GTJ

I think that your question is not so much whether you want to go on an Alaska cruise, as much as it is whether you want to go to Alaska at all. Do you have much experience in traveling the world, other than the several Caribbean islands to which Florida cruise itineraries? My suspicion--based in part on never having seen snow--is not much. And that is really an issue because, unlike Florida where the vessel itself can be a big part of the Caribbean cruise experience, Alaska cruises are about the place rather than the vessel. And weather that is other than always warm and sunny is part of being in this region of the world. I detect some hesitation about visiting the places, and so to spend a substantial sum for an Alaska cruise, without knowing if you actually like traveling to distinct places is quite a risk. Perhaps a less expensive autumn or winter weekend trip to New England might present a useful gauge. Then judge. You should really know if you like visiting places that are different, and I would not want to talk you into going to Alaska otherwise, possibly having you suffer for a week or two being cold and miserable.

For those persons who will be sightseeing in New York City before or after their cruise, the New York Transit Museum will be sponsoring four weekend nostalgia subway excursions, utilizing museum cars from the 1930s to transport passengers over scenic routes to each of four destinations, and return. I have participated in past excursion rides, and have found it to be a rare treat to ride these old cars. Doing so would be distinct and memorable of a day in New York City that few other visitors get to experience. July 8, 2023 - Beach Bound, Coney Island August 13, 2023 - To the Rockaways by Rail October 7, 2023 - An Afternoon Ride to Green-Wood Cemetery November 4, 2023 - Redbird Anniversary Ride on the 7 Line Tickets for the July and August excursions go on sale starting June 16, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.; October and November excursions go on sale in August. http://www.nytransitmuseum.org/program/nostalgia-ride-coney-island-2 http://www.nytransitmuseum.org/program/nostalgia-ride-rockaways-2

You may also want to consider using Access-A-Ride for transportation while in New York City. The cost is $2.75 per person for each one-way trip. You will need certification as being both (1) disabled, and (2) unable to utilize conventional public transportation. You can get certification from the city or town where you presently reside, then use that certification for travel within New York City. Note that Access-A-Ride travel is available for any trip purpose, and will transport a person with a disability, a personal care attendant (no charge), and a guest . . . additional persons will need to use other transportation, such as subway, bus, or taxi. Visit the Access-A-Ride website for more details. http://new.mta.info/accessibility/access-a-ride That website reads, in relevant part: Visitors' information MTA New York City Transit welcomes the opportunity to provide AAR Paratransit service to eligible visitors to New York City. In advance of your visit to our city, please contact AAR’s Eligibility Unit [http://new.mta.info/accessibility/paratransit/welcome-to-access-a-ride-paratransit-service] and agents will guide you on how to submit a copy of your Paratransit ID card (front and back) or other equivalent Paratransit eligibility documentation issued by the city or town in which you reside. If you don't have these documents, you must submit proof of residency outside New York City and proof of disability. A legible, dated letter noting your disability and signed by a doctor or rehabilitation professional is acceptable proof. In addition, we need the following information: Name, birth date, and home address as well as telephone, cell phone and business telephone number/s Your address and telephone number in New York City (including cross streets) Emergency contact (name and telephone numbers) in New York City Whether you will travel with a Personal Care Attendant (PCA), a guest, or both If you use a service animal If you use a cane, walker, crutches, wheelchair, scooter or other equipment If you need the driver to call out your name when the vehicle arrives, because of a visual impairment If you need information in large print, Braille or recorded format

