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Park and Cruise in New York City?

cruiselover87

By cruiselover87,
in East Coast Departures

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138east

138east

Posted
Posted

hutt90 - thanks for the details of your experience. I remember your postings, but I couldn't find them. I'm sure you are the person I was thinking of when I mentioned making a private arrangement at Hyatt Place.

 

I am going to type Hyattplace so I can find this again when the next person asks.

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bermuda8553

bermuda8553

Posted
Posted

Wow I'm reading all these posts on parking and its like, stay here, park, grab a cab, lug the luggage, worry if there's a storm and car will be towed. Come back from a great week and no car! I've cruised out of NY several times, and will be doing so again in December. I just drive from Boston to NY(4hrs tops), park right at the terminal, drop off luggage, and no worries. Safe, easy, and yes a little pricey, but hey, PEACE OF MIND. Don't want to be stressing out about weather my car will be towed or worst.

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138east

138east

Posted
Posted

bermuda8553 - you've got the right plan. Unfortunately, many folks decide to cruise out of the NY area and don't realize until later how expensive the hotels, cabs, and parking can be. They look for all sorts of ways to save money, which in NY means they will spend time and energy toting luggage. So far no one has complained about being towed and we hope to keep it that way.

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BlueHerons

BlueHerons

Posted
Posted
For us it is more a matter of not wanting to drive in the city,not about saving money.If we felt comfortable driving in the city,we would certainly park at the port and cost would not be an issue.

Laura

 

Personally I think it's a bigger PIA driving around New Jersey than driving in Manhattan.

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bermuda8553

bermuda8553

Posted
Posted

I've never cruied out of Brooklyn only Manhattan. Getting from Boston to Manhattan is not really that bad. I think the worst part of the ride in though CT. Once your by Hartford its not bad at all, and well worth the convience of just walking off the ship and to your car and your on your way. Brooklyn could be completely different. Good luck with whatever you choose.

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hateswaterloves2cruise

hateswaterloves2cruise

Posted
Posted

We've sailed out of NYC three times, and driven from CNY (near Syracuse). We have parked at the pier all 3 times. Yes it's expensive, especially when parking around here is so much cheaper, but I figure it as part of our vacation budget, set it aside and go. It's neat to see your car from the ship and you can be off the ship, load the car and be on the road in about 15 minutes. We find the GW Bridge a much easier drive than the tunnel. Did the tunnel the first time, received good info from NY'ers on the ship and returned by bridge. Have done the bridge ever since with no problem. Heading out again in January.:)

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Laurab23

Laurab23

Posted
Posted
We've sailed out of NYC three times, and driven from CNY (near Syracuse). We have parked at the pier all 3 times. Yes it's expensive, especially when parking around here is so much cheaper, but I figure it as part of our vacation budget, set it aside and go. It's neat to see your car from the ship and you can be off the ship, load the car and be on the road in about 15 minutes. We find the GW Bridge a much easier drive than the tunnel. Did the tunnel the first time, received good info from NY'ers on the ship and returned by bridge. Have done the bridge ever since with no problem. Heading out again in January.:)

 

Where from near Syracuse do you live? We are close to Ithaca,Interlaken to be exact.

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138east

138east

Posted
Posted
We are cruising out of Brooklyn.

 

Please do what you feel comfortable with. If you don't want to drive all the way to Brooklyn, don't do it. I think you have a good plan to stay at Hilton Gardens or Hampton Inn on Staten Island and take a cab/car service to the Brooklyn port.

 

Your driving in NJ will probably be all on I80 and the NJ Turnpike. My tip for the turnpike would be from I80 to follow the signs to the Lincoln Tunnel. This will take you on the original eastern spur of the turnpike -usually less trucks and traffic. Once you are on the eastern spur, don't get off at Exit 17 Lincoln Tunnel - just go through the toll plaza to get a ticket and continue on down to Exit 13 - Goethals Bridge I278. Follow the directions to the hotel. If this sounds confusing, look at a map.

 

I drive the NJ turnpike all the time and I have driven I278 through Brooklyn several times this past year. IMO there is no comparison between the two. The turnpike is two sections of 3 lanes each with clearly marked exits - exits are usually several miles apart and have good exit ramps. I278 in Brooklyn has a confusing intersection with the Belt Parkway, frequent exits (some are right lane only exits), and is a tightly engineered roadway. Be sure you have printed directions to the port just in case.

