stars because the tour guide is awesome, but the set up is so not good.
GET THERE EARLY. Other reviewers are so right that the outside and top seats fill up quickly, and people stick to them for the entire 1.5 hour trip. There’s a bit of confusion outside the gate because there are a lot of ships in the area and the staff for Circle Line (guys in the red shirts) appear to be more interested in having their own conversation that helping you get to where you need to be. That said, the bottom seats have just as great views, especially since the guide makes sure to allow both sides of the boat to see the Statue of Liberty.
BRING YOUR OWN BEVIES. Unless you’d like to pay $ 8 for a beer and $ 12 for a mixed drink (solid pour though, gotta give them that). No one checks your bags. Get a flask.
ASK ABOUT THE BOAT. I say this, because some of these boats are so old they need to go! We were on one of the old boats. The PA system kept going out, so we’d only hear every other word the Captain spoke. Also, the kitchens on the old ones are seriously lacking. You can get all sorts of frozen drinks and whatnot on the newer models.
Other benefits: outlets to charge your phone, lots of chairs, really interesting tour guide. Honestly, if the ship wasn’t in such a terrible condition and I could actually hear the guide, I’d give this place a higher rating.

We were lucky enough to purchase tickets for the 4^th of July cruise. I was totally disappointed that there was NO guide to provide any information on the sights. Fortunately, we were in front of someone from New York who provided commentary. There was a DJ for entertainment who had to turn down the volume because we all would have been deaf by the end of the cruise. Then, during the fireworks display, he was silent, not one patriotic song :(The boats are older and the issues in the ladies comfort station need to be address: i.e. no functioning locks on the doors, no comfort height toilets for handicapped.
They were very busy for the holiday and they kept the line moving so that even though they said boarding started at 5:15, we were on our way by that time. I read the reviews trying to determine what type of food was sold. It is ball park type food: hot dogs, sliders, pretzels, ice cream, soda, alcoholic beverages. Not gourmet.
This is a wonderful way to enjoy the fireworks, no crowd and toilets.

Es toda una experiencia la verdad, me encantó, lo disfruté muchísimo, y la única razón por la que no le pongo cinco estrellas, es porque hay un señor «cotorra» que no se calla ni un sólo segundo, y al final termina siendo disgusting el run run en la oreja.
Llega con un poco de tiempo, hay gente que a codazos intenta coger mejor sitio que tú y esto es importante, ya que el crucerito es circular … así que en el lado que miras a Manhattan.
El recorrido es completo a la isla de Manhattan, rio Houston, río East y el Harlem. Creo que es necesario hacer este viaje para darte cuenta de las dimensiones de la isla, te das cuenta que realmente llevas una semana a piñón y únicamente conoces parte del tercio inferior … porque siendo sincero … quién llega hasta de Cloisters (ninguém).
Como a todos, me gusto especialmente la parte inicial de la visita, … New Jersey, la estatua de la Libertad, Freedom Tower, …, Brooklyn bridge, etc… pero me sorprendió muchísimo la esquina opuesta Broadway bridge y el Inwood Hill park.
Disfruté muchísimo con la visita, y al contrario que en otras atracciones, creo que el dinero del ticket de entrada fue muy bien invertido.

I’m not a big fan of «seated, listen to someone talk tours» but this was a great experience! Dave Parker should be a stand up comedian. He was extremely knowledgeable, very funny and thoroughly entertaining. Two and one half hours went by in a flash.
We cruised around the island and through the murky waters of the Hudson. Dave talked about the history of the many NYC neighborhoods, the unique bridges, the Statue of Liberty, the people, the ballpark… I could go on and on but I don’t want to ruin it for you. Do ask when Dave is the tour guide. You will not be disappointed.

The gf and I missed our Liberty Cruise on a Friday morning by a matter of minutes. Even though we were late by our own accord, the front office was able to help us switch out our tickets for the same cruise Saturday morning. There was zero hassle and the transaction was easy.
We arrived 30 minutes early Saturday morning and we were able to lock up some good seats outside on the upper deck. The ship wasn’t super extravagant at all. It was clean, spacious, simple and I loved it. The older gentlemen, our tour guide, was very informative and I learnt a lot of history about the ports and docks of the city.
For $ 29 a person, it is quite a bargain to go on an hour-​long cruise around the statue of Liberty and back. We got a great view of the Statue of Liberty + New York skyline and my experience with Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises was a pleasure.