There are many ferry routes that cross between New Jersey and New York, but not every pair of New Jersey port and New York port is connected with a ferry route. Moreover, some ferry routes operate seven days per week, while others operate only during rush hour. Finally, it should be noted that there are three different ferry companies providing these services. Following is a comprehensive list of current ferry services, organized by the port in New York served, so that one can ascertain the potential New Jersey ports from which one might seek to sail. NY Waterway: www.nywaterway.com Hornblower: www.libertylandingcityferry.com Seastreak: www.seastreak.com NYC Ferry: www.ferry.nyc Notes: For the Manhattan Cruise Terminal—Choose a ferry destined for Pier 79, located at West 39th Street on the west side of midtown Manhattan; then walk to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, either Pier 88 or Pier 90 at West 48th Street or West 50th Street, respectively. For the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal—Choose a ferry destined for Pier 11, located at Wall Street on the east side of lower Manhattan; then connect to the NYC Ferry destined for South Brooklyn and disembark at Red Hook, which is immediately adjacent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The Battery Park City ferry terminal is on the west side of lower Manhattan. One can walk from the Battery Park City ferry terminal to Pier 11 in about 25 minutes, the journey itself being 1.2 miles in distance. There is also a free bus, sponsored by the Downtown Alliance business improvement district, that connects the Battery Park City ferry terminal with Pier 11 (not directly, but very close to each ferry terminal). http://www.downtownny.com/about-us/services/downtown-connection-bus To Pier 79 - West 39th Street From Edgewater, N.J. - Edgewater ferry landing: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Weehawken, N.J. - Port Imperial: NY Waterway, all times From Weehawken, N.J. - Lincoln Harbor: NY Waterway, all times From Hoboken, N.J. - 14th Street: NY Waterway, all times From Hoboken, N.J. - NJ Transit Terminal: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Jersey City, N.J. - Paulus Hook: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Belford, N.J. - Ferry terminal: Seastreak, rush hours only To Pier 11 - Wall Street From Weehawken, N.J. - Port Imperial: NY Waterway: rush hours only From Hoboken, N.J. - 14th Street: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Hoboken, N.J. - NJ Transit Terminal: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Jersey City, N.J. - Paulus Hook: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Jersey City, N.J. - Liberty Harbor Marin Blvd.: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Belford, N.J. - Ferry terminal: Seastreak, rush hours only From Atlantic Highlands, N.J. - Ferry terminal: Seastreak, rush hours only From Highlands, N.J. - Ferry terminal: Seastreak, all times To Battery Park City ferry terminal From Weehawken, N.J. - Port Imperial: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Hoboken, N.J. - 14th Street: NY Waterway, rush hours only From Hoboken, N.J. - NJ Transit Terminal: NY Waterway, all times From Jersey City, N.J. - Paulus Hook: NY Waterway, all times From Jersey City, N.J. - Warren Street: Hornblower, all day weekdays, no weekends From Jersey City, J.J. - Liberty Landing: Hornblower, all day weekdays, no weekends From Belford, N.J. - Ferry terminal: Seastreak, rush hours only

To the very good response by martincath, I would add only a few notes. No one will provide a binding answer, not even immigration officials. There are varying degrees of discretion and inconsistency, as well as individual traveler variables, such that no administrative will give definitive answers. Sometimes immigration officials do not even adhere to the law: no person is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. You will likely get good advice from immigration officials, but what one person tell you may not be adhered to by someone else. The immigration official at the border might harbor discriminatory intent, or might simply not like a person's attitude, or simply deny admission for completely arbitrary or baseless reason. I recall a friend of mine being denied entry to Canada and removed back to the United States, simply and solely because he asked the immigration to stamp his passport. As a result of no one taking responsibility, the burden is completely on the traveler. Adding to these difficulties is that carriers themselves screen passengers for documents when accepting them on international journeys. Sometime carriers are legally obligated to do so, and in other cases the carriers choose to do so in order to minimize their liability exposure in having to return passengers not admissible to one or more of the countries to which the carrier would be providing transportation. In screening passengers, some carriers make mistakes. Carriers will refuse to transport certain passengers, even if those passengers would be admissible, because the carrier mistakenly believes that such passengers would not be admitted by immigration officials. It is never completely certain that one will be admissible. Best is to do as much as possible to be admissible. If at all possible, have a passport and don't rely on non-passport bases for admission. Be certain that the passport is valid for at least 6 months (preferably one year) beyond the date of anticipated exit from the country to be visited. Don't have any entry stamps for Israel or other controversial countries in your passport. Get a visa, even if one might not technically be required. At the border, answer questions succinctly without long explanations or elaboration. Don't volunteer information or make light of anthing. Keep possessions out of sight in closed and opaque containers. Do not be under the influence of anything. Avoid giving any basis for being refused admission.

