The Circle Line cruise was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I suggest a cab ride to get there, it’s a bit off the beaten path. The cruise is about $24 dollars for an adult (I purchased the NYC City Pass which came with admission to the Circle Line - well worth it). It takes you around the entire Island of Manhattan. I especially liked this because we could just catch a glimpse of some of the neighborhoods that we didn’t venture into to.

You get some great views of the Statue of Liberty, which I found to be inviting whereas you can no longer go into the Statue. It can be a bit windy, so wear a light coat if it’s all chilly out.

The last day of the trip we went on the Circle Line Cruise around the Island of Manhattan. Very reasonably priced... the price for adult admission now is $24. I had purchased the City Pass New York City, which was well worth it. We saved about $50 per person on admission costs for things that we all wanted to do. The Cruise offers a way to get a nice view of the Statue of Liberty up close, which is the next best thing since you can no longer go inside of it.

When I asked the question, "What should I absolutely do in New York," to all my friends, the answer was take a Circle Line Cruise. Based on this I decided to make sure that I took one of the boat cruises.

I was pleasantly surprised that when I purchased my CitiPass booklet and there was a ticket for a 2 hour tour around the end of Manhattan. This tour can also be purchased from Circle Line for approximately $25 at http://www.circleline42.com. The Circle Line company also offers a 3 hour tour and a 75 minute tour.

I chose to use the tour that was included with my CitiPass, and set off to enjoy my adventure. When we arrived at the pier I was struck by a view of the Intrepid Museum which is docked next to the Circle Line Boats. The Intrepid is an aircraft carrier, and you could see numerous types of aircraft on its deck. It looked really interesting, but I did not have time to check it out.

Our cruise departed and we headed out past the Financial District of Manhattan. We sailed past Chelsea Piers, and took a quick run near the Statue of Liberty. Please note that this cruise does not take you to the Island, Circle Line offers an additional cruise that does that. We continued on under the Brooklyn Bridge.

The boat was a great break from the July heat in the city, and the captain told us tons of great information about the city and the sites that we observed. He even taught us a way to remember the order of the 3 bridges we sailed beneath. He used the acronym BMW—Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Washington.

The neatest thing about the cruise was the incredible photos we got of the Brooklyn Bridge and the New York Skyline. They are some of my favorites from the trip.

I really enjoyed our Circle Line Semi Circle Cruise. I felt that it was just enough time on the boat so that you didn't get bored with the tour and you still got to see some really neat sites.

We opted for the 3-hour cruise that circled the entire island of Manhattan, partially because we knew we wouldn't otherwise spend any time north of Central Park other than our trips to Yankee Stadium. It's amazing how much different the island is from the canyons of the Wall Street area to the northwest part of the island up around Columbia University.

This is also a great opportunity to leisurely get some history of the city as you cruise in comfort.

We had initially discussed taking the ferry to The Statue of Liberty, but when we discovered we should plan on 6 hours for the entire experience from the time one enters a line for ferry tickets to the return, time constraints led us to this alternative. This is a great alternative, as you not only get close to the statue and miss the lines, but also see much more of the island in half the time.

We took this tour on a mid-June Thursday afternoon, and our boat was less than a fourth full.

Starting at Pier 83 on the west side of 42nd Street, the tour goes out past Ellis Island and Liberty Island before turning into the East River and up the east side of Manhattan.

The tour takes every part of three hours and did not, when we did it, go 'around' the entire island. It went as far as Harlem before turning around and doubling back on itself.

The commentary is informative and interesting, with the right mix of fact, figure, and anecdote to provide an individual perspective. The real star, of course, is the city view; the downtown skyline looks fantastic from the water.

It can get hot on the boat, and you will want some water; though there is a snack bar on board, it is not exactly cheap--better to take your own on with you.

Even on overcast days, three hours on deck in the sun will leave you sunburned, so a hat and sunscreen are a good idea.