Statue Cruises Reviews

For a little less than 20 bucks you get to go to the statue of liberty and ellis island. Boats run every hour. Best bargain I'm the city.

Definitely go with !!! You see soooo much. The view is priceless and unforgettable.

Disappointing organization for boarding we had 3.5 hours in a queue with 3 degrees of temperature very cold with young children and older people, in short many angry and cold people have to change since it is inhumane these days.

Would give a big fat zero if I could. First of all they pack you on these ferry's like a can of sardines. So many people scrunched together in the heat of the day and let's be honest...some people just don't smell fresh. This isn't the worst though. The security checkpoint employees are rude & disrespectful! My teenage daughter was almost brought to tears by one of these jerks. They need to be more understanding that the majority of the individuals coming through are freaking tourist. Worst service ever!!!

I recommend to anyone to go on Spring or Autumn season, because, is the perfect weather, on Winter I had my experience, too cold, Summer time the heat ... personally I always enjoy going on those days(Spring and Autumn)... another thing buy on line your tickets... you have to have a lot of patience there are big lines and

The only boat ride that will dock in the statue of liberty. Be careful with scammers around the battery park. You just go inside the castle where you can buy tickets for the statue cruises ($18 approx) and fall in line for an airport type security check before boarding the boat. Seats are available inside but it has an open dock area which you can take pictures and see the beauty of the liberty.

Statue Cruises is literally the only way to get yourself onto the Statue of Liberty Island and Ellis Island. It's a good idea to purchase your tickets online well in advance. Otherwise, if you are a City Pass holder, you MUST show up early in the day because the afternoon cruises are guaranteed to be sold out. The line is ridiculously long most of the time, and the actual listed cruise time is irrelevant as nobody actually catch the boat at the time it says on the ticket. The cruise process works as such: 1) Pick up tickets at Clinton Castle, 2) get in line in Battery Park, 3) go through an airport-style security check point, 4) get on a boat to take you to Statue of Liberty Island, 5) get back in line for a boat to take you to Ellis Island, and 6) get back in line for a boat to take you back to Battery Park. In all, easily half of your touring day will be gone if you decide to do this cruise. If you just want to see the Statue of Liberty, consider the free option of riding the Staten Island Ferry...

The statue is unique and must be seen. The ferry and cruise is a terrible experience: all people in a crowd, let waiting under the sun (I think 1 day of tickets in August is the equivalent of a canopy price), cruise personnel yelling, screaming and mocking tourists. They yelled at an 80-years old (and still very fit) woman because she was not fast enough in descending the boat. They should not menage such a treasure.

My only complaint is how crowded it can get while you wait in line for the next boat. Mass of people funneling onto the boat can be a little annoying.

Payment doesn't work properly. I had to try multiple times, while the authorisation has been through. The money is therefore blocked for 14 days because of State Cruises

Statue cruises are the effective mode of transport from the New York battery park shore to the statue of Liberty and Ellis island.
The just transport ferrari but huge in size.good sitting areas and quite decent staff in it.
The charge sround 18.5 $ for the statue of Liberty transport per person.

Great way to go to Statue of Liberty and see the NY skyline

Took the tour on a Saturday..Be prepared to queue. Queue to get through security. Queue to get on boat from the city. Queue to get back on the boat from each island. At least an hour each time. By the time I got to Liberty island I lay down on the grass to rest my legs. The nicest and most surreal part was when I woke up to find Lady Liberty towering right above me!

You get the complete immigrant experience, as in: staff yelling for you to fill in all the gaps in the line, crowded boats/ people shoving each other to get on/off, and the boat with smelly bathrooms (you can smell the bathrooms from outside). Liberty Park itself is crowded with all the people coming off the boat and there is barely any place for shade. Me and my mom did not get off at Ellis Island as I was begining to feel seasick and wanted to go back to Battery Park (water was very choppy, especially when other boats pass by). Overall not a good experience with very poor management on behalf of Statue Cruises.

No Covid protection measures. Employees are not helpful at all. Lots of them just sit inside and don t even bother to go out and help organize people.

Been there 5 times ...very nice place and very cheap . Some Ppl are upset saying they bought tickets for 45 and 60 $ and they been waiting in a line for 75 mins ..this is not true this tickets never costs 45 $ per person .. u better dont buy ticket from the ppl outside of Statue Cruises, LLC they got some badges but no ! Those tickets are not for statue Cruises , its just a taxi cruise which takes u around and never stops on a Liberty and Ellise island ! Buy ticket only inside of the bulding at a cashier . Enjoy !

Come here for the migrant boat experience as you get hearded to the boat.
Waste of time. Waitied 3 hours and no museum.

