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Circle Line: Beast Speedboat Ride

Dare to ride THE BEAST: The ultimate speedboat experience

Forget Cloverfield, there’s a real-life monster out on the Hudson terrorising New York. Take a walk (ride) on the wild side with this 70-foot custom powerhouse. They call it THE BEAST: a savage-toothed, Godzilla-green, totally mean speedboat that’s clearly the biggest fish in this river.

Operated by Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, and captained by Mad Dog and Wild Thing, THE BEAST is a jet-powered thrill ride like no other. It’s not just a monster on the surface. It’s packing 1400 BHP-horsepower and is propelled over the water by two Hamilton Jets.

You’ll set off from Pier 83 and be roaring across the harbour at speeds of 45mph (40 knots) in no time. Through high-speed twists and turns, and with heavy-duty rock and entertaining commentary from the captains blasting around you, Mad Dog and Wild Thing have one mission – to douse all-comers in THE BEAST’s almighty spray. Within record time, you’ll come screeching to a halt 100 feet away from the Statue of Liberty for plenty of photo ops. You’ll be drenched, but you’ll also be buzzing from a huge adrenaline fix after hurtling over the open waves. It’s one part rollercoaster, one part speedboat, all BEAST. It’s the quickest tour of Manhattan that you’ll find in the Big Apple, with spectacular views of good ol’ Lady Liberty and the iconic skyline (at high-speed, slowing down at the Statue).

THE BEAST Speedboat Tour lasts half an hour, and departs on the hour, every hour from 10:00am till its last departure at 6:00pm. And if you somehow manage to stay dry during the daredevil ride and you think you’ve escaped, Mad Dog and Wild Thing’s water rifles will have you think again!

When it comes to ways to see New York City, this is a tour like no other. It’s a fantastic way to take in the city quickly, and is an experience in its own right. Without a doubt, THE BEAST Speedboat Ride isn’t for the faint of heart, but with Mad Dog and Wild Thing at the helm, taming THE BEAST and cruising on the Hudson is something that can make any New York holiday, whoever you are.
 

The BEAST, New York Highlights:

  • Cruise down the Hudson River, seeing the New York shoreline, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, as well as the iconic New York skyline

  • Experience THE BEAST on this unique 30-minute tour, rollercoasting across the bay at speeds of up to 45 mph

  • Take in some New York essentials in a unique way with Captains Mad Dog and Wild Thing, and be prepared to get soaked!  

Days of Operation:

  • Daily. Dependant on weather

Inclusions:

  • 30-minute speedboat ride on the Hudson River in THE BEAST

Exclusions:

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off. You will need to make your way to Pier 83

Additional Information:

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking

  • You must be at least 40" (102cm) tall to ride THE BEAST

  • Not wheelchair accessible

  • Pregnant women cannot take this tour, due to high speeds and bumpy conditions

  • Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and be able to sit in their seat without assistance

  • Anyone with a back injury or anyone who is prone to back injuries should not take this tour

  • You cannot pre-book a time slot for THE BEAST

  • Please arrive 45 minutes prior to your preferred cruise departure time to allow for voucher exchange and boarding. In peak season, please arrive 1 hour 30 minutes prior to your preferred cruise departure time, although this is not a guarantee

  • You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity

  • Departure point: Tour departs from Pier 83, New York

  • Departure time: 29 Apr-24 Sep 2017 every hour on the hour from 10:00am-6:00pm (last departure at 6:00pm)

  • Tour duration is approximately 30 minutes

Cancellation Policy:

New York

Add this experience to your holiday now...

Our experiences can be added to any of our holidays. Whether you’re exploring on a tour, sailing on a cruise or seeing more of the world with a multi-destination holiday, you can do more on your holiday that ever before. Just give us a call on 0344 557 1725 or pop into your nearest Virgin Holidays store to book this experience today.

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Rest assured; we will notify you as soon as we know if your holiday has been affected by email. 

We are continually reviewing our flying schedules, taking into account the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice against all non-essential travel. Depending on when you are due to travel, your holiday may be affected and we’ll email you to let you know as least 21 days before travel.

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Don’t worry if you’ve missed a payment or just need a little more time to pay; we have options available to help you. If your holiday is going ahead as planned, you can continue to pay for your holiday in Manage my booking, even if travelling in less than 12 weeks. If you’re unsure, you can delay any additional payments by choosing a new time to travel by requesting a call back in Manage My booking for one of our team to look at options. If your holiday is more than 6 months away, you may wish to set up a Direct Debit to spread the cost. This can be arranged whilst rebooking or afterwards in Manage my booking.

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We understand that you may wish to change your holiday plans and we appreciate the need for flexibility. 

We'll be in touch by email letting you know how to register to change your holiday plans. You can also log into Manage my booking to find the details there. 

Please look out for emails from us or visit our dedicated Covid-19 (Coronavirus) page for the latest updates.

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If we haven’t notified you of any changes, your holiday will be going ahead as planned but if you prefer to move your holiday to a later time we can help. You can call our team on 0344 472 9499 who can look at options for you.

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Payments are being prioritised based on when the request was made, working in order from March 2020 onwards. We will always try to process refunds at the earliest opportunity, for requests before August our maximum timeframe is 120 days. As we are steadily reducing the maximum processing time for each new request, for refund requests made in August, we expect the maximum processing time to be 80 days, from the date the refund is requested. For those requesting a refund in September, we expect it to be processed within a maximum of 60 days, and then reduce to 30 days for refunds requested in October, before returning to normal levels.

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To finalise the amendment, one of our customer advisors will phone you. We need to work through amend requests in departure date order so we can prioritise those with the most imminent travel plans, so you may have a longer wait than usual until we’re able to ring you back. We will help everyone that wants to move their holiday.

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You can contact our team by emailing feedback.backhome@virginholidays.com to discuss options on unused portions of your holiday. If you need to contact our team about amending an existing holiday or requesting a refund please log in to manage my booking.

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