Statue City Cruises Battery Park

This is the only authorized cruise that actually takes you onto Liberty and Ellis Islands. We started around 9:00 AM, which I highly recommend to avoid the rush. The ferry from Battery Park is only about 20–25 minutes. We spent about 2 hours at the Statue of Liberty seeing the museum and the pedestal views, then took the 20-minute ferry to Ellis Island for the Immigrants Museum. Including the 20-minute ride back to Battery Park, the whole trip took about 4 hours. A must-do if you want to see both islands properly without feeling rushed!

Busy but quite quick to get processed onto the boat, fast changeover on / off the boat. Enjoyable day trip. Needed more time to explore Ellis Island properly but that was the fault of our planning

I was very happy with this cruise! I know a lot of people say to just take the Staten Island ferry because it’s free but I feel like for the price we paid, this was very worth it, mainly because of everything the ticket included. We got to visit 2 islands (the one with Statue of Liberty and the one with the immigration museum). Our ticket included admission to the pedestal (because I chose that option) and the museum was pretty extensive! There was a Statue of Liberty museum we could go to where they showed 3 different clips of the history of the statue and its legacy in present day. Just walking through this museum could take you an hour. There’s lots of photo taking ops around the statue and you get a great view of the NYC skyline. If you get hungry, don’t buy anything on the cruise, wait till you get to the museum because everything on the cruise is disgustingly overpriced. There’s lots of food options on the museum island. As for the overall journey, it took about 20min from boarding to travel to get to each island. The boat can get quite crowded so try to find a seat quickly. There are restrooms on the boat and both islands. Going through security can take an extra 10min since it was an airport style security. They’re not too strict about you showing up at exactly your time slot though. We started the day at 10am and got back to the city around 2pm.

The official ferry to get you to the Statue of Liberty in Ellis Island. The hot chocolate was amazing and everyone was efficient and safe getting us over to the island despite the water being full of ice. Plenty of stating for people who may need it, and efficient at loading and unloading everyone.

Great experience overall! Had to go security twice(booked ticketes that let us inside the base of the statue) but after that it was a great experience! The National Park officers were very pleasant. We definitely need to come back here during the warmer months cause the weather dampened our day a bit

The ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty is a highlight of the entire experience and feels like a mini–sightseeing tour all on its own. Boarding is well-organized, and once you’re on the boat, the trip is smooth, scenic, and surprisingly relaxing—even on busy days. As the ferry pulls away from Battery Park, you get some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline. The moment Lady Liberty comes into full view is genuinely exciting, whether it’s your first time or your tenth. The boat offers plenty of outdoor space for photos, and indoor seating for anyone who wants a calmer ride. The crew is efficient and helpful. The ride is short—just long enough to enjoy, not long enough to drag—and the return trip from Liberty or Ellis Island is just as beautiful. Expect lines during peak tourist hours, but they usually move quickly, and the boarding process feels organized. Overall, the ferry adds a fun, scenic, and memorable piece to the Statue of Liberty visit.

The price is decent for the experience ($26 general admission). Book online get a very vague email with your ticket barcode. Please note this is the only option to get to the statue and Ellis. Then things go downhill from here. Got tickets 9am (under the impression you are leaving at 9am-once deep diving in email links you find that 9am is not the departure time-that’s security time. Another link you can find that from NY it will drop you off at the statue first, then Ellis, then NY. So here’s some helpful hints to help you make your experience a 4/5 star: Plan to leave 35ish minutes after your ticket time (we left at 9:33am) Don’t bother getting there super early (unless you REALLY want a seat-we got in line around 8:22am and got a seat). You end up being corralled into a huge group and then have to shove yourself down into 2 person lanes for security (why not organize that from the start? Not sure…) After getting through security which is like going through airport (except for shoe removal) take your Apple Watch off? What? Okay?! I don’t even have to do that at the airport…take all items jacket, hats, scarves, gloves, and watches apparently! THEN you get corralled back into a large group only to have to shove yourself back into 2 lane entrance for the ferry. WHY?! Ferry was definitely rocking our day so warnings for those that get easily seasick-it definitely was fine once we got away from the dock though! Otherwise they got us there and back safely. Please note that none of this information throughout the duration of the boat ride. No hello goodbye or details to anything. (Including history facts and/or destinations). Check my photos for the time frames that the ferries come to each island if you are a planner and like to know what’s going on because it’s not in the email! PS. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is a great experience and would rate a 5 star. The Statue of Liberty area has obviously the wonderful lady herself, a seperate museum, food, and gift shop. You could spend hours at Ellis Island reading all the details, they also have a great gift shop and audio tour options! FYI: Currently under construction and Family Heritage Center is closed as of this date of posting.

