It's a fun, touristy outing for this New Yorker and not an every day activity, so we enjoyed it for what it is. Appreciated that the staff members of the sailboat were largely women. Having a bar on board made it all the more fun, although the male bartender was possibly the rudest man we've met this year. Terrible bartending skills (as a ex-bartender myself) and clearly not a people person. Visited on a Friday in September. Possibly avoid peak season and prime days because it was overcrowded and people didn't have seats. It felt like they oversold tickets to seating ratio because there was hardly a way to get photos without people in the back. They also lagged with start time due to waiting for a partial group for an additional 10 minutes. That aside, we enjoyed it and would book for a mid week day in the future instead of what it was. read more

BUYER BEWARE... Don't book with Manhattan by Sail unless you have the flexibility to accommodate their whims. They reserve the right to change their schedule and rebook you to a different time without any good reason... and if that doesn't work for you then you can't get a refund. Even if you purchase their "sail protection" they will only offer you a 75% refund. read more

Awesome experience! Cap'n and crew were friendly, the jazz cruise was was wonderful and relaxing , the duo of jazz performers entertaining and not overshadowing the cruise, perfect! read more

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This is probably one of the few touristy things I've tried in NYC. You do get a good view on a nice day here. I'd recommend it. I cannot remember the ticket price, but you get a drink with your ticket. Snacks on here are expensive, but I guess that's how they make a profit. read more

The Clipper City Tall Ship departs from Battery Park in lower Manhattan during the warmer months. This particular trip was a craft beer cruise, labeled Manhattan by Sail with the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty, the New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline on a beautiful day with about 100+ paid customers drinking five different craft beer types all from Greenport Harbor brewing Company. Snacky foods were also provided. We watched the crew man the sails in a rather nice coordinated performance. And they were friendly and informative. The whole voyage lasted approximately two hours. My sister-in-law got the tix through Groupon, IDK the cost but it was a fun excursion. read more

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Got the jazz and wine sail as a wedding present and procrastinated for almost a year till I realized it would expire. Booked a day for the sail and was horribly late to the thing. Made a call and asked if it could be rescheduled and they said YES! I did say sorry but I feel it was a no question asked thing. Their reservation says no cancellations no rescheduling on the same day but they ARE EXTREMELY NICE WITH CUSTOMERS!!! A great thing to do for tourists. Unlimited wine cider and beer long with excellent views. I did reschedule because of bad weather too! They were so awesome and accommodating. Luckily the weather was great and we got a good sunset and nice breezes. While coming back you get the cityscape all lit up. Romantic and v cool! Bring good company and make an enjoyable evening out of it! read more

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I would like to thank the staff for answering all my phone call questions to the deckhands, skipper, and a big thank you to the bar tender for keeping the party going Hahahaha! Really great easy going quick sail - happy hour sail Also by having happy hour it made the whole boat drink menu 1/2 off. The cocktails wear fancy and strong. (Normal cocktail price was $11 as of 7/2019 I think) Because this boat is so large it is not as choppy as when I sail on my coronado 25 sailboat. I would recommend this tour to just about anyone who enjoys the water. You can just sit back and relax or walk around and watch how everything works. read more

Manhattan by Sail - From the stern (aka back) of the ship - Boat Charters Near Me

Today was my second time . I did the 1 pm on July 4 th and I it couldn't be a more perfect day. However, the sunset cruise was better than I expected. The staff are all very friendly! From the reservation to the bartender. I will most definitely be back ! read more

