5 New Year's Eve Celebrations in the USA to Book Before December

1.New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner Fireworks Harbor Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 37 reviews · from $552Our pick

Spend three hours aboard a climate-controlled New York harbor cruise with a reserved table, chef-prepared buffet, open bar, live DJ, and sparkling wine toast for those 21 and older. You’ll pass landmarks from the Statue of Liberty to the Brooklyn Bridge, then watch New Year’s Eve fireworks from the water, weather permitting.

“The decoration and the atmosphere were amazing. Everyone was super friendly, the food was good. The music could have included more new songs, unfortunately only oldies were played, which meant that the dance floor was getting a little emptier. But overall it was a great experience, although it could have gone on a little longer, 3 hours went by way too quickly.”

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2.Cornucopia Majesty New Year’s Eve Party Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 14 reviews · from $369

Spend five hours aboard the Cornucopia Majesty at Pier 81, with reserved seating, a dinner buffet, a four-hour open bar, live DJ music, dancing, party favors, and a midnight fireworks view when weather allows. You will see New York from the water, but this ticket does not include a live view of Times Square’s ball drop.

“Excellent organization, magnificent setting. Fantastic DJ. Efficient staff. Dinner with limited choice but good, there was also something for vegetarians. The only downside was that the women's bathroom was completely flooded and very slippery, and apart from a sign, nothing was done about it. A girl fell and hurt her wrist, and a waitress who was there didn't even offer to bring her some ice. Apart from that, everything was truly magnificent, with a wonderful New Year's Eve fireworks display.”

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3.New York Pier 15 New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 13 reviews · from $496

Spend New Year’s Eve aboard a City Cruises boat from Pier 15, with a buffet dinner, DJ, dancing, top-shelf drinks for ages 21 and over, views of Brooklyn Bridge and One World Trade Center, and a sparkling wine toast at midnight. The four-hour cruise ends where it begins, weather permitting.

“Slecht eten en drinken, onervaren personeel, tafeltjes stonden belachelijk dicht bij elkaar waardoor je nauwelijks kon bewegen. Prijs kwaliteit verhouding helemaal scheef! Voor 400 dollars pp mag je echt meer kwaliteit krijgen!”

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4.New Year’s Eve Drinks, History and Ball Drop Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 11 reviews · 8 hours · from $350

Start at Grand Central with a guide-led Prohibition story, then visit three historic bars and speakeasies. Enjoy included drinks at the first two stops and a four-hour open bar from 8 PM to midnight. The final venue offers an exclusive 54th Street viewing area, though the ball is about 12 blocks away.

“I want to be as fair as possible. The staff were amazing, and the drinks package was great, as were the bars they took us to. A fair bit of walking, but doable. The thing that I was most dissatisfied with was the distance we were from Times Square. My fault for not investigating this thoroughly before I booked it. We were way too far away, in my opinion. If I had known this, I would not have booked it. I honestly thought we would be in Times Square, so when midnight arrived, I was very disappointed.”

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5.Chicago New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 11 reviews · from $273Best value

Spend New Year’s Eve aboard a City Cruises vessel departing from Navy Pier at 9:30 p.m. You’ll get a freshly prepared buffet, live DJ music, indoor and outdoor viewing areas, Lake Michigan views, fireworks if weather allows, and a Champagne toast at midnight. Smart casual dress is required, and the cruise returns to its starting point.

“Horrible check-in instructing and meeting point. Security was awful, but the servers and everything were fine. The issue was to get into a bout”

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