Hudson River Cruises

Beautiful cruise on the Hudson! Reasonably priced especially with the senior discount. The narration ( both recorded and live) was very interesting. We saw 2 lighthouses, several mansions and even bald eagles. Only wish the cruise had been longer...we enjoyed it so much!

We were lucky to pick the perfect day for this cruise! Boarding was a breeze, the crew is super friendly and, the Hudson River was gorgeous! The only down side, was not being able to hear the narration. Evidently, there was an issue with the sound system. So, it felt like we missed out on some information. Other than that, it was awesome! We got some sun and fresh air and, had a very relaxing time! Highly recommend this!

We loved the trip. Very well organized, spacious, staff was very friendly and courteous. The view was really beautiful. We forgot to bring a jacket since it does get chilly out in the water. The fireworks were amazing! We had a great time.

We came up from Virginia and had a lovely time on the river cruise! We sat on the back deck and were able to relax and hear the narration well. We came in August but highly recommend a jacket for the cool night air on the water!

This was such a beautiful experience! The crew were fantastic! Had a great hot dog and some cocktails and saw nature in all its beauty and some amazing structures. The Narrated Tour was very interesting and informative. I highly recommend this tour!

We enjoyed this experience very much. The staff was very friendly and the boat was clean and ready for our trip. The pre-made “tour” wasn’t as informative as we would have liked - there were a few spots that weren’t a part of the audio overview, but overall the calm boat ride was a great experience. I recommend it to anyone looking for a nice day out on the water!

I would give this terrific cruise a five if not for 2 things. 1. I wish that they were able to have handicapped restrooms. 2. It would be nice if there were speakers out on the main level bow of the boat. I love everything else! This was my 2nd trip and it will not be my last! Thank you for a beautiful day!

The Rip is amazing. Friendly Crew and boat are outstanding. We love it and do probably four trips a year. The Hudson is beautiful.. Line for the bar can be slow (now at least better organized), bring a cushion…. and jacket for the Sunset cruises. 💯

10/21/24: Afternoon Cruise upon the Rip Van Winkle! A lovely and relaxing fall foliage cruise. The crew was welcoming and very accommodating. It was nice to see a crew member asking people if they wanted their photo taken. At the beginning of the cruise, the captain explained all the safety rules (included Life jackets, no smoking and more) along with the upcoming wonderful views. Lots of history along the Hudson River. The Ogden Mills House was one of the historic homes along the Hudson. Hope you enjoy the photo. We viewed other historic homes, ships and lighthouses. Viewing the fall foliage on the cruise was magical experience. Great bar aboard the Rip Van Winkle. The friendly bartender served me up a super delicious Strawberry Daiquiri. My friend had a Von Trapp Beer. Hot dogs, chips and big pretzels were sold too. Looks like the pretzels were a big hit because they were sold out very quickly. Restrooms are located on the lower level of the ship. There's a small parking lot available. However, there's lots of metered parking within steps of the cruise line. Best bet is to arrive to ensure your parking spot!

We love taking sightseeing cruises. It was a hot and humid day and this was a great way to start it. Tried to plan the drive so we'd get there at a reasonable time. Got there an hour too early but we were okay with that, better early than late. Nice boat but you can tell it can use some TLC. Wasn't a lot of people until the buses pulled up filled with about 50 seniors. When we got on we were able to grab a couple of corner seats at the bow. Then we got swarmed, one woman decided to stand behind me and placed her hand on the back of my chair - both my wife and I found that interesting. Speaking of chairs, these have to be the most uncomfortable chair I've ever sat it. Metal, oddly shaped. My back actually hurt when we got off. We loved the beautiful scenery. The ride itself was about 90 minutes and we wished it was 90 minutes longer. All in all it was a great way to start our day.

Great way to spend a morning sightseeing the Hudson River. Courteous staff made the tour all the more enjoyable. Highly recommend if your in the Catskills area.

Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon on the Hudson River ! The crew were knowledgeable and kind and even waited for a few extra minutes as I barely made the boat! The narration was interesting and it kept us engaged. The town of Kingston was a good spot to grab some food to eat after the boat ride!

Great tour for a great price! Enjoyable ride on the Hudson with some great views and interesting history narration. The boat was clean, the crew was kind and the seating was spacious. I booked the 2 pm tour and I'd recommend going with that one. I spoke with two other parties that had booked a late morning ride that was canceled and was switched to this one. Parking was easy. Drinks were pricey and snacks were limited to candy, chips, popcorn and hot dogs. But they did have a full bar if that's your thing. I'd go back especially for the fall foliage.

I recently took a Hudson river cruise with some visiting friends during the fall. Great views from the boat although, if you really want to see cool things on the river banks, bring some binoculars. For the most part, you are cruising in the middle of the Hudson, which is quite far away from either bank of the river. There is a narrated tour which plays on some speakers throughout the boat, but it is quite difficult to hear in some areas of the boat. It was an enjoyable day, but not as good as I had hoped.

Riding South on the Hudson River was a nice treat to spend a lovely afternoon. The Rip van Winkle II ferry has been operating here more than thirty years. They are also available for weddings, company outings and family reunions. They have bar service and snacks on board. They operate three seasons a year, spring summer and fall. Check out the map to see where we cruise past some of these noteworthy places. Departure is from Kingston. My only negative was the ferry could have been a bit cleaner.

Very nice cruise, 90 minutes round trip. 3 levels, with the top fully open, the second level covered, and the bottom level fully enclosed. The tour narration is a recording, so if you want to hear it clearly, being up on the top deck is the best option. Very difficult to hear on the second level.

Pleasant on a hot day...but Not as long as promised 90 minutes. Was about 75 minutes Expensive - not great value, especially kids and seniors Not too much to see on banks of Hudson. Thought there would be better views of estates

Pleasant 1.5 hour river cruise south on the Hudson, with interesting, "light," recorded narration. Lots of interesting history, particularly at the beginning/end of the trip, mostly mansions on the river banks during the middle. Good seating on the 2nd deck on the bench at the bow.

I am unable to write a review of the cruise because this company cancelled the cruise due to low booking the morning we were scheduled to arrive We drove all the way to this area stayed in a hotel just to be canceled You cannot have a refund according to their web site for any circumstances but they obviously are not held to the same standards DISAPPOINTING

Their Email said their tour goes on rain or shine. Message an hour ahead of time saidcanceled due to rain. 45 minutes wasted. Then they refused to refund my money after saying they would. Not recommended!!!

Unbelievably gorgeous expanses of the Hudson River are in view with top notch descriptions - at times hard to hear. Low stars due to non existent COVID precautions. Packed shoulder to shoulder, with mostly unmasked people. Yes, it's out side- but two hours of tight quarters was unacceptable to me. No provisions for return of money, just gift card, which out of towners couldn't use. Be wary!

We had a lovely time on the 90-minute river cruise. It was a sunny day with blue skies, and the fall foliage was excellent. Everything was efficient and well-run. There was a good narration about the history of the sites along the river, but we didn't always pay attention because we were just enjoying the sunshine. When it got too breezy, we went to the lower deck to get shade. I definitely felt we got our money's worth, and I would do it again, especially during fall foliage season.

We did a private charter for our welcome event as part of our wedding weekend. Our guests absolutely loved it. There was plenty of space (160 people), we seamlessly connected our phone to play music, our caterer had plenty of space for food, and they were super easy to work with. Would definitely recommend for a private event!

Cute river cruise. We did the sunset ride which offers nice views. Didn't give it 5 stars due to the 33/pp cost & the narration was approximately half of the trip, I expected more. They take your photo upon boarding, available for purchase when you disembark for $15. They offer a selection of beer/wine/snacks for purchase.

