Hornblower Cruises (South Street Seaport), New York

Hornblower Cruises started in 1980, when founder and CEO Terry Macrae bought a charter yacht business. It's fleet? Two yachts. Since then, though, it has grown exponentially. Nowadays, it's big enough to staff nine ports, in spots from New York to Newport Beach, home of the company's most noteworthy boat, the M/V Wild Goose. The historic yacht was actor John Wayne's private vessel for years, before Hornblower bought it in 1995. At this point, it's a celebrity unto itself.

The company's captains helm that yacht, and many more, on myriad types of trips. One San Francisco ferry ride whisks passengers off to Alcatraz Island for tours of what was once Al Capone's jail. Other cruises slice through the waters on whale watching excursions. In New York, of course, there's a cruise to the Statue of Liberty, and at most locales, the company also hosts dinner cruises, a pleasant alternative to no-dinner-for-you cruises. Regardless of the luxury boats' destinations, though, they all have one thing in common—they impact the environment as little as possible. The company's award-winning Respect Our Planet Initiative means the team strives to use reclaimed and eco-friendly materials in new yachts, and draw on wind and solar energy when possible.