There is much to been seen and do in New York City, so it is easy to get "too much" planned for a given amount of time. (Solution? Come back often!) The HoHo bus service does directly connect sights, but it just does not come often enough to constitute a good form of transportation. It is best used as a sightseeing route, perhaps alighting at a very limited number of locations, but it does not really do very well if you're looking for transportation alone. Our regular buses and subways do that point-to-point transportation more quickly, more regularly, and more inexpensively. In that regard, it can be best to use the subway between midtown and lower Manhattan. But if you're looking for something more leisurely, if walking much is an issue, then using the HoHo bus as a sightseeing loop could be best.

You have the correct location. You are also correct that some taxi drivers are not familiar with its location. However, all taxi drivers are required to have an atlas, and if need be you can insist that the driver review the atlas prior to setting out on the trip . . . you are not supposed to pay for the driver figuring out the route, either through study of the atlas or by driving around aimlessly looking for the cruise terminal. Some divers use GPS systems, including virtually all TNC vehicle (e.g., Uber) drivers. It is not entirely clear if you want to "see" these sights from a moving bus, or if you actually want to actually visit these sites. Many of the sights you enumerate are in heart of midtown Manhattan, and are readily accessible on foot. That said, lots of walking in midtown can be tiring for some people, and so a bus that travels past the sights can be a bit of a relief. But these tourist buses do not operate frequently enough, and have limited seating, so the idea of continually getting on and off the bus, for realtively short distances, is likely more idealistic and theoretical than practicable. Staying on the bus for a complete loop could give you an opportunity to see the sights, and to hear some commentary, and for those particular sights where you have an interest you might be better off later visiting them on foot or using local public transportation. To be more certain: all of the sights up through the Chrysler Building are in midtown and relatively close to one another. Brooklyn Bridge through St. Paul's Church are in lower Manhattan, and relatively close to one another. Midtown and lower Manhattan are distant from each other. Pier 83, used by Circle Line, does not have much there other than being a departure point for a circle Manhattan cruise, and it is unlikely that you would want to interrupt any bus tours with an extended cruise . . . you might want to do the cruise on a separate day, or at least as a separate activity from the tour bus ride. Central Park is separate and apart, and is a large park in and of itself. It would be best to plan out what you would want to see in Central Park, and then plan a reasonably efficient walking path to use (or possibly use public transportation along the exterior of the park if the places are distant . . . or even take an expensive carriage ride to just see a few sight therein).

Keep in mind that Dial 7 does not own any vehicles, does not employ any drivers, and does not provide any transportation. It is a base: it arranges for transportation that is provided by others. More information is provided at the TLC website: http://www.nyc.gov/site/tlc/businesses/for-hire-vehicle-bases.page.

Yes, of course taxis and other hired cars could be used as an option. Taxis will not drop you off at the ferry itself, as it is located within Battery Park: you will still need to walk within Battery Park. Hopefully NYC Ferry will use the 350-passenger vessels that day so that the likelihood of any individual ferry trips being overwhelmed will be minimized (imagine, too, if that were the case, likelihood of taxis and other hired cars also being overwhelmed by cruise vessel passengers!). I cannot advise as to the necessity of advanced tickets to visit Liberty Island. I was last at the island many years ago, and never reserved tickets, but procedures have since changed. I will note that your vessel will be in port mid-week, and therefore I would expect tourist visits to be lighter compared to weekends, but this is speculation on my part.

