Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour in New York, NY

Before our NYC trip (end of May), I read reviews and was hesitant about Statue City Cruises. But it is the only way to get on Liberty and Ellis Islands, so we took the chance. I regret it. The LONG LINES and heavy crowds at both places waiting on Statue CIty Cruises boats were ridiculous. I'm glad we experienced the sights, but I won't go back and I'm not sure I would recommend it. We got there early (at 7:45 am) for a 9 am departure (earliest option), so go through the entrance and first security area quickly. But then we waited at a fenced gate to board, and then waited for an officer with a dog to sniff the boat which took an additional 25-30 min. Visitors are at Statue City Cruises mercy (the only way to get on the islands), and they cram 600 people on every boat, we all use ONE flight of stairs, and then are stuck waiting on crowded boats to get back and forth. Staff tells you to cram together and many aren't nice about it. Crowds build on the islands throughout the day. Boats of 600 come from 2 places all day: Battery Park/NYC and also New Jersey. We couldn't believe the long wait in the sun for the next boat. Terribly inefficient and a waste of time. We felt like we were a big herd of livestock so close together. Getting to Ellis Island was another long wait, then back to Battery Park took forever because the boats are already partially full when they arrive at Ellis to pick up (they dont tell you this! There is limited space) . We were wiped out and it took about 8 hrs total: statue of liberty museum, great audio tours (30-45 min each), lunch at statue of liberty, but mostly STANDING IN LINES! Statue City Cruises can do a better job managing things. Take less people at a time and/or use more boats. Use both ends of the boats for entering/exiting patrons (not just one). There is work to be done here. Also, part of the Statue of Liberty apparently has been under construction for a couple of years. We went on a weekday, but no workers in sight. The base is a construction mess to look at and photograph!! See pics. The photos I posted are of LINES. Not people walking. Those are crammed lines standing and waiting. Half of our day was literally standing in crowded masses. I would rather have taken Staten Island Ferry, or a private charter boat to get close enough to see the places.

This company is the only ferry that actually takes you to Liberty Island, they advertise this and are the only authorized concessionaire for the National Park Service that operates the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Definitely worth the $12 ferry fee to visit both places. We had no problems or long wait times, but this probably varies by season and weekend vs. weekday. The ferries have outside and inside seating and bathrooms on board.

I booked the cruise online, and it did take a few attempts to get it sorted. It did make it easier when I arrived since all I had to do was show up, and I was able to get the crown tour. I arrived at the New Jersey side in Liberty State Park. The offices for the cruise to check in and get tickets were in the historic Central Railroad Terminal. The check-in for the crown tour was in the back area and we had a wait for someone to open up the ticketing booth. You get to the ferry area after passing through security. You need a (timed) ticket to get past the gate. The boat from New Jersey first went to Ellis Island, and then to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty resides. I stayed on the boat so I could to Liberty Island first. There are free audio guides at both islands, just keep an eye out for the signs. I decided to forgo them and just explore. When taking the boats, check that you're going to the correct one. From Liberty Island, the NJ boat goes to NJ, while the NY boat goes to Ellis Island. From Ellis Island, the NJ boat goes to Liberty Island, while the NY boat goes to NY. I initially came from NJ, but I disembarked in NY. Once you disembark from NJ or NY, you are not able to get back onto the boat. I really enjoyed the experience and was expecting the crowds. The boat ride was kinda nice and gave nice views of both islands and Manhattan.

I do really love my trip with statue city cruises NY I recommend taking this trip. The info and purchase was so easy. I recommend buying crown tickets with 3 months in advance to have the chance to visit them.

Poorly organised and just a money grab. Queued for two hours only to find that the booking time we made was irrelevant anyway. Its obviously oversold, there is no control on numbers. You get treated like cattle. Got to the statue and the queue to get back on a boat was just as bad.