FREQUENTLY-ASKED
QUESTIONS ABOUT
OUR NYC SIGHTSEEING TOUR:
Q: How does New York Party Shuttle handle the
different Statue of Liberty ferry options?
A: New York Party Shuttle takes its tour groups aboard the free Staten Island
Ferry. You will enjoy breath-taking views of the Statue of Liberty from this
ferry option as we go right by the Statue of Liberty toward Staten Island. The
Staten Island Ferry does not go to Liberty Island, thus there will be no walking
around Liberty Island on this tour. When considering that the crown and the
torch are closed, combined with the new security procedures, our customers see
the benefits of the much quicker Staten Island Ferry option. The total time of
this ferry option is only 1 hour compared to the 2.5 hour Statue of
Liberty/Ellis Island ferry. If you would still like to go to Liberty Island and
Ellis Island, then we recommend doing so on a different day of your stay in New York City.
Q:
Can we climb up inside the Statue
of Liberty?
A:
Unfortunately, the Statue of Liberty is closed. Both
the torch and crown observatories are closed to visitors.
There is a small museum in the base of the Statue
of Liberty
that is open to tourists.
Q: Does it make sense for me to do the Statue of
Liberty/Ellis Island Ferry to Liberty Island on our own?
A: Yes. As it takes a lot of time out of your NYC
tour, we do recommend that if you wish to visit Liberty Island that you take
that trip either before our sightseeing tour begins at
noon or on a separate day. However, remember that you will get breathtaking views of Lady Liberty on your New York Party Shuttle Tour, so you may want to keep in mind that most of our customers do not make a separate trip to Liberty Island.
Q: How does New York Party Shuttle Tours
handle the
Empire State Building observation attraction?
A: The Empire State Building is breathtaking and
some people like to stay a while to capture it all. For this reason,
we make this the last stop on our tour so our customers can take as long as they
wish at the observation deck. For those that do not wish to visit the Empire
State Building at the end of your tour, your tour will end right where it started--in Times
Square. If you plan to go up to the observation deck,
we suggest you purchase
your tickets online here before you arrive so
you don't have to wait in line.
Q: Does the New York Party Shuttle stop at every
landmark on your itinerary? Do we get out of the shuttle at every attraction?
A: Yes. Traffic permitting, we make a stop at
every item listed on the top half of our sightseeing itinerary to provide everyone ample time to walk around
and take pictures. The Tour Guide also will get off the shuttle with the group
at each stop
and provide a historical narrative of the landmark, its architecture, and other
tidbits
you may have not known about New York and its landmarks. The items on
the bottom half of the itinerary will be viewed
either from the shuttle or from other nearby attractions.
For instance, you will enjoy breathtaking
views of the Brooklyn Bridge from South Street Seaport
and from the Staten Island Ferry.
Q: How much time do you spend at each
attraction?
A: As you can expect, some landmarks are more
time-consuming than others, such as South Street Seaport and the World Trade
Center Memorial. With this in mind, there is no set time for each attraction.
Our Tour
Guides are trained to watch how the tour group progresses at each
landmark and adjust the tour accordingly. Keep in mind, we still have a lot of
sightseeing to do in 5 1/2 hours, so we do
like to keep the tour group moving.
Q: Why is it called Party Shuttle?
A: Unlike other tour
companies and traditional
airplanes and trains, we keep our groups smaller and manageable so we can have
more interaction with our tour passengers, and so that our customers can have the opportunity
to interact with each other. The smaller shuttle creates a more relaxed,
informal, and friendly environment for sightseeing
in New York City. It's more
like a party at a friend's place where you
meet new people than it is like an impersonal tour
bus. Our customers relate to each other so
well that we've even had strangers take pictures with one another
at the end of the tour.
Q: What is this "TKTS Booth" listed on your
itinerary?
A: The TKTS booth is a great way to see Broadway
shows in New York City at up to 50% off the ticket price. A great way for a family of four to go
see a show without "breaking the bank." Not all shows are sold by TKTS. In fact, top
shows and new shows almost never appear. However, there are certainly some very
good options. Each day the TKTS Booth determines which tickets they have at 50%
off and they go on sale around 11am. The New York Party Shuttle takes you to a
TKTS Booth in South Street Seaport where the line is much shorter than the Times
Square line.
Q: Is the snack at South Street Seaport included in
the Tour Price?
A: Food is not included in the tour price. We
chose South Street Seaport for a snack break because it has the most available food
options in one area. Our tour passengers have told us they love
having the options. The stop at South Street Seaport is long enough to give you time
to buy your 50% off
Broadway tickets and to grab a snack at the food court. And as always, our Tour Guide has
something to show you from the Seaport that you will find yourself using up a
role of film on. We'd tell you, but you've got to see it.