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It is a beautiful boat You will see amazing views GO TO ANY OTHER COMPANY IF you want to learn anything about what you are seeing. There is NO commentary AT ALL... no funny quips, no anecdotes about movies or anything that happened at the incredible sites we were seeing. This was not a sunset, romantic cruise that would seem more common for quiet and romance... There was no entertainment except the music the college kids wanted to play ---oh and then at the end they will beg you for tips "so that we don't have to work on a boat forever" When did we start tipping for nothing? I'm assuming they get paid to run the boat and anything on top would be for tip...??.. there was nothing on top of their sail work except maybe leering at teenage girls and overtly flirting.. I'm not tipping for that... I mean there wasn't even a recording pointing out things... ALSO... Get in line or stand the full boat ride... even if elderly, or walking/standing issues... these employees with have you move for the sail work (obviously necessary) and you may lose your seat... there are few seats and they go quickly.. people did not like moving on this boat... you have to walk though aisles of shaded seats to get water or drinks and man these people didn't make it easy... 7 year old tripped Maybe employees could assist?? If you need a guaranteed seat.. DO NOT use this company... I have a 7 year old and an 18 year old so I'm on the move no matter what with each asking for pictures and my desire to teach them about the Statue of Liberty I was all over the place but I saw others struggle for seats.... Maybe this is targeted more for college kids that want to drink and party and be leered at by staff and not worry about learning about the city... if this is the case please advertise as such Beautiful views -- undeniable.... seeing the statue and all that she stands for calls for a moment of silence in my opinion.. not their awful music... ok I realize I disliked this far more then I allowed my kids to see... they stole my time and my kids time read more

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Did a work event on the Clipper Tall Ship. The pros -there's a bar onboard with some decent wine -the ship itself is super cool. It's a sailboat and ain't no public ferry -the views, of course -the staff were awesome and friendly The cons -SO touristy. Sure, maybe that's to be expected -SO crowded. When we saw the line, we were like "there's no way everyone's getting on", but they fit everyone. The benches are close together so walking to and from the bar (or to the side to get photos) gets kind of challenging -The price. I think it was around $45 a person, not including drinks or food. Hint for the tourists - just take a $2.75 ferry and sit on top. Spend that extra $40 on some pizza. -There was also an option of spending more per person on food (I think around $30). The food was pretty meh. Charcuterie plates with off-color meats. Surprisingly good rare tuna steaks. Bland chicken skewers. And way more pretzel bites than anyone knew what to do with. You also have to deal with other people on the boat thinking that the food is open to everyone (which honestly, for $50 a head, I'd expect that too) All in all, not a bad way to spend a weekday afternoon, provided you're not paying for it. Or I guess if you're a tourist with some spending cash. read more

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We got a groupon for our anniversary. It was the southern tier beer cruise. 5 sample of different beer and a bunch of snack trays. This was the hottest day of the year in nyc. We still had a great time. Kept hydrated and drank plenty of beer. Staff was friendly. Only issue was it wasn't 5 southern tier. It was 4 and a smuttynose IPA. Bee will forgive you lol. Met some great people and had fun. That's all that matters. Totally worth It. read more

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Highly recommend. I have been in a few different tourist boats since living in NY when family and friends visit and so far this was the best experience. I bought tickets ahead of time and we had Major traffic and train delays. Needless to say we arrived 20min late. I really didn't know if they would even do anything but they gave us 2 tickets on the next sail time and 2 free drinks (since we got the happy hour). The 2 people at the booth ticketing were so friendly and nice, I was a bit taken back because normally at these tourist things the customer service is non-existent but these 2 people had smiles and just were so nice. So this company already made all my stress disappear which is the best thing a company can do for first impressions if they truly want to succeed. When you first line up and see everyone you start to wondering if everybody will fit and it looks like there isn't much seating and not very comfortable. However after you start sailing most people don't sit still and it is easy to find seats if you prefer to have one and everything gets a lot more comfortable and people are a lot more relaxed. The staff hoists the sails up and you can even help out if you wish. We were on the night cruise and the sunset was spectacular so I would recommend doing it. However, it doesn't go all the way around the harbor, mostly stays south of manhattan and around the Statue of Liberty. But you still get excellent views and incredible at sunset. You can still see the Brooklyn bridge but doesn't go that close to it. But over all super friendly staff, good prices on drinks (all considering) and bathroom was pretty clean, and really incredible views. It is very different being on sail boat like this but I liked it so much better. Doesn't feel you are on a touristy boat at all. So if you are trying to decide on which one to choose I would for sure recommend it. Make sure to bring your camera! read more