It was a nice day for a river cruise. Middle of the week The passengers were at fist what you would expect. Retired and young families 5 minutes to departure then 75 middles school kids from a day camp - 2 bus loads. We leave 10 minutes late. A peaceful sojourn up the Hudson is now full of pre-teen"energy" We find out they normally book group like that as a charter I guess the assumed that our desires were not as important

Hudson River Cruises provides a relaxing trip up and down the Hudson River. The staff is courteous and friendly, and the narration is wonderful, providing interesting commentary, as well as some quiet time to sightsee and reflect. My husband and I celebrated our 26th anniversary with Hudson River Cruises and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We will definitely be riding again.

What a charming way to spend an afternoon! Our whole family went together on the cruise and had a lovely time. Grandma was delighted and couldn't stop talking about it for days afterward. A nice family photo was provided prior to boarding, which we treasure. The cruise itself was informative, pleasant and enlightening. Our area's history was laid out for us; we learned a lot we'd never heard before about the Roundout and Hudson River. All in all, a lovely way to spend a day. My family recommends this trip and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

All the employees especially the captain, he is one that is blind in one eye! is not only rude but the worst customer service. The boat is dirty and rusty everywhere. Not recommended unless u like riding on a ghetto boat with ghetto employee attitudes.

The ship is nicely set up and appointed. The cruises south on the Hudson from Kingston are beautiful. The only issue I have is with the bar in board. Draft beer and bottle selection is limited and priced around $10. The wine is terrible and not good at any price. There's room for improvement at the bar.

Nice little narrated boat ride . Friendly staff . They take you picture as you board and you can choose to buy it as you leave for $10. Would recommend

Jeff the manager is unprofessional and his staff does not follow through on agreements that they make. They have forced us to rearrange our engagement party because after waiting 2 months to send us a contract and bumping our reservation. I believe they simply went for a money grab instead of honoring a commitment they made. They are selfish and unreliable do not trust them.

I read some of the prior reviews and had a different experience. We went on a Thursday and the crew were all friendly and the entire cruise was narrated to tell us all the stuff we were seeing and history of the Hudson river. It was very easy and calm on the Hudson and we enjoyed ourselves that day. They have a snack bar and a regular bar to get beer and wine. All in all I would recommend if you have never been and have a few hours in your time to go on this cruise.

His was a lot of fun, cruising from Kingston down to the northern tip of Hyde Park. The narration was informative and could have been given with a little more energy. I do imagine it gets old. Crew were quick to point out points of interest and one crew member knew where the bald eagles would be and quickly pointed them out to us. That was fun. Boat is nice, with a good bar and snack bar. Bathrooms were clean. Would love to return in the prime of the fall.

Mansions lights and rusty things Hudson River Cruises features different types of trips down the Hudson River. The one we took was just an ordinary cruise that went by two lighthouses, some incredible mansions built by incredible rich people, lots of cool boats and of course lots of old rusted things abandoned along the river. The ship is appropriately enough called the Rip van Winkle and is 125 feet long and weights in at about 200 tons. A good size vessel that can easily handle anything the river throws at it. The Rip was original built for the oil industry but for the last thirty years or so has been prowling around the Hudson, showing people sights along the very cool river. The tour is pretty simple, you just grab a seat or better yet a place on the rail and just look, listen and enjoy. The ship is large enough so you can walk around the entire tour if you want and get great views of either side. The tour has a constant narration of what the Rip is passing but never gets too wordy. Just gives you enough information without being annoying and lets you enjoy the natural and man made wonders of the river in peace. You pass two very cool lighthouses, lots of opulent old mansions, and all kinds of fantastic scenery. Sure it might be a bit cold and windy during the cruise but that's all part of the fun. The ship handles the river well and is smooth and quiet with little chance of anyone getting seasick. The company also offers all kinds of other options like music cruises, murder mystery dinners, dance parties and even class reunions and weddings but the normal cruise down the river was plenty of fun. Sure the parking is difficult and you might have to walk a bit from you car to the ship but the town is pleasant and fun to explore. But once on board the beauty and power of the Hudson River becomes mesmerizing. Being on the water is always great and this cruise is a great way to spend a couple of hours.

