The ferry ride from Battery Park and self guided tour of Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty was enjoyable. The only thing I didn't understand was going though airport style security at the Battery Park pier, then again when you got off on Liberty Island. In any case, it was a no frills self walking tour of the island along with our access to the top of the pedestal. read more

Statue City Cruises is the ONLY approved vendor for the Statue of Liberty Tours, and therefore they can run it however they want. We purchased our tickets back in January for an April visit. The Crown Tickets are limited. When I checked the day prior it was all sold out, so we got pretty lucky to have it available on the day we were in town. My friends who live in New York said they haven't even had the opportunity to check out the Crown. The Crown Reserve tickets ($32.80/adult) include ferry access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which are two separate stops. There is NO CANCELLATION on these tickets. And no transferring from one person to another. You have to put in the name of person for the tickets, and they check ID upon arrival and ticket pick up. You can embark this tour from the NJ or NY side. We came from the NY side, and had to pick up our tickets at Battery Park at will call. They pick up location was a bit out of the way from where the lines are. I'm REALLY ANNOYED that they pushed my time back half an hour from what I booked online. And when I went to the line they told me to COME BACK IN 30 min to GET INTO A LONG ENDLESS LINE. The whole experience was waiting... Waiting in line to get through security check point. Wait in another line to get onto the ship for the ferry. Wait wait wait... The returning trips have similar stories... Wait wait wait for the ship to come back and get you. All of their lines are thick and un managed so if people are aggressive, people behind you can easily push their way through in front of you. I'm not a fan of their lacking structure. 10:34 am Arrive at Battery Park 10:47 am Pick up Tickets at Will Call 11:00 am Told to come back at 11:30 11:30 am Get in Line for Screening 12:13 pm Finally get onto the Cruise Ship 12:28 pm Arrive at Statue of Liberty island (skipped museum in the interest of time) 1:15 pm Climbed to the top of the Crown 2:30 pm Arrive at Ellis Island 3:52 pm Finally Get Back to NY I have no desire to come back. It would have to be someone else dragging me back, and I have no one else to pawn them off to deal with this. I feel like the whole thing just ate up my day. No wonder why my friends who are locals have no desire to come here. read more

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first of all, beware of fake tickets. while searching on web, you can find many websites selling fake tickets. while only 'cityexperiences' are authorized to sell tickets. these tickets provides access to the grounds of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. i always wonder, same tickets provide general access, pedestal access and crown access too. and still half of the folks choose general admission and when they go to Pedestal access building, they got denied from security staff. We boarded from Liberty park, parking is near by, $7/day. some folks uses empty sky memorial parking as well, which has 2 hrs max parking limit. All visitors must pass through airport grade security procedures in the Screening Facility (like airport security). i would say, be mindful about timing, I would suggest dont board after 2:30-3, you wont get enough time to visit both Ellis island, statue, and museum. lining up for ferry could be little bit frustrating, specially from liberty park as there is no shade. Boarding the ferry and you have option to go to upper deck, back to boat (Manhattan view). first it will take you to Ellis island, spend 30-40 minutes there, and then take a ferry to liberty island and then take 3rd ferry to Liberty park. read more

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Statue City Cruises is the official ferry service that takes visitors to Liberty Island (home of the Statue of Liberty) and Ellis Island. We made reservations in advance and got there early. It was quite busy and I can only imagine what it's like in the summer and later in the day. Their security is like airport security but thankfully the lines moved fast. There were a lot of staff just milling around the park directing you to the entrace which was interesting. The ferry itself was a pleasant ride. Found the staff to be curt both on the ground and on the ferry...perhaps you get that way dealing so many people all the time. read more

