City Cruises

We booked the bateaux night time cruise the same day. We were greeted very nicely that evening. We were taken to our window seat table, served and enjoyed live music. Dinner was delicious and the views were unbeatable. This was definitely my favorite part of NYC.

The experience was great and we got several really nice pictures. The food was good but it wasn’t very hot. Just kind of warm. The band did their best and left us laughing with their song choices. It was great way to spend our anniversary. Just keep in mind that you are paying for the pictures and sightseeing not the best food, although the food was good quality. Just need to be warm.

I surprised my date with a Signature Dinner Cruise at Pier 61 for his birthday and we had such a good experience! The manager, Alex was friendly and greeted/acknowledged my date's birthday from the beginning. Our server, Angel was approachable and polite. The photographer Brandon took great photos (had a hard time choosing the best ones) and was helpful in explaining any discounts. The romance package was worth it and made my date feel special with the table enhancements, fresh roses and bottle of wine. The food was pretty good too! I would highly recommend as a date night idea! I will be back for brunch next time. 😋

Haven't been in a long time. Celebrated a friend's birthday. Wasn't too crowded. Food was good. Great staff. The host/dj was entertaining. I thought all cruises were 4 hours but this was only 2 hours. Which was good enough.

What a phenomenal evening aboard the Bateaux! From start to finish, everything was flawless — the ambiance, the service, and especially the food. The staff was attentive and professional, making us feel welcome from the moment we stepped aboard. The meal was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious, perfectly complementing the stunning skyline views throughout the cruise. It was a truly memorable experience — elegant, relaxing, and seamless in every way. I couldn't have asked for a better night. Thank you, City Cruises!

Came here for a special celebration for our friends. Had the 3 course meal and got a few bottle of wines. My appetizer for the home made ravioli was good and my spanish basque cheesecake was good as well, though my seafood squid ink pasta was way overcooked, sadden. The servers were attentive and were friendly. The 3 hour experience on the boat, they were making U turns at the mid to lower manhattan, the view was nice at night. The live music tried their best, but audio system needs an upgrade. I would recommend if you are dating someone at the beginning, it’s kind of cute and the cool breeze and view on the deck is what you’re paying for.

A unique experience. I booked this trip for my boyfriend birthday and he just loved it! The food, the view and the attention were excellent! The views of New York City from the cruise were really impressive!

Price is 4x as usual for NYE yet unforgettable experience made it worth it. Food was not the best but the service and the vibes were excellent. Photographer was the best that we ended up purchasing all the pictures he took of us.

This cruise leaves from Pier 61 in Manhattan. You are greeted by friendly staff who welcomes you aboard. Big shoutout to Taliyah who waited on us and kept us happy the entire cruise. She gave us different suggestions for drinks and she did it with a huge smile. The food was served buffet style. They offered a diverse offering of food from roasted vegetables, salmon, pork with black beans and plantains, salads, pastas, and desserts. One thing to note is drinks are extra as well as appetizers. Our table gave us a view of the New Jersey skyline as we steamed downtown Manhattan and the New York skyline on the way back to the pier. The boat travels to the Brooklyn bridge and then stops at the Statue of Liberty for 10 minutes for photos. There is a DJ who highlights different landmarks with interesting historical tidbits. After lunch, the DJ opens up the dance floor for everyone to show off their dance moves. In addition, he announces the special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.

I just got off the spirit of NY cruise and i had a great time!! Alejandro the maitre de? Set the tone for the evening with his warm enthusiasm as we entered the ship. Keisa our server made great recommendations for our drinks. The food was pretty good and there was a great selection. As a native New Yorker the views never get old you get a close up view of lady liberty and the ship slows down a bit so you can capture the moment. There are games and a Dj so prepare for a great evening. I'll be back again

The spirit of New York was a wonderful experience. The food was good. The crowd was intriguing and the DJ was great. The staff was wonderful and very helpful. I had the best time ever looking forward to going back.

Celebrated my mother's 70th birthday here. Invited the whole family. There were about 28 adults and 5 children. Everyone had a great time. We went on the fall foliage lunch cruise. Buffet was served on time. Drinks were readily available. Views were gorgeous. Photographer was available on board. Dj was okay. I thought the manager did a great job at hosting us. My family may book another cruise in the future. I recommend this cruise for a special event. I only wish the cruise was an hour longer. It was 3 hours long. 4 or 5 hours would have been perfect.

This is an incredible journey! Everyone has got to board the Spirit of New York or New Jersey at least once! The staff, the food, the excitement are absolutely everything wonderful! And let's not forget the views and the endless mimosas at brunch! All I can say is ....WOW!

Our group was hosting a luncheon for the volunteers. The check in person Ismail was the nicest person. He even too time to fox my purse which has a stuck zipper. Now that's customer service. We found the rest of the crew and the bartender Jason , or justin nice and helpful. Everyone that worked Sept 15th was wonderful. They made our luncheon cruise just downright fun. The whole crew is an asset to your company.

I do recommend. Kordell (manager) deserves accolades, a raise, a thousand bucks 10000000000%. Just make sure you guys DO SOMETHING for him! I planned a birthday dinner for my hubby. The food was delicious hands down, no salt pepper needed lol. The vibe is a vibe. I will be booking again. The only thing I suggest is to be on time for the boat!

