The BEAST, A NEW YORK THRILL !!
Written: Jul 05 '04
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| How informative was your tour? |
 |
|
| How strenuous was your tour? |
 |
|
| Transportation quality: |
|
|
|
Pros: You will get a little wet on a hot summer day. More details inside.
Cons: You will get a little wet on a hot Summer day. More details inside.
The Bottom Line: I like this ride because it doesn't take a big chunk of my touring day and it's a great thrill with some impressive sites.
|
|
|
| popsrocks's Full Review: The Beast Speed Boat |
I have been on a number of different boat rides from Manhattan over the years. New York Waterways and Circle Line offer all kinds of cruise/tours. You can go around the whole island in 3 hours or opt for shorter one or two hour cruises to see lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.
If you want to have a real thrill, still see the Statue, and you have little time, ride the BEAST!!
This boat was docked at the South Street Seaport for years. It now has a new home. My wife and I did it last week and it is a new destination that we both feel most people should try.
WARNING!! WARNING!! WARNING!!
The BEAST is a large streamlined racing shaped boat with BIG MEAN LOOKING TEETH painted on its bow. I didn't take a seat count but would guess it rides about two hundred people. There is no protected area on this boat. It is open to the elements. It's pretty cool looking and the kids as well as most adults will find it thrilling to ride. This is not for the timid. There is a strictly regulated height restriction that is adhered to. All riders must be at least 40 inches tall. Absolutely no pregnant woman are allowed on and those with any heart ailments are warned not to ride. No children under five are permitted on board. See their web site or call for more information.
Having said all this, I do strongly recommend this ride to tourists and New Yorkers alike.
SOME DETAIL and HELPFUL HINTS
Here we will take a quick commercial break.
This following is directly from Circle Line Cruises the Operators of the BEAST.
http://www.circleline42.com/index.ihtml?page=beast
Don't miss the BEAST New York's very own thrill ride. "Mad Dog" and "Wild Thing," your daring captains, will take you for a wet n' wild ride through the New York harbor. Hold onto your hats because for 30 fun-filled minutes, you'll be soaring past the skyscrapers at a heart-pounding 45mph. We'll stop for a close-up of the Statue of Liberty where you'll have a quick photo-op. It's a pure thrill!
Pier 83, West 42nd Street & 12th Avenue
May - October
Daily: noon - dusk
(Weekends only in October)
Weather permitting
LEAVING ON THE HOUR
ADULTS $16 / KIDS 12 & UNDER $10
Height Restriction:
You must be at least 40" / 100cm tall to ride the BEAST
Now back to our previously scheduled review.
Right at the foot of West 42nd Street on pier 83 you will find the berth for the Beast. Parking is on the pier and costs $15 before 3PM and $20 after. Both times are to the max of midnight. Yes, you read that correctly. If you use less time by coming later it costs you more. Just a note here. This is about the cheapest you will find parking in NYC. We park here for the day and then bus or cab down to Times Square on the N42 bus. If you are taking the bus you must already had a pass. I don't believe they sell them at the piers. They may but I don't know. You can easily walk the four or five long city blocks cross town to and from Times Square. The parking seems safe, there are attendants, and rest rooms are on the pier. Depending on the time of day they may not be all that clean and the single stalls are small. If you went to the Intrepid Museum next door they have clean, bright and multiple facilities.
The BEAST is one pier over from the Intrepid Museum and they, as a combo, would make for an interesting and fun morning or afternoon. Look for combination discounts on the New York Pass or City Pass. It may be worth your while. Maybe you could purchase your tickets for the BEAST before going to the Intrepid Museum. This way you know you will not be locked out. There are some sites where you can purchase tickets ahead of time. Remember though, this ride is dependent on good weather and is seasonal.
BOARDING
After purchasing your tickets line up. They suggest getting there 45 minutes before. I'm not sure if they mean to purchase the tickets and then line up. In any case, allow some time. We waited on the ticket line about ten minutes and the boarding line about twenty minutes. They have a fellow there, as you wait, that will take pictures of your party with a life preserver that says "The BEAST" and the boat in the background. My wife put the life preserver over my head and she stood next to me. We rarely purchase these pix but ours came out great and we forked over $10 when we saw the final results as we disembarked from our ride.
Boarding is very orderly. You may need sea legs as you first walk on the floating dock area. I felt like a drunken sailor. Once to the boat the captain or mate will take your hand and help you step onto the boat. No problems here at all. Actually I believe both guys on board are captains. They do take different roles while traveling. One is at the helm while the other interacts with the people.
The two lone seats in the front of the boat are the coveted ones but every seat gives you the thrill of the ride. The boat has rows of four seats left and right from the bow to stern. That's a total of eight across. There are at least twenty rows. I never counted. Each seat is roomy enough even for this big guy. Some seats may be wet. With that warning, you may take an old t-shirt or some other kind of cloth to help separate you from the water. Each seat is padded. The water is in some of the padding. If the weather is warm and you don't mind a damp dumpa, don't worry about it. You are going to get a little wet from the ride anyway.