I took the Statue of Liberty cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it was crowded, the views and overall atmosphere made the trip worthwhile. The Ellis Island narration added valuable historical context, which made the sights even more meaningful. Seeing the Statue of Liberty up close was unforgettable, and the entire experience felt smooth and well-managed despite the crowds. A fun and memorable way to experience an iconic piece of American history.

Toured on a colder, overcast day in October, takes you near all the sites and if you're outside by the bow or stern of the boat you'll have a chance for some great shots. Good price and tour lasts plenty of time to take it all in!

Statue City Cruises is the only authorized official provider of tickets to the Statute of Liberty and Ellis Island. If you're taking a ferry boat to Liberty Island or Ellis Island, you're on one of their boats. I've been out to Ellis Island several times, but I've never gotten off the ferry at the Statue of Liberty before. So last weekend, when I was visiting New York, I decided to head out to Liberty Island on a Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a pretty bad experience. The beginning was fine. I showed up on time for my security check in (you should arrive a half hour before your boarding/ticket time to get through security). And after waiting in line for the next ferry boat, I was off to the Statue of Liberty. Leaving the Statue of Liberty, I got on the first or second boat I waited for, so things were still okay. Where things went south was when I was trying to leave Ellis Island. So, the first thing to know is that I think it's only one boat (maybe two) that all day long goes from Battery Park to Liberty Island to Ellis Island. So you do have to wait for the ferry to get back to you to make it to your next stop. Unfortunately, Ellis Island was a disaster. Unlike at Battery Park and Liberty Island, the there isn't a great structure for queueing. So rather than there being a line, there was more of a crowd, which means people who had just gotten on line could push their way onto the ferry. Secondly, not everyone gets off at Ellis Island (huge mistake; I think it might be the better stop on the ferry), so not that many people can get on at Ellis Island (the boat stays near capacity and can only take on a few passengers). So what happened? I got on the fourth ferry to arrive at Ellis Island. The fourth. It was a really hot day; there is no shade at Ellis Island waiting for the ferry. So the crowd started to get really unhappy, boos when we didn't get onto another ferry, cheering when ferries arrived (trying to say: "it's fun here, get off..." so more passengers would get off at Ellis Island, loud groans... We were in the sun for over an hour. It was hot and it was miserable. If I had the power to make suggestions to Statue City Cruises, I'd suggest they make a queue with metal barricades to ensure that people are getting on in the order in which they queued. I'd also suggest they create some cover for shade, so that when people are waiting for an hour in the summer, no one gets heat stroke. Aside from the suggestions above, I have some advice for those of you that want to go to Ellis Island. GO EARLY. Seriously, be on the first boat of the day. (I couldn't do this because my train didn't get into New York until 9 am and then I had some things to do that morning; I got on the noon ferry). I didn't notice until after my bad experience but their website says: "The wait time can be several hours, particularly during peak season including summer, weekends, and holidays." Maybe they should do something about this? It really ruined the experience. I'm sure it won't stop me from doing this again in a few years when the experience has drifted into a less vivid memory, but I hope I remember TO GET ON THE FIRST FERRY OF THE DAY.

