City Cruises

City Cruises is a company that gives special trips on boats. These trips include charter yachts, dining cruises, and ferry services. It works in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

City Cruises is part of a bigger brand called City Experiences, which belongs to the Hornblower Group. In April 2021, Hornblower Group changed the names of many of its tour and cruise services to fall under the City Experiences brand. City Cruises became a well-known part of this group.

In February 2024, the Hornblower Group had to ask for bankruptcy protection. After going through a court-approved restructuring, the company started again in July 2024. Today, City Cruises continues to offer its popular boat trips to people all over.

History

The company began in 1974 in Berkeley, California with two ships. Over time, it grew by buying other yacht companies and expanding to places like San Diego, Newport Beach, and London.

In 2021, the company changed its name to City Cruises and joined a larger group called City Experiences. In February 2024, the parent company had money problems and needed to reorganize its finances. By July 2024, it finished this process and kept operating. Today, City Cruises runs from 19 different ports and has more than 80 boats.

Cruises and ferry services

Niagara City Cruises

Hornblower Canada Company runs Niagara City Cruises. These cruises show the Niagara Falls Gorge from the Canadian side of the Niagara River, like the Maid of the Mist cruises from Niagara Falls, New York. The boats Niagara Wonder and Niagara Thunder can carry up to 700 passengers each. Visitors use the Hornblower Niagara Funicular to reach the ships.

Lake Tahoe Cruises

From 1997 to 2002, Hornblower operated boats on Lake Tahoe. They offered ferry rides across the lake and land shuttle services between South Lake Tahoe and Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort. In 2002, the Lake Tahoe port was sold to Aramark.

Alcatraz City Cruises

In 2006, Hornblower began providing ferry service to Alcatraz Island. As Alcatraz City Cruises, the company sells tickets and transports about one and a half million visitors to the island each year.

In 2008, Alcatraz Cruises added the Hornblower Hybrid to its fleet. This ferry uses solar power, wind power, and low-emission diesel fuel.

Statue City Cruises

In 2007, the company got permission to operate ferries to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. This is the only way for people to visit these sites in the Port of New York and New Jersey. As Statue City Cruises, the company manages tickets and transport for visitors to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Boats leave from Communipaw Terminal, Liberty State Park in Jersey City, or Castle Clinton in Battery Park, Lower Manhattan.

The related Liberty Water Taxi runs between Liberty State Park and the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal.

Hornblower New York (now City Cruises)

City Cruises runs yachts in New York from Pier 15 on the East River and Pier 40 on the Hudson River. These yachts offer sightseeing and dining cruises, as well as special event charters.

NYC Ferry

Main article: NYC Ferry

In 2015, Hornblower was chosen to run New York City's NYC Ferry service, which started on May 1, 2017. One route links Lower Manhattan and Midtown Manhattan with spots across the East River. Another route connects Lower Manhattan with Rockaway Park in Queens. A third route links Lower Manhattan with communities in southern Brooklyn. A fourth route, connecting Manhattan with Astoria, Queens, began in August 2017. Two more routes started in August 2018.

Notable yachts

• MV Zumbrota was built for circus magnate Charles Ringling. It is now based at Marina del Rey.
• MV Wild Goose was once John Wayne's private yacht. It joined the fleet in 1995 and still operates at Newport Beach.
• The ferryboat Santa Rosa used to carry passengers between San Francisco and the East Bay. It now serves at the company's office.
• MV San Francisco Belle, a paddlewheel style ship, joined the fleet in 2001. It is the largest dining yacht on the West Coast.
• San Francisco Hornblower Hybrid is the first hybrid ferry in the United States. It serves visitors to Alcatraz Island and Angel Island in San Francisco Bay.