While it is very good advice to not be tricked by third party providers, the website www.statueofliberty.org is, in fact, a third party. It is the website for The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation created to head a private sector effort to raise funds for the restoration and preservation of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for their respective centennials. The foundation does NOT provide any transportation. The entity that does provide transportation to and from Liberty Island, and the sole concessionaire for doing so, is Statue Cruises, LLC. In turn, Statue Cruises, LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hornblower Cruises and Events, LLC, the latter company also being the parent company to HNY Ferry, LLC, and HNY Ferry II, LLC, both of operate the NYC Ferry service (including the ferry to and from Red Hook). Hornblower does business using several brand names, mostly widely as City Experiences, and the Statue Cruises, LLC, service as Statue City Cruises. At the end, the correct website to purchase tickets directly from the operator of the service--the "official" site, so to speak, is that of City Experiences. That is the website I provided in an earlier post here, i.e., http://www.cityexperiences.com/new-york/city-cruises/statue, or alternatively to www.statuecitycruises.com, which will then forward to the foregoing City Experiences website. Do not bother going to the www.statueofliberty.org website. You cannot buy ferry tickets from the third party foundation. There is interesting information at that website, but it is a website for donating money for the purpose of continued restoration and preservation the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and related charitable purposes. Go to the City Experiences to buy ferry tickets.

The one concern that I do have is that there is the possibility that the ferry could be overwhelmed. Ordinarily, Brooklyn is an embarkation and disembarkation port, where only a minority of vessel passengers utilize the ferry. Here, however, as an intermediate port of call, a much greater proportion of cruise vessel passengers might seek to use the ferry, for the same reason you: touring on their own. Some numbers might be helpful. The Caribbean Princess carries 3,142 passengers and 1,200 crew. Most ferry vessels carry 150 passengers, but a few carry 350 passengers. The ferry serving Red Hook generally operates every 50-65 minutes. Alternative public transportation is available but not as attractive. About four blocks inland from the port, on Van Brunt Street, the B61 bus operates into downtown Brooklyn. From the last stop on the bus route, walk 1-1/2 blocks north to Jay Street-MetroTech subway station, and travel on the "R" train two stops to Whitehall Street station . . . that is where Battery Park is located. Bus and subway maps are here: http://new.mta.info/maps Credit cards can be used on the bus and subway. It is not as easy as the ferry, and it does take a bit longer as well (about 45 minutes), though slightly less expensive. But it is an alternative if the ferry gets filled with other cruise vessel passengers, either going or returning, and you don't want to wait for the next ferry departure.

Most often Princess Cruises vessels call at Brooklyn, not Manhattan. Here, I assume that you're on the July 22, 2023, sailing of the Caribbean Princess, from Fort Lauderdale to Québec, which is scheduled to call at Brooklyn on July 26, 2023. Refer to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal timetable here: http://www.nycruise.com/brooklyn-terminal/schedule-bct Vessels that travel to Liberty Island depart from both the Battery, in Manhattan, and Liberty State Park, in Jersey City. It is substantially easier to travel from Brooklyn to the Battery than to Liberty State Park. To do so, board a NYC Ferry from the Red Hook landing, immediately adjacent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and travel to Pier 11. You can find the ferry schedule here: http://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules Upon arrival at Pier 11, leave the pier and immediately turn left to walk alongside the water. Walk past the Battery Maritime Building and the Staten Island ferry terminal, and into Battery Park. Continue walking into the park and you will soon find the Liberty Island ferry ticket office and departure area. http://www.cityexperiences.com/new-york/city-cruises/statue In total, it is about three-fourths of a mile, and will take about 15 minutes to walk.

Either Pier 88 or Pier 90. I am not certain if one is used more regularly than the other, but it does not ordinarily make much of a difference for passengers embarking or disembarking.

To or from LaGuardia, you can know the distance component of the fare with reasonable accuracy (at least if you make certain that the driver does not use the "Tappan Zee shortcut" between Manhattan and the airport). It is the time component of the fare that is very difficult to predict accurately, if at all. It is one of the reasons why I have never liked the time component of the fare. For local trips within Manhattan, if traffic gets to a standstill, you can simply stop the meter at any time and get out of the taxi, perhaps walking or using the subway the rest of the way. But on a trip to or from LaGuardia, if traffic is at a standstill on the BQE, you're just sitting in the back, not going anywhere, watching the meter tick, and unable to get out. That's where a fare not dependent on time can be beneficial (but does Uber do the same thing, in effect, with their "surge" pricing?!).