This is the only way to see the statue and Ellis island. They are both great to see. But this company running the boats is atrocious. They need to admit that this is hotel California. You can get there but you can never leave. We went and walked around the statue on liberty island and then took the boat to Ellis island no problem. Then we tried to leave Ellis island and all told waited two and a half hours in a line of nearly 1000 people as boat after boat came and no one got off and no one could get on. After hours they finally sent an empty boat but by then people were sick. Multiple people needed medical attention and one person passed out during the wait due to heat. They had no cover for the sun, no management of the line and no response to the needs of a hot day. Don't bother. This lack of planning and management on their part ruined what could have been a great day.

Excellent experience - this is the only licensed ferry operator to the Statue of Liberty. We bought our tickets in advance, allowing us on the first ferry of the day. The entire experience was simple. You check in at Battery Park, go through a very intensive security process (more detailed than the airport), then wait in line again to go. The ferry itself doesn't have much seating - head upstairs if you want to sit and do it quickly.

Took awhile to get boarded but overall had a pleasant time. I'd recommend getting an earlier reservation to avoid competing with later crowds. Security was clean and efficient. Great view of the statue as we circled before docking. Get a spot at the top of the boat! I see many people complaining about getting back on at Ellis Island. While we didn't have an issue, I could see the queue being a bit difficult to navigate and get back to Battery Park. The cinnamon roll was just bread and a bit of icing so wouldn't recommend the food onboard.

So, we booked the Hard Hat tour on Ellis Island, and it was a decent booking, but it was missing a few things that would've made it great. We found the location at Battery Park, but it was a bit tricky. Our GPS took us to the wrong place, and there were a lot of people giving directions, but you couldn't really trust anyone. Haha! The tour advertised special or expedited service in line, but we didn't get anything. Once on the ferry, it would've been helpful if they had explained that it's a one-way trip for the ferry. It stops at the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and then back to Battery Park. Ferries leave every 20 minutes, so you can jump on and off as you like. This would've been great to know ahead of time. We had a 12:30 tour, but when we arrived, no one was at the information counter as scheduled. There were two counters: one for the tours and one for Ellis Island. There was a very nice lady at the other counter who made it clear that this was a private organization and not affiliated with the main Ellis Island. She also had no idea when they would return. After about 30 minutes, a nice young man showed up and said that due to employees calling in sick, they had to cancel some of the tours. He told us that we could get a refund by calling the number and telling them there was an issue with the "FERRIES"! Of course, there wasn't, but he said that's how to get the refund or we could wait an hour for the next tour. We were also told to enjoy a movie that was about to start in10 min while we waited for the tour. The movie started 10 min early so that was also a no go. We waited and did the tour anyway. I was as advertised, and we got to see a lot of the old hospital that no one sees. It took about 90 minutes, and we did a lot of walking. You need a hard hat because there are low ceilings, construction, and lots of dangerous broken windows.

Weather: 29* January 11, 25 What a wonderful day trip we had visiting the Statue of Liberty with statue city cruises. From 11:30am security check-in and noon, we boarded the ferry. We did both Islands, liberty, and Ellis. We finish exploring everything by 3 P.M. A total of 3-4 hours. We booked a pedestal Reserve, but the crown was not available. They are all the same price, so book that one so you can have access to go up. We didn't have to stand in line for the ferry. It was not busy or crowed like the majority of the comments stated. This winter season is a great time to visit it to avoid big crowds and long lines. . From January - March the new Jersey location is close so Battery Park in NY will be the only one open. I'm guessing that helps with the wait time for the ferry. Weather: 29* January 11, 25 What a wonderful day trip we had visiting the Statue of Liberty with statue city cruises. From 11:30am security check-in and noon, we boarded the ferry. We did both Islands, liberty, and Ellis. We finish exploring everything by 3 P.M. A total of 3-4 hours. We booked a pedestal Reserve, but the crown was not available. They are all the same price, so book that one so you can have access to go up. We didn't have to stand in line for the ferry. It was not busy or crowed like the majority of the comments stated. This winter season is a great time to visit it to avoid big crowds and long lines. . From January - March the new Jersey location is close so Battery Park in NY will be the only one open. I'm guessing that helps with the wait time for the ferry.