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Easy to book online. Recommend to book in advance. Overall organized and easy to navigate in checkin and boarding the ferry. Located in battery park. The ferry takes us to both liberty island and Ellis Island. Noticed liberty island is part of national park service now. We took a day trip in a hot and humid summer temperature. Wished waiting area is shaded. Long line to get on ship and it was sardined. Boat in good condition, clean and well maintained. Staff members were curt in directing, though it's understandable that weather and crowd can really affect manner in staff, I wish them to be more welcoming and polite. Two museums in liberty island. Highly recommend the one located in pedestal ground floor level where you can learn more of how it was built. The other one was seemingly built under a hill with an extended platform terrace overlooking the bay, quite an interesting architecture. Clear sign on dock showing which direction to take. Ferry runs frequently. Ellis Island had interesting exhibitions that you can spend a good couple of hours there. Visited cafe and gift shop which both gave us good dining and shopping experience. Ferry located right in front of the old immigration building. If you have time, check out the surrounding area. It has nice bay view. Scamming sketch portrait artist in pier area after landing ashore in battery park. Ask for more money after it's done. Be careful not to deal with him. We had a very good time in our day trip taking the statue city cruise to liberty and ellis islands. This cruise was the highlight of our vacation in NYC and I highly recommend it to everyone. read more

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We had a great trip with Statue City Cruises. The departure location at Battery Park is well signed with plenty of staff guiding traffic. Cruise schedule was easy to follow from the Statue to Ellis Island. We had scheduled our October tour 2 months in advance. The tour date landed on the same day as the first Nor'Eastern storm of the season in NYC. With a state of emergency declared and winds of 50+ mph, it wasn't ideal for this cruise and exploring the Statue of Liberty. The customer service via chat was quick and helpful to reschedule our cruise to the next day. read more

Statue City Cruise - Statue of Liberty from the ferry - Ferries Near Me

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The experience was okay overall. First, be prepared for a long line at the entrance, where you'll go through a TSA-style security inspection for metal and personal belongings. Once you finally board, the boat ride itself was packed with people, more people standing and some are sitting on the floor which made it feel a little overwhelming. Honestly, I wasn't sure if there were enough life jackets for everyone if something were to happen. Getting off at Liberty Island was nice, the island itself is beautiful, and there's a small museum you can explore. Also, food snack is available if you get hungry and there are really good souvenirs that are worth checking out. However, when it was time to leave, there was another long wait just to board a ferry back. Unfortunately, We didn't get a chance to visit Ellis Island because the crowds were overwhelming and everything was jam-packed. In short, if you have patience for long waits and big crowds, it's worth it for the views and the experience of seeing the Statue of Liberty up close. Otherwise, it's just an average outing. read more

I enjoyed the tour It was really nice, the ride was quick showing us all the angles of Lady liberty So I got some great views in, there was plenty to walk around and view besides the construction work that day which was fine cause it reminded me of the Egyptians. however I didn't get to go with my mom because she was outrageously treated by a woman security guard. They stopped her because she set off the metal detector because she was wearing an underwire bra. When my mom refused to be " frisked" she was told she must go to a private room and submit to a search. The guard would not let her leave and called several more security guards, who agreed my mom could leave. We traveled from San Francisco to visit New York's famous sites, only to be treated with disrespect and disappointment. By the way, we were celebrating my mom's 71st birthday. It was a very upsetting and traumatic experience for all of us. Plus if you want security and authority please get rid of the scammers and fake advertising during the line I don't wanna be sold scams bro... read more

Booked well in advance for a pedestal tour, no Information at booking about the severely limited items that could be brought up. We arrived 35 minutes in advance of our scheduled time. We waited in a huge line to get through security. Our scheduled boat came and went, over 20 minutes later we boarded another boat after an hour in line. When we got to the pedestal entrance, not only we're we limited in what we could bring, but the change machines for the coin only lockers were broken. One of our parry had to stay back with our stuff and miss out. After maybe 30 minutes on the island we noted the incredibly long line back. So the rest of our time on the island was spent in an hour long line for the boat back. When we finally got back it was 4:30. We'd spent 3 hours on this tour, 2 hours in lines, 30 minutes on the ferries, and 30 minutes visiting the Statue. Our entire party agreed never again. A comfortable cruise around d liberty Island would have been a thousand times better then this hellos experience. read more

