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The city's most intimate skyline experience, departing from Chelsea Piers.
Big Apple Charters is New York City's leading woman-owned private luxury yacht charter, founded by Amal Salameh and featured in Robb Report and The New York Times. Departing from 59 Chelsea Piers, every charter is fully private, USCG-licensed, and fully insured. Trusted by New York's finest: Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, FIFA, Louis Vuitton, Google, and Deloitte for private events on New York Harbor.
Living in New York carries an unspoken advantage: the city is always offering something new. A quietly lauded restaurant opens in the West Village. A gallery debuts a late-night exhibit in Chelsea. A tucked-away bar in Tribeca becomes the place everyone seems to know about, but no one can quite explain how.
For those who know the city well, the real magic was never just the landmarks. It is the constant sense that the next remarkable evening could begin at any moment.
The ability to slow down deliberately and beautifully is the real measure of luxury in a city that moves at this pace. That is precisely what a private charter with Big Apple Charters offers: an intimate nautical experience curated for those who understand the difference between an evening out and an evening that endures.
For many New Yorkers, nights out can settle into familiar rhythms: a favorite restaurant, a well-worn cocktail bar, or a neighborhood known too well to surprise you. There is comfort in that. But the evenings that stay with you are rarely the expected ones.
New York rewards the quietly adventurous. A private dinner in a SoHo loft. A late reservation at a jazz salon in the West Village. And occasionally, the most memorable move is not finding another room within the city. It is stepping beyond it, without ever truly leaving.
For those who call New York home, a genuine escape can feel like a logistical undertaking. Trains to the Hudson Valley. Weekends arranged weeks in advance. The mental overhead of leaving often exceeds the rest it promises.
Big Apple Charters offers something more straightforward: a private yacht experience departing directly from 59 Chelsea Piers, placing you on the harbor within minutes, with the full Manhattan skyline as a living backdrop. Chelsea Piers sits at the western edge of the Meatpacking District, a short walk from the southern entrance of the High Line, with the Hudson Yards neighborhood visible to the north from the water. The location is one of the most accessible departure points in Manhattan for guests arriving from virtually any neighborhood.
Whether you are hosting a private client gathering, marking a significant occasion, or simply seeking one of the most refined and intimate things to do in New York at night, the experience begins the moment you step aboard.
Three vessels accommodate groups of up to 8, 12, or 30 guests, a deliberate ceiling that ensures every charter remains a private occasion, never a public one.
Some evenings are months in the making. Others come together in a matter of days. The team is experienced in both, and in ensuring that whichever it is, the experience feels as though it could not have been otherwise.
Out on the water, the city you navigate every day becomes something different. The skyline, so familiar it can become invisible, suddenly demands to be looked at. The hum of traffic softens to silence. The river sets a pace that Manhattan rarely permits.
From the water, the city reveals a dimension most residents never encounter. The skyline stretches across the horizon with quiet grandeur. Hudson Yards rises to the north, its towers catching the last of the afternoon light. The Brooklyn Bridge arcs overhead like a piece of suspended architecture. The Statue of Liberty stands in composed distance.
Without the press of sidewalks or the noise of observation decks, New York feels open, calm, and unexpectedly personal. It is the kind of evening — a relaxed Hudson River passage at dusk — that reminds you why this city has inspired generations of artists, writers, and visionaries.
What distinguishes a Big Apple Charters private yacht experience is not only the view, but how gracefully the evening unfolds.
The team coordinates with you in advance to arrange catering and the creation of a custom keepsake banner featuring your theme, colors, and photography. Guests are welcome to bring their own preferred selections on board, including alcoholic beverages, to enjoy throughout the journey.
You step aboard. The skyline becomes the setting. The water sets the pace. The Brooklyn Bridge arcs across the horizon, and beneath its towers the Manhattan skyline stretches in full, lights reflected across the Hudson.
Conversation lingers. The evening slows in a way that feels rare in New York. For a few hours, the city belongs only to the people sharing the moment.
Big Apple Charters offers three vessels, all departing from 59 Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. Every reservation is fully private, ensuring no shared decks, no other events on board, and no strangers in your evening.
The Manhattan Mermaid is the most intimate vessel in the fleet, with an open-air layout ideal for drinks and taking in the sights. The natural choice for couples, close companions, or any occasion where the focus is on the people gathered rather than the size of the group.