We had a very nice ride on the Landmark cruise this past weekend. It’s a good way for tourists (or New Yorkers) to see Manhattan (and Brooklyn and Jersey City) from the Hudson and East Rivers and to learn a few things about NYC. The 90-​minute cruise was informative.
I would have liked more of the boat to be open to the elements. Even though we arrived 45 minutes early as instructed, the outdoor seats (which comprise only half of the top deck) were all taken, so we had to sit indoors. The top deck was a little warm, so we found some seats on the lower deck. Downstairs, you can stand on the bow or the stern to snap some shots outdoors, but there isn’t much room, and there is even less room since half the stern is roped off for no reason I could see other than that the crew stores its cleaning supplies there. I would have liked to capture some more pix that were not snapped through a window, but it was a little difficult.
Also, the tour guide’s patter will be a matter of taste for patrons. I found him well informed, but I would have preferred a little less cheesy comedy. To be fair, others seemed to enjoy his upbeat patter, but I would have more enjoyed a simpler, more factual narration to the cruise.
These are relatively minor concerns, and by and large, I enjoyed the cruise and would recommend it to others.

Wirklich das Geld wert, man sollte aufs Wetter achten und auch einen Platz draußen nehmen — ggf. windig aber hier macht man die besten Bilder. Mind. 45 Minuten vorher da sein, sonst muss man ggf. drinnen sitzen. Kaffee etc. nicht besonders gut, dafür aber teuer. Unterm Strich aber ein empfehlenswerter Punkt, wenn man NYC besucht! Bei Onlinebuchung bekamen wir $ 5.00 Rabatt pro Ticket.

En este pier puedes tomar un paseo por el hudson river para ver la isla desde el agua, también ves brooklin y la estatua de la libertad.
Es un must tomar este ferry para vivir la experiencia completa de Nueva York. La recomendación como en todas las atracciones es llegar temprano, unos 20 o 30 minutos antes de tomar el ferry para poder agarrar un buen lugar y lograr unas buenas fotos.
Le doy 4 estrellas por dos razones, el guía es un poco aburrido, entiendo que esto es de suerte «el que te toque» pero deberían de estandarizar un poco al personal para que cualquier guía sea bueno. Otra cosa es que te toman una foto para el recuerdo antes de abordar, también sé que es opcional pero ¿35 USD por una foto? Es un atraco.

Kommt wenn dann superfrüh, ca. eine Stunde vorher, an. Ansonsten gibt es nur Indoor Plätze. Die Aussicht auf die Stadt wurde ich mit 4 Sternen bewerten, vor allem da man ganz im Osten und Westen langkommt (full island cruise) und so auch andere Facetten des Umlands sieht als immer nur die Wolkenkratzer im Zentrum.
Leider aber gab es auch einiges Negstives. Wie Eingangs schon erwähnt waren schon mehr als 30 min vor Abfahrt keine Draußen-​Plätze mehr bzw. wurden von Menschen freigehalten. Die Bestuhlung ist für eine zweieinhalb Stunden Tour ziemlich mies, so dass man recht gerädert vom Schiff kommt. Der Reiseführer/​Moderator/​Guide hielt sich selbst für einen großen Entertainer und fand sich äußerst lustig. Ich habe niemanden lachen sehen. Für mich persönlich hatte er weniger erzahlen sollen, dafür mit mehr Inhalt. Aber man kann es halt nicht allen Gästen recht machen.