This was part of our city pass. The meeting spot was at Battery Park by the Whitehall Terminal (the Staten Island Ferry). We went through an airport-like security checkpoint, which was expected. The boat gets full all the way, at least based on our experience this Saturday morning. This is just a ferry that transports people to Liberty and Ellis Islands. People were disappointed thinking this was an actual tour cruise. We were taken to the iconic Statue of Liberty and spent some time there. Once we were done and ready, we embarked again and were taken to Ellis Island to explore its museum. Then, it took us back to Battery Park. The boat has restrooms and a snack bar selling drinks, hotdogs, pretzels, candy, etc. for your convenience. We had such a great experience with City Cruises and continue to use this company in different cities we visit.

Note to tourists: this is the official business for to visit and have access to liberty island, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty museum! ALWAYS buy your tickets at the state park booth at Battery Park. DO NOT buy them from the random scammers on the street who will try and sell you overpriced private boat tours that only allow you to see the Statue.

I think it's a decently run business. The problem is that it's so popular and it's not so easy to cut through the spam of the other scammy tourist operators out there. The first step was securing a reservation. What's funny is that there are 3 levels of ticket: general, pedestal reserve, and crown reserve. There are all about the same price, but the crown reserve has the least available tickets (as they can't allow that many people up to the crown). When we tried to reserve, those spots were already all taken. However, if you keep checking the website, you'll occasionally find crown reserve spots for certain time slots that were probably recently cancelled, that you can just snatch up, if you have flexibility in your schedule. Fortunately, we lucked out. Getting to Battery Park is a bit tricky though. Once you exit the subway, competiting tour operators will promptly assail you, telling that you need to "check in", "that there are 2-hour long waits to get in", and "you can get an express boat to the statue". Don't be tempted, the actual check-in is closer to the water - just follow the signs through the park. Side note: there are public restrooms to the right, in Battery Park. After they scanned our tickets, we got in a security line, but it went faster than expected, and we were soon in line for the next ferry. They can pack a lot of people in each ferry, and we got on after about 45 minutes.

Ferry runs every hour...on the hour...from 9am - 3pm. The ferry from Manhattan goes to Liberty Island first and then Ellis Island. After Ellis Island, it will return to Manhattan. Purchase timed tickets (from NY) online for about $32. ($25 cost + $7 fee) All three options, general admission, pedestal access and crown access are all the same price. There is a line for general admission, which is quite long, compared to a separate line for those who chose the pedestal or crown access. I would say, if available, choose the pedestal/crown access for the sole purpose to get on that line...even if you have no interest in visiting the pedestal or crown. Either way...shortly after your ticket is scanned toward the "front" of the line, the two lines merge just before going into the TSA-style security check area. There you will remove all metal objects (you can keep your shoes on) and walk through a metal detector. After clearing security, you will then be directed to the holding area where you will board the ferry. Once the ferry arrives, it will take some time for the returning passengers to unboard before you can board it. The ferry is big with three levels...lower, middle and upper. The lower and middle are mostly indoors. The upper is all outdoors. There is a food/drink shop on the lower level. The steps between the levels can be a bit steep...so be careful, particularly when the boat is rocking. For reference, on a nice Friday afternoon with general admission, it took almost an hour from the time I got onto the line until I boarded the ferry. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes, comfortable (and weather appropriate) clothes, a hat (helps from the sun) and an umbrella (if rain in expected). Also be mindful that much of the line in under trees...so those allergy-sufferers may want to keep an antihistamine handy. Ferry terminal is close walking distance from the 1 (South Ferry), R/W (Whitehall Street) and 4/5 (Bowling Green) train stations. Be very careful to only purchase tickets from Statue City Cruises...while I was there, there were multiple signs warning visitors to be wary of vendors selling fake tickets near the ferry terminal. Statue City Cruises is the ONLY vendor authorized to sell ferry tickets. Overall, despite the long lines, waits and crowds...I think they do a good job at getting all those people screened, boarded and unboarded. It is quite a task if you think about it...so be patient.

