Any insights on how crowded it will be at either the piers near the Intrepid or South Seaport? We want to take an evening cruise and try to avoids crowds as much as possible.
Also, where to eat at either place, kid-friendly but not a chain restaurant.

Elena, Since it's Fleet Week, massive crowds will be unavoidable!

And by the sound of "we want to" is sounds like you don't have reservations as this point. You won't get a cruise anyway over Memorial Day weekend.

Gee, I'm a New Yorker and I don't know the answer to this question... how sad! Do you need reservations for something like, say, a Circle Line cruise? I thought that was on a first-come-first-served basis?

I would say theater is my #1 priority followed by museuns and general sightseeing. Eating at fine restaurants is not high on my list but I do like the fact there are so many different types of restaurants in the city.

You can buy tickets online at circleline.com. Tickets are good through the end of the year and can be picked up at the pier. Since there are no specific dates, I would assume you board on a first come, first serve basis. I'm not sure if there is an advantage to buying them online at this late date, I would just go to the pier and see what's happening.

Well, as of today, there were still plenty of tickets available for tomorrow on NY Waterways (leaving from South Seaport). I was more interested in finding out about the crowds at the Pier near teh Intrepid, not necessarily people lining up for cruises. And yes, it is first come-first served according to the info on-line.