The cruise from Kingston to Poughkeepsie and back is only $16 per adult. It was a full two hours and was quite scenic and pleasant. The boat was clean and there was plenty of seating. Parking was easy in the municipal lot across the street. The only negatives were the unfriendly person in the booth checking us in and the absolutely ludicrous pricing of drinks on the boat (about $8 each for cans of hard seltzer and hard cider) which was serious gouging. The boat is not unlike the Staten island Ferry so set your expectations off of that.

My wife, my daughter and I arrived before the hour established for departure. We had spent two hours in traffic due to an accident and when we arrived we could not find a parking spot. We made it to the gate five minutes before departure, nonetheless. They did not allow us on the boat. One of the employees was very rude to my daughter and my wife upon arrival. Specifically a bald man with just a lock of hair on the front. We try to tell him everything we went through to get there and his answer was "what, did you want me to find parking for you?". I understand there are rules and we always try to respect them. But nothing justifies rudeness and such a phrase to a family that was just trying to make it on time. Manners do matter. I would not recommend this company.

Looking for a sightseeing tour that would take a few hours, try this sightseeing tour. They give cheap tours that show you a glimpse of the estates along the Hudson River. They have a clean safety record, and never have trouble getting back to dock on-time(they always arrive back within allotted time). Only problem I find, is that they have inadequate parking for their users cars. The lot is tiny, and the nearby spaces outside the tiny lot, are too far away and for those who want close spots near the boat companies dock but without spaces in small lot are referred to spaces that are monitored by parking-meters, so beware of the walk beforehand! Their tours last a minimum of 2 hours, and some last longer, some past dusk, and some, well, times vary. Ask the representative at the booth for info on your tour your taking.

The cruise provides a good "scratch the surface" introduction to the amazing history of the Hudson River. The cost is a little high but still worth it for the over two hour cruise. I will say that it was very hard to impossible to hear the narration when on the lower deck due to the engine noise. However, the narration was clear and understandable when on the upper deck. My only complaint revolved around the group of chatty women who decided to sit behind me on the way back. They must have grown bored and didn't stop their annoying yaking the whole way back. I changed my seat. There was an adequate head on board. Food and drink for sale (overpriced of course). I am always bewildered by those who need to consume alcohol no matter where they go (we were on the early cruise...11:30AM).

Had my very first hudson cruise a few weeks ago and it actually was very enjoyable. It was very hot since it was July but if you hang your head out to the water it feels great lol there were no fans and the two bars had different prices so I kept going to the cheaper bartender asnd tipping better on that floor. There were a lot of spiders so beware if you have arachnophobia besides that it's a nice ride, I took plenty good pictures..

Went on a sunset cruise last night and while the weather wasn't the best we had a great time-even had a rainbow as we left the harbor! The crowd was a wonderful mix of people and the DJ had most dancing but he should have played to the crowd a bit better. And it was way too loud under the metal roof to stay inside and enjoy the dance floor. The drinks were strong and not horribly priced. Crowd was friendly and obviously having a good time. The crew told us as we left that they will have a new three story boat in 2 weeks and we will absolutely be back to check out the new ride. And added bonus the photo ops from the ship were great! The strand is amazing at night and there was a ?multi million dollar super yacht docked that was unreal! Great evening and only 20$ a person.

the boat is very good but bring something to sit on for the upperdeck the seats are hard everything other people here is correct its a good experience my complaint is regarding the covid rules the capt lays out the rules but the crew flat out refuses to even suggest compliance there are no tapes on the seats to give you guidance about social distancing there are people all over with no masks and crew members bitterly complaining about getting caught on camera without masks and having the state come down on them they seem to do everything else ok they just need some tuning up on the covid thing after all I can always walk out of a restaurant if I want not so much on a boat. thanx and hopeing you do better

Not a bad cruise, we got an interesting overview of the area. However, the crew on board that we saw seemed like they didn't really like their jobs. If you are in the tourism industry, and rely on tips (as was announced when we pulled back into the dock) you should at least fake it that you enjoy what you are doing. I don't think the cruise was even half full, so it's not like there were lots on passengers to deal with. I've been on scenic cruises in several places and just about every other one I have been on, the crew eased much more upbeat.