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We got a Groupon for a beer sailing trip out of Battery Park. We booked it months ago but I was a bit leery about sailing in October; you never know what weather you'll get. October 7th was unusually warm this year and it ended up being a perfect day to sail. If you are wondering what a beer sailing trip is, it is nothing more than beer being served while the boat sails. The boat travels past Ellis Island then around the Statue of Liberty, heads toward Brooklyn, passes the Red Hook section, around Governor's Island, and up the East River a bit before docking again. Once aboard we were greeted by a friendly crew member and asked to grab a glass of beer from the bar. This day they were pouring beers from Greenport Harbor Brewing on Long Island. I did that and sat near the stern by the ship's wheel. The captain passed by, we chatted a bit, and before long we were off. At intervals during the trip announcements were made that the next beer was up. I'm guessing there were 5 - 5 ounce pours in all. If you wanted more, pints were available for purchase. They also served a light snack consisting of fruit, nuts, cheese, Italian deli meats; nice! Didn't expect that. The only problem I had, and it could have been a temporary problem, was the fact that the PA system did not reach the back of the boat where I was sitting. So those sitting there couldn't hear the commentary during the trip, didn't know a new beer was being served, and didn't know food was even out there. There was a second round of food that someone let us know about so we didn't miss out. In summary the beer was good, the trip was very nice, crew friendly and accommodating, and totally worth the trip. read more

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What a fabulous experience! This ain't the Circle Line. If you're looking for a classier experience, epics views from a vintage schooner staffed by exuberant sorts that are all about climbing around and pulling on sails like circus stars, this is the ride for you. And yes, they have cocktails and Champagne. I'm a terrible native New Yorker (maybe this should read "typical.") I am in town often enough and I don't actually *do anything* (besides visit family). The cool thing is, my boyfriend is enthralled all things Manhattan and Brooklyn, so this forces me to actually do things that aren't just shopping and eating (by the way, if 10 years ago me could read this now, she'd be shocked at that sentence). I was looking for something type of bearable sightseeing on a recent visit and my friend pointed me in the direction of Manhattan by Sail. They have a lot of different options, but the sunset sail is what caught my eye and it was all that I had hoped for. It was an enthusiastic crowd, tourists mixed in with locals, and there were plenty of places to sit if you need to take a break from leaning over the railing to get the ultimate lower Manhattan skyline photos. The ride is a couple hours, which is just perfect and it affords views of Ellis Island, Governor's Island, the Statue of Liberty (from just about every angle), and of course New Jersey. It's worth the price (which isn't very high, considering). Drinks are also priced fairly. Highly recommend. Get your special occasion on! read more

We had a complicated reservation for a number of people, and Tom was so friendly, kind, and patient. Our cruise was lovely, and everyone in our group loved helping to hoist the sail! read more

Four of us took a boat tour around New York Harbor on this lovely fall day. Specifically, it was a beer tasting boat tour. We had purchased our tickets online via Groupon & frankly, I wasn't expecting much. I had questions once I bought the Groupon & had to call twice. I did not get a warm, fuzzy feeling either time, in fact one rep was downright rude. Upon arriving they had a table set up to check everyone in & handed out passes. Once on board the crew members were very helpful in getting everyone settled & explaining a few guidelines. The positives: During the trip they served 5 different beer styles by a local brewery, Greenport Harbor Brewing. It was a glorious day & they had music playing over the speakers, my favorite 80s tunes! They were kind enough to offer food, Brucetta toast, some fruit, cheeses, & italian meats. Most of the staff was very friendly. Guess they didn't man the phones when I called. The negatives, the boat is pretty beat up but it was comfortable. If you sit on the bow of the ship, you will not hear any of the announcements. The first table of food set up, everyone on the stern of the ship missed out because they didn't hear it. They did set out more food later & hopefully by then they did (the fact that they had more food to put out goes in my positive remarks:) The last sail of the season was the day we went, Oct. 7th. When I called in early Sept. they had no other dates available other than that one but as it turned out, it was perfect. The day was beautiful as we sailed around the harbor past Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty & Governor's Island. The trip was only for 1 hour & 45 minutes but they used the time well & we did not feel at all cheated. They do offer other packages with longer rides to those interested. I have to say, after expecting so little this was a fabulous boat trip. So much so that I may do it again next season. read more

