A beautiful evening with beautiful weather out on the sea. I did this cruise with my wife two weeks ago and my memories (fuzzy, but not yet faded) recall the open sea, beautiful old mansions perched on hills overlooking the harbor, the Pell Bridge with the blazing orange sunset behind it, and a cup of champagne (provided by the hospitable staff).
Do NOT miss this. Well worth the $30/pp (honestly, they could charge more and I would pay it). The tour guide (whose name I cannot recall at the moment) was funny, but more importantly, was knowledgeable about the history of the port, the mansions, the wealthy families that owned (or still own) the mansions, and just the history of Newport, RI in general. The tour guide's knowledge provided great context on what we were looking at so if he wasn't there, I don't think I would've gotten as much as I did out of this cruise.
Lastly, you will see some beautiful yachts and ships docked at the harbor (at least we did while we were there). The guide knew about some of the more prominent vessels in the harbor. A small snack and champagne is provided. BE SURE TO GET THERE AT LEAST 20-30 MINS. EARLY AND LINE UP. That way, you'll get on the boat first and get a seat at the top (where we were). Definitely, sit AT THE TOP or you'll regret it.