1st time in NY - Q's for the Experts!

[Fozzycat]

We've booked a cruise for April on Explorer of the Seas out of Cape Liberty. We (4 in total) are arriving 3 days before (via Newark) to see the sites, and have booked a hotel in NY on West 46th Street. None of us have ever been in NY, though have cruised out of Florida. I need all the help I can get...

 

1) Can anyone recommend the best way to get from Newark to our hotel? We arrive around 2pm on a Monday, if that makes a difference.

 

2) Any recommendations on what to do in NY? We are not renting a car.

 

3) Best way to get to Cape Liberty on Thursday from the hotel?

 

4) Our return flight leaves at 11:05am. We made it to the airport in Miami by 9am, so I thought this would be ok as well. Was I wrong? What would you recommend as the best option to the airport?

 

Thanks to anyone who can help.

[138east]

We've booked a cruise for April on Explorer of the Seas out of Cape Liberty. We (4 in total) are arriving 3 days before (via Newark) to see the sites, and have booked a hotel in NY on West 46th Street. None of us have ever been in NY, though have cruised out of Florida. I need all the help I can get...

 

1) Can anyone recommend the best way to get from Newark to our hotel? We arrive around 2pm on a Monday, if that makes a difference. Car Service

- $75-100

2) Any recommendations on what to do in NY? We are not renting a car.

Good - a car will be useless in NY

3) Best way to get to Cape Liberty on Thursday from the hotel?

Car Service - $75-$100

4) Our return flight leaves at 11:05am. We made it to the airport in Miami by 9am, so I thought this would be ok as well. Was I wrong? What would you recommend as the best option to the airport? You will probably need to self-disembark so you are off first. There will be transportation available to the airport on a per person basis, but you might want to consider a car service with 4 people - $45-$50. If the ship is on time and you get off the ship among the first people, you will make your flight. However, it is a really early flight.

 

Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

You will get lots of responses - for NY you must choose between time, money, and stress. There are less expensive ways to get from the airport to NY and NY to Bayonne, but they involve more time and stress - i.e luggage handling.

[shof515]

I think, it might be overall easier to get a hotel closer to the port. Leave all of the luggage in that hotel when you want to go out sightseeing and then take either a cab or use nj transit to enter the city.

 

Either way, getting a cab to go from the city to the port will be a bit expensive with tolls and going "out of state"

[smeyer418]

We've booked a cruise for April on Explorer of the Seas out of Cape Liberty. We (4 in total) are arriving 3 days before (via Newark) to see the sites, and have booked a hotel in NY on West 46th Street. None of us have ever been in NY, though have cruised out of Florida. I need all the help I can get...

 

1) Can anyone recommend the best way to get from Newark to our hotel? We arrive around 2pm on a Monday, if that makes a difference.

 

2) Any recommendations on what to do in NY? We are not renting a car.

 

3) Best way to get to Cape Liberty on Thursday from the hotel?

 

4) Our return flight leaves at 11:05am. We made it to the airport in Miami by 9am, so I thought this would be ok as well. Was I wrong? What would you recommend as the best option to the airport?

 

Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

1. Airport bus to NY's Port Authority bus Station and then a cab. The Bus runs every 15 minutes picks up in front of each of the terminals at EWR and costs $15 per person and then a cab for under $10(per cab). plus tip

cabs are plentiful and are relatively inexpensive. You can have someone help you take your luggage to the bus and then at the bus terminal from the bus to a cab. This is the least luggage handling you can do and then you are in NY City at your hotel.

 

2. public mass transit is a fast way to get around(the subway is fast and efficient.- try to stay off the subway during rush hour its very crowded)

there is a hop on hop off bus(that I hate) but most tourist try. there are museums parks shopping etc its more along what you like. look at the http://www.nycvisit.com site for ideas. To get a good view of the Statute of Liberty without going there take the free Staten Island ferry.