Booked this cruise to watch the Macy's 4th of July Firework Spectacular! At $500 a ticket we had high expectations. Unfortunately, besides the unbelievable up close and personal firework display that Macy's put on the Hudson I hate to say the cruise was just ok. For starters the ship is in desperate need of renovations. It's like we stepped right back into 1983. The tables are squeezed really tightly together and overall the ships interior is simply drab and uninteresting. The minimal and insufficient food available at the buffet was nothing short of uninspiring and boring. We went up twice and both times a few chafers were completely empty, not good at all. There's simply too many other affordable and delicious food choices to offer to please the masses. The entire menu needs to be revamped. The open bar upgrade wasn't worth buying. The drinks were completely tasteless, watered down, and took about 45 minutes to get. I highly suggest bringing in more bartenders and investing in a frozen margarita machine. I was shocked that there were no frozen alcoholic drinks available. Moving on to the DJ and the music. At first the music was nice, soothing and perfect for sailing on a beautiful evening. Suddenly midway through dinner the DJ started playing outrageously loud hip-hop. Everyone in our surrounding area looked horrified. There were several elderly people on board. It ruined any and all communication amongst the tables. This is not the kind of music for the masses. Perhaps if it were a party cruise I would feel differently. Most of us headed outside to rid ourselves of the obnoxious and annoying music. The deck was much nicer than the interior. The NYC views are simply gorgeous. My only complaint is that there weren't enough chairs to accommodate everyone. Standing for long periods isn't always ideal. But, it beat not having to listen to the blasting music. Lastly, the picture upgrade is definitely worth purchasing. The picture is taken with a professional quality camera and the picture came out beautifully. My only complaint was that photographer. He was being totally unprofessional and kept flirting. I wasn't the least bit interested or flattered by that chunky kid. All or in it was definitely not worth spending 2k for 4 tickets. Next time we'll know better.

Great views of Lady Liberty, Freedom Tower and the Brooklyn Bridge! The food that I had at the buffet was better than average. The codfish was seasoned well. Kale salad and fruit salad delicious. The broccoli was memorable. And the piece of chicken I had was tasty. The the top two decks had a relaxed feel and great decor and would be perfect on a sunny day and was still nice on a rainy cloudy Friday night. The deejays were good on the two lower levels. The whole crew was friendly. Overall great experience.

Purchased a brunch cruise for the family and it was great! Really enjoyed the bottomless mimosas and open bar. Buffet was good with a wide variety of food (salmon, chicken, pasta, eggs, sausage, smoked salmon, breakfast pastries and even steak). Ate to my heart's content and my stomach was happy. Views of the Manhattan skyline and statue of liberty were breath taking. Originally booked the Bateaux, but the boat wasn't available. The company was nice enough to give us free complimemtary vouchers aboard the Bateaux to use anytime within the year. Had a great time on this brunch cruise.

On August 17, 2018 we hosted our first ever sunset cruise for the University of Delaware Alumni Club, with 62 attendees and had an absolutely amazing experience! Margaret was extremely thorough and patient with us in the lengthy planning process that started over 4 months' prior. From the moment we arrived to the pier, the service was above and beyond our expectations! The Spirit of New York was beautiful, large, clean and the dining area aesthetically appealing. Margaret and the manager Robert greeted ensuring we had everything we needed, showing us to our reserved tables which had appealing placards with our group name and personalized menus. All the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming. Robert helped us organize as well as take for us group photos on the upper deck as the cruise began. Our waitresses, Caress and Angelina (Angie) were upbeat and enthusiastic serving our large group. They were super attentive in managing the 8 or so tables, we never had to seek them out. We were surprised that they even brought us drinks to anywhere we were on the boat, not just at our table, and how well they remembered faces, drink orders without us even asking, and easily found the members of our large group! The runner team also promptly cleared out dirty dishes. The buffet was delicious and well stocked with a good variety of options. We also noticed other servers going above and beyond assisting a group of blind patrons to and from the buffet, escorting them by the arm, filling their plates and carrying them back to the table with such gracious patience. The DJ Tommy was great as well, unfortunately because it was such a beautiful night we spent almost the entire time on the upper decks and were not able to enjoy the dance floor. It was a nice touch to play patriotic music such as God Bless America and Ray Charles' America as we passed the Statue of Liberty. We of course were disappointed to arrive back at port, but delighted that the cruise allows for an extra 30 minutes to stay on board and that the staff did not rush us off the ship. We cannot thank the team enough for a truly wonderful night, and look forward to sailing with Spirit of New York again!

