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Statue City Cruises

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Statue City Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Hornblower Group

We are Hornblower Group, the global leader in world-class experiences and transportation.

The brand heritage of our organization dates back nearly 100 years, with the establishment of Boston Harbor Cruises in Massachusetts in 1926; on the west coast of the United States, Hornblower Group began in 1980. Across our growing portfolio, we have a long-standing history of expertise and innovation and have continually redefined the marine hospitality industry. Today, our footprint spans 111 countries and territories, and 125 U.S. cities, with offerings including water-based experiences, land-based experiences, overnight cruise experiences, and ferry and transportation services and marine consulting & services.

Notably, we designed and built the first hybrid ferry in the United States which reduces fuel consumption by 75%; it is part of Alcatraz City Cruises. City Ferry operates the first zero-emission, all-electric passenger/vehicle ferry in the U.S.

Our Hornblower Group global headquarters is in San Francisco, California, with additional corporate offices in Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; London, United Kingdom; New York, New York; and Ontario, Canada.

Core Leadership Team

Kevin M. Rabbitt

X Kevin M. Rabbitt is Chief Executive Officer and Board Director at Hornblower Group, a global experiences and transportation leader. The group’s expansive portfolio includes land-based experiences (City Experiences), water-based experiences and dining and sightseeing cruises (City Cruises), ferry and transportation services (City Ferry), and small ship overnight cruises (American Queen  Voyages ). Hornblower is owned by management and private equity firm, Crestview Partners.

In addition to his role at Hornblower, Rabbitt serves as Operating Executive in the media portfolio for Crestview Partners. Rabbitt serves as a Board Director on behalf of Crestview for investments at Congruex Networks, Viad Corp and Framestore/Company 3. Additionally, Rabbitt serves on non-profit boards for Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital Foundation and Jerome Bettis “The Bus Stops Here” Foundation.

Prior CEO roles for Rabbitt have included NEP Group, the worldwide leader of technical outsourced production services operating in 24 countries; 3 Day Blinds, a leading manufacturer and retailer of custom window coverings; and Global Experience Specialists (GES), a global face-to-face events and tradeshow services company.

Early roles for Rabbitt included consulting stops at Bain and Company and Deloitte Consulting; running a small entertainment business; time with the Houston Rockets basketball organization; and an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Texas State University.

Rabbitt holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School (2001), and a BA in Managerial Studies from Rice University (1995). While at Rice, Rabbitt was captain and point guard for the Men’s Basketball team.

Rabbitt enjoys spending time with his wife Emily (Rice 1994; Jones School 1995) and their four children. Rabbitt is an avid sports fan including Rice Owls as well as his native Kansas City teams the Chiefs, Royals and Jayhawks. Rabbitt is an active supporter of college basketball programs including Pitt, Robert Morris University, UT-San Antonio, and Henderson State. In his free time, Rabbitt enjoys coaching youth sports and playing golf.

Adam C. Peakes

With Hornblower’s overarching goal of becoming a Global Experiences and Transportation Leader, Peakes works in partnership with the division leaders to enable the strategic business plans across the organization.

Peakes comes to Hornblower from Merichem Corporation,   a large private industrial services company, serving as the company CFO, and previously as CFO at Noble Corporation,   one of the largest publicly traded offshore drilling contractors in the oil and gas industry. Prior to that, he had a nearly 20-year career as an Investment Banker, serving as a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, then as a Partner at the boutique investment banking firm of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Company. Peakes additionally spent time working in the sports industry, including playing professional basketball in Europe and later as a member of the Houston Rockets management team.

Peakes graduated from Rice University where he played Division I basketball and was a two-time Academic All-American, and the Southwest Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.    He gained his MBA from Harvard Business School.   Additionally, Peakes serves on the Board of Directors for Trecora Resources (NYSE: TREC) and Diamond Offshore Drilling (NYSE: DO), and he is Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Rice University Jones School of Management (Rice MBA).

Outside of work, Peakes enjoys spending time with his wife and four children as well as traveling, reading, and playing golf.  He currently resides in Houston, Texas.

Karen DiFulgo

X Coming Soon.

Francesca Merlino

X Coming soon.

Frank Dunsford

X As Hornblower Group’s Chief Financial Officer, Dunsford provides strategic financial insight, supports growth plans, and drives value creation while overseeing all financial and accounting matters related to the company. Dunsford’s background is in private equity-backed companies and public companies, driving value creation in M&A acquisition, integrations, and change management initiatives.

Dunsford came to Hornblower Group from Youth Enrichment Brands, a private equity-backed youth activities company, serving as the company CFO. Prior to that, he spent over three years with Hornblower Group as the interim CFO and Vice President Corporate Controller. Prior to his first stint with Hornblower Group, Dunsford spent more than 18 years with KPMG Audit and Accounting Advisory.

Dunsford enjoys spending time with his wife Pramoda and their two children as well as traveling, hiking, listening to music, and playing cricket. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

Stewart Alpert

Currently serving as Hornblower’s Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Technology, Stewart has extensive experience and expertise at the nexus of technology and business. Well versed in security, engineering and IT, he’s held leadership roles in top companies such as VMware and Walmart Labs as well as several start-ups. Stewart holds a master’s degree in software engineering, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

Mitch Randall

X Mitch Randall is the General Counsel of Hornblower Group, the holding company for City Experiences and American Queen Voyages. He is responsible for all of Hornblower’s legal matters, including litigation, mergers & acquisitions, human resources, real estate and permitting, commercial contract negotiations, finance, risk management, corporate governance, and management of external counsel.

Mitch was previously the President and Chief Legal Officer of PureGen Power, a clean power company focused on the acquisition, improvement and operation of utility scale solar projects. Prior to joining PureGen in January 2017, he was the President of Recurrent Energy, one of North America’s largest solar project developers.

Mitch has more than 20 years of legal experience in hospitality, energy, project development, regulatory, finance, and mergers & acquisitions. Prior to serving as President of Recurrent Energy, Mitch served as its General Counsel, overseeing the company’s legal strategy across its operations. Prior to joining Recurrent Energy, Mitch was a partner with Morrison & Foerster LLP, where he represented energy, real estate, development, health care and technology companies in complex transactional, permitting and regulatory matters.

Mitch received a JD from University of California’s Hastings College of the Law and a BS from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

X A graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (MBA) and the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business (BS Finance), Phil is an experienced travel and hospitality professional specializing in customer experience, service operations, and strategy. From his time consulting with McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and Hitachi Consulting, he has wide industry knowledge and practice across airlines, hotels, casinos, airports, OTAs, transportation companies, and experience operators. Prior to consulting, Phil started his career with The Walt Disney Company and Six Flags. Today, as Chief of Staff, Phil works across Hornblower’s businesses to set their long-term strategy and lead key strategic initiatives.

Michael K. Burke

X Mike joined Statue City Cruises as VP & COO at the start of 2008. Statue City Cruises carries 4.5 million passengers annually to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and on harbor cruises & charters. He directs all operations and fiscal affairs of Statue City Cruises. Commitment to safety & security, hospitality, guest service, innovation, and environmental initiatives has enabled Statue City Cruises to achieve results far exceeding industry standards. Mike is responsible for relationships with the National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard, NYC Parks & Recreation, and numerous government agencies and not-for-profit partners.

In August 2020, Mike was promoted to COO, of Concessions & Park Services to direct Alcatraz City Cruises as well as Statue City Cruises. In addition to an expanded role with NPS and USCG matters, Mike is the liaison with the Port of San Francisco and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

Prior to his current position, Mike served as CFO at BillyBey Ferry Company from 2005 to 2008. Mike was President and CEO at Circle Line-Statue of Liberty Ferry in 2000 and 2001, where he served as its first non-owner chief executive. He was also advisor and consultant to Circle Line from 1982 to 2000.

