Going Coastal

When Olafur Eliasson’s NYC Waterfalls start roaring on the East River and New York Harbor this June, cruises like Circle Line will be bringing passengers so close to the spray they’ll need to stock ponchos on board. Sure, you could just look at the falls from any number of points on the shore, but tour boat companies are betting that plenty of people will gladly pay for the Man-Made of the Mist experience.

A press release from Circle Line notes that “in today’s travel climate, it is more important than ever to create a memorable experience that provides bragging rights to last a lifetime.” So for rich braggarts with $50,000 to throw around, the company will be offering a luxury “Gold Plate” package tour that includes:

• Champagne: Dom Perignon and Karl Lagerfeld’s vintage 1998 “A Bottle Named Desire.”
• Chocolate: Knipschildt’s La Madeline au Truffe, recognized by Forbes Magazine as the most expensive chocolate in the world.
• Diamonds: Tiffany Jazz™ Drop Earrings.
• Dinner for Two: Six-course meal from Chef Daniel Boulud’s Feast & Fêtes catering.
• Presidential Suite: A night in one of New York City’s most luxurious presidential suites.

The only thing missing is a diamond-encrusted poncho! And those on a fixed-income needn’t feel shut out – you can also slum it with Circle Line on a $10,000 budget cruise, which features none of the swag but does include a night in the Presidential Suite at Westin New York Times and dinner for two at Le Bernadin. (And yes, Circle Line will still be herding hoi polloi onto double digit tours as well.)
By John Del Signore

The Gothamist