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New York's 90-minute December cruise past Lady Liberty
A December sail past Lady Liberty covers a lot in 90 minutes, and there are days when landing on Liberty Island or riding the free ferry makes more sense.
Af Femi AdeyemiWalk one more block than the map tells you to
The 90-minute Landmarks Cruise leaves Pier 83 at West 42nd Street and 12th Avenue. It runs down the Hudson, swings out to the Statue of Liberty, then comes back under three East River bridges. It never ties up anywhere. So the December question is whether you want the harbour from the water, or want to stand on the island itself.
What you see in 90 minutes
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises sends its boats south past Hudson Yards, Little Island and One World Trade Center before they head out to Lady Liberty. You get close enough for photographs, then the boat turns east and goes under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges on the way home. That loop is the appeal. You see the statue, the lower Manhattan skyline and the bridges in one sitting, without queueing for a landing.
The boats have open-air decks and heated interiors, which matters in December. Stand outside for the statue, then come in and warm up. There's a full bar, concessions and toilets on board, and the WiFi is free. A New York guide narrates live, and an audio app covers nine languages if you'd rather listen in your own, though you need your own headphones.
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Which December sailing to take
Daytime sailings give you the statue and the bridges in flat winter light, and the open deck is fine as long as you dress for a cold river. From 27 November until 3 January the evening Holiday Harbor Lights sailing runs instead, with decorations, festive music and seasonal cocktails. Take that one if you want the evening more than a clear look at the harbour.
Booked ahead, the trip starts at $28 per person, down from $35. Sailings fill up steadily, so book a date rather than turning up at the pier.
Landing on Liberty Island instead
Statue City Cruises is the only boat that puts you ashore, and it goes from Castle Clinton in Battery Park. Tickets are $26 for adults and $17.30 for children aged 4 to 12, which covers the round trip and the self-guided audio tour on both islands. Take a morning boat. Arrive after 2 p.m. and there isn't time to do both islands properly.
The time on your ticket is when to join the security line, not when the boat leaves. Screening takes five to ten minutes once you're inside. There are no lockers at Battery Park, so leave the big bag at the hotel. Bags wider than 24.2 inches or higher than 17.9 inches are refused.
On the island, the Statue of Liberty Museum costs nothing beyond the ferry ticket. The original torch is there behind full-height glass, and one gallery recreates the sculptor's studio. The crown is a separate matter. You have to reserve it in advance, there's no same-day option, and it's 162 narrow steps up from the pedestal with no lift.
The second stop, the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, is included in the same ticket. It's mostly indoors, so keep it for the day the weather turns. The restored Great Hall is the centrepiece. Give the place an hour or two, and expect a wait at the door in the busiest weeks.
You'll end up inside Castle Clinton National Monument whether you planned to or not, because the queue and the screening happen there. It's free and open from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. It was built to defend the harbour in the War of 1812, then became the city's emigrant depot. Ten minutes of attention beats shuffling through it.
Cheap ways onto the water
The Staten Island Ferry is free, takes about 25 minutes each way and runs around the clock, from Whitehall at 4 South Street over to St. George. Nobody tells you what you're looking at, and the boat stays in the main channel, so Liberty stays well off. Avoid the weekday rush, 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., when the boats are full of commuters.
NYC Ferry is public transport that happens to float. A one-way ride is $4 from the app or a machine at the landing, and 10 trips cost $27.50. The winter timetable has thinned weekend sailings, and the East River route runs as a single all-stops service at weekends. On 24 December it runs a weekend schedule, and on Christmas Day a reduced holiday one.
Heated boats and dinner cruises
Classic Harbor Line runs 1920s-style yachts from Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers. Its Cocoa & Carols trip lasts about an hour and a half and starts at $98, with a drink, cocoa and cookies, and live carols. Sailings run from November into the first week of January, so check the dates before you go. Children can only travel on departures before 4:30 p.m.
City Cruises New York is the one to book if dinner is the point of the evening. The Bateaux sails from Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers. It's an all-glass boat with a three-course plated meal and live music, and most dining cruises run $129 to $232. New Year's Eve on the Bateaux is $830. If you only want to see the harbour, you're paying mostly for the table.
Either side of Pier 83
The Intrepid Museum is three minutes' walk from the cruise gate, on Pier 86, so it's the natural other half of a Pier 83 afternoon. Winter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with last entry at 4 p.m., and tickets are $38 for adults and $28 for children aged 5 to 12. There's no bag or coat check, so you carry your coat around the carrier with you.
Little Island sits out over the water between West 13th and 14th Streets, and the cruise passes underneath it. It's free, opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. through the end of December. The food kiosks are shut until April, so don't plan to eat there.
One World Observatory, entered at 117 West Street, shows you the shape of the harbour from above. It stays open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., long after the last sightseeing boat has docked. Standard tickets are $39, plus a $3.50 fee. Don't bother on a low-cloud day, when you pay the same to look at the inside of a cloud.
December stops along the water
The cruise passes under the Brooklyn Bridge, and Roebling Rink at Brooklyn Bridge Park puts you directly beneath it on the Brooklyn side. It's on until 31 January, skate rental is $8, and a ticket buys 60 minutes on the ice from check-in. Sessions start from 1:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10:30 a.m. at weekends, with the last finishing at 10 p.m. The rink is open to the sky, so freezing rain can cancel your slot.
At the Seaport, Santa's Winter Wonderland at Watermark is out on the pier deck over the East River, on Pier 15 at 78 South Street. General admission is from $18, or $15 if you book early, and it comes with hot chocolate and make-your-own s'mores from Santa. You can reserve a heated glasshouse with a holiday menu instead. Allow an hour, and note it shuts on 27 December.
Dates, closures and booking
The Liberty ferry and the Intrepid both close on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The crown is the one thing you have to reserve long before you travel. For Pier 83, take the A, C or E to 42nd Street–Port Authority and walk west. The gangways there take electric wheelchairs and scooters, though Premier seats on the upper decks may not be step-free. See the New York guide and the New York hotel search.
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Does the 90-minute cruise stop at the Statue of Liberty?
No. The Landmarks Cruise runs out to the statue and comes close enough for photographs, then turns back under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges without docking anywhere. If you want to stand on Liberty Island, you need the Statue City Cruises ferry from Castle Clinton in Battery Park instead.
What does it cost, and should I book ahead?
Book ahead and the 90-minute cruise starts at $28 per person, down from $35. Dates fill steadily, so pick yours early. Fares appear only after you select a date, so you can't price it from the home page.
Is December too cold for an open-deck cruise?
No, as long as you dress for a cold river. The boats have open-air decks and heated interiors, with a bar and toilets, so you can stand outside for the statue and the bridges then come in to warm up. An evening Holiday Harbor Lights sailing runs from 27 November to 3 January.
Is the free Staten Island Ferry a good substitute?
It's a fine free harbour ride, about 25 minutes each way from Whitehall at 4 South Street, running around the clock. There's no commentary and the boat keeps to the main channel, so the statue stays distant. Avoid 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., when commuters pack it.
Can I go up into the statue's crown?
Only with a reservation made in advance. There's no same-day ticket and no waitlist, and it's 162 narrow steps up from the pedestal with no lift. Backpacks, food and drink aren't allowed inside the pedestal, but there are lockers near the monument entrance.
