I love New York but this company has had its day - dirty buses and rude staff and the guides on the buses - like being back in school - don't talk, don't use your phone, pay attention, don't ask questions, make sure you leave a tip
A summary of the service
You have to exchange your voucher for a paper ticket with a 3D bar code at their main offices a 15 minute walk from Time Square.
The so called Manager (who sits behind the concierge desk) of their main office was one of the rudest, unhelpful, unpleasant people I have ever met in New York.
The buses this time of year have covers on the top deck because of the weather but they are very dirty and difficult to see anything through. The tops are patched up with plastic and gaffer tape.The other companies - Top view and big bus have much cleaner buses with glass tops and windows making viewing much better, especially when it is raining.
Downtown loop
You need to change at battery park on the downtown tour and wait around 10-15 minutes until the next bus comes along, to continue the tour. ok in the summer but in winter there is no shelter at all other than the starbucks across the road.
Brooklyn tour - only 3 a day at 11,1 and 3 pm if you miss the bus - tough they do not wait!!!
Uptown tour is ok but not a great deal to see other than traffic traffic traffic
Night but is OK but if you sit under the covers it is difficult to see anything
Be aware - 9/11 tribute museum is not worth going to see. Its a few exhibits and some pictures do not confuse this with the official 911 museum at ground zero which is excellent. Do not waste one of your attraction tickets on the tribute museum!
Dont waste your time on thier city sight seeing boat - take the Staten Island ferry (from battery park) for some of the best views of the statue of Liberty , Ellis island, Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan and the best part - Its completely FREE
The paper ticket they give you for the bus and the attractions are difficult for the attractions to scan and you can wait 5 -10 minutes befroe they scan and issue your tickets.
Attractions have airport style security and you must follow all the instructions to get through as quickly as possible.
Early monrings are best for the observation decks - Empire state building, Rockerfeller Centre, one world observatory.
Response from Host
Feb 2018
Hello Dean, Thanks for your full review of our tours and our great city! It is true, early mornings are always best to get out and start your day of touring. This will help you plan your day easier and maneuver around the hustle and bustle of NYC that is plagued with traffic most hours of the day. The Sightseeing Cruise is a free cruise added onto the All Around Tour and I would highly recommend this tour. It is only 90 minutes long, a comfortable cruise with beautiful views of the NYC Skyline and great tours guides on board! While most of our visitors have delightful memories of their trips with us, we understand that there are some that may not and we sincerely apologize. We do our best to provide you with an excellent experience. We are sorry that we fell short of that expectation on this particular day. We hope you will try us again. Regards, Julia