Jamie H.
Yelp
This past June, I did an architecture boat tour with Wendella's on the Chicago river, and was just amazed by the unique perspective of seeing Chicago from the water, as well as learning the rich history of the city by way of its architecture. When my partner & I were planning our recent trip to New York, we wanted to get on the water, but I assumed we'd take Hornblower or Circle Line tour... until we found Classic Harbor Line's architecture tour! Hosted and narrated by a member of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, we knew we were in for an informative time.
The Manhattan is a beautiful 80-foot, 1920s-style yacht that offers a much more intimate excursion than the other cruise lines. We had an assigned table, akin to a small restaurant booth, and each ticket comes with a beverage of choice. We opted to upgrade to the beverage package, which included a total of 3 drinks. Boat tours & champagne go hand in hand!
The architecture tour is a "quiet cruise", which means this is not the one to pick if you and your girlies are looking to gab the whole time. One of their holiday or sightseeing tours may be better suited for that. As a fully narrated tour, they request conversations be taken outside on the deck... and it was cold out there! I appreciated this, since we signed up for this tour to hear what our guide had to share. At one point, our table neighbors began to get chatty, and they were quickly reminded of which cruise they were on.
Three hours flew by as we circumnavigated Manhattan in style, and it was the perfect way to start our first full day in the city!