Thank you to Sail NYC for providing me with complimentary cruise tickets, in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own.

What a joy it was for our family to be able to take a Hudson River cruise aboard The Manhattan through Sail NYC when we visited family in the area back in late August. I have been to NYC many, many times through out my life, and until I was ten years old, lived about 30 minutes outside of the city. PS- If you're from NY state or NJ, we call going to NYC, going into 'the city.' What did you think I meant- Newark? Yuck! A piece of my heart lies within NYC, and it has been so exciting for me to visit as an adult, especially with my husband and my son. Both of them have now visited NYC three times. 

There are many things to see and do in the city- so many in fact, that it would take our family several days to see everything on my husband's list. One of his complaints the last time we went into the city, was that he didn't get to see all of the architecture he wanted to see... well, you just can't see it all in one day. One of the best ways to see a lot of cool buildings and structures in just one and a half hours, is to take a cruise along the Hudson River. We were given tickets for a cruise aboard The Manhattan through Harbor Line Cruises, which would lead us down the river, able to see some historic landmarks throughout NYC and NJ.

Ready to board The Manhattan, and waiting to be called at Chelsea Pier.

Family Friendly Boat Tours of Manhattan Dedicated to helping locals and visitors alike enjoy the unique wonders of New York City, Classic Harbor Line hopes for the privilege of escorting you on a relaxing, inspiring and breathtaking sightseeing cruise through the waters we proudly call home. Their classic yachts - the Schooner Adirondack & Adirondack III and the Schooner America 2.0 (our sailboats), and the Luxury Yacht Manhattan (our motorized yacht) are reminiscent of the classic boats that cruised New York Harbor a hundred years ago.

Balian and Sacha aboard The Manhattan, luxury yacht!

I had no idea whether or not B would enjoy the cruise, or if he would be totally bored. I knew that hubby was excited, though. This would be the first time both of us would see the new World Trade Center up close, and Sacha's first true glimpse at the Statue of Liberty.

I started taking photos right away- the NYC skyline is just beautiful to me.

Once we were seated on the yacht, and depareted from Chelsea Pier, we met the wonderful, friendly staff aboard The Manhattan. Our captain was very knowledgable, and pointed out many landmarks on the NYC side and the NJ side of the Hudson.

Sacha, enjoying his complimentary beverage on The Manhattan.

B and me- enjoying our 'fancy Sprite' aboard The Manhattan.

The yacht was so lovely. It seated far more people than I imagined it could hold, and our tour wasn't overly crowded. The inside of the cabin had benched seats with tables and cushions for comfort. The windows were large, so we could clearly see our surroundings. The staff came around to each area of the cabin, offering each of us a complimentary beverage- water, soda, beer or wine. We were also invited to bring our own food aboard for a picnic. We opted not to bring a picnic, since we had to drive into the city. We ate lunch before we left home.

One of my favorite sights along the tour, was the World Trade Center building.

No one will ever forget where they were on 9/11/2001. I was a freshman in college, watching the TODAY Show, live in my dorm room, just before 8 am as I got ready for an early class. Like so many others watching, I thought that what I saw couldn't have been real- but as the cameras kept rolling, and captured the horrific events that followed, my heart ached for what was going on in my favorite city... not to mention, I worried for the safety of my Uncle Jim, who worked just a few blocks from The World Trade Center Towers. When the towers fell, my heart broke into pieces. I had visited and walked through those towers more than once, and stayed at a beautiful hotel just beside them. My dad worked as a courier for a business centered in the towers many, many years ago. We have family pictures of my grandfather with my dad and his brothers (as children) when the towers were being built. A piece of the Durocher family will always be there. To see the beautiful new tower, standing tall, shining brightly, meant so many things to me- but most of all, it brings a message of hope, one that I am glad my son gets to witness.

No, the skyline doesn't look the same (and it never will), but this beautiful new World Trade Center building is a symbol of unity and hope.

We also got to see some really neat buildings along the tour, on the NJ side of the Hudson... including the Imigration Processing Center- where I'm sure my relatives (and yours?) entered the country through when they came over to America to make a better life.

I'll bet you recognize this lovely lady- Lady Liberty, that is.

I've been to The Statue of Liberty more times than I can count, and sort of have a 'been there, done that' attitude about it, but for someone who has never experience it up close before, or who has never gone up to the crown to look out on the city, it's an amazing sight to behold. PS- Did you know that the Statue of Liberty is technically in New Jersey? Don't be upset by my telling you this- my uncle wants to make sure the world knows the truth! Seriously, though- the Statue of Liberty is in both NY and NJ- so the states have been arguing over where the statue truly lies for years. The statue is federally owned, and the dispute has been going on since the 1660's!

Famliy photo in front of the statue at Ellis Island.

Another gorgeous shot of the city skyline on a partly cloudy afternoon.

B's favorite sight on the tour- The Brooklyn Bridge (1883)- AKA- Spiderman's Bridge.

We had to snap a photo in front of the bridge!

We saw so many awesome buildings on the tour...

...and went underneath so many bridges, which B loved.

Another building Sacha was very excited to see- The Chrysler Building on 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan (built in 1930).

Everyone loved this building- it looked so cool!

One last look at the tower before heading back to dock.

We loved every minute of our tour aboard The Manhatan! It was just the right length of time for a family sightseeing tour. We were able to see so many sights that would take us hours to see, if we went from place to place on foot, by train, or by ferry. The staff was so friendly, happy to take photos for families, and answer questions. We started out sitting inside the cabin at the start of the cruise, but then made our way outside, so get better photos. Plus, who doesn't love a little spritz of river spray?

We can't thank the crew enough for such an enjoyable afternoon in Manhattan. I highly recommend this tour for visitors to NYC- first timers, or twenetieth timers!

Ready to Book Your Cruise?

MBP readers receive $10 off each ticket purchased at www.sail-nyc.com using ONLINE promo code FAMILY10 - Valid for any Day Sail, Sunset Sail, City Lights Sail aboard Schooner Adirondack, Schooner America 2.0 OR any Cruise aboard our 1920's style motor yacht: Yacht Manhattan!