Statue Of Liberty & Nyc Skyline Cruise - Freedom Liberty Tour

Everyone was quite cordial and I enjoyed learning all the facts about Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and all along Hudson River

We were so looking forward to nice boat ride around the island to take photos. We were directed by a man in a vest to buy a ticket in Battey Park. It was supposed to be $30 bucks a pice. My husband paid with a card and as soon as that happened, two NYC police swooped in and took our ticket, asked for the man’s id and it took about 20 minutes while they charged him. After he left us, I asked my husband for the receipt and they charged us $169 for 3 of us. We were then led to wait in line for a bus… 45 min wait to get on a dilapidated mini bus. Packed like sardines, we then drove up to the Pier 76 to board. The music was blaring and when we got on the ferry we were directed upstairs to be outside. Then, all the seats were blocked off. You had to pay another $49 to go to have your pic taken but couldn’t sit up there. So we came back down, grabbed a seat where they were heavily advertising the bar and snacks . We went into the bathroom that had no toilet paper and the toilets were clogged. I mean are you kidding me? What a scam. I feel totally manipulated and angry. I’ll be sure to review every chance I get if how horrible this experience was. Ugh!

I had a good experience. The only thing I didn't like was pictures before or after the mini crews, I also wasn't pleased with the picture with the Statue of Liberty other than that, the trip was. Really great. Darius did a great job with the music and explaining things

They will snag you as soon as you come off the subway. They are very nice people. Just trying to make money. The cost was 48.00 each. Not bad given that after the ferry ride they take you on a double decker bus to Time Square. They bus you to a port and then you walk to the ferry. This was a tad bit longer than I would have preferred. There was lots of room on board and the boat stays in front of the statue plenty of time for pictures. We did a sunset time frame and it was beautiful.

Do what they say to do. Walk straight past these people selling tickets at the South Ferry station. Do not engage. Made that mistake. Paid for tour at 130pm. Shuttle to the pier, which was back toward uptown. Finally got to boat at 230pm to be told we'd be boarding at 330pm. Boarded at 340pm, and waited another 20 mins before they even took off. They tell you food and beverage is available on board. They don't tell you they want an extra $39.99 for the privilege to have that. Happy to pay what I paid if the service wasn't so slow. Luckily I wasn't in a hurry to be anywhere.

Deceptive, misrepresentative, and misleading practices. They have a swarm of official-looking staff all over Battery Park. Do not trust. Beware. We had a very disappointing experience involving a misleading ticket sale near Battery Park. We originally purchased five Statue City Cruises tickets for $130. After arriving late, we were hounded by a number of staff members in vests checking tickets and asking about departure times. We were eventually stopped by one of these individuals who examined and scanned our legitimate tickets. After explaining that we were late, he assured us that our original tickets would be refunded and that he could arrange replacement tickets for a later tour. Based on that representation, we purchased a new tour unaware it was with a different company than the one we originally booked the tour with. The individual quoted us replacement tickets at $39.99 per person but we were ultimately charged $54.99 per person. When we questioned this difference, the individual told us it was all "taxes". This seemed unbelievable to us, and no tax charges were represented on the receipt we were given. We asked for a refund on the spot but were refused, and the individual asked if we didn't trust them because of their race. Not wanting to escalate things, we reluctantly got on the tour. We subsequently confirmed with Statue City Cruises that this individual was not their representative, had no authority to arrange the promised refund, and that no refund of our original $130 purchase had been issued. We contacted Big City Tourism with our documentation. They acknowledged the pricing discrepancy and offered approximately $50 as an adjustment. However, despite multiple follow-ups, they never issued that adjustment and did not adequately address the more serious issue of the misleading representation regarding our original tickets. We understand that we did take the Big City Tourism tour and are not simply requesting a refund because we changed our minds about a service we used. Our concern is that we were induced to make the purchase based on a representation that turned out to be false, resulting in a $130 loss on our original tickets in addition to the new charge. We have disputed the transaction with our bank and reported the matter through the appropriate consumer channels. We would still prefer to see Big City Tourism take responsibility for the circumstances surrounding this sale and resolve the matter fairly. If a Big City Tourism rep is reading this, I implore you to do better and STOP scamming people who are simply trying to enjoy one of New York's proudest monuments that should be accessible to all without this kind of harassment.

Enjoy all the views and stories . The story of that day in 2001 just makes the Statue of Liberty more real.