 

3. From your hotel to the Port Liberty cruise terminal make arrangements with a car service like http://www.carmellimo.com or any other car service. Arrangements through the hotel will cost you more and NY City yellow cabs are not required to take you and can charge anything they want and the going rate is about $100.00

 

4. You made this too early. they tell you not to do this before noon. If the ship docks at 8 they might not even start off loading until 9. there will be cabs lined up and its $40 to the airport plus tolls and tip. If you carry your own luggage off, its possible to catch a cab and be at the airport in 20 minutes...its not far.

[bobnatt]

There is so much to do in NYC it is hard to even start that discussion. However, if this is your first time to NYC, make sure you take in one or two shows on Broadway. If your hotel is on West 46th street you are within an easy walk of Broadway and the Theater District. If you can get tickets to Billy Elliot you will not be disappointed.

[Got2Cruise]

My .02 :) If you want the full NYC "experience" stay in Manhattan. You will be able to do more in your short stay. W. 46th is a good location to do touristy things, which property did you chose? I agree 11 am is too early for disembarkation. First off, your disembarkation might have issues with U.S. Customs or Immigration. Secondly, traffic could be a nightmare. Then factor in going through security at the airport.:eek:

[trish1c]

There is no way you will make an 11 am flight. That is a horribly congested area of the world.

 

I've never sailed out of bayonne but I have sailed out of NYC twice & we were late coming in both times.

 

Transportation is not plentiful at Cape Liberty & if there is a traffic tie up, which there is every day, you are toast.

 

Change your flight home.

[Guest maddycat]

These sites may be of help:

http://attractionguide.com/new_york/

http://www.menupages.com/

http://www.becconyc.com/

http://www.ncxtech.com/basilicarestaurant/

http://www.playbill.com/

http://www.theatermania.com/

http://www.broadwaybox.com/

http://www.mustseenewyork.com/maps/district-theaters-map.

 

[url=http://www.becconyc.com/][/url]

[njhorseman]

There is no way you will make an 11 am flight. That is a horribly congested area of the world.

 

I've never sailed out of bayonne but I have sailed out of NYC twice & we were late coming in both times.

 

Transportation is not plentiful at Cape Liberty & if there is a traffic tie up, which there is every day, you are toast.

 

Change your flight home.

 

 

While I agree that the flight is a bit on the early side, since you have never sailed out of Bayonne how can you say "There is no way you will make an 11 am flight" as well as "Transportation is not plentiful at Cape Liberty"? In fact they can make it...if there are no delays in the ship's arrival, disembarkation start, and customs and immigration, because the airport is only 20 minutes from the pier.

 

I would never book a flight that early...but it is not impossible to make it.

[globetrecker]

We've booked a cruise for April on Explorer of the Seas out of Cape Liberty. We (4 in total) are arriving 3 days before (via Newark) to see the sites, and have booked a hotel in NY on West 46th Street. None of us have ever been in NY, though have cruised out of Florida. I need all the help I can get...

 

1) Can anyone recommend the best way to get from Newark to our hotel? We arrive around 2pm on a Monday, if that makes a difference.

 

2) Any recommendations on what to do in NY? We are not renting a car.

 

3) Best way to get to Cape Liberty on Thursday from the hotel?

 

4) Our return flight leaves at 11:05am. We made it to the airport in Miami by 9am, so I thought this would be ok as well. Was I wrong? What would you recommend as the best option to the airport?

 

Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

I can answer the first two questions:

 

1) Take the NJ transit trains from Newark Airport into NY Penn Station. Which will be on 32 and 7th from there grab a cab to your hotel. It sounds kind of difficult but is actually pretty easy.

 

2) Everything in NYC is pretty accessible via public transportation and there is of course the Ho Ho buses. NY offers the best of everything sight-seeing, shopping, shows, sports, museums, take your pick.

[asylum575]

Airport to hotel- Taking NJ transit or a bus from the airport and a cab is the cheapest way, but if you're traveling with alot of luggage or kids, be mindful, you have to handle it all yourself. Same thing getting to the port. Cars will be $80-110 each way, but convenient.

Staying in NJ close to the port is an option, if there is a PATH train station nearby, you can hop it to the city and save some aggravation.