Excellent attention on board, a quiet trip. I recommend it.

The lines weren't too bad for us. It is impossible to talk to someone on the phone. And even though we had pedestal tickets, we couldn't get into the pedestal because security on Liberty Island closes at 5pm. Nowhere is the closing time listed on the ticket or website. Very disappointing.

Wouldn t recommend the experience. There s more security than an airport. Security is extremely aggresive and despective. One of the worst tourist experiences in NYC.

The ride to the statue and Ellis island are included in the ticket. The whole trip was uneventful until a group of about 200 people were waiting to get picked up in pouring rain and lightning. They had two entrances, one for NY and one for NJ. NJ boats were coming and going empty. You would think that they would use those boats to take people back to the NY port. Well, they don't. They leave people waiting in the rain no matter how long that is. Disorganized.!

They've got the process down - nice trip and views of the city/statue.

The ferry from Battery Park to Liberty Island and Ellis Island is highly recommended, actually a must, especially those who visit New York for the first time. Do go to the ticket counter on time in the morning because it can be very busy and you will be in line for a long time.
It is a nice trip, if the weather is good of course. You can get off at the statue of liberty and you can stay there as long as you want, until the last ferry goes of course. The next stop on the way back is Ellis Island. Is just a nice trip!

We have been on this cruise to the Statue and Ellis Island a number of times over the years. Depending on when you go it can get VERY busy and wait times to board can be on the long side.

There is TSA style security screening before you board. Prices were reasonable.

Highly recommend. Great day of sight seeing at Statue and Ellis island.

Cruises are well operated. Security lines though - a different story

The beautiful view. And it's very good because it has a bathroom and many people use it. It's not the prettiest but it's not bad.

Good prices. Security can take a while but it's understandable. Reserve tickets ahead of time can save you an hour or two on busy days...but you'll still wait for a while. Overall, very good experience

Very well organized ... But it is better to book in advance to avoid the endless queues

To see the Statue of Liberty up close, as a must if you visit NY

BEWARE. Company does not return emails or phone calls and does not process refunds. Tickets cancelled due to COVID 19 and almost 4 months later still no refund. Avoid this company.

Very good compromise between cruise and visit. The two islands have their own always splendid point of view. Go there early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

What a lovely and unforgettable cruise
The views were spectacular
The skyline the Hudson the Ellis islands the lady liberty
The scenery from the top deck was amazing
With a bar and a guided cruise
I had my money s worth
We loved it

A superb view of the boat. The crew is nice and pro.
The audio guide is good because it allows you to skip the parts that interest you the least.
the visit to Ellis island is also very interesting. My 12 year old daughter enjoyed it more than visiting Lady Liberty.
The only downside is the exorbitant prices of the souvenir shop. But it's the same everywhere!

As we approach the ports there were a lot of venders trying to sell us tickets for the cruises from 30 dollars to 45 dollars + tax. There was even one vender who told us to go away if we are not buying tickets for him. We continued to the only building around that area.
Statue cruises was the simplest and cheapest 18+tax adult and 9 until 12 years old. ( the others has the same price for everybody ) we got to see what we were supposed to see and all was fantastic. If you are not looking for a fancy trip this is what you should do.

Ideal to reach Liberty island then Ellis island before returning to NY or New Jersey

Lots of help to find the place as soon as you get out of the nearest subway.

Massive queues though, be prepared!

Well managed cruises to Statue of Liberty. Audio commentary and on cruise snacks for visitors is a bonus for first time visitors

Spectacular the beautiful view the photos were beautiful

Well organized, great staff.
It didn't really make a difference to reserve the pedestal entry at a determined time, so just try to go with spare time to make long lines.

Get ur ticket ahed of time, arrive early, get in the reserved line, and then go through airport like security check. NOTE: There are two securit check point lines side by side, scout them out and get in the reserved one if u bought tix ahead of time. Lots to read on ellis island, so go early if possible.

We took the ferry from liberty state park in New Jersey which was convenient. They tell you that there is a schedule of when boats leave each island. Basically the boats Are supposed to come every 20 mins. Boy was that inaccurate. What they didn't want to tell you is that they will leave whenever boat gets filled. We waited over 1hr on Ellis island before we headed back to the state park original pickup site. If you question the crew they just say it's outta there hands and to call the company number on the ticket. Well no number on the ticket. Was so frustrated with them. I would never recommend them ever. Just terrible customer service.

Lady "the queue manager" is unfair in her choices. You can wait 10 mins or 2 hours.

It was an amazing experience to visit the Statue of Liberty by this cruise. It took us straight to the island where we experienced the magnificent beauty of the Statue of Liberty. I tried getting the passes to visit the top however dates didn't match with availability. Overall, it was quite a memorable experience.