I went on their Sparkling Dinner Cruise on March 10,2018. I'll break this down in a way which would've been helpful when I was preparing for my boat cruise. My boat left from NY and then stopped in NJ for passengers. Location: Easy to find. It's Pier 61 at Chelsea piers -the same place where they have The Lighthouse events venue as well as Sky Dive. Your Taxi or Uber can drive you in the parking garage so you won't have far to walk. If you take mass transit the M23 stop is at the front of the facility which is about a 5-7 minute NY'er walk away.(If you're not from NYC allot 10-15 to walk to where boat is boarding) Boat: beautiful, spacious, very clean. The bathrooms were nice and clean which is always a good sign to me. The set up seems to be large groups on the bottom deck. Medium to small groups on the main floor where the DJ is. Couples and varies group sizes on the top deck. Food: Each deck has its own buffet. The menu is published on their website in detail. Pasta salad, kale salad, organic greens salad you put together yourself, mashed potatoes, broccoli, corn, beef ( very tender and good), pork loin ( nice sauce and very moist/juicy), sesame chicken, cod fish. Drinks: You can get unlimited coffee, tea, iced tea and water with your meal. It should be noted that they don't seem to give you a pitcher of water for your table. They don't even mention the free stuff- they have a drinks menu and ask about those beverages. There are glasses of water on the table though. The drinks that my group had were good and strong. That just may depend on the bartender so if you're a boozehound you may want to work an extra shift before the cruise to lessen the blow to your bank account... or pre game... or just not be a booze hound. *if you check in with Yelp you get a free premium drink!! It's worth it!! DJ: The DJ was this young short (5'6-5'8 maybe) Latino guy who's name I cannot recall... began with a T or J? He had a glamour shot of himself on his equipment though if that helps narrow him down. He was really good. I found myself running on to the dance floor all night when I heard a good song. He played a mix of music. He seemed to do a good job of reading the crowd to play music that would get them amped. He gave us a Latino set, reggaeton set, top forty set, a sprinkle of soca/reggae/dancehall, what the 30 and under crowd consider rap music (I.e. some person called Cardi B), real rap, music slow music and line dances (I.e. Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide). The music starts a bit after the food is served and it plays until you're off the boat. Table Space: this was the main part I wasn't too happy about. Some tables are too close together which is annoying when people want to get up. Staff: the staff on the boat are all pleasant and helpful! Our server Terrence was so nice and patient- I'm happy that we were bestowed with him. The manager was amazing as well! He was nice and very personable. He encourages us to Check in on Yelp so we could get our free drink coupon!! Clothing: This runs the gamut- older people tend to wear a smart dress or simpler cocktail dress. You will see men with jeans but they'll dress it up with a collared shirt and nice shoes. I was worried that since it was 30 degrees out I'd be cold from a draft. The boat's temperature was very comfy for me and I was sleeveless. It got even hotter when people were on the dance floor!! Ladies, this is a cool time to wear cute uncomfortable shoes because you have a seat and it's totally acceptable to sit the whole ride!! Takeaways: The upgrade for alcohol is worth it if you drink. Look at the prices on the menu I took a picture of and make an informed decision! Enjoy!!

Nice views . Nice interior . Overpriced drinks. Was overcharged and had an additional tip added to my receipt after I signed it and ALSO used my debit card to pay SOMEONE else's on board purchases . Currently disputing it with my bank .

Hubby and I went to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. And I must say it was a memorable experience. Shout out to our server Anton and chef Ericka for making our experience better and helping my hubby out with his carrot allergy. You get to enjoy the views of the city and play games on board. This is more than just a dinner this will be an experience you will never forget. If you're considering choosing this for a special occasion I say go for it. Only thing that needs to improve a bit I think is the songs the DJ was playing. Some were a bit questionable. Although the slow dance for the couples "lady in red" and the Indian selection for another couple was a nice touch to show diversity and make everyone feel envolved.

The Goods 1) The sun deck is a tremendously great place to hang out, enjoy a cocktail, and see the sights. 2) Cruising past the Statue of Liberty 3) The huge boat is really pretty cool 4) Great location on the Chelsea Piers 5) Two hours for a lunch cruise was just about right 6) At $60, the price didn't feel like a total rip-off 7) They give you a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie as you leave The Not So Goods 1) The tables are very closely packed together. You couldn't push your chair back to leave the table w/o banging into someone behind you. And the chairs were so close to each other (side to side) that it made chair adjustments impossible. 2) The drinks were expensive ($15 for a "signature drink") 3) The food was plentiful but mediocre 4) They have an annoying habit of not cutting off the piped-in music while the "Social Director" is blabbering away. Auditory overload is a bad thing The Bads 1) Their screeching hyper Social Director/DJ/Hostess is over the top annoying, like the one you remember from the worst wedding you ever went to. As cheesy as a 10 pound block of Velveeta au gratin parmesan. 2) The fifteen minutes of heavily produced patriotic music as you approach the Statue of Liberty was a bit too much. Felt like I was in Branson, MO.

Me and my family came here for my dad's 50th birthday. The boat itself is extremely pretty. They have tables full of different boardgames you came play throughout the night. The boat itself should have some heating because I found myself to be cold the entire night. The food itself was pretty good (it's buffet styled), but it ended up sitting terribly with me. The music itself wasn't really the kind of music that was fun to dance to, so definitely would have loved a different DJ. Finally the drinks were terribleee. I had a margarita, and the liquor they used was so disgusting, I didn't end up finishing it. Then with my yelp check-in, I was able to get a free drinks, so I got a cranberry vodka. The drink was disgusting. They put no cranberry and the type of vodka they used was nasty. I was disgusted, and didn't drink that one either! Maybe in the future i'll give it another try, but for right now I wasn't impressed.

We took our daughter and her 14 friends for a birthday dinner and the kids had a great time! The kids wanted to be seated at one large table all together and Michael, the restaurant manager accommodated our request very graciously. We asked for a separate table for the adults and he was very kind to offer us a nice table away from the kids so that they could have their space. He also didn't charge the kids for the sodas and Shirley temples! Dina was the server for the kids and she was awesome! She got the cake on time, cut it and served all the kids and adults. The entire staff was attentive, very accommodating and amazing. This is our third time using Spirit and we have always had a very pleasant experience!