 

1100 flight is a crap shoot. You would think with such limited traffic at the Bayonne passenger terminal, it would go quick. Come on, it's not Miami with 4-6 cruises on come days. If you can take a later flight, I would. Check recent reviews at the port and get a feel for disembarkation times.

[BlueHerons]

I think, it might be overall easier to get a hotel closer to the port. Leave all of the luggage in that hotel when you want to go out sightseeing and then take either a cab or use nj transit to enter the city.

 

Either way, getting a cab to go from the city to the port will be a bit expensive with tolls and going "out of state"

 

It makes no sense for newbies to stay in another state if they want to sightsee in Manhattan.

 

They are coming to NYC three days before their cruise. They have never been to NYC, don't understand public transit, and have limited time to sightsee.

[Fozzycat]

Thanks to everyone for the information. We cruised out of Miami earlier this year and made a 10:30am flight with loads of time to spare. Unfortunately we are travelling on airline points and the 11am was all I could get. I changed it to the following morning, just to be safe. Booked the Marriott at Elizabeth for that night as we don't want to venture back into NYC for a 6:25am flight and I can get the gov't rate.

 

Hoping to avoid too much confusion from the airport with luggage so I guess a cab it will be. Shared between 4 shouldn't be bad?? Booked the Comfort Inn Midtown based on good reviews from Trip Advisor. I'm hoping it is ok.

[mochuck]

we saw this on Broadway on our recent trip and it was amazing

[Freckles8]

You may also want to check out a museum - to me, the three best for short-term visitors to the city are the Metropolitan (81st and 5th), Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (53rd between 5th & 6th), or the Museum of Natural History (79th & Central Park West). The Met isn't terribly accessible by Subway - you may be better off with a cab since the bus system IS a little complicated - but the other two museums are close to a number of Subway stops. Personally I think the Subway system is very easy to figure out, and you can always ask someone on the platform to double check that you're getting on the right train. We locals are used to that. :) Keep in mind that for security reasons most museums do NOT allow you to bring luggage in at all, even to check at the coat check. Backpacks and purses are fine (and will be searched) but suitcases aren't even allowed in the door.

 

And as far as making a plane on time, I would ALWAYS allow more time than you think you'd ever need. Transportation in New York never fails to be a nightmare, especially when you need to get somewhere fast!

[mochuck]

I am going to go back to NYC just to see the museums. We just had 4 days there and we filled it with seeing the sites (and just a smidge of shopping). It was our first time so we wanted to do all the touristy things.

[smeyer418]

I am going to go back to NYC just to see the museums. We just had 4 days there and we filled it with seeing the sites (and just a smidge of shopping). It was our first time so we wanted to do all the touristy things.

if you go to Macy's(herald Square-the world's largest store) and go to the courtesy desk on the Mezzanine and show an out of state(or country) ID they will give you a pass good for about 13% off most things including sale items....

[gbcruise]

I am going to go back to NYC just to see the museums. We just had 4 days there and we filled it with seeing the sites (and just a smidge of shopping). It was our first time so we wanted to do all the touristy things.

 

Will you please expand on what you did during the 4 days? We have three days in December and want to include musuems.

[billysive]

Hi Fozzy Cat

 

1. Newark to your Manhattan Hotel? CAR SERVICE - try http://www.dial7.com or Carmel - they are reliable and relatively inexpensive. Although I applaud all the comments about taking the train (it IS a great service) - I don't think it is the best option for you. The train costs $15/person - then when you arrive at Penn Station you will have to get a cab to your hotel (less than $10). But if you add it all up the car service will be about the same price, you won't have to schlep your luggage up and down stairs/escalators and you won't have to transfer to a cab in Manhattan.

 

2. Your hotel in Manhattan. If you have already budgeted the cost for staying in Manhattan - do NOT change to a hotel in New Jersey. There is nothing like walking around in NYC and not having to "commute" back and forth to NJ whenever you want to sightsee. With all due respect to the Jersey folks out there - if you want to see NY - stay in MANHATTAN! BTW - the Comfort Inn is fine and in a great location.

