NY Circle Line Cruise: 1 hour or 2?
 

I am heading to NYC tomorrow for a long weekend. I have been before and was thinking this time of doing one of the Circle Line cruises. I have decided against the 3 hour cruise but was wondering between the other two.

Does the 2 hour cruise offer a lot more than the 1 hour in terms of sights, photo opportunities etc?

The other option was the Beast Ride which looked fun, has anyone tried this?

I think for the one-hour cruise the boat goes down the Hudson to the Statue of Liberty and circles there a bit, then heads back to the dock. The two-hour cruise (half-circle?) visits Liberty, then continues around the tip of Manhattan into the East River, passing under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamburg Bridges, turns around near the UN and returns to the dock tha same way it came.

I prefer the 2 hour cruise..BUT my teenagers loved the Beast!!!!

Dave or traveler24,

We're headed to NYC next month with two teenagers. Please tell me what is the BEAST??

I've taken the one-hour cruise and found it adequate -- if I did it again, I'd probably go for the 2 hour.

The 2-hour harborlights cruise (from the pier at the end of 42nd St.) is magnificent. Leaves in daylight, circles the southern half of the island during dusk, then sunset. The return (RIGHT past the Statue of Liberty) in the dark, with the lights turned on all over, could not be more magical. The commentary and scenery are terrific.

Otherwise, the 1-hour tour (but this one leaves from South Street Seaport, I think) is just fine. This one also goes right past the Statue of Liberty.

Many thanks for your replies.

In the end I opted for a 2 hour (daytime) cruise and would definitely recommend this. Ellenem has the route spot on for this.

For DeeDee, the Beast is a much faster (45 mph) boat ride and lasts 30 minutes (details can be found on http://www.circleline.com/beast.htm).

I noticed there is the option of geting combo-tickets (a 2 hour Circle Line cruise and a Beast ride with a saving over the two prices added together). I would have chosen this but for some reason the Beast was not running. Other combinations are possible as well.

I did the 2 hour tour for the first time in about 20 years (and I've lived in NYC for 16 yrs) this summer. I really enjoyed it. The beast is mnore of a 30 min. thrill ride than site-seeing trip.