Statue City Cruise - Boat - Ferries Near Me

My husband and I got the first ferry out to get there and we're told to show up 15 minutes before to check in. We got there 15 min early and did not check in until 9am, our ticket time. You have to throw any drinks and food away prior to boarding. Security is strict but once you pass it, it's pretty seamless. You can sit anywhere on the ferry and the ferry has a little cafe where you can buy coffee, drinks, hot dogs, snacks, and souvenirs. Once you get to the Statue of Liberty, you can spend as much time as you want. Depending on your ticket, you will be allowed to go up the statute but I hear you have to buy those months in advance. There is a little restaurant on the island as well as a souvenir shop. You can hop on the ferry to return when you are ready. Overall I would go again and enjoyed myself :) read more

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This ferry is absolutely HORRIBLE. They cram over 150 people into a tiny ferry and there is hardly any place to sit unless you get in early. The downstairs part of the ferry creates so much body heat to the point where you don't even wanna be in there. If you are on the third or second floor and you are trying to exit, good luck. It's as crowded as New Year's in Times Square going down unless you're early to go down. Yes, the views might be good but the company is horrible. They need to reduce the people on board by 50 minimum. read more

For anyone visiting NYC, this is definitely something you should do, but be prepared. I had no clue that our tickets also included an authentic Ellis Island experience - by the end, we all were dirty, tired, dazed, hungry, and we just wanted to get off the darn island. After airport-like security (because who doesn't love airport security), we were herded onto the ferry. First stop was Liberty Island. Absolutely wonderful to visit. For visitors to the crown or pedestal, if you couldn't get enough airport-like security the first time, you're in luck: you get to dump most of your earthly belongings in a locker (bring a quarter) and go through security again! Lockers come in varying sizes btw. Anyways, once you enter, if you aren't in shape, you will soon know it. It's a lot of stairs up to the pedestal and even more to the crown. Once you make your winded way down the stairs, you can check out the informative museum. They have food options and areas to eat on the island, and a bathroom that is conveniently located in a gift shop. Now comes the tricky part: getting off Liberty Island. The line is long and it may take a few ferries before you get a spot. The next stop is Ellis Island, where you can learn about and relive the immigrant experience. It is an experience of great historical value, but be prepared for the end. Despite a park ranger assuring us they no longer detained people on Ellis Island, it took us 2+ hours to get off Ellis Island. The ferry line was so long and very few people were let on due to capacity limits. They really just need to send an empty boat to pick everyone up. By the time you leave, you, too, will feel like you have been processed through Ellis Island, contributing to the authenticity of the experience. So overall, staff was professional and courteous, and it was comforting to see life vests stowed overhead. But be prepared for a long wait - I would plan on a day if you want to take it all in. read more

Unfortunately we booked this cruise a little too late to be able to walk up the statue of liberty. If you want to walk up to the crown you need to know months in advance! If you want to walk up to the pedestal you only need about 2 months. We planned this trip last minute so we were not early enough for either and because of this we chose to not even get off on liberty island. You get some great views on the boat ride so we saw no point to get off. And we still don't regret it. Hot Tip! If you want to be right up and close to the statue on the boat you want to board from the stating point on the right hand side of the boat. Leaving liberty island you want to the on the left side. We did however get off on Ellis Island and had a blast looking up our ancestors that has walked those halls before us. read more

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Be ready for some long lines, waiting outside in the heat among large crowds, and super hot on the first and 2nd levels of the cruise . They do sell cold drinks and chips on the boat. Cash only. The ride between destinations are fairly short & view is amazing. Best on the top deck. read more

Statue City Cruise - Ferries Near Me

Overall the ferry cruise was fine - nothing fancy, but they did have snacks and drinks if you wanted to purchase them. I'd say its not the perfect trip only because they cram so many people into each ferry. We were on the first ferry at 9am, which seem to have less people than later ones as we prepared to leave the islands, but it still felt quiet full. On the flip side, security was efficient and they got things moving quiet well despite the volume of people. read more