Mike is an active Board and Committee Member of NYC & Company, the Friends of Governors Island and various other organizations. He holds a US Coast Guard 100 GRT Captain License and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Mory DiMaurizio

X Mory DiMaurizio joined Hornblower Canada in 2014. As Vice President & General Manager, he oversaw the successful startup, development and operations of Hornblower Niagara City Cruises. At the helm of Canada’s most iconic tourist attraction, Mory oversees the safe passage of over 2.4 million visitors per year. He is responsible for ensuring that his highly skilled team is focused on guest services, safety and environmental goals and objectives. As key liaison with the Niagara Parks Commission, an operational enterprise agency for the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Mory ensures compliance with all financial and operating agreements.

With 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Mory sits on the Board of Directors for Niagara Falls Tourism as Treasurer and the Tourism Partnership of Niagara.

Prior to joining Hornblower, Mory was General Manager for Medieval Times Entertainment overseeing the Toronto operations at the Canadian National Exhibition from 2005 to 2013. Mory was General Manager for the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation participating in Casino development, operations and 14 successful casino startup operations on time and budget within the Canadian gaming industry from 1996 to 2005.

Mory is a Certified Engineering Technologist (OACETT), is a graduate of Electrical Engineering with a double minor in Computers and Electronics from Niagara College.

Stephen Oddo

Stephen is a serial travel industry entrepreneur and founded multiple companies in the tours & activities sector since 2005. He founded WalksofItaly.com, an online travel company for visitors to Italy offering sightseeing tours and travel activities, in 2009. Walks of Italy soon became one of the largest operators of experiential travel services in Italy.

Walks is now a global brand and one of the largest operators of guided tours in the world, handling hundreds of thousands of passengers annually. Walks operates travel experiences in 20 cities across 9 countries. During the pandemic, Stephen led development of Walks’ virtual tour program “Tours from Home,” receiving tens of thousands of paid bookings and widespread acclaim in Travel + Leisure, Forbes, Skift, Boston Globe, and more. In early 2021, Walks joined City Experiences (Hornblower Group) to start the next chapter of growth and expansion. He also led the acquisition of Devour Tours, a leading global food tour company, closing in late 2021.

Rinat Glinert

Rinat Glinert serves at the Chief Operating Officer of Venture Ashore ,  the largest independent shore excursion company in the world, delivering thousands of shore excursions, tours and activities led by professional guides in hundreds of ports worldwide. Venture Ashore is part of the City Experiences portfolio of brands as its newest addition, supporting the company’s overall business strategy as the leader in amazing experiences. As Chief Operating Officer, Glinert leads the team in growing the Venture Ashore offerings on a global basis and establishing strong functionality of the business to drive extensive and sustainable growth through designing and implementing business strategies, plans and procedures.

Glinert’s career spans more than 18 years in the cruise and travel industry beginning with Royal Caribbean International in operations aboard the Vision of the Seas . She then proceeded to hold several progressive leadership positions at the corporate headquarters, culminating in overseeing guest services operations for over 22 ships and nearly 5,000 employees. As head of the strategic projects group, she was responsible for identifying and implementing onboard staffing efficiencies to better serve both employees and guests, as well as launching new services throughout the fleet. As a part of the newbuild hotel operations team, Glinert was instrumental in the design, buildout, and launch of the largest ships in the world, including the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas cruise ships, as well as overseeing the creation of Royal Caribbean’s VIP suite operations in Labadee, Haiti. In 2012, Glinert left Royal Caribbean to launch her own company, ShoreFox, which created technology tools for independent tour guides for nearly 2,500 tours in more than 220 destinations worldwide. Glinert shares a deep passion for travel and loves the connectivity it provides for people to take part in new experiences and broaden their horizons.

Glinert is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Hotel Administration. She resides in Rockville, Maryland with her husband and 2 children. She is an avid scuba diver and her favorite excursions include swimming with the pigs in Nassau, Bahamas, hiking Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska and sailing aboard a catamaran in the azure waters of Bora Bora.

Scott Thornton

X Scott Thornton is the COO, City Ferry, where he leads the operations of all ferry systems it operates, including NYC Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, and more.

In his more than three decades with Hornblower, Scott has served at every level of the organization, beginning as a bartender onboard the California Hornblower in Los Angeles. In his time at Hornblower, Scott has exemplified the leadership and creativity that drives our growth and success, helping to lead each Hornblower start-up operation and ensuring the highest level of operational standards and focus on safety, quality, and crew development.

Prior to serving as COO of Hornblower Group’s Ferries & Transportation Division, Scott served as Chief Operating Officer of NYC Ferry. Since its launch in 2017, NYC Ferry – a new public transit option serving Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and The Bronx – has served more than 17.5 million riders.

Before leading NYC Ferry, Scott was General Manager and Vice President of Operations of Alcatraz City Cruises, which, under his leadership, introduced the first ever hybrid ferry in 2009. Soon after Alcatraz City Cruises became the first triple ISO-certified passenger maritime operation, Scott also led the Alcatraz City Cruises crew to their highest level of annual ridership while maintaining a dedication to safety and quality which led to Alcatraz City Cruises being named the No. 1 landmark in the U.S. in TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice award. In addition to this experience, Scott spearheaded Hornblower’s Statute City Cruises launch in New York City.

Scott is a certified Captain and resides in New York City.

Dan Russell

X Dan Russell currently serves as Co-Chief Operating Officer of the City Cruises U.S. division, overseeing all areas of the business in 16 ports across the country.

Dan has been a Crew member of City Cruises for over 20 years and has lead teams in operations, sales and marketing, product development and general management.

Dan holds a BBA from Notre Dame and is a certified public accountant. He works out of the Chicago port and resides in the suburbs with his wife and two teenage children.

Christine Metivier

X Christine Metivier is Co-Chief Operating Officer of the City Cruises U.S. division, overseeing all areas of the business in 16 ports across the country.

Christine has over two decades of sales and operations experience. She began her career at the Boston port of City Cruises before transferring to the New York City port. Christine held various positions throughout the organization including a position in Event Management, Sales Director, General Manager, and Regional Vice President.

Christine received her Bachelor of Science degree from UMASS Amherst and works out of the New York City office. She resides in New Jersey with her husband and labradoodle.

Nasi Peretz

X A graduate of the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering in Computer Engineering & Computer Science for both undergrad and grad. Created WestsideRentals.com along with Mark Verge and Kevin Miller, 70+ employees which after 15 years was sold to Apartments.com/Costar (CSGP on Nasdaq). Then created Ticketmob.com with Scot Richardson which was acquired in December of 2012 by Cvent (CVT on Nasdaq) and after 6 years of expanding that ticketing company moved to Ticketmaster/LiveNation where he created Taylor Swift’s ticketing platform for the largest concert series in Ticketmaster history. Now Chief Technology Officer at the Hornblower Group after serving as the Vice President of Engineering for two years.

