Historical Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$25
per adult
New York Water Tours
New York Water Tours
3.5
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Full view
About
Our Downtown Liberty Cruise is the best way to see the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island, South Street Seaport, Battery Park, Wall Street, Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, Governor’s Island, Ellis Island, the historical Immigration Center, the World Trade Center, World Financial Center and many more. Live Tour Guide on board!
Tours and Tickets by New York Water Tours
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
194 reviews
Excellent
94
Very good
23
Average
16
Poor
9
Terrible
52
Susan J
Emerald, Australia92 contributions
May 2018
If you want to view the harbour from the "crown" the bookings are required a minimum of months beforehand because of the limited size. The track around the statute has stations where the history is narrated. A pleasant experience.
Written July 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robbin V
Dallas, TX381 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
This tour to see the Statue of Liberty was included as a part of a "Hop on Hop Off" bus tour we purchased. They pack quite a few people on the boat, but they are very lenient about where they allow you to sit. Mikey, the tour guide, was knowledgeable and provided lots of information. We passed a 100 million dollar yacht that was docked on the Hudson and had great views of the city skyline. My only complaint was that the dock was so far down the pier, but buses were provided to shuttle you back and forth.
Written September 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
5556TravelersAlot
Boynton Beach, FL33 contributions
May 2017 • Friends
We were unpleasantly surprised having no information on the main deck. Tour guide was on the upper deck, but there was no link to loudspeakers at our level. Sadly, there was no room upstairs, so we were limited to observation only. The company can easily add value and raise reputation by putting additional equipment so that info would be available to all in the tour without discriminating half of the tourists on board.
Written May 26, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
5556TravelersAlot, thank you for sharing your suggestion with us. We can understand how this may have effected your touring experience while aboard the boat. If you would like to discuss this further as we would, please reach out to us at customerservice@topviewnyc.com
Written June 8, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Allison L
Fargo, ND32 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
My husband, friends, and I bought tickets to the New Year’s Eve cruise, thinking “gonna start the new year on a boat, watching fireworks, and drinking at an open bar!” Well our plan was thwarted pretty much right away, there wasn’t enough room on the tiny boat, after waiting a lot longer than was needed. (There is another review about being on the boat that night.) There were so many people on that boat, all of the seats were full people were standing shoulder to shoulder, for four hours? No. Hard no. There was also suppose to be an all you can eat buffet, HOW?
While we were getting closer to the boat, I asked an employee, “is there even room for everyone?”
He said back to be, “yeah right there.” It was two booth seats, that the twenty people in front of us were to fight over. I grumbled back to him and he looked at me and said “yeah, I know it’s super crappy.” He didn’t use the word crappy, he used the swear version of it.
Even their employees think it’s super crappy what they are doing! Don’t buy the tickets to this greedy, garbage cruise line, you’ll regret it.
Also check out their old travel advisor, that’ll paint the true picture!
While we were getting closer to the boat, I asked an employee, “is there even room for everyone?”
He said back to be, “yeah right there.” It was two booth seats, that the twenty people in front of us were to fight over. I grumbled back to him and he looked at me and said “yeah, I know it’s super crappy.” He didn’t use the word crappy, he used the swear version of it.
Even their employees think it’s super crappy what they are doing! Don’t buy the tickets to this greedy, garbage cruise line, you’ll regret it.
Also check out their old travel advisor, that’ll paint the true picture!
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We want to sincerely apologize for your negative experience with our company. However, we'd like to learn more about your situation and what exactly happened. We want to make things right.
Please give us a call at 212.664.0300. You can also email us at customerservice@topviewnyc.com and we will get back to you promptly. We look forward to hearing from you and earning you back your business.
Written February 13, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pavel M
Kenmore, WA11 contributions
Jul 2021
I've been on firework cruise on July 4th, 2021. I paid more than $1300 for a party of four for a nice sky deck seating, dinner, etc. It's turned out they completely overbooked the vessel and had to use other ferry boats without skydeck or seating for everyone. The dinner was served cold in plastic containers. They didn't provide any safety briefing or explained where the life jackets are. They delayed departure by 1.5 hours.