We initially had a reservation for a brunch cruise from Lincoln Harbor on 7/19 but they had to cancel the event from that location. They actually only gave me 1 day notice about this on a Friday and I didn't get the message till Saturday morning. They said they didn't have many responses so they cancelled the event. I called the 800 number and spoke to a rep that changed our reservation for the Chelsea Piers location instead for the same day. The parking is expensive for Chelsea piers in general. We paid $39 for 4 hours. Yikes!! The boat looks great. Clean and temperature was great. When we walked in, we were greeted and showed to our table. Our server was great. Very attentive and friendly. She told us where to find the bathroom, where to go for the buffet and where the doors are for the decks. Cudos for telling me to leave all the crumbs under the table that my son and nephew left lol she made sure our waters were filled at all times. Food was pretty good..better than I had expected. Yes, it's not "gourmet" but it's good and they kept refilling the food. It was hot and the chicken was super tasty. Bread was stale, but I didn't expect it to be soft like it came out of the oven. We are on a boat. I loved the desserts. It was mini squares of brownies, apple crumble, lemon bars and raspberry squares, and it was yummy. You had the option of bringing a cake if you're there for a special occasion. The DJ on the boat was awesome. She explained certain buildings and location and kept the music going. Just a bit too loud, but it worked out to sound out the rest of the other guest conversations and She kept people on the dance floor. Downside of it all of course is that the trip was short. 2 hours just is not enough to enjoy and take in the views. We missed the statue of liberty because we were on the buffet line :( by the time the party was going and everyone was dancing. we were already docking. You could see the sadness in people's faces when we arrived back :( Best part of it all..... When you check in, they had a free premium drink for free :) woohoo. Can't beat that!! Don

This cruise was awesome! I would recommend to all my family and friends. We really enjoyed all aspects of the cruise. Great service, great drinks and great buffet. All tied into dancing and being on Hudson River and the views make this a memorable experience. We would definitely do this cruise again.

I booked a cruise for 16 people for my husband's 40th birthday party. The reservation process was fine. When we arrived, the onboarding process was a bit chaotic - you need more people checking folks in at the ticket counter. Also, I was unaware that this was not a 21 and over cruise - so when we arrived and saw tons of kids, we weren't thrilled. The boat was overrun with kids, even though they were on a different floor. You should definitely have a 21 and over cruise option and make people who are booking parties (like mine) aware of this during the reservation process so that we may choose. The beverage service was fine. The ship itself was old and outdated, but we spent most of our time outside so we managed. I actually did not eat any food because I literally went through over 30 DIRTY PLATES with a server who took them back to the kitchen to get washed again - the dishes were absolutely FILTHY. Dried food on them. It grossed me out so much that I didn't eat at all, which is part of what I paid for. The people in my party said the food was OK, mediocre at best. You need to invest in a better dishwashing system. I sat and waited for 20 minutes because there was a sweet girl who was training who said she would personally wash a plate for me to eat, as well as the 16 plates we would need for our cake that we brought. But the more I waited and thought about how nasty it was to see dried food on what was meant to be clean plates, the more nauseous I got so I just didn't eat at all. This is truly unacceptable. The music was good. I wouldn't say the value for the price was great, considering the above mentioned issues. I will say that that service was excellent - for the plate and food concerns I had, they were addressed right away, even though I chose not to eat because I was so grossed out. They at least tried to fix the problem and they apologized. The servers were extremely attentive. Well done to them. I had been on a Hornblower cruise prior to this and I would say that Hornblower was much better overall, and I would cruise with them before ever cruising with Spirit again.

Honestly such a mess of a place probably open still only because the tourist don't know any better and book thinking they'll have a good time. They put heavy cream in our coffee we asked for decaf because my wife is allergic and they didn't bother to switch it so she had a allergic reaction. The servers that work there kept pressing for us to use cash which was a little weird since when we went to the bar directly the bartender said they don't usually take cash and we noticed he gave himself a tip that we never wrote down. Seems like a place with little guidance for the workers where they just try to scam paying customers. When we went to the manager on board to express these concerns she seemed to be intoxicated. And was talking down to the employees most of the cruise. Just overall messy and scary I would never recommend anyone to waste their time and money at this place.

I was so happy to win two vouchers for Spirit of New York Dinner Cruise out of Chelsea Piers. Customer Service kept telling me that everyone has to arrive by 6:30 pm boarding time and the ship leaves at 7 pm. So of course driving into the city that day..we hit a lot traffic (we made sure we left home an hour early!!). I was a nervous wreck since I didn't want us to miss out on this opportunity. We got there at 7:07 pm and literally....one minute later...we were off. Everyone on the spirit had a great time. We sat next to a couple who makes it a routine to go on this cruise for special occasions. This was our first time and we will be back with family and friends. We hardly felt the waves and didn't even feel nauseous. The food was pretty good and the music that they played was enjoyable (Reggae, Reggaeton, old school R&B, Jazz and even some Sinatra songs). If you have never done this...you should....we had a great time!

I attended one of their dinner cruises. The yacht itself was pretty nice. It is two levels and also has an outdoor area on top to hang out. We got great views of Manhattan and New Jersey from the water. There is also a small dance floor inside. The food was not very good though. Both the fish and the chicken we were served was undercooked. The chocolate cake they gave for dessert was so-so too - definitely store bought from the frozen food section.

