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First Time Cruising on NLC from New York City


RaeRaeM4
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Hello,

 

Myself and my mother will be sailing on the NLC Dawn in November 2019 and it departs from NYC. We have cruised before but never from New York and my mother has some mobility issues so we are a little concerned and were wondering what would be the best option hotel-wise for one night before the cruise.

 

We will be flying to NYC from Canada the day before the cruise and some ideas we had were staying near either JFK, LaGuardia or Newark for the one night before the cruise and hopefully get a shuttle from the airport to the hotel, preferably in a hotel with free breakfast (although this isn't a huge must in our books) and then get a taxi or car service from the hotel to the cruise port the morning of the cruise. Also, we don't have a huge budget so I was hoping to get a fairly nice hotel (3 to 4 star rating) for under $200 a night.

 

We are complete newbies to the NYC area so any suggestions or opinions on some good places to stay would be greatly appreciated, taking into account my mother's mobility issues so we won't be looking to enjoy Times Square or any other attractions (unfortunately!) this time.

 

Thank you!

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What are the dates of your cruise? Where in Canada (it's a pretty big country:))?

 

The good news is that November can be favorable for hotel rates, as long as you're not talking Thanksgiving weekend. But, $200 is probably not going to get you much. You've got to price all three airports, including the cost of transportation to Manhattan, and consider hotels in Manhattan and Jersey if EWR works out to be the best total price package. As stated, your budget is probably low, although I have been very lucky at times during shoulder seasons in Midtown.

 

As previously stated, folks here don't normally recommend hotels by JFK. Hotels near LGA are a bit of a mixed bag. There are definitely good hotels in Jersey (not my area of expertise, but Carol has that down), but you have to count the expense of traveling into Manhattan, which will likely be $100 each way (assuming the mobility issues limit the use of public transportation from New Jersey). But, if the flights into Newark are $200+ less expensive than JFK or LGA, the hotels may well be less expensive, and that might still be the "better" deal. And, again, sometimes you just get a good deal on a Friday or Saturday night in Manhattan.

 

You've got time. You're way too early to book anything, but those would be my initial thoughts.

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What day of the week would you be sailing? Are you going to Bermuda or the Panama Canal?

 

Your mother's mobility issues are a concern with any of the NY Airports. Can she ride a shuttle bus or airport Airtrain with luggage to get to an airport shuttle pick up point?

 

My initial reaction is that the EWR hotels may be more reasonably priced so that booking a car service directly to the Manhattan Cruiseport could be a reasonable option. JFK hotels are out. LGA hotels could be an option.

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Im dealing with the same planning at the moment! Im with a group of people sailing from NY in DEC of 19. So far i've found the best hotel rates are in NJ just aross the hudson. An idea is to stay near a ferry terminal and take a short cab ride then ferry into manhattan. From there it looks like there are bus routes from ferry terminal to port. Also another option im exploring is Airbnb. But I just found out that they are illegal in the city so look in nj for those also if you do.

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Im dealing with the same planning at the moment! Im with a group of people sailing from NY in DEC of 19. So far i've found the best hotel rates are in NJ just aross the hudson. An idea is to stay near a ferry terminal and take a short cab ride then ferry into manhattan. From there it looks like there are bus routes from ferry terminal to port. Also another option im exploring is Airbnb. But I just found out that they are illegal in the city so look in nj for those also if you do.

Saw your other post. How are you arriving in New York? Are you just looking for a room for 1 night or several days to sightsee? What is your hotel budget? What exact date(s)? If you just need a room for one night chances are you can get 2 rooms in NJ for the cost of one room in NYC. There is lots of accessible public transit to get into NYC.

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Saw your other post. How are you arriving in New York? Are you just looking for a room for 1 night or several days to sightsee? What is your hotel budget? What exact date(s)? If you just need a room for one night chances are you can get 2 rooms in NJ for the cost of one room in NYC. There is lots of accessible public transit to get into NYC.

 

Hi, right now the plan is to arrive by Amtrak at Penn Station nyc. We only need 2 nights will arrive Saturday and Sail Monday. We are now looking in NJ, its much cheaper. Im not sure of transportation costs to get to manhattan other then I did see $9 for a ferry one way, and thats not terrible. I think a bus may be cheaper but more traffic.

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Hi, right now the plan is to arrive by Amtrak at Penn Station nyc. We only need 2 nights will arrive Saturday and Sail Monday. We are now looking in NJ, its much cheaper. Im not sure of transportation costs to get to manhattan other then I did see $9 for a ferry one way, and thats not terrible. I think a bus may be cheaper but more traffic.