History of the Company

• 1926 – Boston Harbor Cruises is founded in Boston, Massachusetts
• 1951 – Gananoque Boat Lines is founded in Gananoque, Ontario, Canada
• 1974 – Potomac Riverboat Cruises is founded in Alexandria, Virginia
• 1978 – Spirit Cruises is founded in Norfolk, Virginia
• 1980 – Hornblower Tours purchased by Terry MacRae in Berkeley, California
• 1980 – 1987 – The company is known as Hornblower Party Yachts
• 1984 – The company moves its headquarters to San Francisco, California
• 1986 – City Cruises is founded in London, England
• 1987 – 1993 – The company is known as Hornblower Dining Yachts
• 1987 – Mariposa Cruises is founded in Toronto, Canada
• 1991 – Odyssey Cruises is founded in Chicago, Illinois
• 1993 – 2020 – The company is known as Hornblower Cruises & Events
• 1993 – The company spins off Hornblower Marine Services (HMS), a marine management company focused on the operation of casino boats and ferries. HMS Ferries, Inc. expands to government contracting work and the development of high-speed ferry systems.
• 1996 – City Cruises develops the first new purpose-built sightseeing boat on the River Thames in London
• 1996 – Seadog is founded in Chicago, Illinois
• 1997 – The company acquires Lake Tahoe Cruises, Inc. and adds ferry services across Lake Tahoe
• 1998 – Mystic Blue Cruises is founded in Chicago, Illinois
• 2004 – Hornblower Group acquires Adventures at Sea and becomes the largest private yacht fleet in Southern California
• 2006 – Alcatraz Cruises, a Hornblower subsidiary, is awarded National Park Commission contract for Alcatraz Island in San Francisco
• 2007 – Entertainment Cruises acquires Baltimore Harbor Cruises
• 2008 – Hornblower Group awarded National Park Service contract for Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Immigration Museum
• 2009 – Seaward Services is founded in New Albany, Indiana
• 2009 – Alcatraz Cruises designed and built the first hybrid ferry in the United States which reduces fuel consumption by 75%
• 2011 – Cruising Excursions is founded in London, England
• 2014 – Niagara Cruises begins tours in Niagara Gorge with two state-of-the-art catamarans
• 2015 – Hornblower Group awarded the NYC Ferry contract by the New York City Economic Development Corporation
• 2016 – Entertainment Cruises is formed with the merger of Odyssey Cruises and Spirit Cruises
• 2016 – Entertainment Cruises acquires Potomac Riverboat Company
• 2017 – NYC Ferry by Hornblower begins operations on May 1, 2017
• 2018 – Entertainment Cruises acquires Mariposa Cruises
• 2019 – The Gee’s Bend Ferry operates the first zero-emission, all-electric passenger/vehicle ferry in the U.S.
• 2019 – Hornblower Group acquires Entertainment Cruises, Boston Harbor Cruises, Gananoque Boat Lines, and UK-based City Cruises under the Cruises & Events division
• 2020 – The company is known as Hornblower Group, with Cruises & Events becoming one of the company’s four divisions
• 2020 – HMS Ferries Inc. named operator of Puerto Rico Ferry Service
• 2021 – Cruising Excursions is added to the company’s portfolio of businesses in January, expanding our footprint globally to 70 countries
• 2021 – Shore Trips is added to the company’s portfolio of businesses in February, expanding our global footprint to more than 110 countries and territories
• 2021 – In April 2021, Hornblower Cruises & Events, City Cruises, and HMS Ferries, Inc. rebrand as one master company, City Experiences. City Cruises and City Ferry are named sub-brands of the division
• 2021 – As part of the expansion of land based activities Walks was brought on board in Q1 along with Devour Food Tours in Q4. The Walks platform brought in not only Guides from around the world but a technology platform to elevate the Hornblower Group.
• 2022 – Venture Ashore launches as the newest addition to the City Experiences portfolio of brands in February, becoming the largest independent cruise excursions provider in the world

CELEBRATE your family story – add a name to the WALL OF HONOR! |

Be inspired

Experience the icon in person., ellis island, make the voyage, walk in the footsteps of history., help keep liberty alive..

• Search Passenger and Ship Records
• Views from Lady Liberty
• Let Us Start Your Search!
• Genealogy Tips
• Educational Resources
• Oral History Project
• Famous Names in the Ellis Island Database
• Become a Member
• Make a Donation
• Wall of Honor
• Founders Registry
• Statue of Liberty Click for more info Overview + History Statue of Liberty Museum The Role of the Foundation The Future of Liberty
• Ellis Island Click for more info Overview + History National Museum of Immigration Family History Center American Immigrant Wall of Honor The Role of the Foundation The Future of Ellis
• Foundation Click for more info Mission + History News Leadership + Governance Awards Our Blog: The Torch Careers
• Visit Click for more info Visit
• Discover Click for more info Search Passenger and Ship Records Views from Lady Liberty Let Us Start Your Search! Genealogy Tips Educational Resources Oral History Project Famous Names in the Ellis Island Database
• Support Click for more info Become a Member Make a Donation Wall of Honor Founders Registry

The ONLY Way to Liberty Island

Caveat emptor.

Traveling can be unforgettable, but not always in a good way.  Circumstances can leave you frustrated, disappointed, or even cheated out of time, money, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation does not want this to happen to you! Read on to ensure a successful trip to Liberty and Ellis Islands!

Don't Get Fooled, Again

Unfortunately, every year visitors from around the world – and around the corner, because locals aren’t immune to ticket scammers – are cheated out of visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Sales for other attractions may be misleading, sending people to ferries that only sail around the Hudson River, never reaching the actual monuments. In some cases, the experience begins and ends with a bus ride from Manhattan to New Jersey, adding hours to the failed adventure.

Just ask Alec Baldwin ! And read on…

PLAN YOUR VOYAGE

How to purchase tickets.

• Go to StatueCityCruises.com
• Call 1-877-523-9849 (877-LADY-TIX)
• In person at the Statue City Cruises ticket booths located in Castle Clinton in Battery Park (NYC) or at the ferry departure point in Liberty State Park in New Jersey (Link HERE for directions to Statue City Cruises ferries)

Ferry schedules change seasonally and during periods of high tourism. Up-to-date schedules are posted on the Statue City Cruises website. To guarantee entry, purchasing tickets in advance is recommended.

What's Included With Your Ticket

• Round trip ferry service with stops at Liberty Island and Ellis Island
• Access to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration and the Statue of Liberty Museum
• Audio tours, which can be picked up on each Island. Content is available in 12 languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. A family-friendly tour is also available, as are an American Sign Language (ASL) version and an Audio Descriptive (AD) version

How to Find the Ferry

The ferry at battery park new york, ny.

Link to map of Battery Park  

• Local 1 (7th Avenue Line) to the last stop – South Ferry
• Express 4 or 5 (Lexington Avenue Line) to Bowling Green
• Local R/W train from Brooklyn/Queens (Broadway Line) to Whitehall Street
• M1, M6 or M15 to South Ferry (last stop)
• From the East Side take the FDR Drive South to Exit 1, South Ferry/Battery Park
• From the West Side take the Westside Highway South (Route 9A) to Battery Park
• NOTE: Street and private garage parking is limited in the Battery Park neighborhood

The Ferry at Liberty State Park Jersey City, NJ

Link to map of Liberty State Park  

• Take exit 14-B off the New Jersey Turnpike; follow signs to Liberty State Park
• Ample parking is available in Liberty State Park, for a nominal fee

By Public Transportation:

• Take the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) to the Liberty State Park Station; walk or bike one mile along Audrey Zapp Drive to the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal in Liberty State Park
• The HBLR is accessible via PATH at the Hoboken Station or Newport (Jersey City) Station

WHAT TO EXPECT

Liberty island.

Liberty Island is home to a beautiful park, an innovative museum, and America’s most iconic symbol of promise and possibility. As you explore the grounds, take in Lady Liberty from different angles noting her design details and how her appearance changes with the light.

