Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
&
617/363-7899;
www.cityviewtrolleys.com). The
Super Trolley Tours
(
&
617/
742-1440;
www.bostonsupertrolleytours.com) vehicle is white; its narration is avail-
able translated into Japanese, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.
SIGHTSEEING CRUISES
Take to the water for a taste of Boston's rich maritime history or a daylong break from
walking and driving. You can cruise around the harbor or go all the way to Province-
town. The
sightseeing cruise
season runs from
April through November,
with
spring and fall offerings often restricted to weekends. Check websites for discount
coupons before you leave home. If you're traveling in a large group, call ahead for
information about reservations and discounted tickets. If you're prone to seasickness,
check the size of the vessel for your tour before buying tickets; larger boats provide
more cushioning and comfort than smaller ones.
Tip:
Before taking a cruise just for the sake of taking a cruise, weigh the investment
of time and money against your group's interests. Especially if kids are along, you
might be better off with an excursion that targets a destination—the Charlestown
Navy Yard (see the box titled “On the Cheap”), the Boston Harbor Islands (see the
box titled “A Vacation in the Islands” on p. 183), or Boston Light (see the box titled
“Trip the Light Fantastic” on p. 177)—than with a pricey narrated cruise.
The largest company is
Boston Harbor Cruises,
1 Long Wharf (
&
877/SEE-
WHALE
or 617/227-4321; www.bostonharborcruises.com). Ninety-minute
historic
sightseeing cruises,
which tour the Inner and Outer harbors, depart from Long
Wharf daily May through September at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, with extra excursions
at busy times. Tickets are $19 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $15 for children 4 to
12; tickets for the sunset cruise (6 or 7pm) are $1 more. The 45-minute
USS
Consti-
tution
cruise
takes you around the Inner Harbor and docks at the Charlestown Navy
Yard so that you can go ashore and visit “Old Ironsides.” Tours leave Long Wharf daily
May through November hourly from 10:30am to 4:30pm, and on the hour from the
Navy Yard from 11am to 5pm. The cruise is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $10
for children.
Massachusetts Bay Lines
(
&
617/542-8000;
www.massbaylines.com) offers 55-
minute
harbor tours
from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. Cruises leave Rowes
Wharf on the hour from 11am to 6pm (there's no 6pm cruise after Labor Day); the
price is $16 for adults, $12 for children and seniors. The 90-minute sunset cruise
leaves nightly at 7pm from Memorial Day to September 1, and at 6pm through mid-
October. The 90-minute moonlight cruise leaves at 8:45pm on Friday and Saturday
from mid-June to early September; call for times in early summer and fall. Sunset and
moonlight cruises costs $19 for adults, $16 for seniors and children.
The
Charles Riverboat Company
(
&
617/621-3001;
www.charlesriverboat.com)
offers 60-minute narrated cruises from the CambridgeSide Galleria mall daily May
through October. Tours of the
lower Charles River basin
start at 11:30am and 12:45,
On the Cheap
You don't have to take a tour to take a cruise. The MBTA runs a
ferry
that con-
nects Long Wharf and the Charlestown Navy Yard. It costs $1.70, is included in
the MBTA's 7-day LinkPass, and makes a good final leg of the Freedom Trail.
Value
