World Yacht

What World Yacht does

World Yacht is a privately held, for-profit New York City charter vessel operator founded in 1984 that hosts weddings and corporate events on privately chartered boats. The company operates with 11–50 employees from New York and is positioned within the broader New York Cruise Lines (NYCL) portfolio of harbor-based marine brands, which also includes Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises (an 80-year heritage sightseeing brand operating from Pier 83 Midtown and Pier 16 Downtown), The Beast (a speedboat thrill ride), and New York Water Taxi (a commuter/hop-on-hop-off transit service). World Yacht's core product is private boat rentals and event charters, sold through the NYCL "Private Events & Charters" channel rather than as a scheduled, ticketed cruise; this positions it as the B2B/private-event counterpart to Circle Line's mass-market sightseeing business.

The company's underlying platform is a shared NYCL pier and vessel infrastructure that supports both high-volume consumer sightseeing and lower-volume, higher-ticket private events. The technology stack is conventional — a consumer-facing ticketing and marketing website (circleline.com), e-commerce booking flow, newsletter-based promotional capture (10% off coupon), and a Language & Translation mobile app — with no disclosed proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or data platform. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; tickets for related NYCL products are distributed through direct online sales, CityPASS partnerships, group and school channels, and on-site box offices, and World Yacht's charter pricing is presumed to be quote-based, consistent with private-event norms.

World Yacht's revenue model is event-driven and transactional: a per-charter fee, typically with F&B and customization add-ons, booked on a one-off basis for weddings and corporate functions. Customer acquisition is primarily inbound through the NYCL digital channels, group sales team, and tourism-distribution partners (CityPASS, Tripadvisor, hotel concierges). The business is geographically concentrated in New York City with seasonal demand patterns typical of NYC waterfront hospitality. No publicly disclosed pricing, revenue figures, customer concentration data, or ownership structure is available for World Yacht specifically.

Name

World Yacht

Legal name

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises

Website

https://worldyacht.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

World Yacht is a New York City charter vessel operator, founded in 1984, that hosts weddings and corporate events on private boats as part of the broader New York Cruise Lines portfolio alongside Circle Line and New York Water Taxi.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Charter Yacht Events

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Yacht & Luxury Boat Charters (With Crew) (THAJALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cruise Yacht Charters (Private Crewed) (THAEADAG), Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters) (THAJAJAB)

Keywords

• Luxury yacht charters
• Harbor event hosting
• Corporate cruise events
• Private wedding charters
• Charter vessel rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Core offering

World Yacht charters private vessels in New York Harbor to host weddings and corporate events. The offering includes full- or half-day vessel rental with on-board catering, event coordination, and customized itineraries around Manhattan's waterways for private celebrations and business gatherings.

Product overview

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises operates a platform of NYC harbor sightseeing cruises departing from two locations (Midtown Pier 83 and Downtown Pier 16). The core offerings include scheduled tour cruises (Full Island Tour, Half-Island Tour, Liberty cruises, Harbor Lights sunset cruise, Statue at Sunset) and event cruises (Oktoberfest themed cruises, Sip 'N Groove adults-only cruise). Additional offerings include Private Boat Rentals for charters and Groups & Schools tour packages. La Barca Cantina was a food and beverage sub-brand offering Mexican cuisine cruises but was permanently closed on October 13, 2024 after four years of operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Barca Cantina: A taco boat cruise offering Mexican food and margaritas on Circle Line vessels. This brand has been permanently closed as of October 13, 2024.

Products and services

• Private Yacht Wedding Charters Full or partial vessel charter in New York Harbor for wedding ceremonies and receptions, including on-board catering, beverage service, and event coordination. Designed for engaged couples and wedding planners seeking a waterfront NYC venue.
• Corporate Event Yacht Charters Vessel charter service for corporate events such as client entertainment, product launches, company celebrations, and team outings in New York Harbor. Targeted at corporate event planners and includes on-board coordination and catering.

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Beast NYC: NYCL sister brand running speedboat thrill rides and private charters in NYC. Comparable customer base (tourists, groups, private events) and shares pier infrastructure that World Yacht depends on.
• New York Water Taxi: Sister NYCL brand operating commuter and sightseeing water taxi service in NYC harbors, also offering private charter options. Shares the same waterfront footprint and corporate/private charter customer pool as World Yacht.
• Classic Harbor Line: NYC-based operator running private charters, weddings, and corporate events on classic-style vessels out of Chelsea Piers and other Manhattan piers. Direct competitor to World Yacht for premium private on-water events in the same harbor.
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises: Sister brand under the New York Cruise Lines umbrella, operating scheduled sightseeing cruises and private boat rentals from the same Pier 83 and Pier 16 footprint that World Yacht relies on. Shares infrastructure and target market for private charters.

Broad incumbents

• Spirit Cruises: Operates dining and party cruise vessels in multiple US markets including NYC, focused on lunch/dinner cruises, weddings, and private group events. Comparable in offering and customer base to World Yacht but at a broader geographic scale.
• Entertainment Cruises: Multi-city operator of dining cruises, charters, and private events across the US, including NYC via the Spirit and Boston Harbor Cruises brands. Comparable offering and customer type to World Yacht at national scale.
• Hornblower Cruises: National scale operator of dining cruises, sightseeing, and private event charters with presence in multiple US cities including New York. Overlaps directly with World Yacht in NYC private charter and corporate events but operates across a much wider portfolio.

Regional players

• Atlantis Cruises: Regional NYC operator running party boats, wedding charters, and corporate events from local piers. Closely comparable to World Yacht in event type and price point but operates only in the New York metro area.

Others

• Liberty Landing Marina: Jersey City marina adjacent to NYC waterfront offering wedding and private event facilities, often used as an alternative waterfront venue. Adjacent competitor in the NYC metro private-event venue market where World Yacht operates.

Emerging players

• Clipper City Tall Ship: NYC tall ship operator running harbor sails, private charters, and wedding/corporate events from Battery Park. Comparable niche offering and target audience to World Yacht's private event business but with a distinctive tall-ship product.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World Yacht