Statue City Cruise - The view from the ferry as we left the Statue of Liberty Island and headed to Ellis Island - Ferries Near Me

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The security line is more strict than an actual airport. I guess the Statue of Liberty is a higher risk to national security than actual flying nowadays. I put everything that would trigger the metal detector in the tray and went through without beeping. They saw my wallet and a lump of napkins in my pockets and made me put those items in a tray and go through x-ray again. It is a metal detector. Everything that would have triggered the metal detector was already in the tray. I passed. This has been my routine for TSA since 2001, but it wasn't good enough here. I'm glad to have finally gotten to visit the Statue of Liberty, and now my kids have too. We didn't bother stopping at Ellis Island, as the wait to get off and line up for the ferry again was not worth our time. There are better things to do in NYC. Done, and no need to go back. read more

Statue of Liberty, Ellis island and the boat ride was excellent. The views were amazing. However one of the staff on the smaller boat on our way back to NYC was very rude. He asked me to "get off his boat", in exact words. My dad has a walking problem, we were at the upper deck and it took some time for him to get down, he prefers to hold the railings to get down, the guy asked me why dont you hold his hand in a rude way, I told him he prefers to get down by his own, then he started arguing and insulting me asking to get off his boat repeatedly in the lower bay. Then at the ramp to the coast, he started doing the same in front of the Capitan and other staff which remained quiet and standing there seeing his rude behavior without doing anything. We dont expect this kind of behavior while on vacation, I dont know where to report the guy, he refused to disclose his name and hide his badge. I hope the management sees this review and takes strict action against the guy. This was on June 28 2025 at ~6:30 - 7:30 PM Liberty boat with the smaller body and single upper deck. read more

Surprisingly good experience for what it is...obviously, super touristy aka super crowded, long lines, being herded like sheep, etc. I think this is to be expected on these types of excursions. We were fortunate in that we had perfect weather, not too hot, on a beautiful August day. I feel like it would have easily been a miserable experience, had it been super hot or rainy, etc. But for the price paid ($60 for 2 adults and 1 child) I thought it was a great deal. The security is literally stricter than TSA, just a heads up. The boat took us to the statue of liberty, where we got off the boat and walked around, then got back on a boat and went to Ellis Island. Again, we got off the boat and toured the museum - would have loved more time there but unfortunately we arrived there close to the museum closing time. But I thought that was the coolest part, the museum on Ellis Island. And then finally there's another boat to take you back....just make sure you get in the correct line, as one boat takes people back to NYC and the other to NJ. Hate super crowded things where you're herded like sheep, but that's what this boat experience is...the fair price and the fact that you can get on/off at your leisure and spend whatever time you want on the islands, is why I was pleasantly surprised and think it's still a good deal. read more

I made reservation to visit the Statue of Liberty crown in September for November 24 - it was the earliest available at the time. The CC payment was accepted, my CC was charged but I never received the confirmation email from City Experiences. In the age of e-commerce, I don't have a habit of checking for confirmation emails every time I make a purchase online. This is probably the first time in years a vendor charged my CC but failed to send a confirmation of the purchase with details of the reservation via email. I was not ready for such a glitch. Only in November I realized the confirmation email was never sent to me, and asked for it. They emailed me confirmation for a different day. The money is lost. My little daughter will be so disappointed tomorrow when I tell her we cannot go to the Statue of Liberty because of the reservation date / confirmation email mishap. When making purchases from this vendor - be sure to check for confirmation email. This company computer is glitchy and may not send you your tickets. read more