The company's method is to pack as many people as possible onto the boat to make the trip to the island. The city only uses this company, so they have no need to offer good customer service. An announcement was made in line to squeeze together and take up every available space. There was no line. On the boat, safety instructions were put on the intercom at a volume no one could hear (outside). It felt very unsafe and unenjoyable. We did arrive safely, thus the 2 stars.

The experience overall was nice but I think the process could be smoother. It was memorial weekend so boarding and disembarking was chaotic. We got a reservation for the crown and that complicated the process a bit. You'd first have to go to another building to print the tickets and get the wristbands. Meanwhile people without the crown reservation seem to have the tickets on their phone. Nevertheless the crown was a cool experience and I highly recommend getting a reservation there. The stairs going up is very cramped so be wary!

I felt bad writing this review because I don't like to give low stars. But I was with a group and we discussed this heavily. While the best thing about this was convenience, since this was really the only option on the Statue of Liberty island, the food was mediocre at best - to the point where my group wanted to return the food but we didn't want to be THAT customer. Customer service was great though and that's why I gave it a two stars and not one star - everyone was friendly and helpful. Plus I love that they compost and they are very environmentally friendly! We got the grilled chicken sandwich (the chicken was Slimy and wasn't grilled), spicy chicken sandwich (very breads with little chicken meat), pizza (it was okay) and the hot dog. The hot dog was the best and it was worth the money we paid for it. If you get any food, I highly recommend the hot dog. And thanking the workers - they were awesome.

Not enough ferries running, and hundreds of people left standing in line in the sweltering Sun. Waiting for one.

I'm satisfied with this attraction. We've been to NYC a few times but never came to see the Statue of Liberty. Ferry ride was decent despite it being a windy day. The park was not too busy so we got great photo ops. There were indeed crowds when we came but nothing that was too unbearable. Lines moved fairly quickly.

The website the use needs work. If a tour is booked, it does not tell you. The website continues to try and load and won't. The ladies working the line walked me through how to book. The boat ride was good, great views throughout. The crew was rude, yelling at people to get off when you can tell there was a language barrier.

The website is not helpful at all. We tried looking up instructions and we were getting mixed information about where to go. They had pictures of where to go. The only thing that was helpful was the customer service texting that got back very quickly and helped direct us to the right place. The pictures on the website are out dated! I do not recommend this cruise if you want a stress free experience. The boat ride was good. Food and snacks were cheap. The island itself had terrible tasting food. The management of the cafe were rude.

DO NOT PURCHASE TICKETS FROM THIS COMPANY. This was my first time visiting NY and I was extremely excited about seeing the Statue. I purchased 6 general admission tickets for the 12pm boarding on the ferry. According to their website, it says to arrive 30 minutes before your boarding time to ensure you have enough time to go through security check. Your boarding time meaning NOTHING!!! Luckily we arrived around 10:30am because we wanted to check out the rest of Battery Park. While walking around we noticed an extremely long line wrapping around the park. This was the line for general admission. After trying to speak with numerous employees, we finally found one that told us we had to go to the back of the line and our boarding time means nothing. You are essentially in a "queue". They board people every 25 minutes. There are no signs anywhere of what to do. After speaking with multiple people in line, they too were just as upset because of how deceiving the website is. They offer no refunds because they know it's a screwed up system and will do nothing to fix it. We spent $200 so we opted to wait in line. 2 hours later we finally got our tickets scanned and we were hurdled in like cattle to the security check. I didn't see one employee in sight monitoring the lines. It's so unorganized that even the people who paid extra were being pushed around by others trying to get in line. They just want to take everyone's money and not make this a great experience. I will never recommend this to anyone going to NY to see the Statue. Do better please.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Statue of Liberty on a cruise, and I must admit that the experience left a lot to be desired. From the moment we arrived, the long lines were a major turn-off. It seemed like there was no effort to manage the crowd efficiently, which led to frustratingly long wait times. We had a reserved time slot, but they let anyone with a ticket through at any time. The lines were not single file, so people kept shoving to try to get on the cruise. I had my ankles clipped many times. Once we finally boarded the cruise, the disappointments continued. The boat was overcrowded, making it challenging to find a comfortable spot to enjoy the views. The boat clearly exceeded its maximum capacity and there were not enough life jackets. Moreover, the lack of organization became evident as there were no clear instructions or announcements during the journey. It felt like a chaotic free-for-all. As we approached the Statue of Liberty, the excitement quickly turned into frustration as the boat's positioning made it difficult to get a good view. The supposed highlight of the trip was obscured by the disorganized arrangement of passengers on the deck. It was a missed opportunity to capture a great photo or truly immerse oneself in the historic ambiance. All in all, I was left with the impression that this cruise was not worth the time and money. The lack of proper crowd control and mismanagement of the cruise experience significantly impacted the joy of seeing the Statue of Liberty up close. I hope that the organizers take these issues seriously and work on improving the overall experience for future visitors. Basically, this scam of a company needs to quit being greedy for tourist cash and stop selling its cruises to overcapacity. Until then, I would not recommend this cruise to others. By the way, this was on a weekday late afternoon.

