A Perfect Date Night Idea: A Dinner Cruise Around New York City

When you're on board Hudson's dinner cruise around New York Harbor, you can't help but feel like a tourist even if you've lived here all your life. After all, when the boat pulls up right next to Lady Liberty, everyone comes out onto the deck to snap pictures while Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" blares from the speakers. But cheesiness aside, if you catch Hudson's on an evening when the weather is cooperating (as we did), it's sure to make for an unforgettably romantic date night.

Located on Pier 81 next to its sister ship, the North River Lobster Company, Hudson's dinner cruise is definitely one of the lesser-known boat rides you can take around the New York Harbor... and there are quite a few. However, unlike cruises like the Bateaux New York, Hudson's floating restaurant encourages diners to stay and take in the cocktails and views both before and after docking. When we departed a half hour after docking at the end of the evening, we were one of the first passengers to exit the ramp.

The three-course dinner was a steal at only $85 per person (drinks not included), but when you consider the included entertainment (i.e., music and 360-degree views of the skyline), the pricing seems like even more of a value. Our specific cruise seemed to have more large groups like engagement parties and bachelorette parties. Therefore, the interior of the boat was very loud, but we imagine that varies based on party sizes and table location. The boat itself never felt overly crowded, and it was easy to find private seating on one of the expansive yacht's decks.

The drinks were a bit uneven (I ordered two glasses of sangria, and whereas the first was boozy and balanced, the second was overly sweet), but the food was the real star of cruise. The appetizer portion of mussels was plentiful and the meat was sweet and not too briny. The pan-seared salmon was cooked with the skin on, and the result was almost impossibly flavorful and tender meat that was not even remotely overcooked (as salmon fillets sometimes tend to be). The chocolate ganache as dessert was soft and indulgent, but seemed to resemble more of a thick chocolate pudding rather than a true ganache. (No complaints here, though: Who doesn't love pudding?)

For the remainder of June, Hudson's sails at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and at both 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.