So, you want to see the Statue of Liberty or go to Statue of Liberty Island! Statue City Cruise is the only cruise that will take you to Statue of Liberty Island. The other cruises just go around Statue of Liberty Island. I suggest buying tickets online or on-site. There are three prices: one is just the ferry ride, to the Statue of Liberty Island and to Ellis Island and back, The other is the ferry ride, to the Statue of Liberty Island, reserve to walk up the Statue of Liberty Pedestal and to Ellis Island and back and the other is the ferry ride, to Statue of Liberty Island, walk up to the Statue of Liberty Crown and to Ellis Island and back. The price difference between the three options is around 30 cents. The reason why they have those options is to restrict the number of people at one time going up the pedestal or going up to the crown. Yes the tickets are timed tickets. You do need to show up at least 45 mins in advance. Right now Clinton Castle is under renovation so to board the ferry, you need to enter from the side of the tents (that are setup beside Clinton Castle). Note that Statue of Liberty Island is a National Park so you do need to go through security. So don't bring too much stuff. Yes they have security here. Anyways, the ride is inexpensive and I highly recommend it. If you are in NYC, this is a must see and must do activity (go to Statue of Liberty Island). Also note that this ferry ride is not a fancy ferry ride. You can board this ride from New Jersey or from New York City. read more

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I was researching how to see the Statue of Liberty and this was the only cruise that can take you there. I had some issues ordering my tickets online so I was forced to download the city cruise app and then it worked. It's nice they email you the tickets and you can add it to your Apple wallet if you have an iPhone. This is located in battery park. They scan your ticket and you proceed to the security check in which is inside a tent. The security check point has metal detectors and was the only place they were strict about wearing and keeping your mask on. On the website and in the email confirmation they remind you that it's mandatory to wear a mask for the entire experience even on the ferry and when on the island. I was hesitant to even book this but I really wanted to see it up close and personal. Fortunately they didn't enforce wearing a mask outside while in line or while on the ferry or when you get to Ellis island. They should make it optional. Mostly everyone is vaccinated and I am sure I'd people were worried about Covid they wouldn't be doing all this touristy stuff. The ferry leaves every 30 minutes. We were able to get some snacks they had hot dogs, hard/stale pretzels, chips and Powerade/soda drinks. Overall being on the ferry was the best part we took some good shots of the Statue of Liberty read more

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Waste of a Vacation Day !! 1. I attached video of myself and other patrons who waited over 2 1/2 Hours for a Ferry to bring us back from Ellis Island to NYC, While waiting in the NYC Summer Heat and no staff to be found EVER, they would pop up when a ferry would arrive then disappear, im sure they know it's wrong to have people stranded waiting for a ferry ( where is management and national parks management, they need to know this is happening OR perhaps they should be forced to endure what myself and many others did) 2. Is my review posted on Trip Advisor 8/5/23. 3. Is image that shows entirety of trip should have been "3 Hour Duration". We arrived with reservation at 11am and with out of control ferry wait times did not get back to NYC till almost 7pm. #DO BETTER !!! read more

When you arrive at battery park get ready for the full proctology search by "security" before you get on the boat. Worse than an airport. Then when you get to the actual site, get ready for another anal exam search before you enter the statue. This is beyond idiotic. I suppose the geniuses who run this outfit think that you are David Blaine and you managed to magically secure a gun or a bomb on the 15 minute ferry ride to the statue. It is beyond ridiculous. read more

We were a little late for our tour but they were kind enough to let us on. The security screening here was more strict than the airport security. I recommend sitting towards the back of the boat so its easier to exit when the boat docks. They have a small snack bar inside with drinks, pretzels and some souvenirs. Overall it was a pleasant experience. read more

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These people left us in line at Ellis Island for hours in the scorching heat. Every ferry coming from the Statue of Liberty would stop by and pick up a handful of people because people simple wouldn't disembark. As they let maybe 20-30 people board, hundreds of people, including infants and elderly, sat in 90 degree heat, standing within inches of each other, waiting to get back to the city. Then an completely empty boat passed us by to pick up literally 7 people going to New Jersey. It was a painful scene. These folks are horrific planners and put passengers at risk. They are lucky someone didn't suffer from heat stroke. They crowd people in wide lines with no sense of order so it's a free for all. It completely ruined what should have been an amazing day and wasted hours of our time. I told a lead staffer about my concerns. He mocked me openly. Does the city know they do this? Do they deserve exclusive rights to these routes? I think not. read more

great staff! good security! nice ferry ride to both islands. just all around great experience! don't use any other company for the statue of liberty than statue city cruises! read more

