Cruising out of NY for the first time-Questions

[I Luv Crusin]

We live south of Washington DC and are thinking of taking a cruise out of NY next fall(2013). I am REALLY nervous about driving to and parking in New York City. I think we would be doing a Saturday cruise for a week.

 

If we drove up Saturday morning, which I know is probably not recommended, is traffic bad? We'd leave around 5am and it's around a 5 hour trip. How bad is traffic on a Saturday morning?

 

IF we drove up most of the way Friday, where would be a good place to stop?

 

Is taking a train into Penn Station a possibility? What is the cost of a taxi from Penn Station to the pier? (subject to change, I know)

 

thanks in advance!

[smeyer418]

traffic on a saturday morning is light. if you drive into dc at all, ny traffic is certainly no worse.

 

the cab ride to the manhattan cruise terminal from penn station is about ten dollars

[njhorseman]

I certainly concur that driving in NY is no worse than driving in DC.

 

If you take the Lincoln Tunnel from NJ to Manhattan you exit the tunnel only a very short drive from the cruise terminal.

 

If you want to stay overnight at someplace that's a relatively short drive from Manhattan, there are a number of decent hotels near exits 8 and 8A of the NJ Turnpike. If you stay in that area overnight you'll only be about an hour to an hour and a quarter from the port.

 

While you can certainly take Amtrak to NY Penn Station, I would be reluctant to do it the day of the cruise because if there's problem like a signal outage (and these things seem to happen more than they should) you might not make it to the port on time. If you can, take the train to NY the day before and stay overnight in Manhattan.

[janetz]

Also, driving to the cruise port, you do not go through the city at all. If that is one of your concerns. The cruise port is pretty easy to get to. :)

[I Luv Crusin]

Thank you all for the info. I get sweaty palms driving on 95 south of Washington DC. Fortunately for me, if we make the trip, my DH will drive but still.... It certainly would be cheaper to drive.

[Keith1010]

Why not just take the train up there.

 

Keith

[janetz]

Thank you all for the info. I get sweaty palms driving on 95 south of Washington DC. Fortunately for me, if we make the trip, my DH will drive but still.... It certainly would be cheaper to drive.

 

 

Dont forget the cost to park...35 daily...I believe :)

[Twickenham]

It certainly would be cheaper to drive.

 

Don't assume that. Do the math. Just taking a random date in September, I'm getting flights out of IAD for $130 return, and the train would cost $98. Eliminating the hotel equation, both of these would end up being the same or cheaper than driving and parking at the port.

[RickinNYC]

Given the cost to park your car, plus gas, it may very well be cheaper to take Amtrak. If you take the "regular" train as opposed to Acela, it is very reasonably priced. I was looking at a round trip fare for my partner and I in reverse (NYC to DC and back) and it was only about $95 one way for two.

 

Plus, you can nap, relax, read, etc... while you start your vacation.

[madelinerose]

I would take Amtrak without any question. You can use Amex Rewards points for the fare and AAA members get a 10% discount. Have fun with it and sit back and relax. If you're not a fan of driving south on 95, you're going to really dislike north on 95. ;)

 

Also, there's always Bolt Bus, Megabus and possibly Entertainment Tours. Good luck. ;)

[candydane]

Amtrak also offers an AARP discount if you qualify.

[marco]

What time is the train scheduled to leave/arrive? I've had very bad luck with Amtrak being on time. If they have a really early departure out of DC that's supposed to get into Penn around 10, even if you are late (like a couple of hours late) you'll still be fine as it's a 10 minute, $10 cab ride from Penn to the Manhattan piers. If you flew, it's about $45 from LaGuardia for a cab. Parking is about $35 a day at the Manhattan pier. And as I've driven in both places I'd WAY rather drive in Manhattan than DC, and on a Saturday, especially to the Manhattan pier driving would be a cakewalk! Keep in mind the $35 a day parking is per car, not per person, while all other transportation costs (other than the cab) is per person. Another option (this will require a little bit more homework on your part) is to drive to somewhere in NJ the day prior, somewhere near the Cape Liberty Port and Newark, stay at a hotel that offers a free weeks parking in conjunction with an overnight stay, and take public transport to Manhattan. This is NOT the most convenient and easiest alternative, but if cost is a factor, this is an option. (Personally, I would not opt for it, but again, if price is an option, it's worth consideration)

[d1960]

My daughter is taking the DC2NY bus from DC to New York to a cruise . She said it takes 4 hours express and arrives at Penn Station.

[aamiee]

I would take a bus or Amtrak last time we took a bus from Bethesda MD to Penn Station and a cab to the pier. We left MD at 7am and we were on the ship by 11:30am. We will be taking a bus again this time and its only cost $30/pp each way.