This was my second time to do this tour. It’s a great way to see the Statue of Liberty, and we were able to get some wonderful photos. The tour itself is well worth the money. However, I think the experience could be improved by adding more benches in the waiting area and I definitely did not understand why we listened to loud Spanish music during the return trip rather than patriotic selections or at least songs pertaining to NYC.

I reached the pick up point at 04:30pm. The lady over there said wait for 15mins. At 4:45pm when I asked her regarding the booking she told me that the tour was cancelled. The next available one was at 6pm. Since I had a train back to DC at 7:52pm there was no way that I could have done the 6pm one. I was told that since the booking was via Vaitor, they couldn’t do anything. On calling Vaitor customer care, the executive didn’t see any cancellations. She said she would connect with the tour operator. After holding for awhile, she told me that she couldn’t connect with the tour operator. I called the customer care again at 5:30pm as my trip was already ruined. Only to find out that the Vaitor team had no information about cancellation of the trip.

**Complaint Regarding Misleading Sales Tactics and Possible Overcharging** During a four-day visit to New York, we planned to take the FREE Staten Island Ferry. While walking toward the ferry, we were approached by a man named **Kareem White**, who represented himself as an authorized ticket reseller for the City of New York. Based on information he provided, we changed our plans and purchased a paid 90-minute cruise for **$109.98**. We believe we were given misleading information: 1. We were told the Staten Island Ferry passes **4–5 miles from the Statue of Liberty**. Afterward, we observed the ferry passing the Statue of Liberty at what appeared to be approximately **0.4–0.5 miles**, making the statement highly misleading and a major factor in our decision to purchase the cruise. 2. We were told the cruise would **stop in front of the Statue of Liberty for approximately 20 minutes**. It did not. The boat slowed briefly near the statue and then continued toward the Brooklyn Bridge. 3. Our receipt identified **Big City Tourism**, but the cruise was operated by **Starship Tour and Events**. We subsequently found the same 90-minute cruise advertised online for approximately **$29.99 per person**, with a regular price of about **$39.99**. 4. We were told the price was **$39.99 per person plus approximately $15 in taxes and fees**. However, the operator's online advertisement indicated that its stated price already included taxes and fees, raising concerns about the explanation and amount charged. We were not seeking a paid cruise and had already decided to use the free Staten Island Ferry. We only purchased the cruise because of representations made to us by someone presenting himself as an authorized reseller. We have also proceeded with filing a complint to the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and intend to submit another complaint with the New York State Attorney General's Consumer Frauds Bureau.

Scam — Avoid Big City Tourism This is a scam and I strongly recommend avoiding Big City Tourism. We were approached by an agent at Battery Park while trying to visit the Statue of Liberty. The agent gave us misleading information about the ferry options, claiming the rules had changed and that there were only limited cruises available. Based on what we were told, we paid around $160 for two tickets. When we contacted Big City Tourism, we were told that our tickets had been scanned and recorded as used, despite us never taking the tour. This is extremely concerning. We were misled into purchasing the tickets. Avoid the street agents around Battery Park and buy Statue of Liberty tickets directly from the official operator.

I was cheated by agent of Big City Tourism Inc. I took my relatives to visit Liberty Statue on morning, Aug26,2026. When we entered battery park. An agent block us and said the rule of cruiser to Liberty statue island is changed. Only 2 cruisers are available. One is 4hr tour, another is 1 hr tour. I was confused and paid about $160 for 3 tickets of 1 hr tour. I found something wrong 10 minutes late and requested the refund. The agent took and handled our tickets very quickly and said the refund would be given to me 100% in 24 hrs. I asked he gave me a receipt but he refused. Today(Aug 28,2026), I haven't received the refund and checked with Big City Tourism. Big City Tourism m said the tickets have been scanned (i.e have been used) and they can't give me the refund. I totally didn't get the service. Who can tell me how to handle the issue? Can I report to police? It's really a cheating.

The biggest scam they are running in NYC near Liberty State. Scamming tourists, overcharging, deceiving. These scam artists are hired by big city tourism.

Absolutely brilliant tour and tour guide… Great value for money trip, the boat was clean and well stocked and the guide was brilliant very informative and a great sense of humour Highly recommend

Went to Battery Park to book a Statue of Liberty cruise. This business has hustlers posted at the entrance to the park to intercept tourists, before they enter the park. The hustlers make big promises, charge you double what the competition charges and the cram you on an overcrowded bus to drive halfway up Manhattan BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE ACCESS TO THE BATTERY PARK SLIP! Once you are on the bus, the hospitality stops. You are herded from a crowded bus to an overcrowded boat. Half of the passengers on our bus were not able to fit on the boat and were left stranded, in the sun on the slip. The tour would have been worthwhile if there was room to sit and/or move around a little. The tour was okay, but once we made it back to Battery Park, we realized we spent more time waiting and busing, then we spent on the water enjoying the sights. If you would like a historical reenactment of traveling on an overcrowded ship to Ellis Island go with these guys.