View the Manhattan Mermaid intimate charter vessel
The Hudson Star accommodates up to twelve guests with soft leather seating, a cockpit bar, a full galley, a multi-zone Bluetooth sound system, and a full walk-in bathroom. Featured in Robb Report. Personal enough that every moment remains genuine, generous enough to include everyone who should be there.
View the Hudson Star private yacht for groups up to 12
The Skyline is the largest vessel in the fleet, accommodating up to thirty guests with generous seating both covered and open, a full bar, custom lighting, a Bluetooth sound system, and Starlink connectivity for certain events. The natural choice for landmark occasions, corporate client evenings, and any gathering where the full circle needs to be on board together.
View The Skyline private event vessel for groups up to 30
For corporate hosts, a private charter represents something a dinner reservation rarely can: an environment entirely your own. No adjacent tables. No ambient interruptions. The ease that follows in conversation and rapport is something a restaurant reservation simply cannot replicate.
For those planning a proposal, an anniversary, or a milestone celebration, the experience offers something equally rare: the certainty that the evening will be exactly what you intended. Big Apple Charters has hosted over 100 proposals on New York Harbor, each handled with complete discretion.
Looking for something specific? Explore our bachelorette party charters, birthday celebrations, corporate events, and sunset cruises — or browse our photo gallery to see New York Harbor at its finest.
Availability is intentionally preserved to ensure every guest receives the full measure of the experience. The team is available to discuss your vision in confidence, confirm availability, and begin curating the details.
Reserve your charter at bigapplecharters.com/contact
All private charters depart from 59 Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. The M23 bus stops directly in front of Chelsea Piers, and the closest subway access is the A, C, and E lines. Paid on-site parking is available at Chelsea Piers.
Charter rates vary by vessel, time of day, and day of the week. The Manhattan Mermaid (up to 8 guests) runs $300–$400/hr. The Hudson Star (up to 12 guests) runs $500–$700/hr. The Skyline (up to 30 guests) runs $1,250–$1,500/hr, with a mandatory 20% service fee. See our pricing page for full details.
Daytime charters begin at a two-hour minimum. Sunset and evening experiences begin at three hours. Full-day options are available for extended private gatherings and beach escapes.
Absolutely. While many guests plan their evenings weeks or months in advance, the team regularly accommodates shorter-notice reservations. The recommendation is to begin the conversation as soon as the occasion presents itself, as availability is intentionally limited. Contact us to check current availability.
It is among the most intimate and considered settings New York offers: private, scenic, and unlike any conventional dinner reservation. For proposals specifically, the team can help coordinate every detail — flowers, keepsake banners, gifts, photographers, and the timing of the moment itself. Big Apple Charters has hosted over 100 proposals on New York Harbor.
Big Apple Charters only cancels a charter if the US Coast Guard issues a marine craft advisory or the captain determines that conditions are unsafe. Rain alone is not grounds for cancellation. Should an adjustment be needed, the team works with you directly on revised timing or an alternative date.
Big Apple Charters accommodates private gatherings for a wide range of occasions, from client entertainment and corporate events to milestone celebrations and bachelorette parties. The experience also serves as an exceptional curated gift for those who value something genuinely uncommon.
Speak with the team directly to discuss your vision, confirm availability, and begin curating the details. Reservations can be made by phone, email, or via the contact form at bigapplecharters.com. The team responds personally and promptly to every inquiry.
Smart casual is the right register for most charters. The single most important practical consideration is footwear: guests are asked to avoid high heels, leather soles, and black-soled shoes on board. A light layer is strongly recommended regardless of season, as the water runs approximately 7 degrees cooler than the city.
Yes. Big Apple Charters welcomes guests of all ages. New York State law requires children under 12 to wear US Coast Guard-approved life jackets while on board; the team provides these with advance notice. All vessels are USCG-licensed and fully insured.
Chelsea Piers sits at the western edge of the Meatpacking District, within a short walk of the High Line's southern entrance and the Hudson Yards neighborhood. The West Village is immediately to the south, with some of Manhattan's most celebrated restaurants and wine bars within easy reach. Browse our FAQ page for more practical information about boarding and what to expect.
Begin Your Voyage
We respond very quickly - but also feel free to text us at 212-401-4031
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