This experience has so much potential to be great with some crowd control. I have no pictures to share of the crowds getting through security or the ferry. They'd be identical to what's already been posted. The views from the ferry were great if you're in a good spot. We opted to not get off at the Statue of Liberty after seeing the swarm of people waiting to board the ferry to return to NYC. We got great pictures from the water.

First time visitor to the Statue of Liberty. We had only purchased the GA tickets a few weeks before and tickets to the crown and pedestal were sold out until September. You can save your tickets and scan the QR code to enter the queue to the ferry. My relative who purchased the tickets didn't want to save them digitally and he had to go somewhere else to get printed tickets. We wasted 15 minutes waiting for him to return. You board the ferry for a short ride to the Statue of Liberty and disembark. It was nice to walk to around. Before you board the ferry to Ellis Island, go walk around the museum and you can see the original torch. The ferry runs every 20-25 minutes. Hopped onto the ferry to Ellis Island and walked through the museum. Great reading about its history. When it was time to return to NYC, we ended up waiting 1.5 hours for the ferry. Because the route is NYC-Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island-NYC, the ride back to Manhattan is dependent on how many people disembark at Ellis Island. They have more ferries running at the end of the day supposedly. There is a concession stand on the ferry if you want a snack. Be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting for the ferry home.

I went with my family on the weekend which was my biggest mistake. It was so crowded.... Great experience, very informative and insanely gorgeous views but the wait times were BOGUS. Getting on the boat took us over half an hour on the way there. And on the way back we waited in line for 1.5 hours. So expect to lose a whole day if you go on the weekend. Lastly, there was no food provided, so we made our own sandwiches. There is pizza on Liberty island if anyone is interested.

Good: lots of boats and good timing between. The sites were amazing and ticket price was good. Boating staff were nice and clean boats Need improvement: they provide an address for NJ - when you Google it you are brought to the middle of a Mariana - we spent 20 mins trying to find where to go to checkin. During this time, I tried to call, but everything was recorded. There were no signs and it was difficult to find.

We went to New York to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, Great choice! I have difficulty walking, so I'm confined to a wheelchair and we were concerned about going to the Statue of Liberty because of the wheelchair. We checked out several videos about accessibility and it looked like it will work no problem. These guys loading the ferry went above and beyond our expectations, Not only did they not make me feel uncomfortable, but they made me feel like a VIP. They Grabbed the wheelchair, very confidently and wheeled me up and pulled me right off on the other side. Two guys catch me when I got up to the top is actually kind of fun. Statue of Liberty was awesome the food was OK but your team that you have in place was the best part of our trip. Great job. Thank you so much for all of your help. We will be back to New York.