Lots of people’s with pink and green vests in front of battery park offering boat tours on a ferry. Some of the staff seemed super genuine and kind but we were told our boat was leaving at 3:30, arrived at the dock at 3:45 and weren’t able to get on the boat until 4:45. We ordered our tickets at 2:40, and got off the boat sometime after 6:30. We were given false information and no updates. We waited at the docks for around an hour and expected to stay in the metal line holders. Additionally it took us forever to get off and on the boat since only one person was allowed on the bridge at a time. The food was super overpriced as well. Definitely book a boat tour online, Staten Island ferry and the speedboat looked super fun.

Jose was awesome! Loved all the music, as well. Great views and they took professional pics of us, too!

My tour was cancelled due to the 4th of July Parade, so I need to request a refund. I was not informed of the cancellation until we arrived at the pier.

The information given by the host during the tour was top notch. He made the experience well worth it. If you are short on time this tour really delivers a lot.

Be on time, they leave pretty promptly. Great tour, nice people. We would definitely visit again when we’re in town.

The boat cruise was a relaxing way to see a lot of NY (and a few NJ) landmarks. The boat was very clean and staff was helpful.

When exiting the Battery Park subway stop, you are hounded by guys wearing vests that say "official", but this is all a scam. We wanted to go to the Liberty Island, and the guy told me that they stop there. I felt something was off, but still went ahead with the purchase. After buying the tickets, the man walked us to the bus, which I thought was very odd. Luckily, that bus was full so we waited for the next one. At that point, I started googling the company and saw of the negative reviews. Also on the ticket, it states that they do not stop at Liberty or Ellis Island. I went back to the guy and asked for a refund and then he got really upset and told me that his machine couldn't refund us, which I knew was a lie. I went through my credit card company and successfully got my money back. Advice to others, do not even engage with these people. They are all con artists who are great talkers, very aggressive, and will lie to you (there is a lot of ongoing construction at Battery Park and they will tell you the park is closed - all lies!). The only official company that will take you to Liberty/Ellis Island where you can get off is Statue City Cruises. Buy your tickets online or go to the Castle Clinton National Monument inside Battery Park (looks like a fort). Again avoid any person near the subway station trying to sell ferry tickets!!!

Great tour . Darius the tour guide was informative and entertaining! Five stars I would recommend when visiting NY city.

Very informative. Easy to book. Memorable experience. First time or 100th time in New York, a must do .

This is an amazing experience to view the sky line and Statue of Liberty. The tour guide did a fabulous job by explaining the each step of the journey. Also, it was great to have a photographer on board who helped our family to make our trip memorable.

This was so much better than I anticipated! I was prepared to see the sights but the narration/tour guide aspect was amazing! Lots of good information about NYC, the buildings, the history of Ellis island, 9-11 and more! As much as I loved the guide I also loved when they took a break from the narration to play a few New York and America songs while we slowly drove by the Statue of Liberty and toward the Brooklyn bridge! It was a really lovely touch! Also, the bathrooms in our boat were surprisingly nice! I told my kids to use the restroom before we got off never wouldn’t find as nice a bathroom elsewhere in the city!

Big City Tourism Midtown West, New York BUY YOUR TICKETS AT BIG CITY TOURISM .COM BEWARE Statue of Liberty/ Harbor Tour Ferry Ride ticket sellers I just got back for NYC and would warn you of ticket scammers right outside the Staten Island Ferry office at Battery Park. I was aware that the Staten Is Ferry is free, but 3 hrs. long round trip. The guy in an "official" jacket approached and told me for 49 dollars I could go around the Harbour in one hour and see the Skyline, Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. That worked for me for my time constraints. Well, it did not go as planned. I didn't get on the Ferry at 12 Noon as planned, after waiting and waiting. And then walking and walking to get to a shuttle bus. Then I was told I missed the 12 N Ferry and would be on the 1PM Ferry. I purchased the ticket at 11:21am and was at the Station when purchased. I decided to not go and was told I could get refunded as my ticket was not scanned. I found out I was charged an extra 10 dollars per ticket, also. I contacted Big City Tourism and found out these guys are not official representatives outside the Staten Island Office even though they all wear jackets proclaiming such. BEWARE. Buy your tickets online at Big City Tourism, please. I was taken great care of by Dom at Big City Tourism who kindly refunded my purchase, and he educated me on the third-party ticket resellers. I will return to NYC and go through Big City Tourism; they take good care of you! Dom was kind and professional.

