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New York City: Statue of Liberty & Skyline 90-Min Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.51 (2,415 reviews) 77% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

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Duration1h 30m

GroupUp to 200

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Statue of Liberty up close city skyline rush bridges and river wind

You’ll board at Pier 78 for a 90-minute cruise past New York’s icons—the Statue of Liberty up close, Ellis Island’s history, and Manhattan’s wild skyline. Expect live stories from your guide, free digital photos snapped onboard, and time to just watch city lights flicker as you pass under famous bridges. It’s quick but somehow lingers with you long after.

1h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Depart from Pier 78
Pause near Statue of Liberty for photos
Pass by Ellis Island
View Manhattan skyline and One World Trade Center
Pass under Brooklyn Bridge
Pass by Empire State Building
See South Street Seaport
Return to Pier 78

The Experience

I didn’t expect the boat to feel so open—like you could just reach out and touch the water. We left Pier 78 with the sun still hanging on, not quite sunset but that weird in-between where Manhattan’s glass looks almost soft. Our guide, Marcus, had this way of telling stories that made Ellis Island feel personal—he pointed at a spot and said his own grandmother came through there. I got goosebumps for a second. The wind off the Hudson was colder than I thought it’d be in May, but everyone seemed too busy craning their necks for photos to care.

When we got close to the Statue of Liberty, people sort of hushed themselves without meaning to. It’s bigger than you think from the shore—her torch looked gold against the gray sky. There was this guy named Li taking pictures for us (free digital ones, which is nice because my phone camera is hopeless), and he made me laugh when he tried to get my group to say “cheese” in three languages. I probably butchered it in Mandarin—Li just grinned and gave me a thumbs up anyway.

The private skyline cruise was only ninety minutes but somehow packed in Brooklyn Bridge, One World Trade Center, even a glimpse of Empire State Building through some low clouds. The snack bar had pretzels that tasted like they’d been waiting for someone all day (not complaining—I needed salt after all that wind). I kept thinking about how many people must’ve crossed those bridges before us. We sailed under Brooklyn Bridge right as a subway rattled overhead—felt like classic New York chaos but from this weirdly peaceful angle.

I still think about that moment drifting back toward Midtown, lights flickering on along the riverbanks. You can’t really see New York until you’re looking at it from the water—you know? The whole thing felt both huge and strangely personal at once.

What’s included

Your day includes boarding at Pier 78 with flexible departure times, live narration by a local guide sharing real stories as you pass each landmark, complimentary digital photos taken by an onboard photographer so you don’t have to worry about your phone dying again, plus access to a snack bar stocked with food and drinks (even cocktails if you want one). Just show up early—they won’t wait if you’re late—and everything else is handled right there on the boat.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Starship NYC Sightseeing Cruises