Starship Cruise NYC: The 90-Minute Landmark Cruise from Pier 78

In the $26 Ticket

The listing includes the live guide, the 90-minute cruise, interior and exterior decks with a climate-controlled interior, restrooms on board, a snack bar available for purchase, and one complimentary digital photo. That photo explicitly excludes the Statue of Liberty and other landmarks, so expect to pay for the souvenir shots taken at the bridge and the statue. One reviewer stood on the top deck for the whole trip without buying a VIP section ticket, so the paid lounge is not the only good seat.

What You May Spend on Board

The snack bar sells food and drinks including a full bar, and the listing states no outside food and drinks, no alcohol or drugs and no coolers. VIP lounge tickets are sold on the boat, and a photographer sells souvenir photos at the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. None of these prices are stated on the listing.

Tips are not mentioned either way, so treat any gratuity as your call. If you want a drink included in the fare rather than bought on board, the Statue and Skyline Yacht Cruise includes one drink at $60.

Check-in at Pier 78

The meeting point is Pier 78 at Hudson River Park, 455 12th Avenue, on the Hudson River. Skip the ticket line. Starting times vary, so check availability when booking.

Winter departures run later and catch sunset or the city lights.

Down the Hudson: Hudson Yards and Little Island

The boat glides south past Hudson Yards, the 28-acre development over the West Side Rail Yard whose first phase opened in 2019. Next comes Little Island, the 2.4-acre park on 132 pot-shaped tulips over the water, designed by Heatherwick Studio with Signe Nielsen and opened in 2021. The High Line, 1.45 miles of park built on a rail line from 1929 to 1934, runs inland beside this stretch.

The Harbor: Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty

Out in the harbor you see One World Trade Center from afar, 1,776 feet to the spire, designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and opened in 2014. Ellis Island follows, which processed immigrants from 1892 to 1954. Then the boat slows for a dedicated photo window in front of the Statue of Liberty, 305 feet 1 inch from ground to torch, dedicated in 1886 and designed by Bartholdi with an iron framework by Eiffel.

Under the Bridges and Up the East River

Lower Manhattan passes on one side and Governors Island on the other before the boat sails under the Brooklyn Bridge, opened in 1883 with towers rising 278 feet above high water, and the Manhattan Bridge, opened in 1909 with a 1,480-foot main span designed by Leon Moisseiff. Dumbo and the South Street Seaport line the Brooklyn and Manhattan shorelines as the boat turns up the East River for a brief run before looping back.

The Return Leg

The last stretch runs back down the Hudson past Battery Park City, the One World Observatory on floors 100 to 102 at 1,268 feet, the High Line and Chelsea Piers, arriving back at Pier 78. The listing notes that itineraries are subject to change.

Anyone Prone to Seasickness

The listing names people prone to seasickness as not suitable. If that is you, skip this boat. The Circle Line full Manhattan boat tour is a 2.5-hour loop for $39 if you still want to see the island from the water.

Travellers Who Want Food or a Drink Included

Nothing to eat or drink comes with the $26 fare and you cannot bring your own. If that grates, the Statue and Skyline Yacht Cruise includes one drink at $60, or consider the Brooklyn sailboat tour, which lets you bring your own food and drink.

Anyone Needing Guaranteed Access or a Stated Group Cap

The listing states no minimum age, no wheelchair policy, no group size and no weather guarantee. If accessibility is essential, those details are not stated, so confirm with the operator before booking or pick a tour that documents it. There is no hotel pickup either, so allow time to reach Pier 78 yourself.

Photographers Who Hate Paying for Pictures

The one free digital photo excludes the Statue of Liberty and other landmarks, and paid souvenir photos are sold at the bridge and the statue. Bring your own camera and use the open decks instead. The open deck can run a few degrees colder than the shore, so bring a windbreaker on evening departures.

Reaching Pier 78

The address is 455 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10018, at Hudson River Park. Specific subway lines, stations and parking options for this pier are not stated in the sources here, so check current transit directions before you travel. The listing gives no arrival window, so arrive early enough to clear check-in without rushing.

Add Little Island and the High Line Before or After

Little Island, which the cruise passes from the water, is 2.4 acres on 132 tulip-shaped pots and opened in 2021. The High Line runs 1.45 miles along the same waterfront on a freight rail structure built from 1929 to 1934, designed by Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Piet Oudolf, and opened in three phases from 2009 to 2014. Hudson Yards, 28 acres over the rail yard, has the Edge deck on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards at 1,296 feet, opened in 2020.

Other Ways on the Water

The Staten Island Ferry is covered in the free ferries guide if you want a boat ride at no fare. For a paid short cruise, NY Waterway runs a 50-minute Statue of Liberty Quick Cruise and an 80-minute Must-See Cruise. For more on seeing the skyline from the water, read the guide to buildings seen from the water or the full comparison of New York architecture boat tours.