hudson cruises

My husband and I came from Montreal to celebrate New Year’s Eve on the Hudson Cruise. We believe that it was money well spent. We had a fabulous time and we danced and drank to our hearts content. A simple buffet was served, but we didn’t eat because we had supper beforehand. The music was great and not too loud. Although it was very cold, everyone brought in the New Year on deck with a wonderful fireworks display over the Statue of Liberty, a moment that my husband and I will never forget. The only downside was that there were not enough chairs for everyone, making some people to sit on the floor.

This cruise goes every Saturday and Sunday, in the summer. We had done the cruise out of Kingston earlier in the week, so some of the history was the same. This boat did not go as far and went slow, but we got to see quite a few birds, including bald eagles. It was much harder to understand the speaker, but that may be due to ,where we were sitting. We got to take close-up photos of the Hudson-Athens lighthouse, but it can also be viewed from the city park behind the chamber of commerce; which is up high, and gives one a lovely view of the river and surroundings.

I first contacted this cruise company online, via the email address, to ask a few questions. This was NOT a good experience, it was like pulling teeth to get a response...and when I did get a response, it wasn't accurate information. For example...we chartered the Little Spirit, it holds a max of 17 (15 guests, 2 crew). The person who answers the email, apparently an owner, told me we could have 17 guests in addition to the crew. I asked twice to be sure I was clear on what he was telling me since the web site said 15. The count mattered because I had to cut our invite list shorter. This event was for a graduation celebration. There were a few other things that just didn't 'sit' right. SO...long story short, I ended up calling the office directly, getting the office manager/booker Marie, and she was great! She handled our booking, guaranteed a great time, and told me not to worry. Stan was our captain and Audrey was the first mate and they were very nice and capable people. The pontoon boat was roomy and comfortable for all. We arranged pick up and drop off at Port of Call in Catskill. We brought a cooler packed with snacks and drinks and we all had a blast! Marie said it's best to call the office directly...don't bother with the email.

Important Disclosure: We never got on this boat--though we arrived excited about the prospect of an hour and a half cruise to see local mountains and perhaps wildlife. We'd found out about this cruise in our regional Entertainment Book (you know, those thick books full of buy-one get-one coupons). My husband had phoned the boat company the week before to make sure that with our Entertainment Book/River Cruises coupon (a buy-one get one offer), we could both cruise for $25, instead of $50. However, the man at the dock told us they didn't honor Entertainment book coupons. Then he told us that Entertainment Book had gone out of business (which isn't true, Though the boat captain agreed with him). Because we stood our ground, the dock man made a call to a woman somewhere and said to her, "These people can't use an Entertainment Book coupon, can they? We don't honor those, do we?" At that point it began to rain, and we decided to forget the cruise. The dock man said, "It's not going to rain. It's just that one cloud. It's a perfect day. It's the best day to see wild life." But we were already running for our car to get out of the storm which lasted over an hour. Poetic justice, maybe?

The trip started at 7:30AM at Hudson and went to 4 lighthouses (Hudson, Saugerties, Rondout and Esopus Meadows). The trip included a light breakfast and a nice lunch (chicken, Pasta, Meatballs, salad wraps etc). We were able to go into all 4 lighthouses and climb outside at the top. Each light had people to give the history of the lighthouse. The trip ended at Kingston at about 5:30PM then a bus trip back to Hudson. The crew was very nice and kept people entertained with stories etc. This would be an awesome trip for a family but a great trip for anyone!

I just took a trip on the Spirit of Hudson a 65' paddle wheel boat with family and friends over Memorial Day weekend. I couldn’t have asked for a better time, it offered something for everyone that was with us. The crew on board was super friendly and Captain Guy was awesome! I would highly recommend that you take this cruise if you are in the Hudson, NY area.