This is definitely scam as the service they provided was far cry from what they advertised. Don't even think to book anything with them.
This is definitely scam as the service they provided was far cry from what they advertised. Don't even think to book anything with them.
Written August 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We strive to ensure all of our customers have a positive and memorable experience so we sincerely apologize for any issues that may have prevented you from fully enjoying your time with us. We regret to hear you had difficulty with our boarding process. We strive to provide excellent customer satisfaction. Please contact our customer service department directly at customerservice@eventcruisenyc.com we would love to rectify this situation further.
Written August 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Trevor F
2 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
The cruise was terrible. They are disorganize just to get on board, we left late and returned 10 minutes before the required time. People were standing on the deck of the boat who did not pay for premium seating blocking the view of those who paid for unobstructed view. The floor was dirty and sticky. They promise wine and other things while on the cruise but they fall rather short.
I will never use Liberty Cruise again and would not recommend it to my friends and family member. Tourist to NYC stay away from Liberty Cruise use other services to have a good enjoyable time while in NYC.
I will never use Liberty Cruise again and would not recommend it to my friends and family member. Tourist to NYC stay away from Liberty Cruise use other services to have a good enjoyable time while in NYC.
Written June 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello! We appreciate your review, and we're sorry to learn that your experience with Liberty Cruise wasn't as expected. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us refine our services. To assist us in better understanding and rectifying these concerns, please provide your Order ID and a detailed review within your email when contacting our support team at support@topviewsightseeing.com We're dedicated to making necessary improvements.
Written June 26, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
alphapartner7
Durham, NC29 contributions
Jul 2016
The tour was fine. The customer service was terrible. I bought tickets from Groupon, and Groupon customers were treated like second-class citizens. Groupon customers had to wait until all of the customers who bought their tickets on the New York Water Tours website had boarded the boat. If the boat was full, then too bad. This was not indicated on the Groupon website, and the New York Water Tours person blamed Groupon. I did not tip the tour guide when he said that tips would be appreciated. Although it was not the tour guide's fault, I did not want to tip a company that treated me poorly. Those who bought their tickets on the New York Water Tours probably did not feel the same way.
Written July 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriela S
Ljubljana, Slovenia35 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
The tickets were sold to us by some guys tight outside the exit of the New York City Metro. At 35 dollars each, when we finally figured out were the meeting point was, the bus that was supposed to take us to the port was gone. We took a taxi and the boat was not there and never showed up. The. We were sold an "upgrade" with another company wich was another ticket, we were at least 25 persons with the same problem at the same time....reported it to the police and said we needed to go place the complaint in some office, meaning wasting our time, we were ROBBED, dont ever buy a ticket from these thieves
Written March 21, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriela S, thank you for sharing this with us. We are rather disappointed that you were not able to enjoy your touring experience. Your report of the boat not showing up is rather alarming for us as we run on a very predictable schedule. We want to discuss this further with you. Please reach out to us at customerservice@gonytours.com so that we can rectify this for you.
Written April 17, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sandy K
7 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
When we walked into Battery Park, we were immediately and aggressively approached by a few men who seemed to be there to help direct us in where to go to the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. They told us there was a 3 hour wait for the regular trip, but they offered a nice 1 hour express trip without any waiting.
One of the extremely friendly salesman ran myself and my 3 adult children over to the front of the bus, and made us believe he was hurrying to get us on this last bus to the marina for the next ride. He hurriedly had me pay 150.00 for the 4 of us...then after I signed the credit card info,he immediately changed his whole demenor . I then proceeded to get onto the bus and he said " Whoa Whoa whoa... you need to wait for the next bus!!!"
And would not let me board.He told us another bus should be coming in 10-20 minutes and we could take that one instead.
An HOUR later the next bus came to take us to the dock to the boat..., as we were about to get on we were told the bus was full and we would have to catch the NEXT ONE !!
I wanted my money back at this point and they just ignored me and said " the bus will be here in 20 minutes" then disappeared again. There was now about 20 of us waiting.
