I booked our tickets online - highly recommended, no waiting in line. Also we paid the extra $15 for premium tickets which means we were escorted to our seats, the seats were sectioned off and nicer, cushioned seats, and we had wait service so we didn't have to go to the bar. Still, get there early if you want to sit by the window! During nice weather, they may have these seats outside though in which case that wouldn't matter. Anyway, our tour guide, Andy, was great he did talk a lot but it was all interesting stuff about the city and he also took a couple of breaks in his talks so that you soak everything in. Even though it was drizzly rain, we still went outside to take pictures and seeing the city at night was so worth it. Same with seeing the Statue of Liberty and the bridges all lit up. The pictures they took of us as we boarded turned out great and we bought them - the whole package was $40. Our server could have been a little more prompt and attentive than she was - but she was nice as were the rest of the staff. Getting off the boat was a challenge because the ramp was wet from the rain, and the tide was high which means it was almost like a slide on to the dock. Several people slipped and one actually fell (no injury), so be careful. I have to mention a shout out to Zach, who is their customer service rep - I had an issue when I bought my tickets online - I emailed him and he responded immediately and corrected the issue. He even called me a few days after the cruise to follow up! So, yes - take this tour! Don't worry if it's raining, it's still worth it. If I ever go back to NY, I will definitely take this tour again!