NYC Dinner Cruise Prices
What a New York dinner cruise costs in October 2026: buffets from $90, the glass boat from $112, the 3-hour band cruise from $141, and what the fare leaves out.
A New York dinner cruise costs from about $90 a person for a buffet to $141 and up for the three-hour cruise with a band, as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026. City Cruises’ glass-roofed luxury boat sits in between at $112, and a 90-minute jazz yacht with one drink costs $134. Every one of those fares is per person and includes the food named on the listing; alcohol beyond a welcome drink and the tip are almost always extra.
Every boat, side by side
| Cruise | From (October 2026) | Time on the water | Food | Drinks included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit of New York buffet | $90 | 2 to 3 hours | Buffet brunch, lunch or dinner | Coffee, tea, iced tea; mimosas on brunch |
| Spirit of New Jersey buffet | $90 | 2 to 2.5 hours | Buffet lunch or dinner | Coffee, tea, iced tea |
| City Cruises luxury dining cruise | $112 | 2 to 2.5 hours | 3-course meal | Coffee, tea, iced tea |
| Gourmet dinner cruise with live music | $141 | 3 hours | Charcuterie board; 5-course dinner as an option | Soft drinks plus 1 drink ticket |
| Evening jazz cruise, yacht Manhattan | $134 | 1.5 hours | Sold on board | 1 drink |
| Bottomless brunch cruise | $79 | 2 hours | Buffet or 3-course brunch | Bottomless mimosas (21+) |
The “from” figure is the cheapest option on each listing, and that matters more here than on most tours. City Cruises sells brunch, lunch and dinner on the same booking page, so the starting price is usually the brunch or lunch sailing; dinner costs more. NYC Water Cruises' starting price is the regular option with a charcuterie board, and the 5-course plated dinner is an upgrade. Check the option you actually want before you compare.
What the fare leaves out
Drinks. Only coffee, tea and soft drinks are reliably included. NYC Water Cruises adds one beer or wine ticket (two cocktail tickets on VIP), Classic Harbor Line one drink, the brunch cruises bottomless mimosas. Everything else is bar prices, New York bar prices.
The tip. Gratuities are listed as excluded on the Pier 36 cruise and on Classic Harbor Line’s yachts. Plan on the usual 18 to 20 percent of the fare for the crew, the same as a restaurant in town.
Getting to the pier. The boats leave from Pier 36 on the East River, Chelsea Piers on the West Side, or Jersey City; a taxi to the wrong one is an expensive mistake. The pier guide lists them.
The cheaper ways to see the same skyline
If the meal is not the point, two sightseeing cruises sail the same route at sunset for well under half the price. Circle Line’s Sunset & Harbor Lights Cruise is two hours with a live guide from $45 a person, and NY Waterway’s Golden Hour Cruise from $38 a person. Food and drinks are sold on board. The free Staten Island Ferry passes the Statue of Liberty too, in about 25 minutes each way. Dinner cruise or sunset cruise? weighs it up.
Check dates and book
The Cheapest Sit-Down Meal on the Harbor
City Cruises' Spirit of New York serves a brunch, lunch or dinner buffet with a DJ on a 2 to 3-hour cruise from Pier 61. Rated 4.2 from 568 reviews, from $90 a person as of October 2026, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check Buffet Cruise Dates