Incredibly disappointing on so many levels. First, the boat never sailed and stayed at dock. Explanation was mechanical problems (never explained) but cruise was billed as a fall foliage cruise. Only foliage was a leaf someone brought onboard. No compensation whatsoever...could have been, should have been at least a complimentary drink, complimentary buffet (or at least a discount on buffet), or credit towards a future cruise. Second, there was a Yelp offer for a complimentary premium drink for doing a Yelp check-in. Cruise company refused to honor the offer with no explanation as to why. Charged more than $50 for two Bloody Marys and two beers. Third, the only food offered was the $20 buffet. No snacks whatsoever, either paid or complimentary. All or nothing on the food which was mediocre at best. Had no choice but to get the buffet as it was a noon cruise and hadn't had anything to eat. Fourth, the opening comedian did his act for almost 45 minutes...just 15 minutes, nearly as long as the Spyro Gyro performance. Expected longer for the main performance, especially after sitting through the rather unentertaining comedian...who incidentally was selling his CDs. Fifth, once the main performance ended, we were immediately forced to leave the boat. No chance to sit around even for a few minutes to relax. Sixth, there was a general feeling of "who cares" from the entire staff who didn't even try to demonstrate even a modicum of customer service or interest in the feelings of the "passengers". All in all, this was a horrible afternoon and experience...especially given the price. Would have been happy to pay had the experience been even halfway decent.

I get that NYC standards are high, but an avg of 3.5 stars for this company is kind of harsh. I had a fantastic time on a Sunday brunch cruise recently. Ordering tickets was simple and I thought for the price there was a decent value. Parking in the pier is expensive, but puts you mere steps away from the boarding dock. All the staff that welcome you on board are pleasant and courteous and seem like they want you to enjoy yourself. For a buffet, I was really impressed with the layout on this boat! The rolls were soft and fresh, the meats were tender and piping hot, it was just all pretty good. At $16 for mixed drinks make sure you get your free drink by checking in on yelp, and everyone at the table can do it as well. The boat is huge and you can chill out inside at your table or hang out on the deck to get a view of the sites. The DJ played some good tunes and got people on the dance floor so a good time was had by all. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon

First time to one of these spirit cruises for one of my friends birthday party, first I must say this ship was pretty okay for the price but once inside it looks pretty old not like some reviews said it was a brand new boat. Everything was going pretty well until unfortunately right on top of one of our table was a leak of water coming from the ceiling . Food wise not to bad was ok, deserts not too good some cakes from the store bought for sure. Be carful when ordering drinks sodas is not included in your pre book tickets even though they said unlimited non alcoholic drinks,? Other than that it was fun kinda boring at some point music was okay..

Purpose: My boyfriend took me on the Spirit Dinner Cruise for my 25th birthday as a surprise. I have to say, I had such an incredible time! Not only, did everyone on the ship know it was my birthday but they went out of their way to say Happy Birthday to me. From the men checking the tickets to the bartenders - I truly felt so special! Upon entering in, they offered to take our photos and even printed them on sight. They were $20 per photo (one close up and one full body). We're not the type of people that mind spending money on memories so we went for it. Service: I had a few questions here and there and the service provided by the employees was top notch! They were super kind and always looking to help! They were constantly checking on us and asking if we needed anything. No one looked like they were in a bad mood or didn't enjoy working there. I was impressed with all of the staff members on board. Drinks: Drinks were a bit pricy but not different than any other bar in NYC. We had a tropical drink, and two glasses of wine for $37. Then we ordered two Ciroc Vodka and Club Sodas from the bar and the total was about $39. Food: the food was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised! It was all buffet style so you could go up and load your plate, and if you were hungry after that, you could keep on eating! They did a pretty good job of calling people up table-by-table so it didn't get too crowded by the buffet. The garlic mashed potatoes were everything. After dinner (and also during/before), you could help yourself to a few dessert items - nothing crazy but it consisted of brownies, rice krispy treats and small pudding cups. Again, I was pleasantly surprised - it was phenomenal. I went to the bathroom and when I came back there was a mason jar filled with pudding, graham crackers and strawberries waiting for me. It had a candle and a hand written note that said "Happy Birthday." Within seconds of me sitting down, they came and lit it and I thought that was pretty great! Seating: we were seated right next to the dance floor which gave us plenty of freedom to get up and move around as we pleased. I did notice that those seated next to the windows and in between my table and the window tables looked a bit trapped. That being said, everyone attending this seemed so friendly and didn't mind getting up if they had too (I never saw any one have this problem. It just felt like it was a tight squeeze). DJ: Like I said before, I was turning 25 and most other attendees were celebrating something. I loved the DJ - he was fun, kept it light and played today's hits with a mix of the old hits. It took a little bit of time but after a few songs everyone was dancing and having a great time. If you're looking for a silent, no fun cruise around the city - this is NOT it. If you're laid back and want to have a good time - come aboard Spirit Cruises. Overall: I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone visiting that just wants to have fun and see the sights. They do a very good job of stopping directly in front of the statue of liberty and you can take hundreds of pictures. I would give this trip a complete 10 out of 10. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

This is a great and perfect cruise when tou visit NY. You get an amazing view of the Statue of Liberty. Went cruising thru the Spirit of NY- Lunch Boatcruise NYC. Located in Chelsea Piers, Pier 61. This 2-hr cruise offers buffet-style and gourmet dining options while you sail along rivers and oceans, enjoying history and landmarks all over NY, including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island and One World Trade Center, the tallest skyscraper in North America. While you sail, enjoy your delicious meal and drinks with dj playing, and with sights that are narrated to give you some of the local history as you pass famous buildings and points of interest. A relaxing and amazing experience. Beware for those who easily gets sea-sick. I'd recommend taking Dramamine at least an hour before getting on the boat. It was not that bad, just for precaution...;p

The entire staff was friendly and professional. Food was good with a wide variety of meats, though I would have liked to see more vegetables. DJ was entertaining and we enjoyed the mix of oldies and current music--loved dancing after dinner before going on deck to take pictures of the beautiful skyline. Highlight, of course, was the Statue of Liberty, lit at night.