Once the bus finally came back it took us to a sketchy old marina where the boat was. It was dirty and unkept. The bridge walking into the boat was dangerous, being held by a guy with a rope Bathrooms were disgustingly filthy. There was no room left inside on the overcrowded boat so we had to sit outside on the top in 30 degree weather.
We then had to wait another 45 minutes for the bus to go back and get another load of poor souls to pile on the already overcrowded boat.
Once we took off and the tour guide starting speaking he didn't speak clearly at all or make a lot of sense. At one point he was saying how if guys want to get girls in NYC, they have to tell them they have pretty hair... if girls want to get a guy they should look at their sneakers and say your shoes are "hot"... what?!?
The speakers kept breaking up so you could make out a few sentences he said and then it would cut out again.
The hour long ride went a torturing 50 minutes,yet it took up to 4 hours and most of our day in disappointment and in frustration . What a WASTE OF SO MUCH TIME AND SO MUCH MONEY!!!AWFUL!!!!
One of the extremely friendly salesman ran myself and my 3 adult children over to the front of the bus, and made us believe he was hurrying to get us on this last bus to the marina for the next ride. He hurriedly had me pay 150.00 for the 4 of us...then after I signed the credit card info,he immediately changed his whole demenor . I then proceeded to get onto the bus and he said " Whoa Whoa whoa... you need to wait for the next bus!!!"
And would not let me board.He told us another bus should be coming in 10-20 minutes and we could take that one instead.
An HOUR later the next bus came to take us to the dock to the boat..., as we were about to get on we were told the bus was full and we would have to catch the NEXT ONE !!
I wanted my money back at this point and they just ignored me and said " the bus will be here in 20 minutes" then disappeared again. There was now about 20 of us waiting.
Once the bus finally came back it took us to a sketchy old marina where the boat was. It was dirty and unkept. The bridge walking into the boat was dangerous, being held by a guy with a rope Bathrooms were disgustingly filthy. There was no room left inside on the overcrowded boat so we had to sit outside on the top in 30 degree weather.
We then had to wait another 45 minutes for the bus to go back and get another load of poor souls to pile on the already overcrowded boat.
Once we took off and the tour guide starting speaking he didn't speak clearly at all or make a lot of sense. At one point he was saying how if guys want to get girls in NYC, they have to tell them they have pretty hair... if girls want to get a guy they should look at their sneakers and say your shoes are "hot"... what?!?
The speakers kept breaking up so you could make out a few sentences he said and then it would cut out again.
The hour long ride went a torturing 50 minutes,yet it took up to 4 hours and most of our day in disappointment and in frustration . What a WASTE OF SO MUCH TIME AND SO MUCH MONEY!!!AWFUL!!!!
Written March 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer C
Saranac, NY9 contributions
Nov 2016 • Family
I took this water tour just before Thanksgiving with my husband and two children on a windy cool day. The tour itself was good. But the boat broke down in the harbor and we were stranded for over 2 hours until just after dark, when we were finally towed back to the dock. My review is for the company itself, not making a big enough effort to reach out to me regarding this situation. My name and number was taken so that the company could call me about this. They called me about a week later but due to being at work, I missed the call. They did not leave me a message. I called them back and left a message. No one has returned my call since. I am disappointed in them for not making an effort to rectify this. It was cold and windy, I had two children with me, there was not enough room downstairs for everyone so we were left outside to wait. When something like this happens, you reach out immediately to your customers to at least apologize for the unfortunate incident. I am not pleased at all with this company and would never recommend doing business with them. They do not care about customer satisfaction.
Written December 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How long is the boat ride and wait times?
Written May 17, 2019
Dear guest,
The Liberty Express Cruise is approximately 60 minutes long, while our Select Cruise is approximately 90 minutes long.
Wait times may change due to seasonality and weather conditions.
Written January 25, 2020
Dear guest,
We do offer light refreshments and drinks on our cruises.
Written January 25, 2020
loveste
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Do you need a reservation for this? I see they have a groupon but there is no info as to whether you need a reservation. :)
Written May 4, 2018
Dear guest,
After your purchase, you will be able to make a reservation for the cruise by visiting a dedicated portal.
We encourage guests to reserve their specific departure time in advance.
Written January 25, 2020
Showing results 1-4 of 4