City Cruises — Local services in New York

If I could give IBOATNYC a negative rating I would. I'm surprised Hornblower had their name involved in this because they actually have real luxurious yachts, host the best parties and provide true customer service - the IBOATNYC experience was nothing like it! I can't believe they called this thing a yacht to begin with. Hmm where should I start?... The boat was supposed to board at 9 pm and depart at 10:30 - we got there about 9:40 and the line was all the way to the street and absolutely just not moving. I think we all made it on board about 11 pm. The boat did not move until about midnight for whatever holdup that was happening and the djs were not allowed to start until we took off so we lost nearly 2 hrs of what we paid for. The bottom floor was the most unsafe and unhygienic place i've ever been in my entire life. There was exactly one exit, absolutely no ventilation and a very strong smell of fresh paint in which we all just couldn't dance in fear of passing out. There were 2 stalls available for each of 1 bathrooms per entire floor all without fans or any sort of bathroom attendant and again no ventilation - it was like a nasty sauna in there!!! The staff was incredibly unorganized and rude and all kept replying "i don't know" when asked about the dreadful delay or any other question for that matter - no shame in their game whatsoever. The so called "state of the art sound system" and supposed "vip gardens" advertised were a complete sham. The vip areas were crammed and beyond basic with fold-up chairs and chain dividers, there were no gardens anywhere and you couldn't even hear the music or see the djs - i had a better time up front by the main stage which was literally the only place on the entire boat to get the least of your money's worth! Not to mention they crammed 2 parties on the same joke of a boat - how do you even figure reggae goes along with tech house anyways?? Finally, of course the boat docked back at 2 am exactly on time because who cares they delayed us 2 hours - they got their money so screw us right? Last but not least, we were all crammed at every exit possible trying to exit because of another God-knows what reason they weren't letting us off the boat! This my friends is a prime example of nyc finest money hungry pigs! Complete disrespect to the djs and the customers who risked their lives to be on their disgraceful boat. So please everyone BE VERY AWARE ABOUT THIS IBOATNYC SHAM - do not waste your money or your time or your life because they simply just don't care about anything or anyone but your money in...

Dear Hornblower Cruises Management Team,

I am writing to share my extreme disappointment with the New Year’s Eve cruise on the Hornblower Infinity. At $500 per ticket, I had high expectations for a premium experience. Unfortunately, the event fell far short, leaving me feeling as though I had been taken advantage of.

Here are the key issues:

Pre-Check-In Confusion: Despite being bombarded with emails about the benefits of pre-check-in, the process was pointless. It only involved getting a ribbon and an ID check to drink—unnecessary and inefficient.

Boarding Chaos: Pre-check-in offered no express boarding benefits. Everyone stood in the same long line, exposed to pouring rain. The staff were unhelpful, with some behaving rudely or lacking basic professionalism.

Terrible Room Setup: The sound system was poorly arranged, with only two speakers. Guests near the DJ were deafened, while those at the far end heard little to nothing. This setup was far from adequate for an event of this scale.

Bar Delays and Shortages: Waiting 20–30 minutes for a drink was unacceptable. Basic options like tonic water were unavailable. Over the entire evening, I managed only four drinks for myself and my partner due to the inefficiency.

Subpar Food Quality: The food was shockingly poor, comparable to what one might find at a soup kitchen, not a premium event.

Overall, the event felt like a cash grab. Promises of a great experience were overshadowed by unprofessional service, inadequate facilities, and poorly managed operations. It was clear that your focus was on maximizing profit rather than delivering the high-quality experience advertised.

I hope you take this feedback seriously to improve future events. Guests deserve much better when investing significant money and trust in your...

Had a horrible experience with Hornblower NY Tour. We purchased through our hotel in a Hop On Hop Off Package (that was terrific). When we got to the Pier everything changed. Nobody gave good directions. I was told to ask someone to direct me that was wearing either a red or grey shirt. I asked where we were to go and they just waved their arms in a general direction. I finally went to the ticket booth and the guy waved his arm to "Go over there and ask one of those guys in the red shirt!" I asked them and they put me and my son in a line (we were first in line). By then we had wasted an hour trying to figure out what to do. We waited another hour in line until a lady approached our line asking why we were in this line. This was not the line for the boat tour. We explained and she made us get in the back of another line that was being formed. Everyone was so mad and upset. Some just left and demanded their money back. I am a Travel Agent and was so disappointed in the organization of the way they ran their company. I will never recommend this to any...