The Polish training frigate Dar Młodzieży took part alongside vessels from across the globe.
The Sail 250 parade began in the morning and ran until afternoon.
The ships sailed from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge, passing the Statue of Liberty, lower Manhattan, One World Trade Center and Battery Park.
Ships take part in the Sail 250 parade as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day in New York City on Saturday. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
The event was expected to draw around 6 million residents and visitors along nearly 24km of waterfront in New York and New Jersey, according to organisers.
The parade featured 48 tall ships from 20 countries, escorted by US and allied naval vessels, along with an air display of more than 120 aircraft and helicopters led by the Blue Angels aerobatic team.
Dar Młodzieży is a three-masted training frigate belonging to the Gdynia Maritime University, which has used the ship to train future Polish merchant navy officers for more than four decades.
The vessel sailed to New York after taking part in earlier celebrations in Norfolk, Virginia.
It currently carries 120 students from the university's Navigation Faculty.
After New York, part of the crew will be replaced before the ship sails on to Boston.
US Vice President JD Vance oversaw the fleet review from the deck of the USS Kearsarge.
Also present were the acting US Navy secretary, Hung Cao, senior military commanders and foreign naval delegations.
Vance said America was marking 250 years of facing the future without fear, and that the country had spent a quarter of a millennium showing what a free nation can achieve.
He described the display of ships and aircraft as a very American way to mark the anniversary, and thanked President Donald Trump for reviving the tradition of international naval reviews.
Thousands of security personnel have been deployed, including the NYPD, coast guard, navy and federal agencies, with special security zones and restrictions on private boat traffic in the harbour.
Several foreign ships, including Dar Młodzieży, are expected to remain docked in New York for a few days after the parade, opening their decks to visitors.
(ał)
Source: PAP