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We booked the happy hour sailing and it was such a lovely afternoon! We got a great deal on this sailing on Groupon. I don't know if I would have paid the full price for this activity. There were definitely more people than seating space, but I don't think anyone really minded. The views were so gorgeous you wanted to get up, walk around, and take some photos. When the sail went up, the staff asked for volunteers to help. This was such a fun way to get us involved and pretend like we know anything about sailing. The crew brought out three large trays of treats: one tray of cake, one tray of cookies, and one tray of fruits. I was not expecting that at all, so it was a wonderful surprise. On that note, they allow you to bring food and drinks on board but there is a full bar with food and drinks for purchase. The 5pm sailing is the happy hour sailing so the drinks start as low as $6. We passed by Lady Liberty up and close, and were able to get some really great photos. The temperature was around 70, and MUCH much cooler while on the water. The crew brought out blankets for everyone. Again, another unexpected wonderful surprise. read more

What a find. Amazing boat ride on a summer evening. Refreshing cocktails and great crowd. Good mix of tourists and locals. Will do this again! read more

Manhattan by Sail - Boat Charters Near Me

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Have to give this company five stars. They were so kind as to partner with yelp for a yelp elite event on cinco de mayo. Took us on a two hour cruise around the river from 7-9pm. Open bar by Espelon tequila. And it was a great time. The ships staff were super friendly and funny. So accommodating. They really made the experience that much better. Got the pass the statue of liberty, among a bunch of other great sights. And they sail the boat, for real, the engine runs in idle and the crew actually sails this hundred year old replica ship. Its pretty awesome to see. Met a bunch of really cool yelpers, as well as the yelp kind himself King Ruggy. Very nice guy from the same hometown as me. San Diego represent. Also met the owner of the ship, who spent half an hour telling me and my gf about the ship and its origins and his other ships in the fleet. Also a super nice gentlemen. Only single complaint would be the bar. They were using concentrated mixes for their margaritas it seemed like and the sour mix for the margs was that super sweet sour store bought crap. But hey, they were free so can't complain. Overall a fantastic event with great planning. A really nice crew. Cool boat. Free cocktails a-flowin, and a well organized event. I will definitely be suggesting this place to friends who want to feel like tourists for a day, cuz this is the best way to do it. Bravo and thank you to everyone who put the event together. Will post pictures shortly. read more

Came here with a bunch of friends for my birthday and had a great time! Excellent views of the city and the Statue of Liberty, knowledgeable staff operating the sails (and putting patrons to work hoisting the sails at the beginning!), and a bar. They even let me steer the ship! Don't be a dummy- opt for sneakers or flats. I tried to glam it up in my heels and got stuck in the floor a bunch. read more

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This was a great day sail. I highly recommend it. We set off on an afternoon day sail. It was a craft beer tasting featuring Captain Lawrence. Clipper City features many local breweries and you can't go wrong with most of them. Typically they have one brewery at a time but will sometimes showcase two at a time. The sail is very smooth and heads around the Brooklyn Bridge and back to South Street Seaport. The crew gets everyone involved in the beginning by having you pull some rope. They say its necessary for the trip but I doubt it; it is probably just a fun thing to do to kick off the trip. If you are interested in a leisurely sail and a chance to try some beers than you should check this out. It can set you back a bit so keep an eye out for deals! read more

