Classic Harbor Line

A major component of New York City’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry is sightseeing. The city’s iconic skyline, monuments, and bridges are attractions every sightseer looks forward to viewing. One of the best ways to experience these attractions is on a boat cruise in New York Harbor with Classic Harbor Line.

Cruising In Style
Classic Harbor Line operates seven vessels in New York Harbor — each a finely crafted, classically-inspired yacht. Five are exquisite motor yachts reminiscent of 1920’s luxury motor launches. These vessels include the yachts MANHATTAN I, II, and the newly launched MANHATTAN III, as well as the KINGSTON and the FULL MOON. The other two boats are the Schooner ADIRONDACK and the Schooner AMERICA 2.0 — a modern tribute to the first boat to win the America’s Cup in 1851. All of Classic Harbor Line’s yachts and schooners are elegant vessels featuring teak decks, varnished mahogany rails, gleaming brass fixtures, comfortable seating, a cocktail bar, and restrooms.

A Cruise For Everyone
The variety of cruise offerings are designed to appeal to visitors of the Big Apple looking for unique sightseeing opportunities, as well as local New Yorkers looking for a new idea for date night, entertaining friends, or simply a way to escape the city without leaving the city.

The sightseeing cruises aboard both the yacht cruises and the sailing cruises offer outstanding views of the NYC skyline and its many bridges, and, of course, an up-close experience of the Statue of Liberty. These cruises offer a variety of narration: non-narrated, lightly narrated, or fully narrated.

Classic Harbor Line’s yacht cruises offer a variety of choices. Cruises include the Sunset Cocktail Cruise, Jazz Cruises, Fall Foliage Cruises, Around Manhattan Brunch Cruises, and a number of specialty cruises. Some of the specialty cruises are City Lights Serenade, featuring a vocalist and live band, and a Champagne, Wine, Cheese, and Caviar Pairing Cruise.

Among the many sailing cruises is the Tides & Tapas: Taste of the Sea at Sunset. Enjoy a glass of Sparkling Wine on the house and then partake in a tapas-style tasting menu featuring caviar, smoked trout, ahi tuna, and seared scallops. Additional drinks are available for purchase, or choose a wine flight as an add-on. Other sailing cruises aboard the schooners AMERICA 2.0 and ADIRONDACK include a Mimosa Sail, a Grand Palisades Fall Foliage Sail, and an Evening Jazz Sail.

New York’s Iconic Buildings
A cruise we experienced and heartily recommend is the AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture Boat Tour. This 2 ¾-hour tour aboard the Manhattan II, done in collaboration with AIANY (American Institute of Architects New York), circles the island of Manhattan and offers fascinating insight into the development of New York’s skyline over the past one and a half centuries. The host/narrator from AIANY had a wonderful sense of humor, a very pleasant presentation, and a wealth of knowledge about various architectural styles and engineering marvels, as well as the events that influenced these architectural trends.

The presentation included a lot of historical background about many of Manhattan’s famous buildings and landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Yankee Stadium. We learned a lot about the city’s successful post-industrial vision for reclaiming its waterfront. The city’s shoreline is now predominantly residential and recreational giving so much more access to residents and visitors.

Eco Tours
Other specialty cruises include a selection of Urban Naturalist Tours. We enjoyed the Fall Foliage of the Grand Palisades Tour. On this cruise passengers can admire the grand Palisades of the Hudson River and the spectacular fall foliage. Views are available through the skylights of the heated and glass-enclosed observatory or on the open outer deck. An Urban Naturalist presents narration of the geology and ecology of this epic waterway.

The Seals, Seabirds and Winter Wildlife Cruise explores NYC winter wildlife and history of Lower New York Harbor, the NYC skyline, and the obscure islands of Hoffman and Swinburne Islands just beyond the Verrazzano Bridge.

Another Urban Naturalist Tour is the Abandoned Islands of the East River at Sunset. Travel past the lesser known islands of Belmont Island, Roosevelt Island, Mill Rock, and North and South Brother Islands. This NYC eco tour is a 3-hour, fully narrated cruise through the heart of the city, where history and nature converge. Perfect for bird enthusiasts, this unique eco-friendly boat tour is available during the summer months.

Classic Harbor Line also operates a large selection of holiday and special event cruises. Every Fourth of July Classic Harbor Line has its fleet well positioned for Macy’s Fireworks Spectacular. This year will be special as Sail250 will bring a huge flotilla of tall ships and the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Week together, and Classic Harbor Line is offering a number of cruises to experience New York Harbor and its many visitors this July.

Celebrate the holidays with any of the themed cruises available during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Other holiday cruises are available for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Easter Sunday.

A Family Business
Classic Harbor Line is the brainchild of John Scarano, who followed his passion for sailing and boat design to found his company in 1974. John’s brother Rick joined him in 1984, and Scarano Boat Building found a niche in the production of replica sailing vessels and motor yachts with classic styling and appointments. Classic Harbor Line, the only family-run sightseeing cruise line operating in New York Harbor, was launched in 1994 with one vessel sailing Narragansett Bay out of Newport, RI.

In addition to its New York harbor location, Classic Harbor Line cruises are offered in Newport, RI, Boston, and Key West. All of Classic Harbor Line’s 15 vessels were designed and built by Scarano Boat Building in its Albany, NY facility.

Enjoy picturesque New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and the iconic New York skyline from a whole new perspective — and do it in style with a Classic Harbor Line cruise.

For more information, visit: sail-nyc.com