The Statue of Liberty Museum is an experience unto itself. Full of incredible exhibits, the Museum gives color and context to the Statue and houses her original torch. Before you depart Liberty Island, be sure to visit the Liberty Vista atop the Museum for breathtaking views of the Statue and New York Harbor.

An additional ticket IS NOT needed to enter the museum.

Visitors to Ellis Island are given a unique view of American history. Beautifully restored to its peak operating period, the Island allows park-goers to step into Ellis Island travelers’ shoes for a sense of the immigrant journey.

Interested in discovering your family’s connection to Ellis Island? Plan a stop at the American Family Immigration History Center , located on the first floor. Here you can explore the Ellis Island Database, a treasure-trove of 65 million passenger arrival records.  Make the most of this experience by completing a Family History Research Prep Sheet .

While walking the grounds of Ellis Island, take in amazing views of lower Manhattan and explore The American Immigrant Wall of Honor .

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Statue City Cruise

Location & Hours

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New York, NY 10007

Battery Park

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great staff! good security! nice ferry ride to both islands. just all around great experience! don't use any other company for the statue of liberty than statue city cruises!

Unfortunately we booked this cruise a little too late to be able to walk up the statue of liberty. If you want to walk up to the crown you need to know months in advance! If you want to walk up to the pedestal you only need about 2 months. We planned this trip last minute so we were not early enough for either and because of this we chose to not even get off on liberty island. You get some great views on the boat ride so we saw no point to get off. And we still don't regret it. Hot Tip! If you want to be right up and close to the statue on the boat you want to board from the stating point on the right hand side of the boat. Leaving liberty island you want to the on the left side. We did however get off on Ellis Island and had a blast looking up our ancestors that has walked those halls before us.

See all photos from Emily L. for Statue City Cruise

Be ready for some long lines, waiting outside in the heat among large crowds, and super hot on the first and 2nd levels of the cruise . They do sell cold drinks and chips on the boat. Cash only. The ride between destinations are fairly short & view is amazing. Best on the top deck.

See all photos from Starr D. for Statue City Cruise

My husband and I got the first ferry out to get there and we're told to show up 15 minutes before to check in. We got there 15 min early and did not check in until 9am, our ticket time. You have to throw any drinks and food away prior to boarding. Security is strict but once you pass it, it's pretty seamless. You can sit anywhere on the ferry and the ferry has a little cafe where you can buy coffee, drinks, hot dogs, snacks, and souvenirs. Once you get to the Statue of Liberty, you can spend as much time as you want. Depending on your ticket, you will be allowed to go up the statute but I hear you have to buy those months in advance. There is a little restaurant on the island as well as a souvenir shop. You can hop on the ferry to return when you are ready. Overall I would go again and enjoyed myself :)

Overall the ferry cruise was fine - nothing fancy, but they did have snacks and drinks if you wanted to purchase them. I'd say its not the perfect trip only because they cram so many people into each ferry. We were on the first ferry at 9am, which seem to have less people than later ones as we prepared to leave the islands, but it still felt quiet full. On the flip side, security was efficient and they got things moving quiet well despite the volume of people.

The view from the ferry as we left the Statue of Liberty Island and headed to Ellis Island

I hunted the website to get tickets to go up to the crown

The security line is more strict than an actual airport. I guess the Statue of Liberty is a higher risk to national security than actual flying nowadays. I put everything that would trigger the metal detector in the tray and went through without beeping. They saw my wallet and a lump of napkins in my pockets and made me put those items in a tray and go through x-ray again. It is a metal detector. Everything that would have triggered the metal detector was already in the tray. I passed. This has been my routine for TSA since 2001, but it wasn't good enough here. I'm glad to have finally gotten to visit the Statue of Liberty, and now my kids have too. We didn't bother stopping at Ellis Island, as the wait to get off and line up for the ferry again was not worth our time. There are better things to do in NYC. Done, and no need to go back.

Waste of a Vacation Day !! 1. I attached video of myself and other patrons who waited over 2 1/2 Hours for a Ferry to bring us back from Ellis Island to NYC, While waiting in the NYC Summer Heat and no staff to be found EVER, they would pop up when a ferry would arrive then disappear, im sure they know it's wrong to have people stranded waiting for a ferry ( where is management and national parks management, they need to know this is happening OR perhaps they should be forced to endure what myself and many others did) 2. Is my review posted on Trip Advisor 8/5/23. 3. Is image that shows entirety of trip should have been "3 Hour Duration". We arrived with reservation at 11am and with out of control ferry wait times did not get back to NYC till almost 7pm. #DO BETTER !!!

Waste of a Vacation Day !!

We were a little late for our tour but they were kind enough to let us on. The security screening here was more strict than the airport security. I recommend sitting towards the back of the boat so its easier to exit when the boat docks. They have a small snack bar inside with drinks, pretzels and some souvenirs. Overall it was a pleasant experience.

I was researching how to see the Statue of Liberty and this was the only cruise that can take you there. I had some issues ordering my tickets online so I was forced to download the city cruise app and then it worked. It's nice they email you the tickets and you can add it to your Apple wallet if you have an iPhone. This is located in battery park. They scan your ticket and you proceed to the security check in which is inside a tent. The security check point has metal detectors and was the only place they were strict about wearing and keeping your mask on. On the website and in the email confirmation they remind you that it's mandatory to wear a mask for the entire experience even on the ferry and when on the island. I was hesitant to even book this but I really wanted to see it up close and personal. Fortunately they didn't enforce wearing a mask outside while in line or while on the ferry or when you get to Ellis island. They should make it optional. Mostly everyone is vaccinated and I am sure I'd people were worried about Covid they wouldn't be doing all this touristy stuff. The ferry leaves every 30 minutes. We were able to get some snacks they had hot dogs, hard/stale pretzels, chips and Powerade/soda drinks. Overall being on the ferry was the best part we took some good shots of the Statue of Liberty

See all photos from Gambit H. for Statue City Cruise

So, you want to see the Statue of Liberty or go to Statue of Liberty Island! Statue City Cruise is the only cruise that will take you to Statue of Liberty Island. The other cruises just go around Statue of Liberty Island. I suggest buying tickets online or on-site. There are three prices: one is just the ferry ride, to the Statue of Liberty Island and to Ellis Island and back, The other is the ferry ride, to the Statue of Liberty Island, reserve to walk up the Statue of Liberty Pedestal and to Ellis Island and back and the other is the ferry ride, to Statue of Liberty Island, walk up to the Statue of Liberty Crown and to Ellis Island and back. The price difference between the three options is around 30 cents. The reason why they have those options is to restrict the number of people at one time going up the pedestal or going up to the crown. Yes the tickets are timed tickets. You do need to show up at least 45 mins in advance. Right now Clinton Castle is under renovation so to board the ferry, you need to enter from the side of the tents (that are setup beside Clinton Castle). Note that Statue of Liberty Island is a National Park so you do need to go through security. So don't bring too much stuff. Yes they have security here. Anyways, the ride is inexpensive and I highly recommend it. If you are in NYC, this is a must see and must do activity (go to Statue of Liberty Island). Also note that this ferry ride is not a fancy ferry ride. You can board this ride from New Jersey or from New York City.

See all photos from Denise W. for Statue City Cruise

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Masha Borak

Inside Safe City, Moscow’s AI Surveillance Dystopia

Sergey Vyborov was on his way to the Moscow Metro’s Aeroport station last September when police officers stopped him. The 49-year-old knew that taking the metro could spell trouble. During a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, police had fingerprinted and photographed him. He’d already been detained four times in 2022. But he was rushing to his daughter’s birthday, so he took a chance.

