By Hellen Zaboulani
Usually it’s tourists who are eager for a chance to sail along the Hudson River, enjoying views of the city with the gentle summer breeze. With the pandemic still looming and travel still limited, leisure companies like Classic Harbor Lines should be in trouble. But local residents have been keeping the company afloat, happy to take advantage of a nearby, safe summer attraction.
Classic Harbor Lines, which offers private yacht charters and ticketed cruises, always had a strategy of marketing not just to tourists but also local residents. They are thankful for it now. “We always did well locally,” said general manager Sarah Pennington, adding that “10011 has always been our number one ZIP code.”
As reported by Crain’s NY, when the boats reopened to passengers last summer and then again this past spring, New Yorkers hopped on board for an outdoor adventure. They were willing to pay full price or even a premium to book smaller groups, which would allow them to socially distance from others. By the middle of this summer, revenue for the firm’s New York City boats was just 10% off from what it had been in 2019, as per Scarano Boat Builders, the owner of Classic Harbor Lines. While capacity is down, prices are up, leveling revenues. In Q2 of 2019, the average ticket price for both private events and cruises was $86, and the boats carried some 28,000 passengers. By contrast, in Q2 of 2021, the average ticket price was $112, with a total of just 18,000 passengers. Pennington no longer offloads tickets at discount rates. “I think I’ll be paying a lot more attention to price and pricing structure in the future,” Pennington said.
The recovery is doubtlessly thanks to regular local customers, who book often, as well as small private parties such as anniversaries and weddings. “We are small and outdoorsy, and the venue speaks well to small personal parties,” said Pennington.
The company has also shifted its means of advertising. It has halted all print advertisements, in favor of social media. “We are all in on influencers,” added Pennington. She says social media stars take compensated trips, posting pictures and content, and resell tickets for a commission.
As per Crain’s, in 1998, Scarano had only offered two-hour sail rides on the Hudson. Pennington had started as a skipper, and by 2002 she was promoted to manager. By 2007, Pennington had successfully transformed the company into the public cruise and boating firm, expanding to add more vessels, including a motorized yacht.
