I recently took the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise, and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the city from a fresh perspective. From the moment we boarded, everything felt well-organized and welcoming. The staff were friendly and efficient, making the check-in and seating process smooth. The real highlight, of course, was the view. Seeing the skyline from the water gives you an entirely different appreciation for the city's architecture and scale. Passing by iconic landmarks while listening to the live narration added a lot of depth to the experience. Our tour guide, Andrew, was especially knowledgeable about the history of the city--he shared fascinating facts, stories, and context that really brought each landmark to life, all while keeping things engaging and easy to follow. The boat itself was clean and comfortable, with plenty of space to move around and take photos. Whether you prefer sitting inside or enjoying the open-air deck, there's a good spot for everyone. I especially appreciated how unhurried the cruise felt; there was enough time to soak in each sight without feeling rushed. I'd highly recommend the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise to both visitors and locals--it's a relaxing, informative, and scenic way to see the city from a whole new angle. read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

I had a great time on this sightseeing cruise! It was so cold but there was plenty of enclosed seating on the 1st and 2nd floor. The history of the city was nice to learn about from the informative and fun tour guide. And we cannot forget the amazing views! read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Statue of Liberty - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

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The ride was satisfactory overall, with excellent customer service. However, the facilities are outdated and in need of significant improvement. There is a lack of organization among passengers, as many do not respect the personal space of others. This issue is particularly evident with Chinese tourists, who frequently disregard seating arrangements by sitting directly in front of us despite already being seated, which obstructs our views. Hopefully they can work in that for future tourism. read more

Great best of NYC boat tour. 2.5 hours and well narrated- tour guide Dave was both informative and entertaining. Good way to see many highlights of NYC from the comfort of a smooth boat with full amenities. read more

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Hey, you won't catch me talkin' smack about the Circle Line, but I also have to admit it's been several decades since I've been on one of their sightseeing boats. Jamie W has never been, so I booked us for passage on the Landmarks cruise on the 4th of July. It was pretty easy. Showing up at Pier 83 located at 12th and 43rd Street, we arrived promptly at 11AM for an 11:30 launch. We had made a reservation for a couple of the $70 Premium passes. That meant we could board early with no queue in front of us. We were led to the Premium-exclusive third level of the boat where we comfortably sat for the entirety of the ninety-minute cruise. The boat left on time and returned on time like clockwork. The sights came up like clockwork as well with the southern half of Manhattan beckoning along with the riverfront areas of Brooklyn and Queens. There were plenty of Instagram moments on a sunny day. The seasoned guide provided well informed narration throughout. Beyond the expected skyline, the high points of the cruise were getting upfront and close to Lady Liberty and examining the undercarriages of the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges. It was nice to see Vessel and Little Island from the water, though they were a bit far away to appreciate fully. The cruise was just the right duration because the views started to feel repetitive. RELATED - Exploring NYC? Here's a collection of non-culinary places l've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/EZ4RqdK7Cy read more

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We had just one day in New York and wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. This tour was absolutely perfect. Got a nice tour of Manhattan via the Hudson River and some up close and amazing views of the Statue of Liberty. I would highly recommend this tour. read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

Pros: Fresh air and sunshine.....great views...entertaining tour guide with lots of information I didnt know. Got to see so many landmarks. Enjoyed being down on the bow also. The bathrooms were clean. I only got water so cant comment on food. Easy to get on and off. Had a great afternoon. No complaints! Cons....they were out of fruit cups that day. No big deal. My sister said the seats were to close together but I didnt notice bc I was loving the vibe to much. read more

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Amazing tour so much fun!!! I did the holiday light tour and it was so much fun for the holidays!!! read more

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Debbie was very informative and funny! Highly recommend this to anyone. Great price and great views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines! read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

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The best way to see lady liberty, Ellis island, Hudson yards, Brooklyn bridge etc. worth every penny and perfect photo ops. Definitely do this tour if you're trying to see as much of manhattan as you can. read more

The views on this tour were impeccable. Our group had a fantastic time on the dinner cruise, and I highly recommend! read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

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What a waste of money. My suggestion - go ANYWHERE else. Cons: - Pricey for what you're paying for - Rude, racist staff -- Including those that curse at you assuming you don't understand their language - Food is bland, tasteless and is like cardboard IG: AndTheNextAdventureBegins read more

My husband and I were visiting NYC for the first time and a friend recommended the Circle Line Cruise to us- I'm so glad they did because it was a blast! We did the Best of NYC cruise that went all the way around Manhattan, and it was so cool to be able to see all the sights while comfortable and warm inside the boat (especially as it was a cold and rainy day). We did go out on the deck to see the Statue of Liberty; I was pleasantly surprised by how close we got to see it and we got some great photos. Inside the windows are huge so you don't feel like you are missing out by being inside and we enjoyed a few drinks that were pretty decent. Maybe it was because of the weather, but we took the 1:30 cruise the Sunday after Thanksgiving and it was pretty open inside so we had the pick of the seats. Lastly, Alexis was an amazing tour guide, she had a very dry humor that we enjoyed and bonus is a great singer and serenaded us a couple times! I would definitely recommend a cruise with Alexis any day. read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