Vyborov wasn’t arrested that day, but the police informed him that he was under surveillance through Sfera, one of Moscow’s face recognition systems, for participating in unsanctioned rallies. Considered one of the most efficient surveillance systems, Sfera led to the detention of  141 people last year. “Facial recognition, and video cameras in general in a totalitarian state, are an absolute evil,” Vyborov says. 

Vyborov finds himself at the bottom of a slippery slope that privacy advocates have long warned about . Under the guise of smart city technology, authoritarian and democratic governments have rolled out huge networks of security cameras and used artificial intelligence to try to ensure there is no place to hide. Cities have touted the ability of such systems to tackle crime, manage crowds, and better respond to emergencies. Privacy campaigners say such systems could be used as tools of oppression. In Moscow, Vyborov and countless others now face that oppression on a daily basis.

The Russian capital is now the  seventh -most-surveilled city in the world. Across Russia, there are an  estimated 21 million surveillance cameras, and the country ranks among the top in the world in terms of the number of connected surveillance cameras. The system created by Moscow’s government, dubbed Safe City, was touted by city officials as a way to streamline its public safety systems. In recent years, however, its  217,000 surveillance cameras, designed to catch criminals and terrorists, have been turned against protestors, political rivals, and journalists. 

“Facial recognition was supposed to be the ‘cherry on top,’ the reason why all of this was built,” says a former employee of NTechLab, one of the principal companies building Safe City’s face recognition system.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Safe City’s data collection practices have become increasingly opaque. The project is now seen as a tool of rising digital repression as Russia wages war against Ukraine and dissenting voices within its own borders. It is an example of the danger smart city technologies pose. And for the engineers and programmers who built such systems, its transformation into a tool of oppression has led to a moment of reckoning. 

Founded in 2015, NTechLab  caught the attention of the global press with the February 2016 launch of FindFace, an app that allowed anyone to identify faces by matching them with images gathered from social network  VKontakte , Russia’s Facebook equivalent. Met with warnings of the  “end to public anonymity,” the app was reportedly downloaded by 500,000 people within two months of its launch. But for NTechLab, it was primarily a proof of concept for its nascent face recognition algorithm.

NTechLab still felt like a startup when one former employee, who asked not to be named for privacy reasons, joined the company. And he was drawn in by the complexity of the work.

Andy Greenberg

Steven Levy

Matt Reynolds

Jeremy White

“From [an] engineering point of view, it’s very interesting to work with: It’s very difficult,” he says. 

After the release of FindFace, NTechLab began selling its face recognition tech to small businesses, such as shopping malls that could use it to catch shoplifters or see how many people return to certain stores. But NTechLab was also working with the Moscow Department of IT Technology (DIT), the government department tasked with building Moscow’s digital infrastructure. In 2018, when Russia hosted the FIFA World Cup, NTechLab’s face recognition tech was connected to more than 450 security cameras around Moscow, and its tech  reportedly helped police detain 180 people whom the state deemed “wanted criminals.”

At its inception, Moscow’s face recognition system was fed official watchlists, like the database of wanted people. The system uses these lists to notify the police once a person on the list is detected, but law enforcement can also upload an image and search for where a person has appeared. Over the years, security and law enforcement agencies have compiled a database of the leaders of the political opposition and prominent activists, according to Sarkis Darbinyan, cofounder of digital rights group Roskomsvoboda, which has been campaigning for a suspension of the technology. It remains unclear who is in charge of adding activists and protesters to watchlists.

In March 2019, following the success of the World Cup trial—some of Russia’s “most wanted” people were arrested while trying to attend matches—the Moscow Department of Transportation, which operates the city’s metro, launched its own surveillance system, Sfera. By October 2019, 3,000 of the city’s 160,000 cameras were enabled with face recognition tech, according to interior minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev.

NTechLab was one of many companies building the slew of systems that would later be branded Safe City. International companies, from US tech firms such as Nvidia, Intel, and Broadcom to South Korea’s Samsung and Chinese camera maker Hikvision, worked alongside local firms such as  HeadPoint ,  Netris , and  Rostelecom  that have developed various components of the surveillance systems. According to procurement documents cited by the UK’s BBC, three companies besides NTechLab created face recognition tech for Moscow’s growing surveillance apparatus, including Tevian, and Kipod, and VisionLabs. Moscow's Transportation Department said in social media posts that Sfera was built using VisionLabs technology, although the company downplays its involvement.

NtechLab says it operates in compliance with local laws and does not have access to customer data or camera video streams. Nvidia and Intel say they left Russia in 2022, with Nvidia adding that it does not create software or algorithms for surveillance. Broadcom and Samsung also say they stopped doing business in Russia following the invasion. VisionLabs says it only provides the Moscow Metro with its face recognition payment system. Other companies did not respond to requests for comment. The DIT and the Moscow Department of Transportation did not respond to requests for comment.

At the end of 2018, as Russia cracked down harder on political dissent online and in the streets, the DIT started to change, says a former employee who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. The department used to just be the “technical guys” providing assistance to security services, with the Moscow government recruiting highly paid IT specialists to make the most efficient systems possible, according to Andrey Soldatov, an investigative journalist and Russian security services expert. But according to the former employee, the DIT was beginning to reflect the Kremlin’s authoritarian bent.

Then came Covid. 

Safe City launched in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Russia, like some other countries, seemingly used the pandemic as grounds to expand its surveillance systems to catch people breaking self-isolation rules. By mid-March 2020, Safe City’s face recognition system had  caught 200 people breaking lockdown restrictions. At the same time, Moscow  introduced a regulatory sandbox for the development of AI applications with the participation of large IT companies, exempting authorities from the country’s already lax data protection requirements. “With Covid, [the DIT] essentially became a part of the repressive apparatus,” says Soldatov.

In addition to its network of more than 200,000 cameras, Safe City also incorporates data from  169  information systems, managing data on citizens, public services, transportation, and nearly everything else that makes up Moscow’s infrastructure. This includes anonymized cell phone geolocation data collection, vehicle license plate recognition, data from ride-hailing services, and voice recognition devices. As Safe City was still rolling out in 2020, the Russian government  announced  plans to spend $1.3 billion deploying similar Safe City systems across Russia. From the outside, the potential for the system to be abused seemed obvious. But for those involved in its development, it looked like many other smart city projects. “No one expected that the country would turn into hell in two years,” says one former NTechLab employee, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

Attempts to break open Moscow’s digital black box have been stonewalled. Alena Popova, whose image was captured during a protest against  politician Leonid Eduardovich Slutsky in April 2018, filed the first lawsuit against Moscow’s DIT for allegedly violating her privacy, seeking a ban on face recognition tech. The case was  thrown out , but Popova has continued to file lawsuits, including one at the European Court of Human Rights—which Russia is  no longer a part of. 

While Moscow operates one of the world’s most pervasive surveillance systems, Russian law does not safeguard individual privacy. With seemingly no hope of recourse, some activists have been forced to leave Russia altogether. Popova is now on the list of foreign agents and is living in an undisclosed overseas location. “I will not apply to any political asylum in any country because I would like to go back to my own country and fight back,” she says.

A key concern is that Moscow’s surveillance system was designed to conceal its data collection from Moscow’s 12 million residents, says Sergey Ross, founder of the Collective Action Center think tank and a former Moscow politician. Although the system is run by the Moscow government, elected members of the Moscow City Duma  say  they are excluded from regulating face recognition systems and have little insight into how it is being used. “It’s a complete black box,” says Ross.