I’m sure you know this, but if staying in NJ, you want newark penn station.

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I’m sure you know this, but if staying in NJ, you want newark penn station.

Absolutely!

Please provide your exact dates and the hotel(s) you are considering and why. Also the budget for your group. Planning NYC is about balancing time, money and stress. There's lots of public transit available, but some works a lot better than others. We can provide the pluses and minuses for your options.

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I’m sure you know this, but if staying in NJ, you want newark penn station.

I did not know that. I was just going by what Amtrak said when I looked up the trip! Im taking Amtrak from Erie, PA to NYC im not sure they offer a train to Newark station

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I did not know that. I was just going by what Amtrak said when I looked up the trip! Im taking Amtrak from Erie, PA to NYC im not sure they offer a train to Newark station

Ok - that's the Lake Shore Limited which does not go through Newark. That's not a big deal. Please post about your dates, hotels, budget etc.

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Here's some more info about NJ train/subway public transit.

NJ Transit including PATH map - http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/Rail_System_Map.pdf

PATH map - https://www.panynj.gov/path/maps-schedules.html

 

PATH is located one avenue east of NY Penn Station at 33rd & 6th. The fare is $2.75/pp and it runs 7x24. If you walk east on 32nd St, the elevator entrance is right near 32nd St on the west side of 6th Ave. PATH also goes to the World Trade Center from NJ, which takes you downtown to the 911 Memorial area and Statue of Liberty.

 

For your group of six I would CALL the Doubletree in Jersey City directly to see if they can accommodate you. They offer a junior suite with 2 doubles and a queen sofa bed. These kinds of rooms are hard to find. A weekend price for Dec 2018 is showing at about $200 plus tax. Hilton offers lower prices if you join Hilton Honors or if someone in your party is an AAA member or senior.

 

The Doubletree is 2 blocks from the Newport PATH station in a nice upscale urban neighborhood with restaurants, shops, services, and a boardwalk along the Hudson River with nice views of Manhattan.

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Hello,

 

Myself and my mother will be sailing on the NLC Dawn in November 2019 and it departs from NYC. We have cruised before but never from New York and my mother has some mobility issues so we are a little concerned and were wondering what would be the best option hotel-wise for one night before the cruise.

 

We will be flying to NYC from Canada the day before the cruise and some ideas we had were staying near either JFK, LaGuardia or Newark for the one night before the cruise and hopefully get a shuttle from the airport to the hotel, preferably in a hotel with free breakfast (although this isn't a huge must in our books) and then get a taxi or car service from the hotel to the cruise port the morning of the cruise. Also, we don't have a huge budget so I was hoping to get a fairly nice hotel (3 to 4 star rating) for under $200 a night.

 

We are complete newbies to the NYC area so any suggestions or opinions on some good places to stay would be greatly appreciated, taking into account my mother's mobility issues so we won't be looking to enjoy Times Square or any other attractions (unfortunately!) this time.

 

Thank you!

IF YOU CAN, try and fly into Newark. The hotels in NJ are about 1/2 of what you would pay in Manhattan, and the trip to Manhattan will be shorter and easier. Arriving at JFK or LaGuardia will be a pain as there are no decent hotels around there any NYer would recommend to another traveler.

Cheer

Len

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IF YOU CAN, try and fly into Newark. The hotels in NJ are about 1/2 of what you would pay in Manhattan, and the trip to Manhattan will be shorter and easier. Arriving at JFK or LaGuardia will be a pain as there are no decent hotels around there any NYer would recommend to another traveler.

Cheer

Len

Totally agree. The Newark airport hotels are still airport hotels and not vacation destinations, but they're still a huge improvement over the options at JFK and LGA. You should definitely be able to get a 3-4* hotel for under $200. Please post the exact date you would need a hotel.

 

For Marriott and Hilton properties you can get the best rates when bookings for your date become available. Your mother is probably a senior, so you can get a nice discount. Overall the Marriott and Hilton properties at EWR are just fine. Free breakfast is very nice, but is often offered by EWR hotels that have no other food service. This is a problem because the only nearby restaurants (if any) are in neighboring hotels. The exception to this are the hotels on International Blvd in Elizabeth where there is an IHOP and a Ruby Tuesdays near the hotels.

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Staying by the airports can be dicey. All with also increase your travel time to the port in the morning.

 

I'd stay in NYC. You can get a clean decent hotel in the Times Square area for under $200. 4 stars in NYC doesn't always mean what it means elsewhere. Your room maybe smaller than your cabin on the cruise.

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