A New York river cruise is one of the most memorable ways to take in the city’s iconic skyline, bridges, and Statue of Liberty. My husband and I were lucky enough to get a date night in New York, and joined a wine and cheese tasting cruise by Event Cruises NYC.
In this review, I’ll share what the New York river cruise was really like, what’s included, and whether a cheese and wine tasting cruise is worth booking for your next NYC getaway.
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Disclaimer: This cruise was gifted to me as a PR visit. The blog post was not a requirement; I just wanted to share this experience. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
Why Choose a New York River Cruise?
Event Cruises offers lots of different river cruise packages. I chose the cheese and wine tasting, which was perfect for a date night. You get to try multiple cheese, wine and chocolate pairings as you cruise around Lower Manhattan. You’ll enjoy a lovely evening and see gorgeous views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty.
This is a really unique activity to do in NYC, and it is perfect for a treat!
What to Expect on a Wine and Cheese Tasting Cruise
Boarding & Atmosphere
This cruise departs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 pm from Pier 40 at Hudson River Park. You should be there 30 minutes early to board the ship. This boat has 3 levels, an enclosed area where the food is served and upstairs, an open deck where you can see panoramic views.
The boat has a great, relaxed atmosphere with background music playing!
The Food & Wine Selection
On arrival, you’re served with a mystery wine (you could choose red or white). You book in advance 3 or 6 pairings of wine, cheese and chocolate. These are carefully selected by experts but can change, subject to the season.
I usually only drink white wine, and the staff were great and happy to accommodate this for me. The host on our cruise was amazing. She taught us all about how to taste the wine and why it paired with each cheese and chocolate.
I’m going to be honest, I love cheese and I love wine, but I am in no way an expert. I think this cruise would be suitable for a beginner such as myself, but also for someone more knowledgeable. I found this cruise really fun without being pretentious. The host was great at making suggestions, but was also very happy for us to try different things. They were also generous with the amount of cheese and wine. We had more than I expected!
Views of the New York Skyline
The other great thing about this cruise is the views. On a clear day, you should see the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty (up close!) and One World Trade Centre. We’ve had some absolutely beautiful sunsets in New York recently, but unfortunately for us, I booked our cruise on a really misty evening, which meant we didn’t see all of the best views. We could still see the bridge and the edge of the Manhattan Skyline, including Hudson Yards and Little Island.
Overall, the cruise lasts approximately 3 hours.
Of course, this was disappointing as I know how amazing the views should have been, but it didn’t ruin the evening. The cheese and wine tasting was enough of an experience on its own, but I would like to go back again to see the views on a clear evening.
In my opinion, New York is always magical! Overall, I really enjoyed the evening and would definitely recommend it! If cheese and wine tasting isn’t your thing, they also have dinner or brunch cruises available.
How To Book Your Cheese and Wine Tasting New York River Cruise
These cruises need to be booked online, ideally in advance, as they do sell out. You can book the exact cruise we did on the Event Cruise NYC website (linked below). The tickets cost $135 per person for 3 cheese and wine pairings and $175 per person for 6 pairings.
BOOK: EVENT CRUISE NYC WINE & CHEESE TASTING CRUISE
Thank you for reading my New York River Cruise review. I hope you have a great time on this experience!
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Happy Exploring,
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