This is poorly run company which cynically sells as many tickets as they can regardless of how many boats available. The timed tickets are meaningless... you wind up standing in line with a massive crowd- in our case 1 1 and 1/2 hours. We finally left because the museum was near closing. We couldn't get a refund so I had to start a dispute against them on my credit card.

This is the official ferry company for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. They pack a lot of people onto each boat at a time, but the process is fairly organized. They do their best to keep things moving smoothly Expect to go through security before you board the boat, then enjoy!

The lines to get on/off the boats from ANY of the locations are insane and completely out of control. Be WARNED: boats WILL LEAVE before your reserved time if they deem it is full and those boats fill up FAST! The lines are extremely crowded and they really do pack as many people on/off as they can. When they say arrive 30 mins early, you better be there because it's likely they'll be a huge line developing if you are not. It is painful getting on/off the ferry, but if you can manage to snag a view of the city coming in/out it's really really nice. They need more boats and more clear guidelines to improve these tours! Clearly overworked!

This was horrible enough that we bailed before even getting on the boat. The line through the security checkpoint was brisk, but you are then spit out into a mass of people with no eta when you might get on the boat. No restrooms available while you wait well over an hour to board. If you need one, you lose your place in the line. There is only one boat, seemingly, and to say it looked overcrowded and unsafe would be an understatement. No way they had enough life vests on board for the quantity of passengers. We ended up hopping the fence to get out of there and will never return to this trap.

This was supposed to be one of the highlights of our trip but instead, it became the low point. What a cluster. Probably one of the worst examples of disorganization I've seen at a public venue. We arrived at 10:20 am for our 11:00 am tour. When we arrived, we were told that the time shown on our ticket "didn't mean anything", and we just need to get in line. The line was easily 1/2 mile long! We waited until 11:45 and we weren't even half way through the line. We gave up and walked away because we had other things to do and realized we would spend the entire day there waiting for a boat that was excessively overcrowded. If you're thinking about taking this tour don't. It's a total waste of time and money.

Where the hell is the boat? Waiting half hour for boat in Ellis island. Line is 1000 deep. NYC needs to cut the contract with these guys.

Great tour for the price. Definitely book in advance and go during the off-season. We went in March and did not have to deal with long wait times to get on the ferry.

It's unfortunate that this incompetent company has a government contract, since the experience is miserable and *dangerous* to passengers. They don't operate on time (your "reservation time" is meaningless), they don't provide shelter for the waiting line of hundreds, and they don't fill the boats that do come. Someone could have died in the crowd in the heat. DO NOT PUT YOURSELF AT RISK. Things can be handled so much better.

They overbook the cruises and we had to wait over 2 hours to board our return ferry. We did not get to board until the 4th ferry arrived.

We liked the Statue City Cruise visit and the pedestal reservation we made. I would recommend that you try to go later in the afternoon when the lines and crowds are less than in the early morning! We went at 1 PM and it was ok but realized on our return back that 3 PM would have been even better (less croweded) too!

We visited both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis island on one beautiful day. The fairy took us to the Statue of Liberty, and we walked around the entire island with the audio tour which was included. We then went up into the pedestal of the statue. The younger generation in our family wanted to climb to the Crowne, but there were no more tickets available. If you want to climb to the crown, make your reservations early. The museums at the base of the pedestal and the museum on their body island by the water, front and back of the statue are both excellent. There is a gift shop, cafeteria and bookstore, which were very interesting. We then check another ferry to Ellis Island. We visited several sections of the museum, telling the story of early immigration to the United States. Our family has grandparents and great grandparents who came through Ellis Island and we were able to find their names on the walls in the backyard. He also found the names of others we knew had come. There is a section on the third floor with memorabilia from people from all over the globe. They came through Ellis island, including their clothing,. Attire and cultural dress. It was magnificently done. This is a must visit for every single American, and all those visiting America. It tells the story of how our nation was built by immigrants, I would like to go back and take a guided tour and get more detail and some of the exhibit.

