The Beast Speedboat

The Beast is one of the offerings from the cruise company Circle Line from their 42^nd Street Hudson River pier. They offer 30 minute, one hour, 1.5 hour and 2.5 hour cruises around the island of Manhattan. The Beast is the 30 minute one. It is also the fastest one (40 plus miles per hour) and only goes from 42^nd Street down to the Statue of Liberty and back. I went on this with two friends and thought it was a fun ride. Keep in mind that this boat does not actually stop on Liberty Island where the statue is (for that, you need to take the official Statue ferry from Battery Park). It will only stop in front of the Statue for 5 minutes to give everyone a chance to take some photos before turning right back.

Was in NYC with friends who had never been so decided to give them a boat tour, did not feel like doing the regular boat for 2 – 3 hours so decide to do a short beat tour which looked fun. Best thing about this is it is short and you are done in 45 minutes.
The boat does go fast and they do turn and twist around so do expect a few splashes on you so make sure you do no sit near the edge. The captain and helper do a good job to keep you entertained.
You leave the dock and go to the statue of liberty do a few twists and turns and come back, if you would like a full Manhattan tour around go for the other boat.

My little daughter and I had NY passes and opted for this instead of a Circle Line tour. So glad we did because we had a good time. This was one of those things that I probably wouldn’t pay for out of pocket, but in this particular case, I would reconsider. Shoot, we have a similar boat in Redondo Beach that we may have to experience.
In any case, the ride is actually pretty informative. You get to see Ellis Island and the Statue from a great vantage point. We went out on a weekend and passed by a Fire Boat with all sprayers shooting in the air. The 2 man crew is hilarious and the deckhand actually took many photos for all of the passengers. You really don’t get wet from the spray, but watch out for the water gun and the balloons!

We had a fun ride on the Beast, which allowed us to quickly check out Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty in a fun environment.
We didn’t want to get soaked so we said in aisle seats in the 6^th row. My friend who sat in the aisle seat hardly got wet. I got a bit wet, but this was primarily from Showtime spraying my neighbor with the water gun.
We arrived at about 3:15pm hoping to get on the 4:00pm boat, but it was already full so we had to wait for the 5:00pm. We walked around for a bit so this wasn’t a huge deal. However, keep in mind that the 6:00pm boat (the last of the day) was sold out by about 4:15pm. So make sure to arrive early so that you have more options as to what time you want to ride!

The Beast… A quick, fun, thrilling and accelerating ride to see Lady Liberty. Highly recommended. Would do it again. So, so much fun!!!

I visited New York in July and decided to try out ‘The Beast’. We had a blast! Its an adventure and a sight-​seeing tour all in one. The boat goes super fast, and yes you will get wet. This is a great thing to do for a younger crowd that wants to add a little adventure and also see Lady Liberty. They stopped right in front of the statue to give us time for photos. I had a great time and deff. recommend it!

I visited NYC with my 10 year old daughter and we were very excited to take the Beast tour. We arrived early to find out the boat was not operating that day due to a mechanical issue. We were very disappointed, but understood that things happen, and then we learned that the company does not refund anyone’s money regardless of whether their service was available. They stated we have one year to use the funds, but that does not work in the tourism industry as we do not live in NYC and will not be back. To date-​it has been impossible to get anyone of authority to intervene and do the right thing. No other company would hold back money for a service they were not in a position to provide.
Take the water taxi service for a better experience and less risk.

Speed Boat rides are always fun. However I must say I have been on a better one in Boston. Without a doubt the ride was fun, however, I wished there was a story line or more entertainment than just loud house music. It was like the combination of a roller coaster meets a nightclub. Codzilla was the speedboat I went on in Boston and they had a whole story line and it was the perfect blend of a ride and tour. I’m a New Yorker so I was a bit disappointed. The staff was super friendly though and one came around with squirt guns wetting the crowd. On a hot summer day that is genius. Near the end of the ride one lucky or unlucky customer get’s a whole bucket of water poured over them. Had it have been me, I would have been very upset. But, some people dig that. I don’t mind getting a few splashes because that’s what the ride entails but a whole bucket not so much. You might want to make an angry face near the end so you aren’t the chosen one haha. You do get to see the statue of liberty so that’s always a plus.

I took my Mom who is 75 on this ride and we both had such great time! The ride was super fun, views amazing, price-​perfect (with groupon was $ 16 p. p). I highly recommend it not just for visitors, but for the locals as well. It’s such a nice way to cool off during hot day.

I took my mother (64) and my daughter (3) on this boat tour last Thursday and we all had such a good time! The staff on the Pier were helpful and friendly. The picture they took of us getting on was great as was the price ($ 30) for the photo package when we got off the boat. My daughter was just at the height restriction to board and they did check to be sure she met the height requirement. The crew members on the boat were friendly and even noted where smaller passengers were encase they needed assistance. The ride itself was tons of fun! They deliberate turn the boat and go crashing through wake. They also keep a water gun on board to spray down any willing passengers. They pump dance music on the way out and the way in to keep things fun. The staff takes pictures for anyone that hands them a camera so they can capture your visit. The picture they took for us is absolutely the best we could have hoped for. All and all a good experience. Just be prepared to get a little wet. At $ 22 a child and $ 28 an adult it was well worth the price. It is also a time saver because from the time we got in line to the time we were back on shore was just a touch over an hour with the ride itself lasting a half an hour. I definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see the sites but is short on time or with a child who has a shorter attention span.

