New York Shore Excursions
USA · 23 independent tours
Across USA — laws, safety & health
National rules and risks that apply anywhere in USA — relayed from official sources, not our verdict. We pass on what the authority says and leave the judgement to you.
Laws that catch visitors out
- The national legal age for buying and drinking alcohol is 21.
- Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties — a long jail sentence and heavy fines, including when transiting through airports. (US federal law applies even where a state has legalised cannabis.)
- Always carry a passport showing you have permission to enter or remain in the US.
- US law prohibits importing, exporting, making, selling or transporting drug paraphernalia.
Drones
Visitors flying a drone recreationally in the US must take the FAA’s free online TRUST safety test and carry proof. A drone of 250 g or more must have Remote ID and be registered — on the FAA DroneZone, or by filing a Notice of Identification if it is already registered in your home country. Fly at or below 400 ft in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace, keep it within sight, and do not fly over people.
via US FAA — Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations · 25 Jun 2026
Scams to watch
Do not leave passports in rental cars (especially the boot) — vehicles driven by people who look like tourists may be targeted.
Health hazards
The FCDO health page lists Zika virus, West Nile virus and altitude sickness (in parts of the country) among the health risks in the US. There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement — treatment is expensive, so comprehensive travel insurance is essential. Check current detail and vaccine recommendations on TravelHealthPro before you travel. The FCDO safety and security page adds that the Atlantic hurricane season normally runs June to November and the Pacific season May to November, and that hurricanes can affect coastal regions, Hawaii and Guam. Its instruction is to monitor approaching storms on the US National Hurricane Center website and follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders.
via UK FCDO travel advice — USA (health + safety and security) · 22 Aug 2026
Relayed from UK FCDO travel advice — USA · checked 18 Jul 2026
Traffic drives on the right. Look left first when you cross the road.
Docking & terminals in New York
- Manhattan Cruise Terminal (Piers 88/90) — On Manhattan’s West Side beside the Hudson River, at the western edge of Midtown — a stone’s throw from the Theatre District and Times Square. (Walk or short taxi — the terminal is in Midtown itself; the subway is a few blocks east.)
- Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (Red Hook) — On the Red Hook waterfront in Brooklyn, looking across the harbour to Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. (Taxi or rideshare into Manhattan; Red Hook itself has limited subway access.)
- Cape Liberty Cruise Port (Bayonne, New Jersey) — Across the harbour in Bayonne, New Jersey — not in New York City itself. (Taxi, rideshare or car into Manhattan; cruise-line coach transfers are usually offered.)
Mobility & step-free access
Getting around between the pier and town:
- Subway — The fastest, cheapest way around Manhattan and the boroughs; buy a tap-and-go OMNY fare or use a contactless card.
- Walk — From the Manhattan terminal, Times Square, the Theatre District and the Hudson River parks are on foot.
- Taxi / rideshare — Plentiful citywide and the practical choice from the Brooklyn and Cape Liberty (New Jersey) terminals.
Step-free options vary by pier and by the day — confirm the specifics with your operator and the ship’s guest-services desk before booking.
Heading back at the end of the day: New York-area cruises use three widely separated terminals — the Manhattan Cruise Terminal (West Side / Midtown), the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (Red Hook) and Cape Liberty (Bayonne, New Jersey). They are well apart and in different states, so confirm which one your ship uses before booking any transfers.
Cruise lines don’t always tell you which pier you’re on, and it’s easy to forget once you’re ashore. As you leave the ship, note or photograph your pier’s name — then give your taxi that exact pier (or your ship’s name) for the trip back.
Your exact terminal is assigned per sailing — confirm it on the ship’s daily programme or your cruise documents before heading ashore.
Getting around & must-sees in New York
Getting around
New York is built for getting around without a car: the subway runs 24/7 and reaches almost everywhere, yellow cabs and rideshare are everywhere, and from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal much of Midtown is walkable. From the Brooklyn and Cape Liberty terminals a taxi or rideshare is the simplest way into Manhattan.
- Subway — The fastest, cheapest way around Manhattan and the boroughs; buy a tap-and-go OMNY fare or use a contactless card.
- Walk — From the Manhattan terminal, Times Square, the Theatre District and the Hudson River parks are on foot.
- Taxi / rideshare — Plentiful citywide and the practical choice from the Brooklyn and Cape Liberty (New Jersey) terminals.
Must-see sights
- Statue of Liberty — Recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy
- Empire State Building — Symbolizes New York City’s spirit of innovation and elegant Art Deco architecture
- Central Park — Stretches from 59th Street to 110th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West
Taxis & ride-hailing — Uber and Lyft operate throughout the city and at all three cruise terminals; yellow and green taxis are also metered and widely available.
Getting back to the pier
From Manhattan you can walk, cab or subway back to the terminal; from Brooklyn or Cape Liberty allow extra time and return by taxi or rideshare, as neither has direct subway access to the door.
- Taxi / rideshare — The dependable way back to any of the three terminals — give the driver the exact terminal, as they are in different boroughs and states.
Key facts only — confirm times, fares and seasonal openings locally.