“It was clear that sooner or later the technology would be used to catch activists and dissenters,” says Roskomsvoboda’s Darbinyan. 

Russia made  almost 20,500 political arrests in 2022 , according to data from human rights media organization OVD-Info, which characterizes the number as “unprecedented.” The arrests have sparked fears that Safe City will be expanded to catch draft dodgers—although former NTechLab employees say that doing so would be technically difficult to pull it off because of too many false positives. Still, Moscow police appear to be using face recognition to aid Russia’s war efforts in other ways.

In September 2022, just after Putin announced additional mobilization for the war against Ukraine, Viktor Kapitonov, a 27-year-old activist who’d protested regularly since 2013, was stopped by two police officers after being flagged by face recognition surveillance while he approached the turnstiles in Moscow’s marble-covered Avtozavdodskaya metro station. The officers took him to the military recruitment office, where around 15 people were waiting to enlist in Putin’s newly announced draft. 

“They let me in without waiting in line as if I were some sort of VIP person,” he says. The recruiters wanted to force Kapitonov to enlist, but he ended up escaping the draft. “I explained that I am not fit, I have a disability.”

From 2017 to 2020, NTechLab became one of Russia’s  fastest-growing companies. Other face recognition firms have cashed in as well: The revenue of Russian face recognition developers  grew between 30 and 35 percent in 2022, thanks in part to deals struck in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, India, and South America. Russia’s national AI strategy has supported such firms with grants, tax exemptions, and subsidies, which have benefited both startups and state corporations, including tech and finance giant Sber , telecom provider  Rostelecom , and defense firm Rostec, which previously owned a minority stake in NTechLab. While NTechLab continues to work globally, reporting a revenue increase of 35 percent in 2022, it has also faced a backlash against its work with the Russian state.

In June of last year, a “name-and-shame” list of NTechLab employees was  published [in Russian] with information collected from social media. The project went viral, and some employees reported being harassed online. Artem Zinnatullin, a software engineer now based in the US, says he published the list after NTechLab  sold its new  silhouette recognition technology to the Moscow government in June 2022. To him, it signaled support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. In the post, he called NTechLab “the blacksmith of the Digital Gulag.” Zinnatullin, who says he knew people arrested with the help of face recognition technology, believes publishing the list of NTechLab employees was only fair. “You recognize people on the street, it’s only fair if we use public data to recognize who you are,” he says.

Unlike many face recognition companies that keep a low profile, NTechLab’s splash with FindFace has turned it into a recognized brand. Employees say this high profile has made them into scapegoats. 

As arrests of activists and politicians mounted, the ethics of NTechLab’s technology became a recurring topic at company meetings. NTechLab staff have resisted the use of the company’s face recognition in rallies and refused to sell the technology to the military, according to people familiar with these discussions. Still, the NTechLab leadership concluded that the technology was ultimately positive—even if the occasional dissenting voice was arrested because of it. 

“We all saw these positive examples, we saw how it really catches criminals,” says one former NTechLab employee. “Most people in NTechLab would say they were doing something very good, technologies that can help and save people’s lives. It really did.”

As Russia furthered its march toward authoritarianism in 2021, NTechLab leadership began talking about moving the company abroad, according to people familiar with internal company discussions. But with lucrative government contracts abounding—NTechLab  received a $13 million investment from the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, in September 2020—its investors resisted the idea. The company was also changing. Its founders, Alexander Kabakov and Artem Kukharenko, stepped down from NTechLab—and both left Russia in December 2021 and February 2022, respectively, declaring   their  anti-war stance on social media. 

Other employees left amid an exodus of IT talent from Russia. The war changed how they viewed their work. “Looking back, we realize that we shouldn’t have done it,” says an NTechLab employee. “But even in 2017 and 2018, it was a completely different country. At least, that’s how it seemed to those who weren’t very immersed in politics.”

Russia’s Safe City projects show no sign of slowing. As more surveillance systems are deployed across the country, Moscow’s DIT is planning to centralize video streams collected across all regions into its own system. And new projects to digitize public services may make it even easier for the government to eventually create large databases where everyone can be found, according to Popova. “It is really scary,” she says. “If they digitalize all the databases and combine them to make this joint database, they can find everybody.” In July, Putin  signed a federal law that funnels personal biometric data collected in the country into a single system—an effort to obtain an “almost unlimited monopoly” on the collection and storage of biometrics, says Roskomsvoboda’s Darbinyan. 

In a further expansion of the Safe City project, Rostec is also  reportedly  developing software that will help authorities predict riots and prevent their escalation by analyzing media reports, data from social networks, video cameras, and other sources. Rostec did not respond to a request for comment on its development of these systems.

Similar systems have been developed in some Chinese cities, and Russia is now playing catch-up. “The Russian government would probably like to move toward China, but they do not yet have the necessary technology,” says Kiril Koroteev, head of international practice at the Russia-based Agora International Human Rights Group.

For now, many activists in Russia are left to do whatever they can to skirt the country’s growing surveillance apparatus, including avoiding the Moscow Metro. Kapitonov hopes that a balaclava will keep him safe, while Vyborov aims to ride the metro early in the morning, when there are fewer police around to detain him. 

“I think that it was inevitable that such a system would be made sooner or later,” says one former NTechLab employee. Face recognition is like a knife, he says: It can be used to cut food, but it can also be used to cut innocent people. He now regrets that NTechLab played a key role in building Moscow’s Safe City project. He has left Russia and doesn’t think he will work on face recognition again. “I do not want to mess with it anymore,” he says.

Update 9:25 am ET, February 6, 2023: Clarified the role of VisionLabs in the Sfera system and that NTechLab's founders have since left the company.

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Moscow - Russian Rivers and Waterways Port of Call

Moscow is a wonderful city to visit, and travelers on river ship cruise tours to or from St. Petersburg spend a few days in Moscow . This capital city of Russia was our last port on a river cruise tour, and we had about four days to see most of the highlights. Our first day we did an overview driving tour and rode the subway under the Mockba (Moscow) River to Red Square. The next day we toured the State Armory and the Kremlin.

These photos show some of the other highlights you can see with three or four days in Moscow .

The Northern River Terminal is located on the Moscow Canal in the northwest section of Moscow at the Khimki Reservoir.

Most river cruise ships sailing between Moscow and St. Petersburg use the ship as a hotel while in Moscow. Because of traffic, it's often a long drive into the city, but the sights along the way are interesting, and you only have to unpack once for the river cruise.

View of Downtown Moscow from Sparrow Hills

Sparrow Hills is the best place to get a great panoramic view of Moscow. The Sparrow Hills overlook the Mockba River and are near Moscow State University.

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow was founded in 1524, and was once used as a sort of prison for the unwanted wives and sisters of the Tsars. Peter the Great sent both his first wife and his sister to Novodevichy. Since the convent had such famous nuns, it was very wealthy due to the many donations of the Tsars and their families. At one time in the 1700s, the cloister had over 36,000 serfs working in 36 villages. Novodevichy was ravaged by the French armies in 1812, but the brave nuns saved the buildings by disarming the fuses set to blow them up. The Soviets wanted to make the convent into a museum in the early 1920s, but it was again saved.

Novodevichy also has a cemetery with the graves of many famous Russians, including Nikita Khrushchev, Anton Chekhov, Raisa Gorbachev, and Yuri Nikulin.

View of the Mockba River in Moscow, Russia

The Mockba (Moscow) River runs into the Volga via the 79.5 mile long Moscow Canal.