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Some friends and I took a tour with this company one hot summer day and had a great time. It was fairly crowded and we were able to sit comfortable and enjoy our beautiful city sites and attractions. The boat wasnt fancy and had light refreshments for sale. NYC Skyviews are stunning and unmatched. My most recent experience was a cruise to Bear mountain to see the fall foliage. Some friends and I arrived on time and honey we were shocked the boat was packed. We had to sit outside which would've been fine if it wasn't a cold and windy day. lol The views on the Hudson are unmatched. The views of the bridges we passed were cool. The boat was big and had several sections to sit and or sight see and take some pics. We eventually had to leave from outside and stand inside for warmth while enjoying the live entertainment. They had two different areas to purchase food and drinks. The staff were very friendly and welcoming from the emcee giving the tour info to security. On our return home we made sure we arrived early to get some inside seats. lol. I know one thing when they tell you the time to return, you better be on time because a few people got left behind. We didn't see them running or anything because we were looking with our phones out. However, we heard some people calling their friends to hurry up but they didn't make it back on time. I would definitely take another sightseeing cruise from this company. read more

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Great to see the city in a different view! Our tour guide, Bobby or Flying Bobby, was great! read more

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Do love it but tickets cost a lot went 1 time for a field trip at school white plains middle school I love it but traffic it's slow but my friends also went must go again read more

I did this city sightseeing cruise with my company and it was a fun outing. We had a little private space in the back of the boat with some apps and a dessert tray. The tour guide was funny and informative and we had a beautifully sunny day that allowed for great views of the city and a very enjoyable experience being on the boat. Seating inside and out and plenty of restrooms. There is a cafe on board to buy a few items. read more

Debbi was amazing!! She was very informative and so sweet! Her heart felt story about 911 really made me re connect to that time and had my sone who is 16 ask more questions about it. We will be going to the museum for him to learn more. She also sang happy birthday to him which was very special! Thank you Debbi!! read more

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It needs to be more organized. They treat the passengers as if they were herding animals into a stall. The trip itself is very interesting but the boats are mostly old. read more

Overall great and reliable tourist experience! I actually moved to Brooklyn recently, but mother was visiting so we decided to do this. We picked the 1.5 hour Landmarks Tour at 3pm on a Saturday. We came at 2:30 and got to pick almost any seat, people were only just starting to arrive. But if you truly want the best chances, come exactly 45 min before your scheduled time. It wasn't too rocky of a ride since it's a big ship with 3 decks, but you can definitely feel it moving. We didn't have to take any dramamine and we get motion sick pretty easily. The live narration is for 80% of the tour, and it's pretty loud so even if people are chattering you can still hear. However, if you're looking for a quieter boat ride to relax and chat this might not be for you (or maybe the company has other options without narration.) The food was wildly overpriced but it's NYC and a tourist attraction so I can't get mad because that's going to be the case anywhere else. They did have a lot of options: subs, nachos, pretzel, pastries, chips, alcohol (wine, beer, frozen drinks), sodas and iced tea, etc. BEST PART: the toilets were normal porcelain toilets! Not the jank metal/black ones that are usually on tour boats. And they have multiple stalls so no giant lines/unnecessary standing. Overall it was really nice! read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

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We decided to take a boat tour to view the Statue of Liberty and overall had a good experience. It's a nice activity for all ages. They also have a parking structure right next to the dock. The boat has 3 floors with indoor and outdoor seats. You can move around during the ride which was nice. There is a bar and snack station on board but you are not allowed to bring your own snacks. There are also restrooms on the lower level. NOTE: they do not sell Dramamine so if you're prone to seasickness, you should take some before boarding as it does rock at times. Although our tour guide was entertaining and very informative, the other workers seemed bored, uninterested, and unhelpful. One of guys working the top bar was actually sleeping towards the end of the ride and when I asked a few questions like where to find something, another worker didn't give a crap and was quite bitchy. If the customer service improves, this could be a 5 star experience. read more

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It's been quite a while since I've come across one of these cruises, didn't know they offer the Bear Mountain cruise we came across it & figured it be a nice way to spend an afternoon. We booked the cruise u should arrive a little early by 8, 815 cruise departs at 830am. Once we arrived & settled in upstairs, it is cold out, warm clothing is a must I would say/ suggest since once u get out on the water it feels much colder. Drinks we tried the Fall sangria & a Pretzel, sangria was nice tasty & the pretzel was good as well. Of course the star on this cruise are the great city views as u exit the city , so nice peaceful to watch it go by. Once u reach Bear mountain u can explore the area u are there for a few hours. Circle line seems to do a few of these sightseeing cruises the Bear Mountain cruise was a nice experience & a great way to spend the day outside of the city , enjoying nature. read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