We Visited on the evening of June 18th 2016. We bought our tickets through zerv on line. I have use of a SERVICE DOG when I came to the window to check in for our cruise. I was met with many rude questions about my dog, and the window clerk acted as if he was not going to allow us to board. He gave me some crap about "because there will be food on board". It was not until one of the boatsman at the foot of the ramp spoke up and told him it was okay, that we were allowed our tickets. You really should educate your staff on the federal, and ADA laws. A service dog is allowed everywhere there handler is with the exception of sterile environment such as a clean room or surgical room. Other than this unfortunate situation at check in with the rude and generally ignorant ticket clerk. We found the rest of the staff on the ship to be very warm, welcoming, and accommodating. We enjoyed our evening!

Disorganized, uncomfortable and terrible refund policy. We planned a 2 hour sightseeing tour and arrived 40 minutes early, as recommended. We found a seat we were comfortable with on the already full boat--every possible seat was taken by the 2:30 launch time. At about 5 minutes after our scheduled departure, a bus filled with senior citizens arrived and began to unload. As we watched them (slowly) make their way to the boat, we realized our small group would have to give up our seats, as many of the newly arriving passengers were quite frail looking. We made our way around the boat looking for a new place to position ourselves, but every corner was full and other passengers complained we were standing too close, or they needed the one chair that the three of us were sharing between us. The entire boat was in pandemonium as everyone scrambled around to find a place to sit or stand. The staff did nothing but watch. At that point, we requested our money back so we could depart and try again another time (maybe a sunset cruise when it would be less likely that a senior group like this would need so many of the seats), but they refused a refund. We disembarked anyway, because it was just far too crowded and uncomfortable to stay onboard for the two-hour duration. My advice is to stay away unless you are willing to forfeit the ticket price should you decide, as we did, that it was not worth the aggravation and discomfort.

The cruise is beautiful. The foliage was great. Parking is a joke. Less than 25% capacity and yet no available parking. Be prepared for a hike and bring plenty of quarters for the meter.

A few Wednesdays ago, some friends and I ventured to Kingston for their Wednesday sunset cruise, aptly title a "Sip 'N Sail." Although it was slightly misty, we had the boat to ourselves (9 people) and only a few other patrons. There was a complete array of finger foods, ranging from nachos and salsa to a veggie platter to crackers and cheese to compliment the cash bar (not terrible drink prices). They also host a variety of other themed events - check out their website for more details - definitely a fun way to spend an afternoon! EDIT: 7/13/08 - Went on a Murder Mystery/Dinner Theater Cruise last night. $45 tickets, buffet food (not great) and the "show" was only mildly interesting compared to other similar (but on dry land) events I've been to, although the majority of people (there were a lot - I'd guess 120) were much older than me and they seemed to enjoy themselves. One gripe: for $45 you still have to pay for drinks - including soda! I can understand a cash bar (although maybe you could include 1 drink ticket with your $45 fee!), but not serving people soda with the buffet is just silly.

For those sitting inside the chairs are too low for sightseeing out the windows. Can't see the water or items being talked about by the narrator. And I'm not particularly short! It didn't matter that people lined up early. Buses pulled up and crowded all those who had waited for the gate to open. The establishment didn't intervene. Very disappointing all around.

We had the most wonderful cruise this weekend. What could be better than cruising in luxury on the beautiful Hudson River while listening the best Jazz ensemble north of the city! Thank you to Matt Jordan and the Jazz Quintet for another great show!

