POV: You’re Onboard Pete Davidson & Colin Jost’s Viral (& Hot) Ferry

There are two things you need to know about me: 1) I’m originally from Staten Island, and 2) I love iced tea. OK, maybe you don’t actually *need* to know those things, but they happen to be very relevant to this story. Because those two exact personality traits collided when I became one of the very first people to step onboard Pete Davidson and Colin Jost’s infamous ferry.

For the last four years, the fact that the Saturday Night Live stars casually dropped $280,000 on a massive, retired commuter boat has been the internet's favorite running joke. Aside from a brief stint as a high-fashion runway for Tommy Hilfiger in 2024, the ship has remained dormant, leading the public to wonder if the comedians had bought the world’s largest floating money pit.

But last night, the long-abandoned vessel finally turned into a real, live event space when Davidson and Jost opened the doors for a completely free, one-night-only stand-up showcase. Because the pop-up was officially presented by Snapple, the iconic John F. Kennedy Staten Island Ferry was fully rebranded for the night as the "Snapple Island Ferry" — complete with custom swag, a photo booth, and all the complimentary iced tea we could handle.

Walking onto the pier with the media and VIPs, I bypassed the line of ticket holders and get right to the action. While there were unfortunately no Scarlett Johansson sightings, the pure novelty of the venue made up for it. As I stepped into the unique setting, it became instantly clear that the legendary ship is still very much a work in progress — but that only added to the charm.

Welcome Aboard The Sauna

ICYWW, the boat hasn't quite undergone its full multi-million dollar glow-up yet. That means it has absolutely zero air conditioning. Instead, the main deck gave off the energy of a beautiful, chaotic DIY warehouse party floating on the water, where everyone was fanning themselves with whatever they could find and instantly bonding over the humidity.

But what the venue lacked in climate control, it more than made up for with its self-aware retro aesthetic. Wall-mounted red life preservers were stuffed with funny, custom Snapple "Real Facts" like “The words ‘Staten’ and ‘Snapple’ kinda sorta sound similar-ish,” while the crown jewel of the layout was a glowing "Snapple Island Ferry Comedy Show" neon marquee announcing the headliners. It was the perfect, Instagram-ready photo backdrop that made the entire night feel like an exclusive New York moment.

Free Tea & Limited-Edition Swag

Because Snapple was running the show, iced tea was the beverage of choice, with guests grabbing everything from classic glass bottles of lemon and peach to plenty of other fan-fave flavors. They also handed out traditional stadium concessions like soft pretzels to snack on. But the real star was the custom, themed cocktail menu:

• Snapple Island Iced Tea: "Named after everyone's favorite mistake in college,” according to its description, this was a mix of vodka, Schnapps, lemon juice, bitters, and Snapple Apple.
• Snapple Apple Manhattan: A delicious blend of bourbon, sweet vermouth, bitters, and Snapple Apple. "It's like a Manhattan, but with more rhyming."

The single line for the bar went all the way from the front to the back of the ship as everyone scrambled to clutch a cold drink in the stuffy environment. Would I have preferred a bottle of water at some point? Yes, but I didn't see any available. (You should've seen the way I downed three full glasses the second I walked through my front door.)

The merch stand was way more chill by comparison, making it easy to pop over and snag limited-edition “Snapple Island Ferry” gear. I walked away with a super cute trucker hat, but I secretly wanted the tote instead — especially since the event only allowed small bags. (I mean, how is a girl supposed to sneak multiple glass Snapples home in a nano-sized clear purse??) I even asked a group of four guys who had totes with absolutely nothing in them if they wanted to trade, but no one caved. Ugh.

The Main Event

Davidson and Jost kicked things off by walking out together as co-hosts, instantly setting a hilariously WTF tone by disclosing they’d both recently suffered concussions. (The bit was a lot funnier than its dark premise sounds, I promise.) Listening to the duo trade dizzy, self-deprecating barbs about their notorious "money pit" while standing on the actual deck of the boat was a top-tier pop-culture moment. They set the bar high for a stacked lineup of incredible stand-up sets, which included heavy hitters like The Daily Show’s Ronny Chieng, The Tonight Show regular Jay Jurden, and a surprise appearance by Impractical Jokers star (and fellow Staten Islander) Sal Vulcano.

As someone who was born and raised in “the forgotten borough,” listening to two of our biggest stars roast and celebrate our hometown on a retired ferry was everything. Davidson even took a moment to address the years of online gossip about his personal life, playfully yelling out to the crowd, "The amount of sh*t that people have talked... Suck it!"

The raw energy of the space ended up being the secret ingredient — it felt less like a stiff celeb event and more like the coolest neighborhood block party. I might not miss the actual morning commute, but walking off that ship, I’ve never felt more proud to be from the Island.