I had an amazing time. I went on Valentine's Day to celebrate love day and it was great! Great food, music and an awesome staff, i especially want to thank Alex, Curtis and Earnie the chef for giving me an incredible experience

My 3 Sisters and I were in New York City for the first time ever. We did the 9/11 Memorial, Natural History Museum, Times Square, Central Park and a Broadway show. The Night Harbor Cruise was my favorite thing that we did!!! The staff was great, the food was good! The Chef ( Erica ) even came to our table. We were voted the best table of the evening by the crew :-) Would definitely do this again! We had a blast!!! Thank you for a fantastic memory!!!

What an exceptional experience! Ambiance, delicious fresh seafood and glorious sides. Unforgettable and jaw ripping views of the city and Lady Liberty. Greatest host ever, Darin!

An overall disappointment. Wasn't worth the $76 I paid. The food was below average in quality. Took long time for food trays to get replenished. Desserts were awful.

We were planning this for a while, we wanted to take our company employees out but this time doing something different. We decided on the cruise. On the evening of the cruise my self and my business partner drove together, what usually take me about 1 hour drive took almost two hours and we barley made it. Unfortunately 1/2 our employees had the same issue and didn't make it. The food was good, the boat ride was great but we were disappointed that 14 people made it to the dock 10-15 minutes too late. Comes Monday we called our customer service representative Victoria who was amazing to deal with before the cruise, she was even more amazing after the cruise now that we had this problem. She was extremely helpful and took great care of us, beyond our expectations. We are very happy with how our problem was handled so thank you Victoria! Looking forward to be going back.

What a disappointment! Giving 2 stars since the check in (getting the tickets) was easy and the welcoming was great. Unfortunately, the food, drinks, even coffee were awful. The food served in the buffet was cold and I found myself and family serving from scraps as it took long to refill the empty pans/trays. The workers seemed overwhelmed and stressed. Even heard one being reprimanded by a manager. They also played R. Kelly music which I found appalling.

The vibe, the food, the staff and the aroma of the spirit cruise was absolutely amazing!! My husband took me here for our second cruise, to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. The DJ on the second level was amazing!!! I loved all the Carribean/Spanish music. All the food was amazing!!! Everything!! They gave us free wine glasses at the end as well.

I cannot recommend the Spirit of New York enough. My boyfriend and I planned a weekend in NYC for an early celebration for Valentines Day, little did I know he was planning to propose... The boat is very clean, well maintained, and you immediately feel as if you're getting five star treatment. We ended up getting the romantic package which included champagne, a half dozen of roses, a guaranteed window seat to ourselves, and two keepsake champagne flutes. After everyone arrived and they were getting ready to take off, the DJ announced that they would call us up table by table to get our food. The food was served buffet style and was all you can eat, but it was high quality. They had baked chicken, pot roast/rib meat, loaded mashed potatoes, broccoli, baked pesto penne, salad, some sort of baked fish, and rolls. They ended up telling about half the tables on our side of the boat that we could go up, so there was somewhat of a line, but it went by fairly quick. Now, before I get into the rest of the amazing experience, I HAVE to mention our waiter. Terrence was amazing from beginning to end. He gets to know everyone individually and truly makes you feel like he is there solely for you! The view from the ship is breathtaking... and not just because it was freezing cold outside ;). The view of the city as well as the Statue of Liberty is something that I will never forget. While on the deck of the ship my boyfriend ended up proposing to me and I can't imagine a more romantic venue. We ended up telling our waiter which resulted in having extra drinks given to us. It honestly felt like the whole staff truly cared and wanted to make our experience as special as they could. After we had finished all of the champagne we ordered, the additional champagne, a shot each, and some wine they announced over the intercom how we had become engaged and called us down to the dance floor. I thought the DJ was great before because he was getting everyone involved and having fun, but the way he spoke to/about us was on a different level. He ended up playing "At Last" for us to dance to in front of everyone (luckily people ended up joining because I was a little tipsy and wasn't doing very well on my feet). After that everyone cheered and congratulated us (including the staff), and I cried. Haha. Spirit Cruises has by far some of the most amazing employees that truly care about you and your experiences and will go way out of their way to make your night special.

