help! arriving early in Manhattan Cruise Terminal

[howlongsolong]

We will be first time cruising on this Saturday and plan to park in Manhattan Cruise Terminal Parking. But we would like to visit the intrepid sea and space museum before we get on board. We will arrive the parking around 10am. As it is early, I don't expect there won't be porter available to take our luggage. I am wondering if we can leave the luggage in the car then take them after visiting the museum. Will it be a long walk from the garage to the checkin place. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[njhorseman]

We will be first time cruising on this Saturday and plan to park in Manhattan Cruise Terminal Parking. But we would like to visit the intrepid sea and space museum before we get on board. We will arrive the parking around 10am. As it is early, I don't expect there won't be porter available to take our luggage. I am wondering if we can leave the luggage in the car then take them after visiting the museum. Will it be a long walk from the garage to the checkin place. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

There will be porters at 10am...even earlier in fact.

 

The parking lot is on the roof of the cruise terminal so even if you choose to leave your bags in the car and not to check your luggage when you first arrive it's just a matter of taking it down one level on the elevator from the parking lot to the check in level of the cruise terminal.

Edited January 2, 2014 by njhorseman

[davidgilead]

Mid-town Manhattan? Luggage in the car? Not a good idea.

[njhorseman]

Mid-town Manhattan? Luggage in the car? Not a good idea.

 

You're wrong. The car isn't being parked on the street. The parking lot is on the roof of the cruise terminal and is extremely busy on embarkation days (and the number of passengers and porters coming and going virtually assures no none would try to break into the car because many people would see it) , but secured and inaccessible at other times. The chance of anything being stolen is slim to none...less than it would be from any shopping center near my home in a nice suburban town.

Edited January 2, 2014 by njhorseman

[Nitemare]

You're wrong. The car isn't being parked on the street. The parking lot is on the roof of the cruise terminal and is extremely busy on embarkation days (and the number of passengers and porters coming and going virtually assures no none would try to break into the car because many people would see it) , but secured and inaccessible at other times. The chance of anything being stolen is slim to none...less than it would be from any shopping center near my home in a nice suburban town.

 

Exactly.

 

This is a very safe place to leave your car and luggage.

[howlongsolong]

It looks like we may check in earlier than 1pm. Can we get off the ship to visit the museum after we check in?

[trish1c]

Yes, you can get off & get back on.

 

I also don't see a problem leaving the luggage in the car. Be smart about it & use the trunk. Don't leave things like laptops & expensive camera in the passenger compartment separated from potential thieves by only a window but otherwise, for a few hours it should be fine.

[mjkacmom]

We always arrive before 10, and there are still many people there ahead of us. You will have to take your luggage from the parking lot down an elevator, and then outside to the porters. I'd do this before heading to the Intrepid, not because of being worried about anything being stolen, but because it's just going to get busier at the port. Don't forget to tip them!

[howlongsolong]

We always arrive before 10, and there are still many people there ahead of us. You will have to take your luggage from the parking lot down an elevator, and then outside to the porters. I'd do this before heading to the Intrepid, not because of being worried about anything being stolen, but because it's just going to get busier at the port. Don't forget to tip them!

 

 

Thanks to trish1c and mjkacmom.

 

To mjkacmom, how about the carry on luggages? Do you suggest we get off after the checkin process and leave the carryons in the room? From what I have found, it may take some time before we can go into the room. We will bring some juices for the kids, so it might be heavy.

[marco]

As some above posters stated, there most likely will be porters at AM. They will have been there from early AM for the cruise arriving that day, and they just stay ther awaiting passengers sailing that day. But....if there were no porters, and you had to leave your luggage in your car at the terminal parking lot...EXTREMELY safe.....no issues. And just a 411...I understand the parking rate as of yesterday (Jan 1) is $40 a day....ouch!

[Got2Cruise]

Mid-town Manhattan? Luggage in the car? Not a good idea.

 

Midtown Manhattan is very safe no matter where. Huge police presence and big brother type security cameras all over

[Brighton Line]

There will be porters, may even have one on the roof if they are doping off an arriving passenger luggage. That happened to us on the Glory.

[sparks1093]

So what is the earliest one can park at the terminal? I understand that the procedure now is to park and then take your luggage down to the porters, is that right? Do they have a place in the terminal to get snacks and soft drinks? Finally have gotten close enough to the cruise to ask these types of questions:).

[greatam]

Just an FYI

 

You MAY NOT be allowed to visit the Intrepid this coming weekend. Bud Light has rented the Intrepid and any vacant area around the piers for their giant Superbowl gigs. 4000 people are being housed on the Getaway, there are two super yachts and another boat which are all going to be in the area for next weekend (starting Jan 29). There are also all kinds of construction crews, advance crews for TV, event planners, etc. that will be in the area this weekend. Bud Light is building a HUGE temporary bldg directly across the street from the Intrepid and also a two story bldg next door to the Intrepid for parties and concerts for their VIP and other guests. So you may not be able to get on the Intrepid due to the construction and things that are going on in preparation for the SuperBowl.

 

And leave LOTS of extra time. My drivers are SCREAMING about all the road blocks, security, massive traffic jams with constructions crews, TV crews, extra security, and a LOT of extra traffic in the area.

 

Just a short quip from NJ Now.com to show you how much of the area is being used for Super Bowl events.

 

"Going above and beyond, Bud Light is even including the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in their event space. To incorporate as many people as possible, Bud Light will construct a brand new Bud Light Hotel Amphitheater, which is set to be a heated concert venue across the street from the Intrepid that will host all the nightly concerts and parities of the weekend, and the Bud Light Hotel Lounge, which is a two-storey, 1,500 person venue adjacent to the Intrepid, that will serve as sophisticated accommodations for guests and VIPs.