Book the ticket for the crown beforehand since the ticket are limited for that. It takes to both the island.

An unmissable tourist hotspot with disgusting service. You have to go very early.

This cruise took me to the statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and leaves every 20 mins.

Would give it a negative rating of I could. Statue Cruises is completely unprepared for any sort of inclement weather. Just got on the boat in a high tide and visitors were literally having to jump over waves just to access the gangway. Completely unacceptable and dangerous. The employees were doing the best they could, but I cannot believe that management at Statue Cruises and the National Park Service would put visitors and their workers in such a situation. Someone easily could get seriously hurt, and it certainly both ruins a visit to the statue and leaves visitors with a negative impression of New York and the United States.

Definitely enjoyed the trip to the Statue of Liberty, although the guy selling the snacks could have had a tad less of an attitude

Tour must, but if you take the free ferry to staten island it is better

Booked in January to go to the crown. However, they took the money but the ticket link never worked. Emailed them, sent them messages on messenger and Facebook and never received any response. Visited the ticket office when we arrived in New York and were basically called liars. We provided them with evidence of our correspondence but they were not interested. Ruined our visit as we booked this especially for my son. Shocking service!

Once we about to take off from the dock, the boat started to have problems. The propeller wrapped around the rock that docked us. We left the dock and docked again. They told us there was a problem so several of us wanted off. We couldn t. They proceeded and left the dock anyways and was attached then with the twenty foot bumper from the dock. And went out to the statue. The boat kept wanting to spin to the left as were proceeding to go straight. After getting so far out there we stopped and was eventually took back to shore by a tugboat..we tried them after we got back to shore to get our money back and no one would do it. One of the ladies that worked for the company told them not to take us back to our vehicle as well. Very bad trip.

Worst ever. An extremely long line plus no facilities for tourists

It is one of the easiest ways to go to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Many people go as it is the must-see for every tourist. There are long lines but everything is very organized and agile
The views from the boat during the transfer are spectacular.

Misleading as to buying ticket in advance. Sounded so organized and that you had better be there or you would missed your assigned slot. So far from it. Mass confusion. One big crowd boarding. Pushing & shoving...four lines blending into one. They wouldnt have known if i were there or not. Ride was fine. Got me to where i wanted to go and back again.

The Crew(S) on the Boat(S) are all Great & Fantastic People!!!

Sorry to read quite a few negative reviews about Statue Cruises but I can only go by my experience with them. First thing be aware of other cruise lines claiming to offer tickets to Liberty Island, Statue Cruises to my knowledge is the official boat & much cheaper than others from what I was able to see. Second, purchase your tickets online as to avoid waits during peak hours. Also sad to hear/read comments regarding security measures. People they do this not only for our safety but also the safety of Lady Liberty !! Come on now stop your whining & appreciate what they do !! Each & every person working on and off the boat were beyond curtious, welcoming & just so nice. The boat ride was so enjoyable, perfect weather made it even more so. Cannot wait until her Crown is open, definitely going back.. Thank you Statue Cruises !!

Took the Staten island ferry to view the statue of liberty - twice in a day. Loved it sooo much. Amazing views and experience. Tip: go out on the top deck or towards the end of the boat for a beautiful view of the city and the statue. Best part - no charges at all.

The best way to get to liberty statue, avoid other vendors and you can avoid unnecessary fees. Fast boat with bar service, reasonable prices.

Interesting audio tour, easy on and off at each stop, and good value for a NYC attraction! Just be sure you leave yourself several hours to enjoy both the Statue and Ellis Island

Statue Cruises is a mandatory activity to do when you are in NYC the city that never sleeps, but the price was too high (18.5 dollars in December 2017) and the waiting was also a bit long.

This was perhaps the most confusing and chaotic National Monument that I ve ever visited. First of all, there were no signs for the ferry from Pier 11. We had to approach an NYC employee, who rolled her eyes and slapped her head, then pointed us in the direction we needed to be. Second, this is covered by the National Park s Service, yet it s not free to visit if you have a National Park Pass? Ridiculous.

As for the visit, I got in a long line on a Monday morning next to a sign with a symbol of a ticket & the Statue of Liberty (no words, just symbols). I assumed this was where tickets were purchased. My husband took a chance and went to a separate line, while I stood in the other. I was approached by a security guard who said that only ticket holders could be in the line. I remained in the line anyway, but when my husband returned 30 minutes later with our tickets, they told him that it would be a 3 hour wait to board the ferry. As we waited and waited, several people attempted to cut in line ahead of us. Luckily, they were all sent to the back. Eventually, a family of 6 from France who spoke perfect English amongst themselves cut in front of my husband and I. When we attempted to address them, their memory of English suddenly disappeared. A security guard told them that they had complaints that they cut in line and again, they could not speak English. The guard simply told them Don t do that again and left. How this is even acceptable behavior from a guard is completely beyond me.