Copped 4 tickets from the Groupon deal for a Saturday Night Cruise for $59 a piece. Was me, ma ol lady, her brother and his ol lady. Normally after taxes and fees, this would cost about $500, to get it for the discount was well worth it. Boarding is rather "sane", the ticket booth is right there, you see the people lining up, they already have your spots preassigned I think and our ship was PACKED. There was a high school reunion on board and they took up all the window seats . . . no big deal though, after you eat you go outside and catch the view on the dock. So the food is a big issue on this boat. Let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations. The Salmon was good, the salad was good, the meat was good . . . I can't complain, I thought I was going to get a horror show, instead got some real decent food. Do yourself a favor and remember there are 2 lines at the buffet . . . the one on the right goes much faster cuz everybody lines up at the one in the middle. Is it a "little" cheesy? Yea I guess, but it was fun. Electric Slide, Cha Cha slide, R. Kelly Step, I even had to break down the Dougie for our waitress real quick . . . please New Yorkers . . . the HARLEM SHAKE IS DEAD, retire it, it doesn't work anymore lol. Very entertaining and talented staff as some would sing and perform in addition to serving. Went outside on the deck, the 3 people I'm with grew up in NY and never saw the city like this. Gorgeous day and a Gorgeous City. Nothing like seeing the Skyline while the sun is setting or the Statue of Liberty right in front of you. Incredible. I don't think you can pay for better views outside of spending a fortune on a Helicopter Tour. Saw all the major buildings, bridges, everybody was having a great time. Came back to dessert and dancing. 2 things of note that may be considered negative. They only give you Tea, Water or Coffee for Free. Everything else is a cost. I was informed you had to buy a $15 drink ticket to purchase anything else but you can buy liquor and soda and beer at prices much cheaper than the $15. I think they start around $8 . .. typical for this type of venue. Bartender was kinda nasty when I went up to him, old and miserable . . . smh, leave that stress at the house BUDDY. The other thing was the expensive picture prices and the pressure of buying them. They do take some nice pictures, but damn $25 per picture and you taking 2 or 3 of em. I dunno, I got a camera and I took some nice pictures . . . my ol lady brother and his ol lady copped 2 sets, my girl was like mehhhh and I was cool with not getting them either. Other than that, it was love . . . had a great time, fully recommend to those visiting NY and looking for a good time, dinner and a way to see the sights.

I am a happy customer and I think I should give Spirit Dinner cruise some fair credit for our special night :) We went on the dinner cruise on Friday. It was so memorable night for us. First thing first, for anyone looking to spend a special night out with your loved ones ... this dinner cruise could be your answer. Reviews here in Yelp! are mixed both good, bad, cheesy. But we had a great time!!! Here is from my direct experience. Boarding time: 8.00 PM Back to Pier 61 at 11.00PM (Duration: 3 hours) Inside: 3-level vessel - lower deck, main floor and upper deck. I think they use lower deck for karaoke private party. Main and upper floor which is connected are for "normal" dining area. On that night, it was a private group (company dinner, I believe) taken up the whole upper floor. And on the main floor was just for individual/small parties. We were there. Who on the cruise with you: I think because it was Friday night + there was a company private party... most people on the vessel are 25-45 that night ... from what I see, there were anniversary/birthday celebrations, family special night out, girls night, etc. Food: International Food Buffet (you can see detailed menu from their website) such as breads, salad, beef, pork, fish, chicken etc. Food will be ready to serve as soon as the vessel sails. Servers will be taken care for drinks at your table. Dessert is not on the buffet table. once people are mostly done with their food. Server will bring out dessert to us. That night, we had key-lime pie and chocolate truffles. I think you can ask for more but I was so full from the dinner already. Drink: water, tea and coffee are FREE. Alcohol drinks are with additional charges. we had 2 cocktails 2 beers and bill came at $48.00 + tip. Entertainment: by the end of 1st hour on board as most people were enjoying their food and drinks, they had some singing/performances (Broadway style) by the crew. like professional singers (maybe they are part time) Our server is also one of the performers. He has amazing voice!!! During 2nd - 3rd hr, dance floor !!! People came out on the dance floor and enjoy themselves. Music was top hit + some good old songs from the past. It was not a crazy crowd at all. Service: Our server was attentive and he provided good care of us all night. It could take a while to get drinks. I saw only one bartender working at the bar. Plus our server had to perform on stage twice LOL. The view: SPECTACULAR !!! even though you do not have window seats. You still can see the view from the both sides of the vessel :) very pretty. It is not necessary that you gotta go out there and keep dancing all night. If dancing is not for you, I saw some couples had romantic quiet time together.or you can just go outside for the view taking pictures... or smoking. Very romantic... and the view, yes, so beautiful. Thank you Manhattan and New Jersey skylines for that. Parking: boarding from NY, Chelsea Pier parking fee 3 hours = $22.00. boarding from NJ, check parking rate from Lincoln harbor (from below review, they said $20.00) Route: Hudson river, starting from Chelsea pier to Statue of Liberty and go back to the pier. (detailed route - see the website) Worth it???? It was worth the money for me. But I think this is subjective depending on your budget. But I can say that it is WORTH for the time :) I gave them 4 stars because the whole experience was great but it was not like the best ever experience. Food was good. Entertainment was fun. View was awesome.

We really enjoyed this cruise. I hadn't been on this cruise in over 20 years and its just as good (if not better) than it was back then. As a native NYer you don't always think to do something like this, but your should. The view was beautiful, the food delicious and the crowd a friendly mix of tourists and natives. There is no better way to see Miss Liberty herself up close.

Got a pair of comp tickets for VIP lunch foliage cruise and I was so excited to be on board. I know I am guaranteed to have a good time. So the cruise is 3 hours long which takes you from Pier 62 Chelsea Piers to Hudson River. The scenery was amazing; you saw the change color of foliage. The lunch buffet was pretty good. It was not 5 star but it is all-you-can-eat so I cannot complain. I really like the grilled chicken and mashed potato they serve. The desserts are probably the best among all. The cheesecake and chocolate mouse cake were great. We got 3 hour open bar so I got a nice Signature drink, which provides the glass as a souvenir. On top of all these, they provide on-board live entertainment. All the waitresses on board are awesome singers and they each sing a song or two throughout the journey. I had an awesome time on board and would definitely recommend to people who want to enjoy a great view of NY and a relaxing sail.