Great! Great great great!
Why would you spend 8 hours taking buses, ferries and trains to explore NY when you can see it all in 30 mins?
In 30 mins, you will see the island of Manhattan, ride on the Hudson, see Ellis Island, snap pics at Statue of Liberty, zip by the Freedom Tower and catch the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance.
As a first stop, I send all of our guest here. It gives them a great perspective of the city, so they can focus on the things they really want to do.
By ferry, Statue of Liberty alone will be a 3 – 4 hour experience alone! Go Beast!!!

Visiting from Cali wanted to see the liberty statue but not from the boring old run down boats that are at the harbor. The beast was a fun boat trip that was fast and had good music. Not boring elevator music played on other boats. The captain and big guy helping were super cool and fun. They kept it exciting and fun. The captain defiantly had skills. Very good boat operator and was able to dock the boat the first time with ease! This boat is a custom 70ft offshore speed boat so I give him props on his boating skills. I would recommend this boating adventure for all ages your to elderly. Safe fun and a great experience!!!

*Ugh, they had a coupon on living social and I missed it. Check groupons or living social for deals first*

At $ 28 per person, this is a fun way to cool off on a hot summer day and act like a tourist on the hudson. I checked out the Beast on Memorial Day and took the last tour at 6 p.m. The Beast leaves every hour on the hour from pier 84. Arrive at least 10 minutes before since the line gets very long. The ride is about half an hour and you get to check out the New York skyline and take pictures by the Statue of Liberty. The view from this is absolutely amazing. It’s a fun energetic tour with awesome music and a great tour guide. You do not get soaking wet but beware, there might be a water gun on the boat haha just saying.
Whether you are a tourist or New Yorker, I highly recommend this. I had a great time and definitely will try it again.

Hubby surprised me with this, the entire ride was thrilling yet romantic. We stopped in front the statue of liberty and took amazing photos. The entire ride was energetic with hip music pumping and the captain in the back living up the crowd. Will definitely do it again in the summer time!

*** I love this speedboat cruise. It is ~ 30min/​$ 30. ***
I have done it twice and I’ll probably do it again next time.
*** An exhilirating way to see Statue of Liberty & skyline. ***

I live in Brooklyn and have came out to revisit the beast at least three times. Its a fun ride! You do not get wet though as advertised. You will get sprinkled but its not that serious.
The crew are friendly and you get some great shots of the city and statue of liberty.

No refunds or exchanges…
Before getting on the boat you have your photo taken in front if the beast behind a life preserver.
Choose your seat wisely… bumpy up front half and you get sprayed in back half when captain spins boat into a 360. The first mate will use a super soaker on the people up front so they get a little wet first.
Stopped in front of the statue of life liberty. The first mate took your photo for you then the captain swung the boat around so the other half could get a nice picture as well with the statue in the background. Then a 45 – 50 mph ride back to the dock and one last 360 before getting off.
The first mate does a great job taking pictures and does appreciate tips at the end of the trip… My wife didn’t feel well so she stayed off the boat and gave her ticket to a family that wasn’t going to ride because he couldn’t afford tickets for his 3 sons. They were grateful that she gave away her ticket for free so he ended up going.
Since my wife carries the money I had no tip to give these guys at the end so I hope you reading this review you will be better prepared then I was.

I bought the NY City Pass to be a tourist in my own town and road the Beast Speedboat. Here are my tips:
* Boats leave on the hour ever hour. Arrive at least 10 minutes early (people will line up).
* There are only a couple of shady seats on the boat, if you want to sit in the shade (towards the back of the boat, you’ll compromise your view).
* If you have kids, they’ll love it. If you hate kids, this boat ride is really annoying.
* A (insert profanity here) employee will walk around with a super soaker during the boat ride. You can wear a don’t f* with me face and he’ll leave you alone. Regardless, you’ll likely get at least a little bit wet on this ride, be careful of your electronics.
* The ride is 30 minutes or less, perfect amount of time in my opinion
* The view is really cool. Especially when you get right up to the statue of liberty (and are thankful you’re not actually ON the island because there are a million people there)
* The boat goes really fast, don’t wear a hat, and watch out for your sunglasses
* They will make you wear a ‘seatbelt’, there’s not standing/​walking around on this boat

They do not tell you that you get drenched in Hudson River water. My wife was not happy about having to walk around all day in after being soaked in salt water. We asked where to sit and sat where they said we would be dry. They intentionally get you very wet a few times. Not just a little wet. Totally drenched. It’s really stupid of them. There is no supervision and they have some punks running the boat. Better off taking the Staten Island ferry for free.

Biggest, most jackass-​y way to see the harbor… and you should totally do it.
I second the insights of some other reviewers:
— There’s some spray from the waves, but you’re more likely to get soaked by the guide’s water gun. They could really lose that and not disappoint anyone.
— More spray in the back, but the front pitches up and down a bit more than the back.
— It’s not that rough. It’s not a 15-​foot motorboat, so it cuts across all but the biggest waves.
— Great way to see the Hudson side of lower Manhattan, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty in no time at all. All the sights of the longer slow boats, but in way less time.
— They idle off of Liberty Island for pictures — great spot to get pics of lower Manhattan and the Statue. Plus, the guide wanders up and down the boat grabbing cameras (/​phones) if you want a picture of yourself.
Biggest knock is their ticketing system. You can buy a ticket voucher online (tip: search for discounts), but there’s no fast voucher line when you get to the dock to get your actual boarding pass, so you’ll wind up waiting in a slow line with everyone else who is actually buying tickets at the window. Then, when you do present your voucher, it takes the clerk, like, five minutes to scan it and do some other b.s. before you get your tickets. Big recommendation to Circle Line: make a voucher-​only window, and take a good look at your voucher-​ticket process — you could cut out some serious line time there.