Outstanding staff and great tour and took time around statue of liberty and Brooklyn bridge area. Perfect length and great time!!

Extremely bad tour, extremely dishonest company, extremely high level of lies from all staff. I asked if the tour involves land on Ellis island and Statue of Liberty. The operator said YES. That was lie. No touch of ground and non refundable purchase. Avoid them at any price.

That is 100% fake. We asked that it will go to Ellis island and Statue of Liberty and the operator said yes. Is turned out that is lie. It was only boat trip but no actually landing on Statue of Liberty or Eli’s island. On way back we wait for more than hour hope bus to come and bring back to battery park. Very bad experience and is not worth a cent.

This company is running a very sophisticated scam. First, they intercept you when you arrive at the port for the free Staten Island Ferry. In our case, they stopped our Uber that was arriving and opened the doors for us. They were wearing red vests and looked official. We told them we wanted to go on the Staten Island Ferry and they confirmed one hour. They shoved a credit card machine in my face and told me to buy tickets. I asked the price for the tour (I had thought the Staten Island Ferry was free but had never done it before) and they said $25.99 for adults and $10.99 for kids. You couldn't see the credit card screen so we paid. They printed a receipt and rushed us to follow another guide in a vest saying "the ferry was leaving soon". We followed another young man in headphones and I started feeling uncomfortable as he lead us away from the port building. My family and I turned around and started walking back towards the port only to be greeted with another person in an "official" vest telling me that we were going to right way and to follow the man away from the port building. We turned back around and after about a 5 minute walk got in line for a shuttle. Only at this point was I able to look at the receipt and see that I had been charged $60/adult and $10/per child plus several dollars in different "processing fees". While in line for this shuttle, I looked up the company and realized this was not the official Staten Island Ferry but a tour company. As the first shuttle left and it was too full to take us, I asked the man where it was going and he said it was going to the 78th street port. I asked him for a refund, citing everything I stated above and he said no. So we walked away (as it would have taken another hour just to get up to 78th street) and walked into the port building this time (on the way several more people stopped us and tried to get us to take the Big City Tourism tour). We ended up taking the free Staten Island Ferry. I am disputing this with my credit card company but wanted to leave a review to warn others. Beware.

The reason I chose this specific tour was because it’s advertised that after the boat tour there is an option bus tour that includes a stop in Times Square. Which was great because that’s where my hotel was. When we got off the boat there were several buses, and the man who was checking tickets for the boat tour was directing people. I asked which would be stopping in Times Square, and he said none I’d have to walk there myself. I would not have booked this specific tour had I known that the advertised after tour would not make the advertised stops. However, I gave 3 stars because the actual boat tour was great. They just mislead you with the advertisement, and I will not give them anything higher than that because of being misled.

*Horific Experienc, Be ready to lose your money and get no trip.* I would not book this if I was you. It ruined our only chance we will have of seeing the New York Skyline. The trip did not take place and they took our money and wont process refund. This could be a scam. We booked our trip for February and arrived on time at the departure area. We had so much time we walked around the full Pier twice. We met 2 other families at the Pier also looking for the boat. I tried ringing the office. I emailed the company but I got no response. Today April 26th, 62 days later I finally recieved a response not to confirm that they were processing a refund but that they could allow me to re-book with a 15% rescheduling fee. Do not book this trip unless you have money to throw away

Terrible rude salesman! Got off subway and was confronted by group of their sales men trying to sell us tickets- told them no repeatedly as we know there is a free ferry, yelled at us calling us “stupid fat ladies” when we refused.

An incredible experience, the commentary from Darius was amazing, so knowledgeable and extremely funny, kept us so engaged.

