Typical Transportation Costs in NYC?

[dreamr]

Hey everyone,

I am considering booking a cruise on NCL's newest ship, Breakaway, which leaves from New York City (Manhattan port, I believe). I've never been to NYC, so I'm unfamiliar with the whole setup. I have a few questions:

 

1. Would it be better to fly into LGA or JFK if the ship leaves from the Manhattan port? Or another airport entirely? It looks like LGA is closer?

 

2. Are there any specific hotel(s) that people recommend for pre-cruise stays?

 

3. I was looking at hotels online and it seems I can get a decent hotel in the Rockefeller Center area within my budget. Would this be okay? Or would that be too far from the port (aka incur a huge taxi fare when going to the hotel from the airport and/or from the hotel to the port)?

 

5. Any other important tidbits regarding making the trip easier (particularly ones that might be handy for someone traveling solo)?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer. :)

[maryred]

Hey everyone,

I am considering booking a cruise on NCL's newest ship, Breakaway, which leaves from New York City (Manhattan port, I believe). I've never been to NYC, so I'm unfamiliar with the whole setup. I have a few questions:

 

1. Would it be better to fly into LGA or JFK if the ship leaves from the Manhattan port? Or another airport entirely? It looks like LGA is closer?

Don't forget to add Liberty International (EWR) to your comparison. On any given day due to traffic conditions, even though each of the airports vary in distance, the time to get from any of these 3 to the port terminal can be equal or quite faster than the others, it's basically a gamble on where the traffic volume in Manhattan will be heaviest.

Fare wise to mid-town Manhattan I do believe that LaGuardia & JFK ($52.00 plus any tolls & tip) is slightly cheaper than EWR (about $49.00 plus tolls & tip) simply due to the amount of tolls added to the ride. With things being more similar than different personally I would base the choice of airport on my preferred airline's fare rates. (Some times you can get better deals arriving at one of these airports while departing from another on the same carrier.)

 

2. Are there any specific hotel(s) that people recommend for pre-cruise stays?

Sorry no help here, we live local enough that it's more cost effective to commute than stay over.

 

3. I was looking at hotels online and it seems I can get a decent hotel in the Rockefeller Center area within my budget. Would this be okay? Or would that be too far from the port (aka incur a huge taxi fare when going to the hotel from the airport and/or from the hotel to the port)?

Try these to help you calculate cab fares from hotels in NYC and cab fares from places in NJ

 

5. Any other important tidbits regarding making the trip easier (particularly ones that might be handy for someone traveling solo)?

Look up your roll call, there may be other solos looking to share certain expenses (like cab fares) or have better set of suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer. :)

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[njhorseman]

The previous poster has provided some misinformation about taxi fares from LGA to Manhattan.

 

The fare from JFK to Manhattan is a flat $52.50 (all fares I'll quote are excluding tolls and tip), but the taxi fare from LGA is not a flat rate, it is metered, and should run about $35-40. If flying into EWR it's best not to take a taxi at all because you're crossing state lines. Book a car service, which should cost about $45-50 plus substantial tolls (about $15) and tip.

 

Your choice of airport should be based on the totality of airfare, ground transportation costs and the convenience of the airline's schedule.

 

If you found a hotel you think you'll like at a reasonable price in the Rockefeller Center area, by all means book it. Rockefeller Center is an excellent central location. No place in midtown Manhattan is far from the cruise terminal. Taxi fare from Rockefeller Center to the cruise terminal should be $10 or less.

[Got2Cruise]

Rockefeller Center is an excellent location. Basically, anything in "midtown Manhattan" is close to the pier. My recommendations are always for midtown because it is easy to walk to many tourist sites, and public transportation is excellent in this area.

[Richpontone]

from the airport to your hotel and from your hotel to the Manhattan cruise terminal. Don't accept any on street solicitations from private "gypsy" cabs and do not give money to a "dispatcher" who requests it before getting you a cab. There is an official cab dispatcher, who does not charge you, at the airport to get you a cab. And at the hotel,the doorman can get a cab for you--you can tip him. To travel to tourist destinations, the subway is the best, fastest and cheapest way to go. You buy a fare card from a machine at the subway station. They take cash, credit and debit cards. FYI-it is a ten minute cab ride or less from Rockefeller Center to the Manhattan cruise terminal.

Good luck.

[138east]

Also consider an airport bus from the airports to Manhattan. The bus from EWR is $16/pp or $28 rt and leaves you at one of three centrally located spots in midtown. EWR and JFK have either train service, subway service, or subway/ train service to Manhattan as well.