River ships sailing between Moscow and St. Petersburg on the Baltic Waterways embark and disembark at the Northern River Terminal about an hour's drive from the city. The drive time can vary significantly in length because of the heavy Moscow traffic. The river looks peaceful here, as it winds around the cosmopolitan area of Moscow.

Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer (Cathedral of Christ the Savior) in Moscow

The Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer, also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, is the largest church in Russia, holding 10,000 worshipers.

The original Cathedral of Christ the Savior was built over 44 years to celebrate the 1812 victory over Napoleon. It was completed in 1883. Stalin had the church destroyed in 1931, but it was rebuilt using mostly private funds in 1999. The new church is a replica of the original. Note that it took 44 years the first time and only 4 years the second to complete the church! Isn't modern technology impressive.

One interesting tidbit is that it took three attempts to blow up the church in 1931. Stalin planned to build a huge Palace of the Soviets on the cleared land, but engineers determined that the land was too boggy. In the 60 years intervening, the space was used for a variety of things, including a year-round swimming pool!

Vendors' Market and Ski Jump at Sparrow Hills in Moscow

The panoramic view of Moscow from Sparrow Hills is a stopover for most tour groups, so we were not surprised to see a large number of vendors. The ski jump was a surprise, but Moscow gets very cold in winter, so winter sports are very popular. This ski jump is near Moscow State University and has a great view of the city. Seeing this ski jump reminded me of the famous Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo, which also has a great view of that northern capital city.

Russian Soldiers' Memorial in Victory Park in Moscow

Matryoshka dolls for sale in moscow.

I thought this display of dolls was beautiful! The Matryoshka nesting dolls range in price from just a few dollars to thousands of dollars.

Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow, Russia

This small band greeted us at the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow. They played a variety of band music and made us all feel very welcome.

Grand Triumphal Arch Celebrates the Victory Over Napoleon in the War of 1812

This arch looks a little like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and it is located near the Victory Park Metro Station in Moscow.

This Grand Triumphal Arch is decorated with the coats of arms from the 48 Russian provinces. To celebrate the victory over France in the war of 1812, it also includes bas-reliefs of the "Expulsion of the French." The arch was originally built in 1834, but has only been on this site since 1968.

It is a little ironic that this arch resembles the Paris Arc de Triomphe , which Napoleon built between 1806 and 1836 to celebrate his French victories.

Moscow Metro Station at the Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square)

This station near Red Square has many statues honoring the workers of Russia.

Moscow Metro Station near Victory Park

The Metro in Moscow is one of its shining industrial achievements. Construction on the Metro was begun in 1931 and continues today. The system has over 165 stations and 155 miles of track. Over 9300 trains, traveling sometimes as fast as 56 mph, navigate the huge system each day. Almost 10 million people ride the Moscow Metro every day, which is more than the New York and London systems combined. We found the Metro to be very efficient, with trains arriving every few minutes.

Navigating the Metro system can be somewhat of a problem for non-Russian speaking riders. Most of the signage is in Cyrillic only, and the stations are quite large. Trying to find the correct exit while walking long distances underground can be challenging.

On our cruise tour, we rode the Metro as a group with our program director from near Victory Park under the Mockba River to Red Square. Several of the group ventured out on their own during our time in Moscow, and many rode the Metro. They all returned with stories of getting lost underground, but none seemed the worse for the experience, and they all loved telling the tales.

Red Square in Moscow

Red Square in Moscow is a must-see for visitors to the capital city of Russia.

The Kremlin in Moscow, Russia

The Kremlin is a favorite of Moscow tourists. Inside these walls are buildings for the government of Russia, cathedrals, and the wonderful State Armory museum.

Taras Bulba Restaurant in Moscow

We enjoyed a traditional Ukrainian lunch at this cute restaurant in Moscow before checking in at our hotel.

Buses Wait for Passengers Outside Museum

River cruise tour groups are usually divided into groups for the duration of the tour. Each group had their own bus when touring.

Military Airplanes at the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow, Russia

Although much of the military museum was indoors, there was quite a collection of planes, helicopters, missile launchers, and tanks outside.

Foreign Ministry Building, One of Moscow's Seven Stalinist-Gothic Skyscrapers

Seven skyscrapers with layers giving them a "wedding cake" appearance dot the Moscow skyline. The style is considered Stalinist-Gothic.

Russian and American War Veterans at the Central Museum of Armed Forces

Meeting with some World War II Russian War veterans was a highlight of our day at the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow.

Rocket Launchers and Missiles at the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow

The inside of this museum is particularly impressive, but you will need a guide since all of the signage is only in Russian.

Old Arbat Pedestrian Shopping Area in Moscow

We all enjoyed exploring the shops on this mile-long pedestrian shopping area.

Food prices were high in the tourist attraction, with two small pizzas, two small beers, and a bottle of water at an outdoor cafe costing $40. Many of our group ate at the large McDonalds, where prices were more reasonable.

Female Cosmonaut Model at Star City Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow

Female cosmonauts play an important role in the Russian space program. In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova from Yaroslavl was the first woman in space.

Souvenir Shop in Old Arbat Shopping Area in Moscow

The area of Old Arbat had many English signs to attract the tourist trade.

Centrifuge at Star City Outside Moscow, Russia

This 18 meter centrifuge is the world's largest. The centrifuge weighs over 30000 tons, and the maximum load is 30 G, but most tests are run at 3 or 4 G.

A centrifuge ride is the first test for a cosmonaut, whose entire training school takes from five to eight years. The centrifuge can simulate the extreme force of gravity that cosmonauts (and astronauts) face when going into space. A centrifuge training session lasts about 30 minutes, and the trainee experiences both the centrifugal force as well as the spin of the pod he/she is riding in. Just typing this makes me a little queasy!

Cosmonaut's Bathroom Facilities on First Space Flights at Star City

Just like in the USA, everyone who visits the Star City cosmonaut training center near Moscow wants to know how cosmonauts "go to the bathroom". They have more sophisticated equipment today, but this contraption from the early space flights is fairly self explanatory.

Star City Tank Used for Cosmonaut Weightlessness Training near Moscow

This 12-meter deep pool is used to simulate weightlessness training. The pool is flooded and the cosmonauts perform repair tasks on the model of the International Space Station. SCUBA diving underwater is very similar to the weightless experience the cosmonauts experience when working in outer space.

Mir Space Station Replica at Star City near Moscow

The original Mir disintegrated when it fell to earth in 2001. Mir, which means peace in Russian, was launched in 1986.

Marvel Paull with Statue of Yuri Gagarin at Star City near Moscow

Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, and the Star City Cosmonaut training center was named after him in 1968.

River Cruise Passengers with Yuri Onufrienko, Russian Cosmonaut at Star City

In case you can't tell, Yuri is the one in the middle. My famous traveling mother, Marvel Paull, is on the left and Dick, a cruise friend is on the right.

A highlight of our day in Star City was a visit with Yuri Onufrienko , a Russian cosmonaut who spent extended time in space at the Mir space station in 1996 and the International Space Station in 2001-2002. Yuri patiently took many questions from our small inquisitive group.

Cosmonaut Space Suit at Star City near Moscow

Cosmonauts sit in this position on take off. Thanks to Jerry G. for the tip about the sign. It says, "Don't touch!"

Stained Glass Window at Star City near Moscow

Program directors at farewell dinner in moscow.

After 16 days of discovery, learning, and fun, we had a farewell dinner with the six Program Directors - Evgeny, Olga, Vladimir, Svetlana, Violetta, and Marina - in Moscow.