We purchased tickets from a Big City Tourism sales representative near the Battery on November 28th. When we asked detailed questions about the experience before buying, we were never told that the cruise requires a bus ride first, or that departure times are limited. We were simply assured that staff would walk us to where we needed to be. That promise was never kept. Instead, we were passed between multiple employees. The last person pointed us vaguely toward a cluster of buildings in the distance with "just hang left" as the only guidance. When I asked for clarification, he was dismissive and borderline rude. Once we found the right location, staff were yelling at customers trying to queue up — no clear information, and an attitude that felt condescending toward paying adults. When I asked when the cruise was departing, I was told "right now." Twenty minutes later — after one bus had already left — an employee finally told us the next bus would arrive in 13 minutes. It was only on the bus that we learned the ferry wouldn't depart until 3 PM, meaning we'd still have to wait another 30+ minutes at the pier. With a tight schedule on a one-day trip to New York, we had no choice but to leave without boarding the ferry. We lost a significant amount of irreplaceable time and received nothing for our tickets. The worst is yet to come though! I emailed their customer support and asked for a refund. Was promised an update soon. I kept following up over months and every time I was reassured they would be getting back to me. A few days after the 90 day mark, they informed me that their 3rd party agency has not yet responded to my refund request and suggested I file a dispute/chargeback with my bank for a refund. This was conveniently shortly after the dispute window has closed with my bank because they had been leading me on for three months!

Great staff, had summer like weather but went early to beat the heat. Get great views of historic landmarks. Very fun time

Scam, don't listen to the people that are writing the good reviews. They most likely are the people that own Big City Tours. I already wrote about the scammers that sold us the ticket. The cab driver was part of it, he brought us directly to the ticket scammers.

Great experience. Al the person explain on the things was funny and made it enjoyable. And the entire staff was friend from arrival to the end.

We were heading to the Staton Island Ferry and ran into the sales crew. It was 9:30am and they promised that we’d make the 10:15 cruise, would take one hour, and we’d be dropped off in Times Square afterwards. Since we had a show at 1, this was a good pitch. Unfortunately it was not the case. They sold us an 11am ticket, the cruise was 90 minutes, and we were on our own to get to the theater. To make it worse, as people on the bus (it’s a ride to Pier 78) began talking we were all charged wildly different prices. We were told $35 but were charged $51 (fees/taxes), another group was nearly $100 (cash) each - they spoke very little English and felt tricked. Another couple paid $35 after fees. We witnessed one sales person unable to give exact change just say “we’ll call it a tip” and pocket their money. That said. The tour was good. The boat was clean and really did get close - great photo opportunities. The problem was not the cruise but the highly deceptive sales tactics and outright stealing from guests. So buy your ticket direct in advance or at the Pier. Don’t fall for it at the SIF terminal.

Herbie and Jamal are the best support ever. Thier respect, kindness and hospitality was excellent and could not have gotten any better.

The VIP tour was excellent and the tour guide, Darius as well as the rest of the friendly staff made this experience amazing for me and my lady! 10/10

Scammed into this trip by the “salesman” at the base of the Staten Island Ferry. They lied about everything. Said the boat trip was 1 hour and it was 1 1/2. We had a plane to catch. Also was told the beverages and snack were free-not true. Also told a bus would take us to Times Square or back to the subway line at Battery Park. Not true-only 1 bus back to the ferry. We were walked to the bus to take us to the boat. That was a 6 block walk then a wait of 20 minutes. Then we get to the boat at 1:55 for a 2:00 departure. Actually left at 2:20 and back at 3:30. I feel this company is responsible for who sells there tickets and what is expected of the “salesman”. The actual boat ride was not that great. It was raining and cold. The windows on the inside were very foggy. I would go directly to the boat for this tour.

Every worker was so nice and accommodating. The tour guide was amazing. A lot of cool information and funny. The VIP area was totally worth the extra money! The views on the top deck were amazing and not crowded!

Bruce the tour guide was so nice and gave a wonderful tour. He was funny with lots of jokes and information. Great experience.

A lot of white peoples on boat kind of scared me but everything went fine for a brother I will recommend

Great trip, saw lots of the key points of interest, guide 'Darious" was very knowledgeable and humorous.

AVOID THESE. They approach you as you come out the metro. Declined the boat trip as going to use the Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty as free. Told us that the route for the ferry has now changed and doesnt go near the Statue of Liberty. Found out later this is lies. After the boat trip the transport back to the original place was over booked, we were left where we were! Terrible service

They’re scammers and have zero customer service! My cousin and I booked a trip to the Statue of Liberty, and we were left waiting for two hours until a bus finally came to pick us up and took us to another pier. After that, we had to wait again—another hour—because they were completely overbooked. I asked for a refund, and the employee promised I would get my money back. I never got any money, and when I contacted them again, they just said that the ticket had been “used,” even though I was never even on the boat! That’s how they trick people... $130 for nothing!