Since this is the ONLY way to visit the Statue and Ellis Island, the company knows it. They treat people like cattle and are VERY rude to those who may have a language barrier and those who are just trying to follow the rules. If you are a friend of the dock workers, you need not wait in the very long line in the blazing sun. Boats fill up fast and the employees laugh when they stop the boarding line. Meanwhile, the elderly and young children are stuck in the sun not knowing when they will be allowed on a ship. Those in charge should be embarrassed to treat others in such a cruel and demeaning way. And when you DO get on a boat, the seats are just awful. You are headed like cattle from start to finish. What a way to ruin an otherwise enjoyable experience.

A disorganized mess. I lived through this hell today. The one and two star reviews are 100% accurate. Pick the worst airport experience you've ever had and this company will top it. We showed up at 10:15am for our 11am departure to find out that your selected time is merely a suggestion. Our boat finally left Battery Park at 12:45pm. Incredibly long lines, no crowd control, disorganized security and boarding process and overcrowded boat. It killed our entire day. Did they not know we were coming? Or is it just a matter of selling as many tickets as possible and just letting the chips fall where they may? We were not able to see or do anything else today. If you are in town for a few days, the time commitment here is just not worth it. Unless you have special tickets to climb into the pedestal or up the crown, I suggest taking the free Staten Island Ferry for some lovely photo ops and carrying on with your day. It's ironic how many of your liberties you relinquish to this company to see Lady Liberty up close. Huge thumbs down.

Absolutely don't do it. The most inefficient use of time - standing in lines 4x longer than it takes to see the monument. Someone needs to call Disney to see how it's supposed to work. This is bullshit.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time on both islands. This review is focused on the company providing transportation to and from. We were disappointed at the practice of yelling at the passengers. As you board and disembark, young male crew members yell ridiculous commands, repeating them constantly in quick succession --- "Small, quick steps!" "Up and over the yellow line!" "No line. No line. No line" ---- barking at everyone with little respect. Who decided this was necessary for safety? Is this the version of the US our government wants to show tourists from around the world? Shameful. Also, no narration. We saw 10 employees standing around while waiting for the drug dog to complete its check prior to leaving Battery Park. Not one person could talk to the children in the crowd about the ferry and the harbor? There must be a company out there who could provide better customer service for what has to be a very lucrative government contract.

It took us over an hour to get on the boat. Felt like the system wasn't designed or trained for an influx of tourists.

Everyone go in front of us 20 instead of 15 and 5 they are horrible like arrows go but ones they said everything was to keep the school together was already on the other one but they just let everyone else go except us I'm calling authorities

It is a shame that this is the only ferry company that has a government contract to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis island. These are wonderful sites that everyone should be able to see. The experience of the ferry is just awful however. You may wait 45 minutes or more 3 times to get to the statue, then to Ellis island, and then back again. There is no shade while you are in a huge line. Plan for a full day, bring hats/umbrellas for shade, and water. This company's contract should be revoked or add a second company to provide some competition.

Easy and friendly staff make a trip to liberty island a breeze. I was surprised how organized and quick the process was and I was really impressed.

We visited mid-day in July; our mistake as it was hot waiting in both lines (ticket kiosk and security). They have several benches lining the sidewalk where you line up, but they're barricaded off so those waiting cannot use them. Employees working the line seemed too busy to offer any insight to our questions. A couple of small changes to customer service could help propel this operation to the next level.

Workers don't know what they are doing and it is very disorganized. We pay for the tickets online and the instructions say to go and pick up the tickets at the kiosk. We went to the kiosk early and the lady said we were good to go.

The view & boat were beautiful but the security and concession stand workers really ruined the whole experience. They're the first out of pocket, rude people my mother and I have met on our trip to New York. They don't have the food they say that they do in the morning, and when you ask if they do, you will definitely get a really rude remark for asking.

This was a pleasant trip to the Statue of Liberty. The ferry can be very crowded but it's a short trip. They offer hot and cold snacks onboard. The pretzels are very good. The attendants do a great job of herding people on and off the boat. There are 3 levels to the ferry. The top being prime real estate of course so get there early if you want a seat on top.