Recently, a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises representative reached out to me to see if I would like to do a family review of one of their sightseeing cruises around Manhattan. Since I was a single woman the last time that I went on a Circle Line cruise, I was interested to see what the experience would be like as a family. I wasn’t even aware that this year is the 70th anniversary of the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises company, but it is. After taking one of the boat trips with my family, I can see a few reasons why they are still in business:
1. They offer a variety of boat trips up and down the Hudson and East Rivers.
2. Their tour guides are excellent…informative and interesting.
3. They allow locals and tourists to see some of the best NYC sites.
Our Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises Experience
Initially, we were going to go on the Best of NYC cruise, their full island cruise that covers over 101 city sites. My husband Reggie (wisely) noted that 2.5 hours might be too long of a time for the cruise to keep the boys’ attention though. That was a great call on his part, because the 1.5 hours Landmark cruise that we ended up taking was a much better fit.
The 1.5 hours Landmark cruise covered midtown and lower Manhattan. We were upgraded to a “Premier Cruise” status (blogger perks!) so we didn’t have to wait in line to board. That was great because it was hot on the day that we went. Due to the warmth, we stayed inside the boat for most of the cruise. The Premier seats were a little nicer and the leg room was more spacious. The area also had a dedicated wait service. I think that it’s worth the upgrade if you like the VIP treatment or if someone is visiting from out of town and you want to make their tour extra special.
Anyway, the most important things – the sights, the tour guide narration and the food (if you’re hungry) – were the same for everybody. Seeing the New York skyline, Statue of Liberty and bridges from a distance was quite nice. To occupy the kids (and because my 8-year-old Sean is currently interested in photography), I gave them my “big camera” to take photos of the scenery. We shared the camera and they took some pretty good shots…don’t you think?
There were sandwiches, salads and hot dogs available for purchase on the cruise. We went on a 3:30pm cruise so we had already eaten lunch. We just bought some waters, a soft pretzel and chips for the kids to snack on so I can’t really comment on the food.
Other Circle Line cruise options include the 75 minutes Liberty cruise (which focuses on the Statue of Liberty) and the 1.5 hours Harbor Lights cruise (which is basically an evening version of the Landmark cruise). A final cruise option (which looked super cool and only lasts 30 minutes) is The Beast. It is a powerboat that goes down to the Statue of Liberty at 45 mph. The Beast is the one that the boys want to go on a next. I can’t blame them though…it looks like a blast!
In any event, I encourage you to go on one of the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises boat trips this summer if you can. Whether you go on a date, “girls night out” trip or a family outing, you will enjoy the experience.
{Some photos courtesy of Sean and his cousin}