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Laurab23

Laurab23

Posted
Posted

138east-I think staying on Staten Island will work the best for us.We are in our 50's and my husband has had 2 heart attacks and I don't want him to have any additional stress driving.He is used to interstate but not city traffic.I have been to the port in Brooklyn before and the driver we had did get lost so I know how confusing it was and we don't want to deal with it.I will post again when we get closer to our cruise in May and if we don't change our minds about Staten Island may I give you my email address then so you could email me with these great directions to Staten Island.Thanks for all the advice.

Laura

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greatam

greatam

Posted
Posted
Please do what you feel comfortable with. If you don't want to drive all the way to Brooklyn, don't do it. I think you have a good plan to stay at Hilton Gardens or Hampton Inn on Staten Island and take a cab/car service to the Brooklyn port.

 

Your driving in NJ will probably be all on I80 and the NJ Turnpike. My tip for the turnpike would be from I80 to follow the signs to the Lincoln Tunnel. This will take you on the original eastern spur of the turnpike -usually less trucks and traffic. Once you are on the eastern spur, don't get off at Exit 17 Lincoln Tunnel - just go through the toll plaza to get a ticket and continue on down to Exit 13 - Goethals Bridge I278. Follow the directions to the hotel. If this sounds confusing, look at a map.

 

I drive the NJ turnpike all the time and I have driven I278 through Brooklyn several times this past year. IMO there is no comparison between the two. The turnpike is two sections of 3 lanes each with clearly marked exits - exits are usually several miles apart and have good exit ramps. I278 in Brooklyn has a confusing intersection with the Belt Parkway, frequent exits (some are right lane only exits), and is a tightly engineered roadway. Be sure you have printed directions to the port just in case.

 

No need to get any place close to the Belt. Cross the Verranzano, take the 6th exit after you come off the bridge (first exit is 17 after the bridge, get off at Exit 24 which is Hamilton). Follow the service rd (which runs parallel to 278) to the end, make a left and follow the route into the terminal. It is WELL marked off the BQE. And only about a mile from getting off the BQE to the terminal.

 

If Laurab23 has her own reasons for not driving to the terminal in Brooklyn, fine. But please don't make it sound like coming from Staten Island to the Brooklyn terminal via the BQE is difficult. Coming to the Brooklyn terminal from Manhattan, through the tunnels and Manhattan street traffic is difficult and confusing. Going I-80 to I-95 (either spur-they join north of 15E) to Exit 13, over two large toll bridges and get off at Hamilton is not.

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138east

138east

Posted
Posted

The OP is already hesitant about driving in NYC. I was comparing driving on the NJ turnpike to driving on I278 in Brooklyn - IMO they are different experiences. When we lived in Brooklyn I used to drive I278 all the time. This past year I have had the opportunity to renew my acquaintance with that roadway. I knew where I wanted to go and still did not like the experience - I didn't say it was difficult, just not nice. JMHO

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cruisin0504

cruisin0504

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We have never driven to or through Manhattan - but the earlier post that stated that after Hartford it is all easier makes me think that this is a possibility for us. We are sailing on the Saturday after Thanksgiving - would that make things more challenging as far as AM traffic? Are the directions really that easy - even for those of us that are "directionally impaired"? :rolleyes:

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cruisin0504

cruisin0504

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We are actually looking at different options. We probably will drive part way down the day before - and stay in the southern part of CT overnight. We like to be on the ship as early as possible, so our ETA for the terminal would probably be in the 10:30/11:00 AM range.

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mommyto2girls

mommyto2girls

Posted
Posted
Do you have the cars only parkway directions from CT to the GW Bridge? Merritt to Hutchinson River to Cross County to Saw Mill River to Henry Hudson? Then GW Bridge to NJ Turnpike to exit 14 A?

 

I thought they are cruising out of Manhattan?? you are sending them to NJ. Why is there all this talk about the NJ Turnpike?? and if I missed something I apologize but I thought this was a CT driver coming to Manhattan not NJ

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted

As I mentioned on another similar thread, it sometimes makes a lot of sense to simply get a one-way rental car and drop your car in NYC. When we take longer cruises it saves us lots of money and we do not have to be concerned with parking.

 

Hank

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