Wir haben die große Tour einmal komplett um Manhattan herum gemacht und ich kann es nur jedem Empfehlen. Es ist definitiv mal eine Sicht auf die Stadt die man sonst nicht bekommt.
Der Erzähler hat natürlich nur englisch gesprochen, war aber gut zu verstehen. Darüber hinaus hat er auch viele dinge erzählt die nicht im Reiseführer stehen.
Was in der tat stimmt ist, das deer letzte teil der fahrt (ich würde allerdings nicht sagen das es ¹⁄₃ ist) etwas langweilig ist. Man passiert eine Drehbrücke und die George Washington Bridge und fährt danach nur den Hudson südwärts bis zur Anlegestelle. Der übrige Teil der Fahrt ist aber absolut lgroßartig und als Geheimtipp unbedinngt zu empfehlen.
Sehr gut ist die Karten gleich von Deutschland aus vorzubestellen und zu bezahlen. Die Schlange an der regulären Kasse war sehr lang, mit den vorbestellten Karten muss man nicht ewig vorher da sein und kann seine Tickets an einem eigenen Schalter einfach abholen.

A faire absolument pour profiter d’un panorama de NY sans égal.

Die Idee ist gut aber die zur Rundfahrt rate ich nicht. Es ist zu lang und das letzte ¹⁄₃ zu langweilig.

nous avons fait la croisière de 1h15 qui est courte mais vaut vraiment le coup, pour avoir une super de manhattan mais aussi de la statut de la liberté. Cependant et etonnament ce qui nous a le plus plu est le guide qui a commenté la croisière pendant tout le temps mais de façon très agréable, rempli de faits et d’anecdotes sur NY, manhattan, les buildings, l’histoire, l’architecture … seul problème il faut parler couramment anglais et bien sûr se mettre à l’intérieur si l’on veut entendre quelque chose!

Tolle Alternative entspannt auf NY zu blicken. Und zudem auch noch eine echte Wohltat für die Beine /​Füße ;)
Günstig ist es auch noch. Unbedingt machen!

Wir haben direkt bei der Buchung eine Hop On, Hop off Tour gebucht und darin war die bootsrour enthalten und diese ist wirklich empfehlenswert. Die Skyline vom Wasser aus zu betrachten ist einfach toll:)
Getränke an Board sind recht teuer aber man kann vorher einen Becher für ich glaube 10 $ kaufen und diesen immer kostenfrei befühlen lassen, das haben wir so gemacht und ich denke es hat sich gelohnt.

Sollte man unbedingt machen, um New York von der Wasserseite aus zu sehen. Bis zur Freiheitsstatue und zurück waren wir damals gefahren und ich meine mich sogar zu erinnern, daß die Überfahrt nichts oder zumindest nur Peanuts kostet?

Bei guten Wetter die erste Adresse um die Städte kennenzulernen und sich die wichtigsten Informationen zu holen.

Eine tolle Art, einen ersten Eindruck von NY zu erhalten. Wer sich dann noch für eine Fahrt am späteren Abend entscheidet (Sonnenuntergang) wird garantiert begeistert sein. Der Preis zwar relativ happig, aber was erwartet man auch in einer Stadt wie dieser?

Un joli tour autour de Manhattan, privilégiez le tour de 2 heures, le plus long est plutôt ennuyeux avec le tour du haut de l’île belle vue sur la statue de la liberté et la skyline de Manhattan, passage sous le pont de Brooklyn. De jolies photos à réaliser.

Recomendable, super bonito aunque un poco caro.

Eine wunderschöné Art und Weise New York kennen zu lernen ist eine Rundfahrt mit der Circle Line von Pier 83 in Manhattan. Dieser Tourenanbieter hat eine riesen Auswahl an verschiedenen Sightseeing-​Rundfahrten auf dem Hudson River in NYC.
Von dort aus, hat man einen wunderbaren Blick auf die Skyline, auf die Statue of Liberty und man bekommt einen weiteren Eindruck von der größe dieser atemberaubenden Stadt.
Eine 75-​minütige Fahrt auf dem River kostet für Erwachsene $ 21, eine 3-​stündige Fahrt um die ganze Insel von Manhatten kostet z.B. $ 31.
Gerade im Sommer, ist die Variante der Stadtbesichtung angenehm erfrischend und eine Möglichkeit der stickigen Stadtluft zu entfliehen.