Took this cruise along Manhattan. Very organized. Check in- quick and easy. Buy tix online or at counter. You can pay extra for vip - it's covered but most ppl walked out to the uncovered part. So is it worth it??? Lower deck has lots of seating too. The tour guide is Uber smart and knows ny/nj. There's a cafeteria below deck. Nachos, pizza, salads, bagels, coffee, etc. it's decent but don't expect gourmet food. Good three hour cruise. The weather didn't get rough :) read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

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Stay away! This whole trip was a disaster. We walked on the boat trying to find a window seat where the windows weren't dirty, stained. Almost all windows looked this way. Then... Some guy whoever was working there was playing his own music. I'm not even sure he was a DJ or not. The music he was playing seemed to be his own playlist. He was only one dancing, he knew all the words. Then it was LOUD....! I wouldn't go again. read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - How do you look through these windows? - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

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Being a born and raised New Yorker means you take for granted all of the cool stuff this city has to offer. My sister was visiting from the south with her born and raised southern girls so we decided to take the kids on the hour and a half cruise around downtown Manhattan. It was awesome! There was a guide explaining everything for the entire trip. Although he was sometimes hard to hear he was extremely knowledgeable and makes jokes every now and then as well. We passed by little island, Statue of Liberty, Ellis island, we went under the Brooklyn bridge, passed by 1 world trade and a bunch of other landmarks. We had a beautiful and warm day so we sat outside and had great views of it all. They sell drinks and food on the boat but if you have a large group, you may need to second mortgage your house to afford it all. Highly recommend! read more

Thoroughly enjoyed this sightseeing tour by the Circle Line. The tour guide, who is also a radio host, was enthusiastic and knowledgeable throughout the entire 2.5 hour boat trip. The weather was stunning so sitting on the top level permitted us to see everything well and enjoy a little bit of sun. However there is plenty of indoor seating and they also open the bow of the boat to stand and sightsee. In my opinion 1.5 hours is an ideal length of time to do something like this. This is a great way to learn some fun facts and history of the city while expending very little energy. read more

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We did the 1.5 hour cruise. Fantastic views. It was a great overall experience. Food isn't included, but is reasonably priced. The pretzels were stale and I ended up throwing the whole thing away. The cruise announcer was friendly and genuine -- but I was a bit confused about which buildings he was talking about. A few other passengers expressed the same thing. Also we paid extra for vip seating, which didn't really mean anything. In fact, we sat on top of the boat on a hot and humid day while everyone else sat in air conditioning inside the boat. Overall: definitely worth it, but don't pay extra and don't buy the food. read more

The cruise / tour is very much worth it. See so much of city from waterfront and evenings makes it awe inspiring. Was slightly miffed by how full the boat was 45 min before departure when tickets stated access starts 45 min before departure....oh well we had good seats and great time. The tour guide was very knowledgeable but monotonous in his speaking. I recommend others to do the tour as well. read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

Circle Line is a popular and well known sightseeing cruise line company in NYC. They have many "boats" and run tours daily. Most interesting was that the boat we were on was used to ferry firemen and EMT to the plane that Scully landed in the Hudson! According to the boat officer I spoke to. Our group wasn't very crowded. There was plenty of seating and that was a welcome since it was a bit chilly if you wanted to stand outside. They even have a "deli" at the back of the boat where you can get food and drink. Our tour director who spoke over the speakers was entertaining and very knowledgeable. He pointed out many interesting sights and buildings during our almost 2 hour cruise around Manhattan. The best part of course was visiting Ellis island and seeing Lady Liberty! They stopped there and gave us ample time to take pictures and take in her beauty. If it's your first time visiting Manhattan, you have to take this cruise. read more

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Boat Tours Near Me - New York, New York

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Did the full "around Manhattan in 2 1/2 hours tour" today. We paid a bit extra for a "premium" tour, which meant we had a more padded seat and a colorful guidebook. The tour itself was fun and fascinating. David was our tour guide: very knowledgeable, ironic, fun storyteller. This is a great way to get to know New York City, especially parts of the city one might easily miss. I'd happily do it again when I'm back in town. read more

We did the Harbor Lights Cruise (about 1.5 hours). The boat was pretty crowded, so the best views were to go outside to take pictures. We passed by the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and a close up view of the Statue of Liberty. I heard the selection of snacks was subpar. Our tour guide told a bunch of dad jokes along the way, that was probably met with more groans than laughter. 2023 #121 read more