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Amazing! It was crowded but the staff were professional. We got good seats and enjoyed it. It was warm inside the boat in December. The line was long but we still were able to make it even though our ticket was for an earlier time. Highly recommend read more

Extremely bqd experience with wait times of over 3 hours each way. This business hasn't done anything to make this experience good for their patrons. Will not recommend anyone give them business. read more

This company has done everything they can to ruin your visit. Unless you really want have to get out and walk on the island, just get another, ANY other tour boat that sails around the island! The issues are (in order of priority): Masks required in July 2022: In JULY 2022, they say they require MASKs throughout your visit! Whaaat?!!!! Maybe in 2020 or 2021 even but in 2022? So while almost no other location requires them except medical facilities, these guys require them. Guess what? They SELL cheap surgical mask for $1 per mask. Now, they should sell them at cost, but they're selling that a huge profit, so I guess someone is making money from this ridiculous requirement. (By the way, no one is required to wear them once you're through security.) You can buy tickets online, but no one tells you that you can get on the boat with just your email receipt/bar code. (You still have go get in line at the ticket counter to buy your rip-off face mask though) Long, long pointless walk: They make you walk about 1,000 yards WAY out to some TSA like security pavilion and then WAY back to the ship. There are no covered areas at all, so you are out in whatever weather there is, hot or cold for a long, long time. The ships will not come at your reservation time. They just run back and forth, so we waited in line from 1:55pm to 230pm till we boarded a ship. Rude Security: The security is full of abusive and rude TSA wanna be's. They're shouting at you much like at an airport and really getting into their power play. So not a lovely welcome to your trip. As I said, the best part is sailing in front of the Statue of Liberty. Stand in long line again to re-board: If you get off the ship, you have to get in a long, long line of people again, without canopies or cover in whatever weather is out there. So we just chose to stay on the ship, since the best view is from sailing around the island. Please do not enable these people's mistreatment of the public by giving them your money. read more

There is very little direction or guidance with the loooong line. When asking questions, the person towards the main entrance was rude and acted like we were supposed to know where to go. Poor communication! read more

My review is based on the people standing around trying to sell you these rides. I was walking with my family not even interested in going on one of these tours when 2 men approached us. I kept saying no thank you as I have done to the many others who kept asking if we wanted to purchase a ticket. These men would not take no for an answer and demanded to know where we were going and what our business was being there. They stood in our way demanding these answers. First of all you don't even have to tell a NYC police officer where you are going or what your business is unless you commit a crime. I am not a tourist but rather someone who was trying to take my family on a walk around the neighborhood we live in on a nice day. When he finally said so you're just walking huh? I said yes and then they finally let us go. What company endorses harassing people just walking down the street. They also had the nerve to make fun of us in their native language and laughed as we left. The only reason I did not say anything back or call the cops is because I was with my family. As a native New Yorker I know when to walk away when something isn't worth it. However, I know the power of reviews and trust me people when I say avoid this area. It's just not worth it. I get wanting to see the statue of liberty or going to governor's island but there are so many other worth while things to do in NYC. As a tourist you'll just stick out as a target in this area especially if you are foreign. Besides they have a huge wall blocking the view of the statue so that you have to take the ferry to even see it. You're better off walking a little further down the water to see it for free than stop here. I have a message for the companies that let these animals loose on families. STOP GIVING NYC A BAD NAME! Train your employees instead of hiring whoever comes through the door. read more

Dangerous!! Do not do this tour or use this company unless you are ok to stand exposed, without water, without bathrooms, without shade, for hours to both get on and off the islands. They are dangerously under supplied with boats and it's a disaster waiting to happen. The crew and staff are aware and encouraged us to complain. It's criminal. read more

