All you need to know about Bateaux: the most famous dinner cruise in New York City

I think I’ll never get tired of seeing New York from the water. I could take a cruise every day and I’m sure that every day I would sigh and be enchanted by this city. I’ve done several cruises and it’s always special. And the tip I’m going to share today is amazing, as Bateaux is probably the most famous dinner cruise in the city. It had been a long time since I wanted to have this experience and about two weeks ago we had this opportunity and can I say? It was just amazing! So if you are looking for a special thing to do in New York, come with me!

The boat

Bateaux is owned by Entertainment Cruises, North America’s largest dinging & sightseeing cruise company, that operates in 7 cities within the US; Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Norfolk (Virginia), Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. It serves upwards of 2.3 million guests annually and has 7 operating brands within the US; Spirit, Odyssey, Seadog, Mystic Blue, Bateaux, Elite Private Yachts, & Potomac Riverboat Company

Bateaux is a complete experience: a three-hour boat ride + a freshly prepared dinner + live music. It is Manhattan’s only fully enclosed glass vessel. This is not merely aesthetic information – but a detail that makes your experience even more special, after all, the view from inside the boat becomes even wider and more magical, with a 360-degree view of the iconic city skyline. The boat leaves Chelsea Piers (23th Street and 11th Ave) and has a sophisticated and elegant environment – so here’s the tip: dress up because you deserve it. Just to give you an idea, on the day we took the cruise there were two wedding couples. Everyone was very well dressed – the suggested dress code is “cocktail” (look for inspiration on Google).

The structure is huge, with several tables, bathrooms and two decks – the front and the rear. And don’t worry: it’s very stable and it shakes very little.

Boarding and itinerary

When you arrive at Chelsea Piers, head to the Entertainment Cruises kiosk with your ID to pick up your boarding pass (located in front of the parking lot). Boarding starts at 6:15pm – departure is at 7pm. Bateaux New York sails from 7 pm to 10 pm.

When it departs from Chelsea Piers it heads north, passing Mid-town and the Empire State Building, and turns around at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.  From there it heads South around Battery Park where you’ll get up-close views of the Financial District, including One World Trade Center and Battery Park.  Bateaux then heads north up the East River – and you will see Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge with the city skyline in the back.  From the East River it sails to the Statue of Liberty, and it evens stop for a moment so you can appreciate and take a lot of pics!

Now for a special tip: everyone will focus on the largest front deck – so the ideal is to go to the back deck, which always gets emptier and therefore better to enjoy and take amazing pictures!

Dinner

Bateaux experience includes dinner with an appetizer, the main course, and a dessert, all freshly prepared and with many options to choose. Remember that before bringing the dishes, they also serve fresh bread with seasoned olive oil, a delight. The options are:

• Appetizers: Baby Romaine & Spinach Caesar / Lobster Bisque  /Togarashi Tuna Tartare /Duck Pate De Foie Gras.
• Main Course: Forest Mushroom Ravioli  / Herb Roasted Shrimp / Maple & Mustard Glazed Chicken Breast / Braised Beef Short Rib / Pan Seared Atlantic Cod. 
• Dessert: New York Style Cheesecake / Humbolt Fog & Belletoile Triple Cream Brie Cheeses / Bateaux Signature Warm Butter Cake / Valrhona Chocolate Mousse.

You can choose one option from each. As we were in three people, I can talk a little about our choices. I got tuna tartar with the roasted shrimp. Thiago chose the lobster bisque and the cod. My mother got the salad and ravioli. We love our choices! Everything was impeccably prepared, the food was really delicious – and of the three main dishes, I think the ravioli was the most delicious of all As for desserts, the Bateaux Signature Warm Butter Cake was very well recommended by the staff and we decided to try it. Delicious! A cake crispy outside, warm inside, topped with ice cream. Speechless! We also tried the chocolate mousse with meringue and it is delicious too. My mom tried the cheesecake and said it was really good. Remember that coffee and tea are also included and alcoholic beverages are purchased separately. There is a well-diversified wine list!

Logistics

I confess that I always get anxious/worried when I take a boat trip in this style, which includes a meal. That’s because I want to enjoy it all – eat calmly, but also not miss the opportunity to admire the view, which, let’s face it, is fantastic. And in that case, points for the Bateaux. Because the tour lasts three hours, they serve meals in a well-spaced timeframe, allowing everyone to take time off to enjoy the view. I found this wonderful because I particularly hate having the feeling that I’m missing something. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour between each dish.

Music

All of this has a plus: a live band that plays the most classic rhythms to the latest (from Smooth Operator to Despacito!). The cool thing is that even being on the decks you can listen to music. We love it!

My impressions

We loved our experience at Bateaux. I have tried several different cruises in the city and found it spotless. It is certainly a must, especially for those who want to do something special, as the experience mixes a more refined meal with a tour of the city’s iconic spots. All in a light and comfortable way without crowds. My mother was with us and it was her first cruise and she just loved it: she said this cruise was worth the entire trip.

Price / reservations

Bateaux cruises all year long! So, no matter if you come in winter or summer, you can enjoy it, as the boat is glass-enclosed.

• Price: starting at $149,90 per person (including the cruise, dinner, tea, coffee and music). Price changes depending the day of the week.
• Click here to make your reservation
• Use code LAURA10 to get 10% OFF

Bateaux also offers the lunchtime cruise option for $ 67.90 – but lasting two hours. Personally, I find dinner more magical, especially in spring/summer, when it gets dark later.

Plus: kids over 6 are welcome aboard.

Don’t forget to use the blog link and code for your reservation. It costs you nothing more (you still get a discount on the code!) And so you help my work!

Laura Peruchi

Laura Peruchi é jornalista, autora e empreendedora. Mora em Nova York com seu marido desde 2014, e, desde então, divide em seu blog um conteúdo variado sobre a Big Apple. Com dicas de turismo, compras, restaurantes e muito mais, sua plataforma online tornou-se referência em conteúdo em português para quem está planejando uma viagem a Nova York. Acompanhe Laura também no Instagram, Youtube, Facebook e Spotify.