Further, I witnessed many people try to flag down one of the security guards and since he could barely speak English, he couldn t even assist them with their questions. I m not entirely sure that this is very helpful to confused tourists (including myself). After 3 hours, we made it to security, which was an absolute mess. The workers were rude and very short with everyone in line. Afterward, we waited another 30 minutes to board the ferry. Which, by the way, if you have a Reserved ticket, you don t get on the boat any quicker than the rest of us. Eventually, both Reserved & Flex lines filter into one line at security..making the need for two separate lines entirely pointless.

I wouldn t recommend this company. It is so unorganized and the employees are flat out unknowledgeable and mostly rude.

Pretty long lines so you will need patience to get through to the ferry. The security area is TSA-style but, believe or not, the workers are even more rude than TSA. Horrible employees who were short and disrespectful to everyone there. The ships aren t too bad with reasonably priced food, non-alcoholic drink and souvenirs. The captain was rude too. He screamed out the window to the other employees multiple times right in front of the customers!!

The only authorised cruise to Liberty and Ellis Islands and well worth the visit.

Online reservation and on-site everything worked out. Were there for postseason. To high season there is certainly hell going on

The WORST line management ever. They allow some people to jump the lines and stop others (they were not a person with special need at all). I waited for about 90 minutes to finally be on the boat.

The best tour is the 9:00am tour. Not crowded on the way out to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. Do not recommend getting a group guide due to the fact you just stand around listening to them. I recommend going around at your own pace as you can do the whole trip much quicker and it s more enjoyable. We paid for the pedestal access which was worth the extra money. Going up any further is not worth the extra $$$$$. Best place to get a view is the top tier unless it s super chilly.

Prebuy online. The lines are insane. Fun, patriotic trip to make

We enjoyed our trip to see the Statue of Liberty. Wonderful American monument.

Worst organization I never see. You buy a ticket for a time and at the control they didn t check the time of tickets and it s overcrowded.

I have two stars because there was a 5 hour wait in line to get on the boat. I knew it would be long, the kiosk said 1h30 but I knew this was not true, perhaps 3h30, but waiting this long can never be a 5star experience. Plus, a visit to Liberty AND Ellis on a Flexi ticket is just not possible. See below.

First you must go to the Castle Clinton Kiosk. This was a queue of 30mins. If you have prebooked you will need to go past the queue and security will send you to a shorter queue at window 6. Others must wait in the queue that curls around Castle Clinton.

Once you get your tickets, if you have 'flexi' you can join the monster queue. Best leaving the rest of your party in that queue whilst one buys tickets.

Once past the 'flexi' flag marker the line became a crowd and others from behind were told to move up to fill the gaps at the side and in front of you. After moving an inch every 5 minutes it was painful to lose do much ground through disorganisation near the finish line.

Nonetheless, we were all on 45 minutes after that.

We went at 10am and were on the boat and moving at 3pm. Start to go downstairs before the boat docks at Liberty to maximize your time. The museum st Liberty was worth a visit. Avoid the cafe on this island as the queue for hot food is massive - unless you want something else, then you can past the cashier, grab your item, then go straight to the cashier. I had a feeling many in the queue didnt know that and thought it was all leading to the food and cashier.

The last boat to Ellis from Liberty was at 3 30pm so unless you prebook a 9am slot and get in queue for 8.30am you are unlikely to get to see it. You may need to reserve days in advance online but it's the only decent option if you have the time. We didnt.

Consider going via New Jersey if you cant reserve as the flexi queues are much shorter.

Take some coffees nd food for the queue. There is a Starbucks nearby Battery but the queues are around 30mins. Toilets available at Bowling Green Metro (no queue) or an outdoor concrete building near the blue and red queuing flags (no queue for men).

Hotdogs, crepes($5-7) and small hot drinks ($2-3) sold around this part.

VERY long lines. Airport security to get on the ship. But to see the Statue of Liberty it was worth it.

Zero customer service and assistance ! I had an issue with an item that I could not take with me to the statue and nobody would assist keeping it till I return from the tour ! Ridiculous !

Best way to get to The Statue of Liberty and yoo Ellisa Island, they have every hour a boat to get you too and from there. The boats in very good condition, well mantained

Of course, everyone wants to see the Statue of Liberty when they're in NYC. It is correspondingly full. It's faster with pre-booked tickets. If the weather isn't that good, the lines aren't that long either.

The best views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty result from the boat.