Q: Do you mail me tickets?
A: No.
We employ an easy-to-use ticketless reservation
system. Your email confirmation is your tour ticket. Thus, there is no reason to
deal with the hassles of tickets and mail.
Q: Do you offer private
sightseeing tours of New York City?
A: Yes we do. We have an array of private
sightseeing tours
of New York City
including shuttle,
van, and walking tours for your to choose from, please click here to learn more:
New
York City Private Sightseeing Tours.
Q: How do I book my New York Party Shuttle mixed-group tour?
A: Online on our secure server at Buy New York City Tours tickets.
Q: Where do you meet the tour shuttle? Where does
the tour start?
A: In Times Square, on 7th Avenue between 49th and
50th Streets (on the West side of the street). Your ticketless email
confirmation will have it printed on the bottom so there is no reason to write
it down now.
Q: I'm
driving a car into New York City. Where should
I park near the tour starting point?
A: There are plenty of 24 hour parking locations in Times
Square. The key is to pay no more than $30 for 10 hour parking. Most of the
major Times Square hotels charge around $45. There are lots of locations that
charge $25 for 10 hours in Times Square. One location is Quick Park on 50th
Street
between 8th and 9th Avenues.
Q:
What type of vehicles does New York Party Shuttle
operate?
A:
We normally use 33-passenger and 35-passenger
shuttles for our daily mixed group tours. We often
use 15-passenger vans for
our private tours (see private tours pricing). We
do not allow customers to pick and choose their vehicles,
however we do allow large same-party groups to stay
together on one bus. Depending on demand and/or
our service schedule, we reserve the right to substitute
a 49-passenger bus with PA system and bathroom on board
for our mixed-group tours.
Q: Can I bring
my baby stroller or a wheel chair on board?
A: Currently, our shuttles are not
wheel chair accessible and there is no room for a baby stroller on board. One
of the benefits of NYPS is during the longer walks (which there are not many)
one can stay on board the shuttle near the landmark without feeling like they
have to get out every time.
Q: Where does the tour end?
A: It
depends. If you're planning on going to the
Empire State Building, your tour will end there to provide
you more time at this popular landmark. If you're not going to the Empire State
Building your tour will end back in Times Square on 7th Avenue between 49th and
50th Streets approximately five and one-half hours after it began.
Q: What is the age limit for
kids pricing?
A:
Children under 12 can take the Party Shuttle Tour for
$55. Infants under 2 years old may ride for
free if they ride in their parent's lap during the tour.
If you feel you would be more comfortable having
a seat for your infant, please purchase a child's ticket.
Q:
What additional expenses should we expect?
A:
You should plan on paying for food at South Street
Seaport. If you wish to visit the observatory at the top
of the Empire State Building, the cost is $14. If you plan to go up to the observation deck,
we suggest you purchase
your tickets online here before you arrive so
you don't have to wait in line.
Q:
Are tips included?
A:
No. We ask that you plan to tip your driver and
tour guide. A good rule of thumb is 15%, or $7.50
to $9.00
per person.
Q: Can we bring carry-on bags on board your shuttle?
A: No. We ask that you leave your bags in your hotel room. The only bags that are allowed on board the Party Shutles are small purses. We reserve the right to search any purses you bring on board.
Q:
Why should I take a New York Party Shuttle Sightseeing
tour?
A:
New
York Party Shuttle offers sightseeing
tours of New York City.
Home of
New York's Most Comprehensive 5 1/2-Hour Tour,
we also offer private
sightseeing tours,
foreign-language tours, walking
tours,
and mixed-group
sightseeing tours.
See all of New York City's landmarks and attractions, including
the Empire
State Building,
Statue
of Liberty,
World
Trade Center Memorial Site,
Central Park, Wall
Street,
Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge, and South Street Seaport. Purchase
your discount
broadway show tickets
while on your tour at the little-known
TKTS booth
at South Street Seaport without having to wait in line for hours.
Our licensed NYC Tour Guides stay with you throughout the
sightseeing tour and get off the shuttle bus with you at each tour
stop so you can take pictures and learn more about New York City.
We keep our tour groups smaller than our competitors so that
you get more individual attention and customer service and end up
with a better tour experience. The smaller groups allow the
Tour Guide to answer more of your questions and allow you to interact
with other tourists to make your tour more fun. Free refreshments
on the tour shuttle bus makes for a more enjoyable tour. Our
customers
rave about our tour of NYC.
Find out more about New York City by visiting New
York Tourist Advisor Forum.
Feel free to post questions there about our
tour of New York City
or about any topic related to New York City.
We also recommend New
York City Hotels
for your stay on our hotels
page.
Still
have questions? Click
here to contact us.
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