Picture yourself on a yacht, cruising through NYC, waving to Lady Liberty, and lounging on a deck. It can happen! Book a cruise on the Spirit of New York and for two hours own the water. Drink in hand, wind through your hair, but first FOOD! The cruise ticket includes a buffet meal. I went on the weekend lunch cruise and the food was similar to something you would eat at a wedding. It was filling and it was pretty good, if you like buffet catered meals. Eat to your stomach's content. Once you're done, walk over to one of the decks to enjoy the views or rest on the comfy couches. In the Summer it can get windy since you're on the water but it also gets very hot and you will feel the sun beat down on your face, head, and shoulders. Dress appropriately. Bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock. The last time I took a NYC cruise was years ago on the Circle Line tours. Spirit of New York is way better. It felt like an event out instead of a shuttle boat similar to the Staten Island Ferry or one that you would take to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Highly recommend!

Still Cruisin the NYC rivers. Went on another cruise to hear some jazz music and almost everything is the same with the exception that they are really under staffed and the drinks are horribly overpriced. They lose a star for extremely poor service on board. It took forever to find someone to take a drink order or I could have cued up in the line at the bar on the lower level. The cost for a mixed drink was $12 and a glass of wine was $8 but the waiter brings a half filled glass of wine to the table- NO way. I saw that everyone else had a much better pour - I went back to the bartender and he gave us some lip about that's how it is. I don't think so. Coincidentally, one of the people with us dropped some silverware and almost killed the chef who was coming up the steps at that moment - after we all laughed about the near miss I grabbed him and showed him the cheap poor- he walked us over and made the jerk bartender fill the glass to the proper level - and the bar guy was still giving us lip! So- thanks to the chef dude for helping out, the captain for getting us out and back and the musicians for the excellent music. Screw you mister bartender. Parking available on Chelsea piers.

Staff was great, decor was wayyyyy too old (chairs, dining tables, carpet decorations etc . Almost felt like I was going back to 2005. Food tasted very cheap for the price paid. There was also lipstick in my coffee mug and lip stains on my glass which was very unpleasant. Staff was great, experience was not worth it. Very old school.

A cruise line that offers trips along the East River/Hudson, this service launches from Chelsea Piers on pier 62/63. Available for large or small rentals, if you're part of a smaller party, you may be sharing the boat with some other groups. A nice way to look around the harbor and up and down the bridges and rivers in the area for a small fee, they also have dinner cruises, too, and can accommodate small to large parties. Three internal stories, with the second opening up to the third with an open dance space and spiral staircase, this was quite the smooth ride. Fun, too, as the crew can sing, lead you through dances, have a space for a DJ as well as other activities. Multiple decks outside let you review the river, bay and surroundings without windows, and feel the spray on your hair. Life jackets are on the decks outside. Bathrooms on the first and second level, bars on all three levels, they serve a decent meal, too - pasta, vegetables, salad, fish, chicken, ham and roast beef. De-boarding is the only issue.. it can be slick, and it's at quite the angle at times, pending the tide.

Let me first say that do not come here for the food. You go to be sadly disappointed. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet but you'd be hard-pressed to figure out what color bead you're getting since this old slaughtered in various gravies. On the positive side if you're not from New York inner coming early vacation this is a great way to spend a few hours to get to see the city. The views are top-notch depending on your plan you can have unlimited drinks. The DJ certainly got the place rocking and the music didn't stop until after the boat docked. A good place for tourist but the locals should stay away.

We went 10/27 when there was bad weather, the boat was rocking and someone got sick in the bathroom so the smell was throughout the ship. We were on the top deck, the windows were foggy and you could not see out for any landmarks and the door to the decks were hard to open due to high winds - which was dangerous. We were told the wait staff would come and offer drinks - but 30 to 45 minutes later with one staff saying the other staff would assist us repeated, so brother in law with recent knee surgery went downstairs to get drinks and then walked back up the rocking boat on spiral stairs with the drinks in his hand. We were in buffet line which was self serve buffet with the large spoon being used for variety of dishes, handled by many, the spoon which also had fallen into the sauces and looked gross. All of the dishes appeared to be for senior citizen with no teeth - institutional food and the baked zita was unrecognizable cause it was green from pesto sauce. The endless teas and coffee were a joke, again staff saying another staff would be there to assist, we requested spoons and 4 of us shared one spoon, we requested sugar, and got literally one packet, we requested cream and by the time it was delivered, we had drank our tea/coffees. We docked half hour early and even when we left the dirty dishes were still on our table -- The wait staff seem to be in movement but we were unsure why...(like the old west wing tv show) other wait staff were seen at the game table playing chess while we were at sea...??? Seems the staff needs some oversight and training... and a change of menu would help. Long hair nets were needed as well. The DJ was there saving grace - as he was excellent. To say this was a Fall Foliage tour was a joke - not blaming anyone for weather, but having a string of plastic leaves because there really was not fall leaves, or landmarks to view due to foggy windows, and then the substandard service .... SHAMEFUL.. Halloween just passed, but we were robbed for this trip.

Lackluster experience. Ship is severely outdated. Music is mostly rap and outdated. Servers are merely drink order takers so good luck getting anything from them if you don't buy a drink. Definitely worth $25. Food was salty but good if you're buzzed on alcohol. Idk was just meh. Wouldn't do again.

I booked 55 spots on this boat for a sisterhood retreat and it was lovely! They had personalized reservation signs with our logo, and the tables were arranged perfectly so that we had our own section of the dining room. The boat staff was great and made sure sisters felt welcomed, it really feels like we were honored guests on the boat! The food was pretty good, and they had a great selection of options. And then, of course, the views are to die for!