DO THIS. I took my brother, dad, and 3 best friends on the 12pm craft beer cruise on the 4th of July and it was so fun!!! Not to mention we had the best weather humanly possible, the staff created the perfect experience. In my opinion, you can live in NYC for however log you want, but if you don't see it by water, you're not seeing all of it! The boat is incredible and it was fascinating seeing the crew set the sails ... They even let me and my help!! (Free shot thanks!) you can really tell that everyone on the boat loved being there, working there and enjoyed life! All the passengers seemed relaxed and it was just a really wonderful experience. They fact that the beer never spotted was an extreme plus LOL. This is great for the over 21 peeps who want great beer, good laughs, snacks and a fun time! I will definitely recommend to all my friends and do it again! read more

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I was in town for my wedding over this past weekend and took a group of us out for a nice daytime sail on 7/19/13 and was extremely surprised about the level of professionalism the staff placed. The boat itself is gorgeous. It was very sunny and hot and being on the boat and sailing around the city on the Harbor was stunning. Great views of the city, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty were great. You can get some great pictures. If you use the foursquare app...you can check in via that app and obtain a free glass of wine, soda or beer from the bar on-board. Its great!! The bartender Daniel IS GREAT! He is so nice and friendly. Great bartender who can make some great cocktails. I am not sure if it is under new management but they are doing a great job all around. Take a chance...take the boat...go for a sail...grab a drink from Daniel. Tell him Adrian from Texas says hello. He really is a doll. I told him I was getting married and he even bought me a drink. I dont know what else I could say other than this is a great boat and company to use to sail...you will not regret it. Prices are VERY reasonable and they have lots of sail times and dates to choose from so they are accommodating with large groups or smaller ones as well. read more

Manhattan by Sail - Boat Charters Near Me

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Took a 2:15 day cruise with my 9 year old daughter while on vacation. We actually tried to get on the Shearwater, but it was booked. Admission was included with our NY passes and I also got a free beer for checking in on Yelp! Throughout our stay, we "toured" the Hudson on 4 different boats. The Clipper City was unique because it was the only sail boat we rode. It was a nice leisurely cruise with no engine noise or the smell of gas or diesel. There's a full bar serving specialty drinks as well as classic cocktails, beer and wine. I personally thought that the drinks were reasonably priced. They also sell a handful of snacks, but no real food. This is the larger of the two boats and there were quite a bit of people aboard, probably close to 100 not including crew. There is a fair amount of seating, but very little shade. It was cool to watch the crew raise and lower the sails. They allow you to participate at some points. My little one also posed with the captain at the wheel. The entire crew including the bartenders were very accommodating and friendly. read more

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We set sail on a beautiful Sunday morning and went all around the Statue of Liberty. Coupled with beautiful music (live music), the pumpkin flavor beer option (among others, and easy sailing made for a wonderful day! The crew was amazing and it wasn't too crowded. Plenty of room to roam about the boat! Loved it and would definitely recommend!!! read more

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I took my boyfriend there as a little summer treat and we had an amazing time! We did the lobster and beer cruise and loved it so much we're thinking of purchasing tickets for the live jazz one. Lobster rolls were great, there wasn't a line at the bar to get beer, there wasn't a line at the bathroom either (cuz it's beer, we all get it!) and the view was absolutely incredible. Closest I've ever been to the Statue of Liberty (so close I had to take a photo, like a tourist). read more

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We had a fantastic sail on a warm summer night. The crew was great, the bartenders made strong drinks, and we met some really nice people. The views of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, NYC at night were absolutely gorgeous. Not too many places to sit for the amount of people, but we'll definitely do this again! read more

This is a great experience! My husband and I took our 3-year-old twins. I'm pretty sure they were the only kids on the boat but they loved it. The staff was super awesome! They were so friendly, entertaining, and I love how they made things hands on for the passengers. I recommend booking the sunset tour, the views were phenomenal, especially the Statue of Liberty. It would have been nice if they had a bigger selection of wine, beer, and food. The homemade cookies were delicious! I loved that the boat wasn't super packed either, there was plenty of room to roam around and also sit. read more