Statue City Cruise - Ferries Near Me

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#1. Made up ridiculous security protocols like they have done nothing to make anyone safe, just make the lines longer and get us used to having our rights invaded (oddly enough while visiting a national treasure symbolizing freedom). There are ZERO reasons one can not wear a wristwatch with a plastic band through the metal detector or wear a plastic TSA-approved travel belt through security. Total waste of time. #2. Once you are at the Statue of Liberty you are allowed to walk around the exterior of it or go into the gift shop unless you are able to get one of the very few interior access to the Statue of Liberty tickets. We should have saved our money and watched on line videos. read more

Worst experience ever! I was treated very badly and yelled at by the staff in front of my 2 year old baby. On the day of the tour, we went in on time and produced the reservation along with the QR code. I wasn't aware that they need the Go City pass as well. Apparently it was needed to activate the pass even though I had the reservation which was made thru the pass. I was having a particularly stressful morning with my baby and my old parents who were with me, especially my dad who has health issues. But the staff at the entrance were extremely rude. They did not explain the stipulations properly and kept yelling that they needed the city pass or else they wouldn't let us in! Most mortifying experience of my life in recent times! Please stay away from them! read more

Horrible! We booked a boat tour thru "Head Out" - twice. Our cab driver got us there late for the 7:30 although he assured us an hour was plenty of time to get to Battery Park from 47th and 5th. SO, a young man at the park rebooked us and led us to a waiting bus that would take us to the boat. Once there , we were herded to a fenced in area on the Hudson River where we all stood freezing and I mean FREEZING for an hour. People were shivering, and saying they couldn't feel their legs or faces. I have never been so cold in my life even though we had long puffy coats, layers underneath, hats, hoods, gloves, and I had battery powered hand warmers. At one point the line began to move forward when a kid started to YELL at us to "get back, you move when I tell you to move !" Another half hour and someone told him "our tour was at 10:30, why haven't we left?" The kid began to scream at us, saying it didn't matter what our ticket said or what we read online, the captain is in charge and if it's 11 or 11:30 , then thats it ! People were bouncing and shivering, I couldn't feel my lips and could barely speak - but I yelled at him, I am not a child you can scream at or intimidate - this is B.S., and we worked our way backwards out of the line and walked to the One World building, which was a long ways, especially on frozen legs and feet. We paid big bucks to go to the observation deck, had lunch in the restaurant and finally got warm. So I paid for 2 boat tours we didn't take and had the most miserable experience ever. Seeing all the boats lined up at the dock and watching one captain in his cozy little cabin looking at us suckers standing on the dock with the cold wind coming off the Hudson was not what we imagined. DO NOT book thru "Head Out" and do not do the cattle barge tour out of Battery Park. I wish I had photos to attach but no one wanted to take their hands out of the pockets long enough to take pictures. The little punk in charge should be fired and the boat captains a lesson in customer service. read more