We didn't get all that wet from the ride itself. Nobody seemed to. Some got wet for different reasons. I'll tell you about that in a bit. The boat does deflect most of the spray away from itself. Some turns and wind direction may cause the salt water to spray you. Those sitting in the seats by the boats railing will tend to get the brunt of any spray. Sit accordingly.
When you sit down you may notice little straps on the padding. Many people were trying to see if they were seat belts. The captain assured us that they are not and belts were not needed. He also mentioned, "Who would want to be attached to a boat if it's sinking quickly anyway". This my friends was his humor. Our particular guide was very funny from start to finish. He was also very professional. I would not go out on the water with my children with some clown. Safety first! And these guys were safety conscious. The boat and crew, we are told, are Coast Guard approved. We did get our short lecture about life preservers under the seat, no need to wear them during the trip, and other rules and regulations. All were told that hats will be lost if worn. There is also a caution about glasses. Head on they will be ok but if you turn your head, they may fly off. We were told to put a finger on the glasses to help hold them on when turning. We were not told to give the captain the finger if we lost them.
Each seat has a bar in front for those who want to hold on. Many in the front were traveling with their hands in the air. There seemed to be no safety concerns about doing so and in fact we all had our hands detached at the direction of the mate later on. I'll explain soon. Absolutely no standing was allowed while traveling.
OUR RIDE
Once all are aboard and a few other directions were shared we moved out into the Hudson River. It is quite wide and though there is a good amount of maritime traffic there is still plenty of room for the boat to maneuver about.
The captain headed the boat south in the direction of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty. There was no dialog about the sites though we did slow down when we passed the site of Ground Zero where the World Trade Center's Twin Towers Once Stood.
The first thing the mate did when we started out was to crank up the rock music. All basic rock and roll here, no Muzak or Rap that I remember. The speakers are in the inside section of each row left and right. It helps drown out the loud noise of the engines and definitely lends itself to a party atmosphere.
With the boat heading south and the music blasting the captain hit the throttle and the bow lifted out of the water and we were cruising at 45 mph in just a couple of moments. When in a car that speed may not seem fast but, when on the water skimming along the top of small waves, it feels like over a hundred mph! It was definitely a thrill. The spray sometimes went over twice the boats height.
As we were moving along the mate had us clapping hands to some music and then played YMCA on the sound system. There we all were, hands in the air, forming our Y M C and A. Most everyone got into it and it added to the upbeat ride. Many hand waves from other boats and the dock area came our way and were returned.
The STATUE of LIBERTY
For those who have never been to the Statue of Liberty up close from a boat, the BEAST gives you this opportunity. We made our way down the Hudson and the boat stopped about a 1/4 mile from the island the statue stands on. We were given about five to eight minutes time to walk about the boat and take pictures. Most people took shots of the Statue and of the lower Manhattan Skyline. It was nice to get this short break from the speed and the music.
The captain then turned the boat north and put the pedal to the metal. Everyone was smiling, most were holding on, and the mate started with some of his antics.
THE MATES ANTICS
There is a chance of getting a bit wet from the spray. There is a better chance that you will get wet due to the mate. I wont give you too much of the detail but he happened to have an arsenal of a few water balloons and water guns that only he had possession of and used.
One big fellow on the trip happened to be wearing an Oakland Raider Hat and the mate, being a JET fan, told this gentleman they had "issues" to discuss. They both, in jest, jabbed at each other verbally and the Raider fan became the target of some of the mates ammunition..
The mate also gave some of the kids a little extra attention with the water. It seemed to me he went after those who were willing to get wet. If you just nod a no, I don't think he will get you wet. Anyway, that was my perception. He did ask the gentlemen if any of their wives might need some special attention. He obliged with some short squirts from a super soaker water gun.
We made our way back to the same dock we started from. We were told that it is customary to tip the mate and captain if you had a good time. We had a great time! Disembarking was quick and orderly. We walked back to the dock where our pictures were waiting.
CLOSING REMARKS
I really enjoyed this ride. It was thrilling and yet I felt quite safe. I thought the price was fair and worth it. I do know that when you multiply the fee times the sum of members in a family you can get to some prohibitive prices. All the same I recommend this. It is a great ride for adults and the kids WILL absolutely love it. It's a good break from the museum tours, you get to see the NYC skyline and the Statue of Liberty in a short amount of time, and it gets you off your feet for a bit while giving a terrific thrill. The captain gives "Permission to come aboard."
Other things to do in NYC
The INTREPID Sea-Air-Space MUSEUM It's a good one and right next door to the BEAST.
Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum It's on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Ave.
NY WATERWAY Tour NYC by boat.
The Empire State Building
Radio City Music Hall A Spectacular place to see a show!
Museum of Natural History
The Metropolitan Museum of ART
TKTS half price tickets to Broadway
Aida, the Broadway Play Great show at half price
Thoroughly Modern Millie A 6 Tony award winner Broadway Play
The Boy from OZ A new play about the entertainer Peter Allen with Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli
Central Park
Stardust DinerA great place for before a show in Times Square. Aspiring actors are here.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Tour type: Group
Tour format: Boat
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.