The Kremlin is a triangular, walled citadel in the center of Moscow. The Kremlin is considered by most to be the heart of the city. First conceived in the 12th century, the Kremlin (which means fortress) was expanded by Tsar Ivan III (Ivan the Great) during the 15th century. His architects designed the magnificent Cathedral of the Assumption and the Faceted Palace, and the Kremlin was an interesting mix of both Russian and Renaissance styles. During the Soviet time of the 1930s, many of the Kremlin buildings were destroyed or vandalized, and the complex remained closed to the public until 1955.

Today the Kremlin is home to the Russian President and his administration. Many buildings are open to the public, but you may need to be with a guide (check in advance).

I visited the Kremlin when in Moscow on a Russian Waterways cruise tour from St. Petersburg.

The Kremlin was also one of the 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World.  

Red Square in Moscow, Russia

Red Square's name has nothing to do with Communism or Soviet Russia. The old Russian word for "beautiful" and "red" was the same; the square was supposed to be called "Beautiful Square". Red Square has been the center of Moscow activity since the 16th century when the Tsar cleared the area and allowed vendors, shoppers, and businesses to fill the square. Today this square is surrounded by the Moscow Kremlin, the State Historical Museum, GUM Shopping Mall , and St. Basil's Cathedral .

Many of the important events of the last three hundred years in Russia have been marked by parades or demonstrations in Red Square. Anyone who enters Red Square will have memories from TV or movie reels of this magnificent public square. Those of us who grew up during the Cold War era can remember the parades of soldiers, tanks, and other armaments past Lenin's Tomb just outside the Kremlin Wall. The World War II generation remembers Red Square as the site of a huge victory celebration at the end of the war.

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The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg

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Last updated: February 9, 2024

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Contact info, mailing address:.

Receiving Office 1 Ellis Island Jersey City, NJ 07305

212 363-3200

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Purchasing Tickets FAQ – Statue Cruises

• Purchasing Tickets
• Purchasing Crown Tickets
• Security Process
• Statue of Liberty FAQ
• Ellis Island FAQ
• Directions FAQ

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE TICKETS?

Tickets can be purchased online at www.statuecitycruises.com or over the phone at 877-523-9849. Tickets can also be purchased through concierge at major hotels and at ticketing windows in the Castle Clinton National Monument inside Battery Park, New York or Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey.

CAN I PURCHASE TICKETS IN ADVANCE?

Yes, we encourage visitors to purchase advance reservations on our website at www.statuecitycruises.com.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TICKET COMBINATIONS POSSIBLE AND HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?

All of our tickets include round-trip ferry service between the departure locations, Liberty Island and Ellis Island, as well as an audio tour of Liberty and Ellis Island.

WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OPERATION FOR PURCHASING ADVANCE TICKETS & MAKING RESERVATIONS BY PHONE OR WEB?

Visitors interested in purchasing 59 tickets or less, the reservation center is open from 8:00 am – 7:00 pm (Eastern Time). Visitors requiring 60 tickets or more, the reservation center is open from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. The reservation center is open 365 days a year. You can purchase ferry tickets, audio tours and reserve your General Admission online at www.statuecitycruises.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

WHAT TIME DOES THE TICKET OFFICE OPEN AND CLOSE?

The ticket office opens 30 minutes before the first departure and closes a half hour after the final departure.

CHILDREN UNDER 4 ARE FREE, BUT DO I STILL NEED TO MAKE A RESERVATION FOR THEM?

No. You may bring children up to three years of age and they do not need a ticket to board the ferry.

WHAT LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN IN THE RESERVATION CENTER?

The reservation center is multi-lingual. We have agents who speak Arabic, English, French, Italian and Spanish.

I HAVE 2:00PM TICKETS. WILL I BE ABLE TO GO TO BOTH ISLANDS?

If you have 2:00 pm tickets or later, you will only have adequate time to go to one of the two islands, whichever you prefer.

DO I NEED TO PURCHASE A SEPARATE FERRY TICKET IF I WANT TO GO TO ELLIS ISLAND AS WELL?

No, our boats run to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island; no additional ticket purchase is necessary. The ferry ticket provides round trip transportation to, from, and between the islands throughout the day but is not valid for reentry once a visitor disembarks at either the New Jersey or New York dock.

WHAT IS THE COST FOR STUDENT GROUPS?

Student Groups with authorized letters from their school and under 18 years of age – $12. For every ten students, one chaperone/Adult pays $12.00. Additional chaperons pay Adult price of $24. All student and youth groups must contact Statue City Cruises’ Group Sales Department for more information about booking their trip. They can be reached at 877-523-9849 or  [email protected] .

HOW ARE REFUNDS AND EXCHANGES HANDLED?

Refunds will be provided if cancellations of reservations are made 24 hours prior to departure for any ticket. Refunds will also be provided if the islands are closed for security, safety or weather reasons. Unused tickets will not be refunded.

WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT ARE ACCEPTED?

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover), cash, traveler’s checks, money orders, and company and school checks. No personal checks are accepted.

WHAT IF I DON’T RECEIVE MY MOBILE TICKETS?

Please check your spam or junk mail filter to make sure your tickets haven’t been blocked from your inbox. If you still haven’t received your mobile tickets, please email [email protected] for assistance. Please note: some employers and government offices may block the email due to the file size or nature of the email. Please provide a personal email address to insure proper delivery of your mobile tickets. In the unlikely event that we are unable to deliver mobile tickets, all tickets are available for pickup at Will Call on the day of your cruise. To retrieve tickets from Will Call, be sure to bring a photo ID and the credit card used to purchase the tickets. Crown tickets must be picked up by the original purchaser at Will Call and cannot be sent as mobile tickets.

CAN I HAVE MY TICKETS MAILED TO ME?

Tickets are not mailed. We recommend a few options:

• You can have them scanned directly from your mobile device.
• You can print your tickets at home or in your hotel’s business center.
• Tickets can be held at Will Call at either boarding location and picked up on the day of your visit.

WILL MY RESERVE TICKET EXPIRE?

Your ticket is only good for the specific time and date printed on the ticket. If you are unable to make you trip, you may cancel or reschedule (based on availability) if you call at least 24 hours in advance (201) 432-6321.

WHERE CAN I PICK UP TICKETS HELD AT WILL CALL?

You can pick up tickets at the Will Call Ticket Windows in Battery Park, NY or Liberty State Park, NJ. Will Call at Battery Park is located inside of Castle Clinton, a large round brick building in the heart of the park. Will Call at Liberty State Park is located inside the CRRNJ Train Terminal.

WHAT DOES THE TIME ON MY TICKET MEAN?

The time on your ticket is for entrance to the Screening Facility prior to boarding the ferry. Please line up in the General Admission line 30 minutes prior to the time on your ticket. At the appointed time, you will be allowed to enter the Screening Facility. After passing through screening, you will board the next available ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

I GOT AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT SAID ‘PAYMENT COULD NOT BE AUTHORIZED’. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Occasionally, guests may get this error due to unusual formats for the billing address, including the postal code. Please check your billing address again, and re-attempt your purchase. If you continue to receive this error, please call our reservations department at 877-523-9849.

WHEN I ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE MY TICKETS, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT MY SESSION TIMED OUT. IS THERE AN ISSUE?

Your internet browser has stored cookies that are causing this issue. Please clear your cache and restart your browser to correct this issue.

I NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT CREDIT CARD THAN THE ONE I USED TO PURCHASE MY TICKETS. IS THIS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE WHEN I GO TO WILL CALL?

No, but we will need you to call our reservations department at 877-523-9849 prior to your trip so that we may assist you with this change.

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