Mostly true. But it is not a mere technicality that a fare being regulated is not equivalent to a flat rate fare. "Regulated" means limited by governmental regulations. Many, if not most, municipalities do regulate taxi fares, and almost always the regulated fares are based on distance (usually fractions of a mile, but sometimes by zone). Sometimes flat fares are specified in the regulations, but that's the exception and not the rule. The benefit of a regulated fare is the assurance that it provides to passengers that the amount charged is reasonable (as determined by the government) without the fear that the taxi driver will use some predatory rate. In contrast to regulated rates, Uber fares are not regulated, and it employs so-called surge pricing that at least some people characterize as predatory. So while it is absolutely correct that taxi fares from LaGuardia Airport are not fixed at a certain price, the fares are regulated based on time and distance. I am wary of the characterizing the fare between JFK and Manhattan as being a "flat fare" because of all the various additional charges that might added on top. To wit: 50 cents MTA state surcharge, $1.00 improvement surcharge, $5.00 rush hour surcharge (only for trips during specified hours), $2.50 congestion surcharge (only for trips to, from, or through specified areas), plus $6.55 toll charge (only for trips using a tolled crossing) . . . these additional charges can add 20 percent to the total fare, without even considering the customary gratuity. Yes, the total fare does not vary as a function of travel time or distance, but it is not an unvarying "flat fare."

Restaurants in Flushing are predominantly Chinese--some of the best in the country--with lots of delivery choices.

A correction here: the PATH train departs from Greeley Square, at the intersection of 32nd Street and Sixth Avenue, one avenue east of the eastern end of Pennsylvania Station. If you go to Pennsylvania Station, you will not find the PATH train. The name of the PATH station is "33rd Street" (notwithstanding the fact that the station is between 32nd Street and nearly 30th Street). The most expensive part of a hired car service is the crossing between New York and New Jersey, so by traveling between the two states using the PATH train there can be a significant savings. One can also alight from the PATH train in Hoboken or Jersey City (Pavonia or Exchange Place) and transfer to a light rail train destined for Bayonne. It is an extra $2.25 per person, and when alighting from the light rail train in Bayonne (45th Street or 34th Street), a hired car to the port will cost about $10. It is an additional savings, though not nearly as much of a savings as the interstate (PATH) portion of the trip.

The city administrative rules actually contain an official definition for the term: "Shuttle bus.The term 'shuttle bus' means a bus operating entirely within the City of New York that does not charge a fee to its passengers" 34 RCNY § 4-01. It is administrative term used to classify certain types of bus service (think of the Downtown Connection bus service in lower Manhattan that is sponsored by the Downtown Alliance business improvement district). It is a term rarely used in ordinary conversation for this meaning. I rarely use the term "shuttle," and here in New York I think the same is true for most other people (other than in the context of the shuttle flights to Boston and Washington, and even there is really is not used anymore, as there no longer exist the shuttle flights as they used to operate). I think that some people might use the term because they don't want to say "bus," or maybe wanting to be more inclusive than just buses, but it is not always clear what is meant by the term. The term "shuttle" does not really mean anything specifically, but instead means what its speaker intends it to mean. Almost always there is a better word to describe what is meant with less ambiguity.

I live in Flushing, and am quite familiar with the area. The hotel is located in an industrial area, immediately adjacent to a large ConEd (public utility) facility and a view of a large transit bus garage. While Flushing, itself, is a vibrant commercial area, and College Point a bit less so, this hotel is actually in a more desolate area between Flushing and College Point, and has no restaurants or other substantial consumer commerce in the immediate area. There is a multiplex movie theatre less than a mile away, so you could have some evening entertainment there. For just a comfortable overnight stay, and no other expectations, it should be just fine. Ordinarily, when we go to a port for a cruise, we walk from from our home in Flushing to the subway, a reliable means of travel. The Fairfield Inn is distant from the subway, and it would not be particularly convenient. There is an express bus to Manhattan that leaves from the front of the movie theatre: it goes to 48th Street and Sixth Avenue reliably with about 40 minutes travel time.