 

Having secured an event space of more than 300,000 square feet, Bud Light is definitely raising the bar for all future tailgates!"

[njhorseman]

So what is the earliest one can park at the terminal? I understand that the procedure now is to park and then take your luggage down to the porters, is that right? Do they have a place in the terminal to get snacks and soft drinks? Finally have gotten close enough to the cruise to ask these types of questions:).

 

In theory the parking lot opens at 9 am, but I wouldn't arrive before 10 or 10:30...it gives sometime for the previous cruise's passengers to depart.

 

Yes, park your car first. There may be porters on the parking deck level to take your luggage, but that isn't guaranteed. It's very easy to take your luggage onto the large elevator and go down on level where you can turn your bags over to a porter and then check in for the cruise.

 

Yes, there is a stand inside the waiting room that sells snacks, etc. The cruise line may also have some cake or cookies, water and juice set out on a table.

Edited January 23, 2014 by njhorseman

[sparks1093]

In theory the parking lot opens at 9 am, but I wouldn't arrive before 10 or 10:30...it gives sometime for the previous cruise's passengers to depart.

 

Yes, park your car first. There may be porters on the parking deck level to take your luggage, but that isn't guaranteed. It's very easy to take your luggage onto the large elevator and go down on level where you can turn your bags over to a porter and then check in for the cruise.

 

Yes, there is a stand inside the waiting room that sells snacks, etc. The cruise line may also have some cake or cookies, water and juice set out on a table.

 

Thanks!

[sparks1093]

Oooops, one more question (I feel like Columbo when I do that:o)- how heavy is the traffic in Manhattan on a Saturday morning around 10 a.m.? I've looked at Mapquest and it seems like the terminal is easy to get to, relatively so anyway.

[njhorseman]

Oooops, one more question (I feel like Columbo when I do that:o)- how heavy is the traffic in Manhattan on a Saturday morning around 10 a.m.? I've looked at Mapquest and it seems like the terminal is easy to get to, relatively so anyway.

 

Traffic shouldn't be too bad on a Saturday morning.

 

Where will you be driving from? What's your planned route?

[sparks1093]

Traffic shouldn't be too bad on a Saturday morning.

 

Where will you be driving from? What's your planned route?

 

We'll be driving down from Vermont, which according to Mapquest is between a 6 and 7 hour drive (much better than driving to Miami from here:eek:). I am leaning toward taking the NY thruway down as it is shown as the quickest route and has fewer tolls (IIRC).

[njhorseman]

We'll be driving down from Vermont, which according to Mapquest is between a 6 and 7 hour drive (much better than driving to Miami from here:eek:). I am leaning toward taking the NY thruway down as it is shown as the quickest route and has fewer tolls (IIRC).

 

I asked where you were coming from because of a sense of disbelief that someone would drive all that distance on the day of departure ;) . I thought perhaps you were staying overnight somewhere closer to the city.

 

Anyway...without going into details for your entire route, you want the last leg to be on 9A South (also known under various names such as the Henry Hudson Parkway, West Side Highway, Joe DiMaggio Highway (no New Yorker calls it that) ). The West Side Highway ends literally at the entrance to the cruise terminal. Just look for the signs.

[sparks1093]

I asked where you were coming from because of a sense of disbelief that someone would drive all that distance on the day of departure ;) . I thought perhaps you were staying overnight somewhere closer to the city.

 

Anyway...without going into details for your entire route, you want the last leg to be on 9A South (also known under various names such as the Henry Hudson Parkway, West Side Highway, Joe DiMaggio Highway (no New Yorker calls it that) ). The West Side Highway ends literally at the entrance to the cruise terminal. Just look for the signs.

 

Oh, I know, I have gone round and round with the question of leaving the day before and leaving maybe an hour left to get there and if we were traveling earlier in the year it wouldn't be a question, I would head out the day before. Of course the weather report as we get closer to the cruise may change the decision. I did see 9A on Mapquest and saw how straight of a shot it is and it's good to know the other names for it.

[njhorseman]

Oh, I know, I have gone round and round with the question of leaving the day before and leaving maybe an hour left to get there and if we were traveling earlier in the year it wouldn't be a question, I would head out the day before. Of course the weather report as we get closer to the cruise may change the decision. I did see 9A on Mapquest and saw how straight of a shot it is and it's good to know the other names for it.

 

By the way, just to be precise, it's the limited access highway portion of the West Side Highway that ends at the cruise terminal. If you were to continue south it then becomes 12th Ave. (which is still technically both Route 9A the West Side Highway although once again no New Yorker would ever call it that).

 

Have I thoroughly confused you now? :D If so...just look for the cruise terminal signs .

[sparks1093]

By the way, just to be precise, it's the limited access highway portion of the West Side Highway that ends at the cruise terminal. If you were to continue south it then becomes 12th Ave. (which is still technically both Route 9A the West Side Highway although once again no New Yorker would ever call it that).

 

Have I thoroughly confused you now? :D If so...just look for the cruise terminal signs .

 

Anything with more than two lanes confuses me;). I will make a note of the limited access portion of the highway, thanks! (and hopefully Garmin will steer me right, too).

[njhorseman]

Anything with more than two lanes confuses me;). I will make a note of the limited access portion of the highway, thanks! (and hopefully Garmin will steer me right, too).

 

I'm not a fan of GPS in Manhattan or the NY City metro area in general. Just "follow your nose" and look for the cruise terminal sign as you're driving south on the West Side Highway (9A). It couldn't be easier.

Edited January 24, 2014 by njhorseman

[sparks1093]

I'm not a fan of GPS in Manhattan or the NY City metro area in general. Just "follow your nose" and look for the cruise terminal sign as you're driving south on the West Side Highway (9A). It couldn't be easier.

 

Will do! Thanks for the help!