Our Sightseeing Tour Guides

George Jay Wienbarg

George Jay Wienbarg brings a wealth of experience and a dynamic background to every tour he leads. With a multifaceted career spanning acting, modeling, and broadcasting, George is not just a tour guide; he's a storyteller with a rich tapestry of experiences to draw from.

An actor with an IMDb presence and a model who graced the iconic Crystal Pepsi commercial, George has always been in the limelight. His journey continued as a radio news director at WPIX, and as a reporter and anchor for renowned stations like WABC, WOR, and WNBC, covering major stories in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

George's illustrious broadcasting career began at KVWO AM & FM in Cheyenne, where he contributed to the station winning the Wyoming Station of the Year Award three consecutive times (1970, 1971, 1972). His success continued at KIMN in Denver, Colorado, where the station won the NAB Station of the Year Award in 1972. In 1973, while at WGCL in Cleveland, Ohio, George was nominated for the prestigious RTNDA News Director of the Year Award, and in 1972, he became the youngest major market radio news director in the USA.

In addition to his media career, George made headlines for acquiring the international trademark for the famous Hollywood Sign for his own clothing company, a venture featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, US Magazine, and more.

Since retiring from radio in 2004, George has dedicated himself to sharing his love for New York City with visitors from around the world. As a double-decker bus driver and tour guide for every major tour company, and at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, he has conducted thousands of in-depth, historical tours, making him a beloved figure in the industry.

Currently, George is channeling his passion for New York's vibrant history into writing a book on the East Village of the 1980s. His tours are not just informative but also infused with the personal anecdotes and insights only someone with his diverse background can provide.

Join George Jay Wienbarg on a journey through the world’s greatest city and discover New York like never before!

Chris Mason

Chris Mason was born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn with Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise blood running through his veins. As the son of infamous Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise guide John Mason, Chris had big shoes to fill when he started guiding tours in 1985.

Over the years, Chris has developed a unique perspective on what he feels makes NYC the greatest city on earth. He is proud to share his views with his passengers on his tours, and will often challenge them with trivia and statistic questions.

"Chris Mason, whose profound erudition and deep love for his city and for us - his passengers and pupils - made for an experience we will carry in our hearts for a long time to come." — harveyb381, TripAdvisor

David Parker

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, near the Pittsburgh Airport, David Parker came to New York in 1985 to earn an M.F.A. in Acting. After graduating and doing Summer Theater and later adjunct college teaching work, he found a summer job with the then concession contractor on our boats. As he was their top salesman, their manager arranged for David's audition to become a tour guide, where he was hired as a substitute guide. A promotion from Circle Line concessions to running the information booth on Liberty Island meant working both full time at the Statue of Liberty and subbing here as needed for three years. In one form or another he's officially been a Circle Line Guide since 1994.

In October 2001, Dave found one more reason to love Circle Line by meeting his true love while narrating one of his tours. Dave and Leslie married in December 2002 and currently live in Jersey City, NJ. David is an aviation and auto enthusiast, and auto racing fan. As a member of the NJ Diecast Car Club (NJDCC), he has a collection of thousands of die cast toy cars.

"David was our guide and this guy was amazing! He was clever, entertaining, with facts about what you were looking at, in any given moment, pouring from this guy like he was a walking encyclopedia!" — Bagpiper549, TripAdvisor

Andy Sydor

Born in Manhattan, raised in New Jersey, and now a resident of Queens, Andy has a BA in anthropology from Rutgers. With a deep understanding of the New York metropolitan area, he thought becoming a tour guide was the next logical step. After 17 years as a tour guide, Andy joined Circle Line in 2015.

When not speaking from a boat, Andy is singing to bars in Queens. A fixture on the Astoria music scene, you can find Andy singing and strumming at the Irish Whiskey Bar, Shillelagh or the Wild Goose in Woodside.

One of his enduring memories is from the 2003 Blackout, when, as a guide on a double decker bus, he helped the packed bus navigate the darkened streets of the City from lower Manhattan back to Midtown.

Andy loves to help people, and particularly likes using his role as a tour guide to help people make sense of the crazy experiment that is New York City.

"The tour guide Andy was by far one of the best tour guides we've had on any trip. He was worth the price of admission!" - Kara, 3/16/23

Tim Hollon

Year 2020 was to mark Tim Hollon’s fifty years as a licensed guide and tour manager. Tim, an academically trained historian (George Washington University and the University of Wisconsin) lucked into the only job for which nature suited him, story teller, what the Irish call a seanchai.

Middle school in Kansas, followed by high school in Illinois, grounded him firmly in the Heartland. Then came four years in Army Intelligence as a Russian specialist, the bulk of it in Europe on the front lines of the Cold War. Tim managed to travel extensively on the Continent and, along the way, roam centerfield for the U.S. Army’s 1969, All Europe Championship fast pitch softball team. Civilian Interludes included a stint at the Central Intelligence Agency as liaison officer to NSA during the Yom Kippur War.

Already voting age when first he came to Gotham City, Tim is still astonished that forty percent of his subsequent life has been living and working in New York. Who knew?

They say to know history, go there. Tim guided over two hundred tour groups to each of the following: Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Mount Vernon, Monticello, Yorktown, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Annapolis and Boston. In the several dozen categories would fall New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, Charleston, West Point, Vicksburg and Savannah. And that’s only stateside. His years in Europe linked with university studies made him a natural choice for adult and student groups headed for the British Isles and the Continent.

As to landmarks, Tim favors the lesser known. That spot on the Hoboken waterfront where a Carolina truck driver fuming over delays in loading his cargo came up with the idea that morphed into containerized shipping. Or the ruined chimney on the East River, the remains of a molasses plant utilized by a Brooklyn lad to produce enough penicillin to make it the “miracle” drug. When possible, he channels the departed in their own words. Everything Tim says about Ellis Island is taken from the actual experiences of those who passed through.

For two consecutive years, Congressman John McCain brought the brightest high school seniors from his district to spend the week in Washington studying government close up. Tim was chosen by McCain’s office to be their host/guide.

"Tim Hollan made a wonderful afternoon around the waters of New York so much more interesting with all the insightful views and historical relevances peppered in." — Jeff D, TripAdvisor

Alexis Moore Eytinge

In November 2013, Alexis went on her first guided tour: a chocolate tour in New York City. She immediately knew that tour guiding would be her new career. Her theater, sociology, and foodie background gave her an edge over the other candidates applying to work at a tour company in Portland, Oregon. She gave historical and neighborhood walking tours; beer, food, and chocolate tours; and wine and waterfall tours in Oregon for six years. Finally, she made her way back to her roots in New York City (her mother is a native New Yorker.) Alexis lives in Astoria, Queens.

Alexis loves boats and has never felt more at home than guiding for Circle Line. She believes guiding should be edu-tainment--engaging, informative, and humorous. She's produced a number of one-woman shows and today you can catch her show on Circle Line! If you find yourself on Alexis' tour, you may also get to hear her sing!

Alexis also has a life coaching business supporting young people transitioning to college and independent living. You can find her book 21 Strategies for Thriving at College on her website: www.TheConfidenceSociety.com