I'm not going to be able to remember every aspect of the trip, but here's what comes to mind. The boats are docked near "Hell's Kitchen" (one of the more notorious sections of Manhattan, but it wasn't bad really), just beside the "Intrepid Air-Sea-Space Museum". The Intrepid is apparently the only U.S. aircraft carrier on public display in the U.S. The Intrepid dates from world war II, and did wok in Korea and Vietnam. In addition, it functions as a recovery ship during the U.S. Apollo space program. It even has one of the recovered modules on display. In addition, there are a number (>30) of war-planes and hellicopters. While there are a couple of MIGs (dating from Vietnam I beleive), the highlight of the aircraft has to be a SR-71 Blackbird spy plane (actually, I think it's actually a model earlier than that, but I always associate that plane with the SR-71). This plane is basically two engines, a cockpit, and room for spy equipment. It's main purpose was to fly over Soviet airspace undetected and spy on the commies. Did rather well, but at least one was shot down, and the Soviets paraded the pilot (Gary Powers is his name I believe) in front of the worlds media. Interesting to see it up close.
The Intrepid is on display with a destroyer (I believe) and a nuclear-era submarine. I beleive the thing was nuclear powered, but I *do* know that it was deployed with nuclear equipped missles (predecessors to the modern cruise missle). One of these missles is mounted on top of the submarine. It actually looks like a drone, very big and clumsy, not how I envision modern cruise missles (on the other hand, I've never seen a modern cruise missle, so who am I to compare? You can go in all three ships and it's a good trip, even if you are just superficially interested in this sort of thing.
Anyhow, you get on the tour boat (remember, we started talking about it), and sit on some rather uncomfortable wooded chairs. Good for one hour, and can be lived with for two, but three hours tends to wear at one. Head downtown along the river. Told some interesting stories about the docks (mostly empty and unused now, but the dock where the Titanic was supposed to dock, whcih is also the one where the Lucitania left from, are pointed out to you. The narrator points out various buildings of interest, giving a bit of history e.g. the race to build the tallest building in New York back around the time they were building the Empire State Building. Interesting stories. He points out a garbage skow, and mentions taht there are only two man-made artifacts visible to the astronauts on the Space Shuttle - the great wall of china, and the New York City garbage dump island. There are plans to take this latter and turn it into an park (add large amounts of top soil and work).
At the end of the island, we finally got to see the Statue of Liberty. Although she looked small from the Empire State Building, she is huge from up close. The boat circles so that people on both sides of the boat can see her and Ellis Island. Ellis Island is much bigger than I thought - it's a museum now. The guide tells us a story about how Pulitzer (he of the prize) conned New Yorkers into a) paying for the base upon which the Statue of Liberty sits, b) buying large numbers of his papers, and c) funding the Pulitzer prize. Cunning cuss he was.
You then go by the island which is the headquarters for the Coast Guard. I can't remeber it's name, but the only way to get on or off it is by boat. The people who work on the island live on the island.
Moving along now, you check out some of Brooklyn, and get some history. Rather bleak looking place all told. Check out a number of bridges, including one which was moved from one part of the river and re-errected at another site. Gotta love re-cycling. Passed the United Nations building, but that's really underwhelming. Looks old, dirty, and boardering on decrepit. I realize that most buildings on Manhattan look dirty, no matter how elegant their interiors, but the UN building was a real let-down.
Passed by the mayor's residence - the only single family house on the island. Cruise by a number of hospitals and schools. The guide tells us that in a recent review of hospitals across the U.S., four of the top 10 hospitals are found on Manhattan. Cruise by the cloisters and Grant's tomb. Told how U.S. Grant came to be buried in New York, even though he wasn't born their, moved their only after being made an offer he couldn't refuse by Mark Twain, and only lived there a short while.
Finally, arrived back at the dock. A good tour, and I've skipped a lot here, but well worth the trouble, even if you don't care for the narration. There was a couple in front of us who obviusly didn't speak a word of English, but they were there just for the view...