Operator policies we’ve checked in New York
Before a tour earns its trust pills, we read the operator’s own site — their terms, cancellation and accessibility pages — and relay what they state. These are the operators’ own terms, not our verdicts; confirm when booking.
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American Museum of Natural History
- Cancellation policy — The museum publishes no refund, cancellation or exchange policy of its own for admission tickets. Rely on the booking platform's stated terms.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Big Bus Tours - New York
- Cancellation policy — No customer-initiated cancellation refund — refund only if Big Bus cannot provide the service; once activated, tickets cannot be cancelled (company-wide T&C).
Checked 16 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Circle Line
- Cancellation policy — All ticket sales are final — no refunds for weather, late arrivals, or route changes (their customer-service policy). Bookings via third-party sellers follow that seller's own cancellation policy.
Checked 16 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Go City - USA
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Passes bought on or after 1st May 2026 can be cancelled for a refund within 90 days of purchase — but only while the pass is unused and unactivated. Pre-booking any single attraction counts as activating the pass and ends the refund right, so book your timed entries only once you are sure of your plans.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Hudson Yards
- Cancellation policy — Tickets bought online are non-refundable, and the operator's terms say no refund is given for any reason — including bad weather, queues, or waits at the building. Group bookings likewise get no refund if the deck closes because of weather.
- Accessibility — The operator states that Edge is wheelchair accessible, with ramps and lifts throughout the space.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Legends OWO, LLC
- Cancellation policy — Tickets are non-refundable and there are no rain checks. You can change your date or time online at any point before your visit through Manage My Booking, and on the rare occasion of zero visibility the Observatory may — at its discretion — issue a voucher to come back within 14 days.
- Accessibility — The operator states that One World Observatory is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible pick-up and drop-off point on West Street north of Vesey Street.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Museum of Ice Cream NYC
- Cancellation policy — Tickets are not refundable. You can move your slot yourself using the reschedule tool in your confirmation email, and a refund is only possible if you bought the venue's paid ticket insurance at the time of purchase. Arriving more than 10 minutes after your time slot can mean entry is refused with no refund.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Rockefeller Center
- Cancellation policy — All ticket sales are final and no refunds are issued. You can ask to move your visit to another date or time if you request it at least 24 hours ahead, subject to availability and paying any difference in price; the same reschedule — not a refund — is what the operator offers on poor-visibility days. Tickets already scanned cannot be moved.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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The Museum of Modern Art
- Cancellation policy — The museum publishes no refund or cancellation policy of its own for admission tickets — its only stated ticket rule is that tickets may not be resold, exchanged or transferred. Rely on the booking platform's stated terms.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Woodbury Bus Inc
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Tickets bought direct from the operator are refundable if you cancel more than 24 hours before your reservation. Cancel inside 24 hours and you get store credit valid for one year rather than your money back, and no-shows on the day get neither.
- Accessibility — The operator states that passengers using wheelchairs can be accommodated and that service dogs are welcome, in both cases if you contact the operator in advance.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Zip Aviation
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Free cancellation or rescheduling up to 24 hours before your flight time. Bookings made for the same day cannot be refunded at all, and cancelling inside 24 hours or not showing up is charged at the full flight cost.
Checked 4 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
Local know-hows in New York
Money
- Currency
- United States dollar (USD)
- Cards
- Credit and debit cards are accepted almost everywhere, including for dining, hotels and transport.
- ATMs
- ATMs are widely available.
- Tipping
- Tipping is customary in the U.S. — typically 15–20% at restaurants, and a few dollars for taxis, porters and housekeeping.
Practicalities
- Language
- English (New York is one of the world’s most multilingual cities — Spanish, Chinese and dozens of other languages are widely spoken).
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink and famously high quality. New York City’s water comes mainly from the protected Catskill and Delaware watersheds — the largest unfiltered supply in the United States, delivering about 90% of the city’s water — and is tested hundreds of times a day; the city holds a federal waiver to deliver it unfiltered in recognition of its quality.
- Plugs
- Type A / Type B sockets, 120 V, 60 Hz (North American standard). Non-US appliances may need a voltage converter.
Key facts to know before you step off — confirm anything time-sensitive locally.
Port busyness in New York
Usually quiet
New York is one of the world’s largest cities and absorbs cruise crowds with ease — even on busy turnaround days the terminals empty quickly into the subway and cab network. It is a year-round destination rather than a seasonal one, so no single period stands out as overwhelming.
- huge city
- year-round destination
- three separate terminals
This shows a typical day for the time of year — actual crowds vary on your date, and it isn’t a guarantee.
What we’ve checked in New York — and when
We last checked the facts on this page on 13 Jul 2026. Live travel advisories refresh automatically from the official sources.
- Docking & getting ashore
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 13 Jul 2026
- Getting around
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 13 Jul 2026
- How busy it gets
- Verified by The Excursion Edit · 13 Jul 2026
- Operator policies
- From each operator’s own site and terms · 4 Aug 2026
- Travel advisories
- FCDO (GOV.UK) & US State Department · refreshed automatically