Very nice ride, very scenic. Very accomodating staff. Nice commentary which sometimes was a bit hard to hear when people were talking too loudly. Downstairs smelled a bit and was enclosed but the upstairs had enough shade and was delightful.
I have purchased a coupon through Double Take Offer and had a bad experience to reserve the ticket. They do not allow customers to reserve tickets through their ticketing company but only to contact the operation company directly. I called but they did not called me back until AFTER the date I wanted to get on the cruise. I live in 2 hours drive away and need to make a plan to use the coupon and I missed the change since they did not make a response promptly. I have contacted both Double Take Offer and the Pride of the Hudson customer service asking for cancellation of my coupon and refund. Both did not want to take a responsibility and seems like all I can do is to find another time to plan go there again only to use up the coupon. The cruise sounds good and I guess make a reservation through the ticket handling company should be okay. Purchase a coupon and make reservation could be difficult since 'They are family business and they sometimes do not have people to check their VM' as they said. Or call them way ahead is the another option I guess.
Our original cruise was cancelled due to weather but were very pleased with how the Pride of the Hudson accommodated the delays & cancellations. We had been a party of 8 and when we were rescheduled for Sunday one couple could not make it and were so disappointed but then received a call that they could see the Newburgh fireworks on Saturday and had a great time. The rest of us went out on Sunday so everyone was happy as it should be.Well done Pride of the Hudson!!
The sightseeing ride on either Pride or the rival Paddle wheeler are fantastic. You go through the Hudson River Fiord to West Point. Views are jaw dropping. We go every year but I was 40 before I took it the first time after living in the area my whole life. Having taken similar outing in many parts of the world I do not think there is better bang for the buck anywhere and it is ridiculously convenient.
My family and I wanted to do something special and then go out to eat. We enjoy being outside, but it was difficult to mesh what the younger kids wanted to do (2-16) with what the adults wanted to do. We came across "Pride of the Hudson" and all agreed it looked like a fun trip. The boat ride was two hours long. It was narrated for the first half and then we enjoyed the scenery on the way back. The day was beautiful, so we sat outside on their top deck. The kids enjoyed snacks from the bar and my wife who has Celiac's Disease enjoyed a gluten free beer! We were impressed with the crew's knowledge of the sights along the Hudson. We didn't realize there was so much to see, so close to home and it was a great way to see it all. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to try something new and who likes to have the family all agree on something! It seemed like a good trip for any age. Well worth it. Oh, one more thing, there are plenty of restaurants along the waterfront, so we went out for an early dinner afterwords.
The Hudson River is beautiful so any chance you get to take a ride is worth it. Scenery is always terrific. The hordes of people who visit the Newburgh waterfront during the good weather months seem to enjoy it.
Expected a narrated cruise. The narration was pre-recorded and kept cutting out, so we observed "radio silence" for much of it. The lower, enclosed deck was incredibly hot (no a/c) and there were ants crawling on the windowsills and walls. Cruising south it was very hot, but once we turned around to head north we had the breeze and it was more pleasant. My party consisted of myself, my husband, and two kids (9 and 13) and cost over $80. I'm not sure it was worth that price, but it gave us something to do on a Thursday afternoon.
We have been on a few U.S. river rides before, and this is similar in form. There is a narration that is recorded for part of the trip down the Hudson river and also the captain fills in certain details at points that are especially noteworthy to those who are interested in the history of why and how West Point Military school is where it is right along the shores of the Hudson river. The history is also about how the Hudson river was a key waterway during the Revolutionary War with George Washington living in the area at the time. The scenery is beautiful with mountains rising over the area. There is a snack bar/ drink bar on site for those wanting a little something while on the trip. We sat in the air conditioning on the lower floor for a while (very nice at tables set up against the windows), but went on the upper deck and enjoyed the ride in the beautiful weather we were having for most of the trip.
We arrived little early, but the sparse rail seating was already taken. (Cheap, plastic, stackable, white porch chairs So, we grabbed 2 chairs and sat around the plastic round table in the middle of the deck. By the time we were ready to launch, the deck had filled and there were people standing all around us and some sat on the table. We were cramped and crowded in our spot with limited visibility. Did a lot of standing to get some pictures. The scenic area is beautiful. The total experience...a bit of a let down.
We wanted to have a special event to celebrate our daughters college graduation before she went over sea. We had lunch at a restaurant on Front St. and booked the 1:00 boat ride on the Pride of the Hudson with cake and coffee. The Staff made our afternoon into a priceless event that was enjoyed and will never be forgotten. We were able to enjoy the cabin and the deck, the weather and the view was picture perfect, and my daughter was able to spend quality time with each guess. Thanks to the the very special crew on the Pride of the Hudson, we will always look back on a very special graduation party.