I'll preface this by saying that visiting Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty up close and the museum on Ellis Island are itself interesting and worth it, and that part of the experience was memorable. But this company and the way we were treated was unacceptable. Tl;dr: the employees are assholes and it ruined the experience. If you aren't that interested in going to the islands and just want a good view of Manhattan and lady liberty, I recommend taking the Staten Island ferry. It departs a pier over from City Cruises from Battery Park, and it's free. Unfortunately, if City Cruises is the only way to get to the islands (I don't think I saw another option), you're stuck with incredibly rude staff that sours the whole experience. Out of the countless staff in security, on the pier, on the boat, etc, there was one person who was polite. One. Everyone else were power-hungry TSA wannabees, barking directions in security, throwing items around, yelling at me and my friend for not picking up our belongings fast enough (while blocking me from actually reaching the bin with my stuff, and they hadn't even let my friend through the metal detector yet). While lining up in the direct sunlight and heat in Battery Park (no coverage to get on the boat), they yelled and admonished passengers for not crowding forward, causing a bottleneck at the boat ramp. Again, they told passengers to crowd, while simultaneously requesting masks for COVID precautions (I'm fine with the masks, but then also don't have people crowd?) They were yelling at people for not getting off the boat fast enough, including an older woman with a cane. It seemed every few yards they placed an angry employee yelling at passengers to KEEP IT MOVING, GET OFF THE BOAT AND GO ON WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, ANY SPACE IS YOURS TO TAKE, GET OUT OF THE WAY. My friend went to line up for a boat back to Manhattan while I used the bathroom, and there was a boat boarding. She wasn't sure if I would make it, so she asked when the next boat would be and was going to text me the update. They laughed at her and just said, "well don't get on this boat without your friend." They wouldn't tell her when the next boat was. Then finally, someone bellowed THEY'RE EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES, as if she should have known. It was not posted anywhere. Nowhere to sit while waiting, no signs, just an excess of employees yelling and unwilling to answer questions. Then they were also yelling at me when I was running to catch the boat to meet my friend, but they were still actively boarding - it's not like we were having them hold the boat for us. Mind you this was a paid experience, although allegedly the $30 fee goes to the restoration of the the statue of liberty, but I don't know how much of it really does. (The parks department staff and tour guides on Liberty Island are great, but they aren't employed by City Cruises). I don't know if it can be done, but I implore you to find some other way to get to this island! read more

Waited over an hour for a boat from Ellis Island. Crew on every ferry said an empty ferry will come next. No empty ferry ever came. Very poor planning and service. We spent more time waiting for a ferry than we spent in the museum. read more

I did the Pedestal option for Liberty Island and I also got off to see Ellis Island. The Pedestal option had a much shorter line to get to Security screening before getting on the ferry boat, which was really worth paying extra just for that. At the Pedestal, bags need to be checked into a locker before entering, and the little lockers require a quarter. I didn't have a quarter but another tourist kindly gave me one (there was a change machine but I couldn't tell if it only took dollars or whether a CC could be used, and I was given a quarter before I had time to figure that out). The security at the Pedestal was tighter than the main security and apparently a metal tooth zipper was enough to cause a beep, but they let me in after waving their wand around me. I had a noon time for the ferry, so I didn't really have enough time to see everything (I went up the Pedestal and also went to the museum, but I didn't have time to walk all around Liberty Island or to watch the film at the museum), and at Ellis Island I only did the three floors exhibits using the free tour recordings (they hand you a thing that looks like a phone and you type in the numbers found in various areas on blue plaques with headphone symbols and then listen to the device like listening to a phone). I didn't have time to explore the area to research old records. I left Ellis Island on the 4:30 ferry. The rides on the boat were nice, we saw a seagull catch a fish but another seagull kept trying to grab it causing the first one to drop it. Good for the fish but we all felt sorry for the seagull. read more

AVOID THIS "CRUISE EXPERIENCE". Terrible crowd control managed by aggressive, insulting and jaded employees. In our case, there was no one managing the hundreds of people who had organized themselves into a neat line just beyond security at Battery Park to board the boat. Then the staff appeared for a moment on the other side of the metal barricade, shouting at people NOT to form a line (!) but to press forward as a crowd. They kept yelling, "There is no line!" Then as we neared the boat in a chaotic push, the staff shouted, "Stop pushing like bison! This is not the last helicopter out of Khe Sanh!" The behavior of the staff was so demeaning and insulting to all these people who previously had organized themselves into an orderly line, only to be instructed to form a chaotic crush! If you'd like to cruise past the Statue of Liberty in civil comfort, your best bet (by far) is to spend much less money and take the Staten Island Ferry. AVOID THIS COMPANY'S "CRUISE EXPERIENCE" HELL HOLE. read more

Still requiring masks. It is august 2022. Masks are an environmental nightmare and nowhere else requires them. Get a grip