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This was our second trip to New York, coming from Kaua'i. We were looking for something different, something unique and something we could appreciate, coming from Hawai'i. Doing our laundry at the hotel, I noticed a brochure for sailing around Manhattan and at a fair price. We booked our trip online and met the crew at North Cove Marina, near the World Trade Center. NOTE: Make sure you receive a confirmation email. It was a gorgeous 1929 Schooner. Clean and well maintained. After a short safety briefing, we left the dock with 3 crew members and 6 passengers. The crew was professional and relaxed. Motoring out on May 23rd, it was a beautiful day. As we got out into the harbor, the crew started lifting the sails...and shut down the motor. Nothing but the sound of the flapping sails, waves and other boats. We had just enough time on the 90-minute tour to cruise by the Statue of Liberty, after tacking a couple times. Drinks were offered for purchase. It felt like we were on a friends boat. 90 minutes was perfect for us. As we stepped off the boat, thanked the crew, we headed towards WTC where it started to rain. Perfect timing and a perfect thing to do. read more

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This was a wonderful experience for our whole family. The crew was friendly, there's a bar on board (bring cash) and the ship is something that should be experienced. Our view of Lady Liberty was perfect, do the tour at sunset! read more

They canceled my sailing because nothing caused by me or the weather. Offered nothing to compensate for the in-convince. They would have charged me for not showing for the non cancelable sailing but they cancel with no repercussions. Plus One star for telling me 3 days before the sailing. read more

On 6/29/18 I purchased 5 New York Passes. During the use of the pass, we made reservations and went on the Clipper Ship (Manhattan by Sail) 7/1/18. Today, almost 8 months later I have received an email from Manhattan by Sail (Rick Cooke) stating that they are going to charge my credit card because I made a reservation and did not show up. This is completely false and absurd! We presented our passes when we arrived that day and fulfilled our reservation. They are making provide pictures to them as proof that I was there! Skip it!! Not worth the hassle! read more

Booked tickets for my boyfriend's birthday (40pp) and it was a great experience. We were on the larger of the two sailing boats and it was just gorgeous. Very windy, but sunny and it was a beautiful day. The staff of the ship are very sweet and very knowledgeable of the ship and how it works. Learned something new that day! I was pleased with their drink menu being inexpensive. Wish there would have been complimentary snacks of some sort or if they would of sold something yummy. Guess there's no time to eat when you're constantly paying attention to your surroundings. The ship passes the Statue of Liberty, Ellis island and governors island. Overall, nice experience. It was worth the $. read more

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we did the sunset sail. it was an epically fun cruise. lots of bachelorette party groups on board. despite the amount of people, you could easily carve up out your own space to yourself. to those who get seasick, it really is a relatively smooth ride and the views are unbeatable. you get the daytime, sunset and city lights all in a two hour span. read more

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SAILING TOUR WITH NO SAILING?! We took the tour on a beautiful day with great wind, but the crew never hoisted the sails! There was no explanation. We asked one of the crew and he just shrugged his shoulders. There was plenty of wind and many other sailboats in the harbor were taking advantage of the wind. I understand motoring when going upwind if you want to avoid tacking, but at no time did the crew ever attempt to hoist sail. Overall, I enjoyed the weather and the crew were polite, but we were extremely disappointed to book a sailing cruise without sailing. As a NYC resident, I thought this trip would be something I could do occasionally to get out on the water under sail. In fairness, I double checked the website to see if I misunderstood that the clipper doesn't actually sail, and found this in the FAQ section: "Do you actually put the sails up when we go out on the water? Of course! We couldn't call ourselves sailors if we didn't! Depending on the wind, we'll utilize the sails for the majority of our power. If the wind is not so strong, we'll turn on the motor to get around for portions of the trip." This wasn't the case for us. Since I didn't get an answer from the crew, I sent an email asking for an explanation and possible refund/partial refund. Received NO RESPONSE. read more