You have got to be kidding me. I attended the Mother's Day cruise and had the most horrific experience ever. Ok full disclosure the weather on Mother's Day could not be helped and that's ok. However it would be nice to have heat on the upper level. The passengers on the upper level were treated worse than the lower class passengers on the Titanic (after it hit the iceberg). We waited patiently to be told that we could go downstairs to the much warmer lower level to eat. Upon our arrival we were treated to very little food, and the attitude of some of the staff was "Oh Well". Needless to say the food we were able to sample was...... edible (that's all I can honestly say). After the food (that's a generous description) the rest of the cruise was an informative descriptive tour of points of interest along the Hudson River. In all I can't recommend this to anyone unless you are looking to easily part with your hard earned money.

Awesome little day trip on the R.V.W. and can't say enough great things. The crew was very informative and attentive. The boat is very clean. They have snacks you can purchase on board. The views up the river from the Rondout light house,to the Esopus Light house,mansions along the Hudson was beautiful. Extra treat as we were going the captain spotted a bald eagle slowed the engines and pointed the eagle out to the passengers which I think made everyone's day. I highly recommend this cruise which lasts a little over 2 hours and you can't beat the price.

Modestly priced at $26, Hudson River Cruises is a great way to spend two hours on the river. We spent the past Sunday afternoon cruising on the Rip Van Winkle. They leave Kingston and head out down the river to Hyde Park and then turn around and go back. In total it takes 2 hours. Of course our wiener dog came with us,but she is a registered service dog. Policy says no pets allowed, so if your dog isn't a service dog, they can't come. The crew was super nice and helpful. This is a great way to spend a little time on the water. I even got to see a bald eagle in the trees along the bank. And you can see the many mansions that line the Hudson

This was a great cruise and I have no complaints at all. The only complaint which has nothing to do with them is it was a 4th of July cruise and didn't enjoy the difference from land to water. Not a reflection on them it was my family's choice. Service was amazing and drink/food prices were totally were every dollar and quick.

The old men who work here could not have been more unfriendly Hard to believe that in a town that is hurting economically, that they could run a business being this off-putting to customers Would recommend avoiding this at all costs - prices too high, quality is OK at best, and customer service is atrocious

Fun little boat ride. The entire boat has overhangs so the heat isn't as bad as you might think, but it was still pretty hot. Photographer will take pictures you can buy, or just do it yourself. Narrated tour was fairly interesting but a lot of things were just random houses on 'Millionaires Row' and who lived there. Saw a couple eagles, that was cool. I don't remember how much I paid but I'd say it was worth it.

We purchased our tickets online about 3 days in advance of our trip and experienced no issues whatsoever. We compared HRS with another water cruise service nearby before our trip and were very pleased overall and felt the price for admission was worth every penny. Sailed on Sunday morning August 7. Extremely comprehensive water tour covering history of the river and stories of the Native Americans, white settlers, industries operated along the river over the past several centuries, railroads, Millionaire's Row....just amazing!! There were also several lighthouses along the route to see as well. At some points the Captain just let the natural beauty of the river and its surroundings do the talking. If you are in the area be sure to visit -and purchase your tickets in advance.

We were very disappointed that Hudson Valley Cruises cancelled our cruise at the last minute. We were told that since they did not sell 35 tickets the cruise would happen. No mention of this policy was made when we purchased tickets nor were any of the other people who purchased tickets told about their policy until they cancelled the cruise at the time it was due to leave. One man had driven 100 miles with his 91 year old father and 96 year old uncle but the owner not accommodate them or any of the others. In fact the owner was very rude. She said there was nothing she would do and turned her back and walked away. We later discovered that the 35 passenger minimum policy is arbitrary. The prior cruise had gone out with less than 35 passengers. We had hoped Hudson Valley Cruises were operated in an ethical manner. Sadly it is not. I would think twice before supporting this kind of business.