Sort of. Avenue J is a local station. From what I remember in the late 1960s: During the week, the QJ would operate there, and run to 168th Street, Jamaica, via the Nassau Street subway in lower Manhattan; the QB operated during rush hours to 57th Street via the Manhattan Bridge and Broadway express tracks. The D train operated on the express tracks during the week, and would not stop at Avenue J; but nights and weekends, when the QJ was not operate, the D train operated on the local tracks, and stopped at Avenue J. Like the QB, the D would also go over the Manhattan Bridge, but would then switch over to the IND, using the Chrystie Street connection and the Sixth Avenue express tracks to the Bronx. In 1973, the Jamaica and Myrtle Avenue services were swapped, and so instead of the QJ train we started having the M train at Avenue J (but the QB and D trains continued as before). In the early 1960s, immediately before the Chrystie Street connection opened, the express service was the Q train, and also did not stop at Avenue J; while the Nassau Street service was the QT. Now, of course, the Q train runs locally, stopping at Avenue J, and it is the B train that operates express. So my aunt would have just missed your friend teaching there! But she might have seen your parents' friends, from the back window, looking out over the train tracks. I still remember that view well. Alas, my grandmother later moved to Beverley Road, and no longer had the trains running in the back.

I prefer the flexibility of not having a prearrangement, and not having to search for one particular hired car. Others do like the perceived security of having all their transportation arranged in advance. Most municipalities regulate their taxi services, and so New York is not unusual in this respect. But it is a large and important industry, well used by many, so New York does have stronger taxi regulation than most municipalities. Yellow taxis are usually the least expensive type of hired car for most trips.

Aggressive for some, but doable. The Rockaway ferry operates hourly, and I am less concerned over timing than I am with too long of a queue for making the transfer at Pier 11. We've all taken the subway to Coney Island many times in the past, and so that's nothing new. The route I've laid out is largely new. This is my aunt who is visiting. She lived with my grandmother at 953 East 15th Street, just above Avenue J and backing up to the Brighton Beach train tracks (QB and QJ) throughout the mid-1960s. I don't know specifically if she attended Midwood H.S., but would have been in the class of 1966.

Fastest would be a hired car. Cheapest would be public transportation. "Best" depends how you balance fastest and cheapest, which are on opposite ends of a continuum. As to public transportation, there is none at the Bayonne cruise terminal. Absent an unpleasant walk, you'll need a hired car at least as far as a transit stop in Bayonne (about $10-15 for a short trip). There are light rail stations in Bayonne, at 34th Street and at 45th Street, that will take you to Jersey City or Hoboken for $2.25. Change at either location for a PATH subway train into Manhattan for $2.75. Alternative, go to John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Bayonne, where bus route 119 goes directly to midtown Manhattan for $6.00.

Earlier Mayor Adams had state that Thursday will be worse than Wednesday. I hope you're prediction will be accurate. We're having an out-of-town guest from Idaho this weekend, and I am hoping that we will actually be able to go around the city on Sunday. Our plan is: arrive via LIRR to Grand Central Terminal, walk uptown to Bloomingdale's, tram to Roosevelt Island, sightsee on foot and on red bus, NYC Ferry from Roosevelt Island to Pier 11, then onward to Rockaway Park, sightsee on beach and boardwalk, Q35 bus over Marine Parkway Bridge, visit old neighborhood (Midwood) and maybe Di Fara (or maybe a place I just heard about recently, Wheated (Flatbush), bus or subway to downtown Brooklyn, maybe Brooklyn Heights promenade above BQE, then either subway to Jamaica ("A" to East N.Y., then elevated "J" to Jamaica) and LIRR, or LIRR direct from Atlantic Terminal. A busy day, largely off the tourist circuit, but clear weather needed to make it worthwhile! It was eerie. Will there be an encore on Thursday?

What a terrible situation for you and all the others anticipating a departure from New York these next few days. If Sunday were to be as it was on Wednesday, then the statue might not be visible but for a shadow. Hopefully that will not be the case. But when arriving on Thursday do listen to the news to ascertain weather conditions and whether it will be safe or not to be outside.