C ould've turned out sooo horribly... L ady got 'sick' a few minutes in and we turned back I nfuriating that she wasted 45min of everyone's time P retty lame when stupid customers ruin it *scowl P erfectly handled by MBS though: started the 90min over! E ven offered free rescheds, but super glad we stayed :D R eally fun time talking, drinking*, selfie-ing, relaxing~ C rew was the absolute BEST part of the whole thing I can be pretty silly & obnoxious, esp whilst drinking T hey tottttally humored me though; love them for that! Y elling nautical nonsense with them was super fun ^^v M ade do with our own flask + snacks [Pirate's Booty yarr] B ut they also have a full bar and a friendly bartender S illy, fun experience -- would definitely recommend! [*protip: Don't forget to check in for a free beer/wine!] read more

Manhattan By Sail puts you on a fantastic voyage (well, as fantastic as a voyage can be without the lyrical stylings of Coolio or the classical beauty of Raquel Welch circa 1966) you won't forget. I purchased a LivingSocial deal for the craft beer tasting sail trip. constantly ended up rescheduling due friends' travel plans (sidenote: one of them literally missed the boat and we will never let him forget this) but the planets finally aligned this Sunday. the ship headed down the harbor, passing many photo-worthy sights: the Statue of Liberty, the Verrazano Bridge, Governor's Island, the Brooklyn waterfront (even saw the Liberty Warehouse from that epic Yelp Brooklyn event!), and more. nothing like getting out into the wind on a humid summer day to cool down. 2 hour trip total, so it didn't feel rushed or anything. the captain and crew on the boat are cool guys, freely chatting with passengers and spouting trivia. the Clipper City ship is longer than the Statue of Liberty is tall. holy crap! speaking of the boat - there were a lot of people on board, maybe about 200, but it didn't feel crammed or packed. glad to see they know not to oversell these things. music was great - mostly 70s and 80s pop and rock. the bartenders were friendly and there is a great selection of booze - I saw Kraken rum there and several other great names of booze. RELEASE THE KRAKEN! the crowd was a range of ages, and surprisingly few tourists. the beer tasting itself was good - some light snacks (chips, cold cuts, pretzels, fruit, cheese) and 6 beers (2 were great, 2 were good, one was alright, one of was unanimously declared terrible). the tasting was organized by Urban Oyster, who do food and drink tours around New York, and they also gave coupons if you go on their other tours. overall, I would say that Manhattan By Sail is a fun time. they do some other sailing trips here - wine tastings, a live jazz show, nighttime viewing, weekend brunch, and more, and the prices actually aren't too bad (plus they offer deals on Yelp and the usual deal sites). I would be a bit hesitant to try a trip with a meal - there aren't any tables, but there are plenty of seats - but the other ones sound fun! read more

We had a great sailing experience on this boat. The very friendly crew took us on a nice excursion around the statue of liberty. Great views of lower Manhattan and the statue. The full bar is a nice added feature. Nothing like sipping an ice cold beer while taking in the amazing sights. My only complaint is that we were told we'd see the Brooklyn Bridge but that didn't happen. Otherwise a great experience! read more

I loooove this company. The boats are gorgeous and you are left to experience the majesty of the views on your own without any touristy commentary. I have lived in NYC for 15 years and this is one of my favorite things to bring out of towners to. I always opt for the sunset sail. You can buy drinks on board, but you can bring your own snacks (which I like!). I have never felt crowed on one of these boats and you never have to fight for a spot with a good view. read more

I highly recommend Clipper City boat tours to NYC visitors and locals alike. They offer various sight seeing cruises around New York Harbor. Some of the cruises are your traditional sight seeing tours, while they also offer a craft beer tasting cruise, jazz music cruise, lobster roll and beer cruise, burlesque cruise, and a kids cruise. You also have the option of choosing a daytime or nighttime cruise. I really enjoyed the craft beer tasting cruise. You get to sample 5 beers from various New York breweries (they rotate breweries for the cruises) while taking in the sights. This cruise also includes small bites, with an assortment of cheeses, meats, olives, and breads. They also do a good job of limiting the amount people for each cruise so you have plenty of room to move around on the boat, while also not fighting for a place to take in the scenery. There is also a full bar on board for additional purchases. The crew and staff are great! There are various deals available through Goldstar.com for cruise tickets. read more