The Zephyr Yacht Harbor Cruise: Review

Cruise around downtown Manhattan on the comfortable Zephyr Yacht

A live tour guide narrated throughout much of the tour through the ship's PA system, pointing out various attractions and landmarks, sharing New York City's rich history and even offering to give visitors tips and answer questions once the tour was complete. When seated inside, the narration was perfectly clear, and when outside it was sometimes harder to understand, depending upon where we were seated.

I was consistantly impressed with the condition and comfort of the Zephyr -- from the seating to the bathrooms, the ship is well maintained and pleasant to ride in. The staff were consistantly pleasant and helpful, and the bathrooms were the cleanest I've seen on a sightseeing boat. The size of the Zephyr limited the amount movement that we felt as passengers, despite it being a windy, choppy day. The Zephyr Yacht Harbor Cruise is a great one among the many one hour cruises around Manhattan.

• Downtown Manhattan Skyline
• Ellis Island
• Statue of Liberty
• Empire State Building
• Brooklyn Bridge

• Circle Line Downtown's Zephyr Yacht Harbor Cruise leaves from Pier 16 at South Street Seaport
• Mass Transit to Circle Line Pier: 2/3, 4/5, J/M/Z, or E to Fulton Street or A/C to Broadway - Nassau
• Parking at South Street Seaport: there is a paid parking lot just north of the Seaport
• Circle Line Downtown's Zephyr Yacht Harbor Cruise Phone: 866-9CLINE1 (1-866-925-4631)
• Circle Line Downtown's Zephyr Yacht Harbor Cruise Cost: Adults $24, Children $14, Seniors $22
• If you want to be sure of availability for a particular cruise, you can order tickets in advance by calling 866-9CLINE1. Ticket prices are $2 less when ordered by phone, but the $1.75 per ticket handling charge makes it pretty much the same price. Reserved tickets can be used on another cruise in the next year, if weather or scheduling creates a problem.
• Zephyr Yacht Harbor Cruise Payment: Cash and Major Credit Cards
• Circle Line Downtown's Zephyr Yacht Harbor Cruise Schedule - be aware this cruise isn't offered in January or February and has limited schedules during off-peak travel times and cooler months.

• Snacks and drinks (including a full bar) are available for sale on the boat.
• Well maintained bathrooms are located on the main floor of the Zephyr.
• Pictures are best taken from the upper decks, but you can best hear the narration from inside.
• Bring a sweater or jacket along for the ride. Even when the weather is warm, it will be breezy on deck and the air conditioning inside can make you chilly too.
• Don't forget your sunblock -- the breeze can make you feel deceivingly cool, but you can still get burned.