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My daughter and I were visiting NYC for her 16th birthday and chose the Circle Line tour because it was advertised as the "wind-free way" to see the city and came highly recommended. Unfortunately, the experience was deeply disappointing and upsetting. On Friday 12/12 at 12:30 pm, there were no seats available on either deck. Given the freezing weather, this felt misleading. When passengers stood briefly at the bar for shelter, the tour guide addressed people aggressively and confrontationally rather than managing the situation professionally. Near the end of the tour, the guide became shockingly abusive toward a woman who did not speak English. He shouted directly in her face, questioned her intelligence, and told her she was an embarrassment and a disgrace to Spanish-speaking people. He publicly ridiculed her and attempted to involve other passengers in humiliating her. The confrontation lasted roughly 10 minutes and ended only when another passenger gave up their seat. I have never witnessed such hostility or xenophobia on a tourist experience. Circle Line markets itself as family-friendly; what we saw was intimidation, discrimination, and a complete failure of staff oversight. This ruined what should have been a special trip and left us shaken. Until Circle Line addresses this conduct seriously, I cannot recommend this tour. If you want it even shorter or more explicitly demanding accountability, I can do a final micro-edit. read more

This 2 hour boat cruise around Manhattan is wonderful. We did the VIP, not necessary but nice seats and early boarding with reserved seating. The guide was great and it is a very nice tour of the sites around the island and surrounding cities/sites. Great pictures of the Statue of Liberty , bridges and iconic buildings in nyc from the water. read more

I took a Best of NY cruise with my family of 7 on a Saturday morning at 10 am. The cruise was fantastic. We saw all that NY had to offer. Our tour guide was very friendly, personable, and knowledgeable. We took this cruise using our all inclusive City Pass. The cruise took 2.5 hours but food and bathrooms are conveniently located on board. The only negative that I have is that staff was very rude to us concerning access to their bathrooms at the port. So much so that we actually ended up leaving and not completing our Harbor Lights Cruise. read more

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The Sunset cruise around Manhattan was a delightful way to see New York from a different perspective. Circle Line has limited drink options and the tour part of the cruise was useless since we couldn't hear anything the tour guide was saying, but we didn't really buy tickets for the person speaking. You take a cruise around the city for the experience of being on the water as the sun sets over the city. If you have a love of the water or cityscapes, then taking the sunset cruise is where it's at. Be sure to sit on the outside area of the boat on the back left because it comes with the best views. You can see more of our experience in our travel episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e37jnnbqgt0 read more

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This was the perfect tour! We did the 60 minute loop to the Statue of Liberty! There is a bar on board and time for a couple drinks. The tour guide was amazing! Don't forget to tip the guide and the cafe staff! 10/10! read more

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1- BAD SIGNS Bad signage at dock. You wouldn't know where to wait, and where to hand in your ticket for the specific cruise. 2- FOOD EXPENSIVE I paid $25.30 for a sandwich and soda. (Diet Pepsi; No iced tea or other zero calorie drinks.) The seats aren't flat and don't have a cup holder, so by putting your cup-with-lid soda down on an empty seat, the soda likely will spill and create a river across the boat. 3- ACCESSIBILITY - SORT OF - Yeah, there's a ramp from the dock to the boat. Depending on the levels of each, a person using a wheelchair may need help getting the wheelchair on and off the ramp. Then, that person won't be able to sit outside (on the cruise I was on); and will only be able to sit on the first level that's all enclosed. The door to the accessible bathroom was locked, and required unlocking each time from a crew member, if you could find them. The bathroom could have been cleaner. I'm not sure where the advertised handicap parking spaces were; I didn't notice any. If you need them, definitely check ahead of time. Perhaps Google maps would show the "parking lot." 4- The tour itself was good. read more

Harbor cruise is a memorable and enjoyable one. The tour guide, David gave a lot of informations and facts about the places that are being navigated by the cruise. He's really a master tour guide and very knowledgeable. Staffs are friendly and helpful throughout the cruise which lasted for 2 hours. The boat is clean and orderly as well as safety precautionary informations discussed during the trip. Thank you Circle Line for this wonderful harbor cruise. read more

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We did the Harbor Lights cruise, and felt like 2-hours was plenty considering what we experienced. Gorgeous views of the nighttime skyline, and a closeup view of the Statue of Liberty. I thought our tour speaker was excellent - but easily drowned out at several points. That said, I agree with others, sometimes you just want to enjoy the cruise with minimal chatter. There was one lost-in-translation moment between my daughter and a staff member - she asked if we could sit up top, he said it's reserved for premier/reserved tickets folks, so we initially sat at the bottom until we saw folks streaming by going upstairs. It turned out that he was actually referring to a specially cordoned-off section upstairs. It was a nice experience, and worth trying once. read more

The best of NYC is a joke. Why advertise and charge us for a full island tour when you can't do it? Boat turned around at the Harlem river. JOKE read more