 

3. Hotel to the Pier? Again I think Car Service is the way to go. Because NYC taxis are not allowed to pick up new fares in NJ they charge a surcharge to take you there. For that reason Car Services are usually a bit cheaper than cabs to NJ.

 

4. Flight home? Just reread the posts and it looks like you "solved" that one.

 

Have a great time in NYC. You're gonna love it.

[138east]

gbcruise - to plan your three days in NY I would list all the things you want to do, prioritize them, and organize them by day and area of the city. I would also get the hours all your destinations are open. For example, the Met is open late Fridays and Saturdays, Moma is open late Fridays, and the Museum of Natural History is not open late. So if you are in NY on a Friday and/or Saturday, you can do museums in the evening. I know the Met has restaurants, so you can grab something to eat there. The Empire State is open until 2 am, so that's another possibility for the evening. Rockefeller Center will be decorated for Christmas in December, so that's another place to visit at night to see the lights. That leaves your days more open to fill up with other activities.

 

Don't worry about food in NY. There is food everywhere. If "dining" is not a priority, then just assume you can get something to eat along the way. Also, familiarize yourselves with the subway and bus system and download some maps. Most of your destinations will have web sites with directions, so print those out.

[Got2Cruise]

Another way to get use of your time is to plan your visit into "areas". You don't want to be trapising all over town, especially during christmas season.For example, The Met Museum of Art is on the Upper Eastside, and directly on Central Park. the Empire State Building is in the same area as Macy's. It is unbelievably crowded, and walking just a few blocks can take much longer than you can imagine. Also, Hopstop.com will give you detailed directions, including walking how to get from place to place.

 

gbcruise - to plan your three days in NY I would list all the things you want to do, prioritize them, and organize them by day and area of the city. I would also get the hours all your destinations are open. For example, the Met is open late Fridays and Saturdays, Moma is open late Fridays, and the Museum of Natural History is not open late. So if you are in NY on a Friday and/or Saturday, you can do museums in the evening. I know the Met has restaurants, so you can grab something to eat there. The Empire State is open until 2 am, so that's another possibility for the evening. Rockefeller Center will be decorated for Christmas in December, so that's another place to visit at night to see the lights. That leaves your days more open to fill up with other activities.

 

Don't worry about food in NY. There is food everywhere. If "dining" is not a priority, then just assume you can get something to eat along the way. Also, familiarize yourselves with the subway and bus system and download some maps. Most of your destinations will have web sites with directions, so print those out.

[mamaofami]

Don't miss seeing the Christmas tree all lit up at Rockefeller Center and do watch the skaters on the ice. Order theater tickets in advance. You can order them on line.

I think you said you changed your flight home to the next day. That was good planning because you just can't count on a ship arriving on time and clearing customs on time, etc. and it would be way too much stress at the end of your cruise.

If you're staying on 46TH street, be sure to walk around the area and people watch. And, please don't forget the weorld's most famous toy store, F.A.O. Schwartz. It's a wonderland for adults. You walk in and will be mesmerized by the clock in the hall and all he wonderful toys.It's around 59Th street and 5Th avenue.

[Gingee]

If you like shopping, Century 21 (hope I have the right name) is fun if you like discounted name brands. It is right across the street from where the twin towers use to be and next to the little church that the rescurers stayed (now a memorial) in 2001.

 

You can go to Ellis Island.

 

We stay at Radio City Apartments. You walk less than a block and you are right at the heart of it all.

[mochuck]

if you go to Macy's(herald Square-the world's largest store) and go to the courtesy desk on the Mezzanine and show an out of state(or country) ID they will give you a pass good for about 13% off most things including sale items....

 

I know - I bought a Coach handbag there, and the saleswoman heard my accent and told me to go and get my dsicount card. I saved about $40 :D

[smeyer418]

I know - I bought a Coach handbag there, and the saleswoman heard my accent and told me to go and get my dsicount card. I saved about $40 :D

My mom worked in the credit department of Macy's....

There are some exceptions to the discount but not many....