New York, New York!

[taunja]

We are taking a cruise in September out of New York. We are arriving one day early to see New York for the first time! We arrive at JFK, leaving from the NCL port the next morning...Where should I get a hotel at???

[Cruzman]

We are taking a cruise in September out of New York. We are arriving one day early to see New York for the first time! We arrive at JFK, leaving from the NCL port the next morning...Where should I get a hotel at???

 

Dunno, but bring LOTSA money, 'cuz you will need it!

[CruiserBruce]

Come over to the East Coast Departures board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=415

 

for tons of info.

 

Yes, NYC can be expensive. However, if you stay in Secaucas, NJ, you can have easy access to NYC for much less money. As you are flying into JFK, perhaps staying out near the airport may save you some money. Just use subways or other public transit.

Edited April 9, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[trish1c]

Average daily room rate in NYC is about $300. You can stay anywhere. Nothing is all that far from the port. For the most fun to be in the middle check out midtown hotels but anywhere in Manhattan will be OK

 

Learn how to use Priceline & Hotwire if you don't already know how.

[runner15km]

Times Square area. :)

[t_car]

On one of our cruises out of New York, we stayed at the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor Hotel on the New Jersey side in Weehhawken, NJ.

1) Half the price of Manhattan hotels

2) excellent pubs and restaurants within walking distance

3) fantastic skyline view of Manhattan

4) Water Taxi service is right next to the hotel. Takes you across the river to Manhattan. Quick taxi ride (remember you have luggage) 12 blocks north to the Manhattan Cruise terminal.

 

Water taxi service also gives you free access to the Port Authority bus routes throughout Manhattan. If you can get away for a couple of more days, it would be worth it. One day is not enough to see New York City.

[euro cruiser]

I might understand staying in New Jersey if they were flying into Newark, but arriving into JFK and passing through Manhattan in order to go to Jersey seems silly, especially for just one night.

 

I like the idea of using Hotwire to get a lower price on a hotel - just specify the neighborhood you want and the star level of the hotel, then go by price. How bad can it be for one night?

 

To be both near the cruise port and in the middle of things, midtown west is a good area (this would include Times Square). Anything from 34th Street up to 60th, west of 5th Avenue.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

There is so much to see in New York -- you really need to fly over for more than 1 day of sight seeing.

[greatam]

As you are flying into JFK, perhaps staying out near the airport may save you some money. Just use subways or other public transit.

 

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, plan on staying at a JFK hotel.

 

I posted this on the East Coast board in response to someone thinking it was a "bad area" in response to another poster trying to dissuade someone from staying around JFK.

 

"You have the totally wrong idea. It is not so much a "bad area". The area around JFK is pretty industrial-in fact about 85% industrial. BUT there is a large city housing project not too far away. And on the weekends particularly, between the drug busts, domestic violence and shootings in the housing project, welfare services HAS to have someplace to move families (primarily women and children) at 2, 3, 4AM in the morning. And the JFK airport hotels are the closest and the easiest to work the logistics-move the kids out of their apt, get them safe for a night or two, close access to social services needed, move the family back in their apt after the offender has been removed from the home or the shooting stops and the cops leave.

 

So you may have a lot of displaced kids who have no idea where they are, most likely have never been in a hotel before and are scared and upset. And of course, you have Mom's who very often don't have the greatest parenting skills who let them run wild anyhow. It's not particularly dangerous-just annoying that you paid good money for a hotel, the halls are filled with kids and people and all their stuff, kids running wild and knocking on doors all night and no one is in control. NOT the quiet peaceful sleep you intended. And more likely to happen on a weekend than on a weekday, hence the underlying vibe of the reviews which are probably done more by business people than cruise tourists. 4* for a Fairfield Inn???? That is a REAL stretch. You are lucky to give 3.5* to the Sheraton, Radisson or Hilton at JFK (and yes, I have stayed at all of them)."

 

Flight crews stay at the Sheraton, Radisson or Hilton and they all absolutely HATE it, particularly on the weekends because of what may possibly happen at the hotel. In fact, most of the AA flight crews I am familiar with have a "shared" apartment instead of staying in any of the airline provided hotels. One told me a story when their "shared" apartment was literally swamped because weather prevented planes flying and instead of the 6 people who would normally share at one time, there were a total of 13. She said it was worse than being in a college dorm or a wild and wooly weekend camping trip in college.

 

OP-either go into Manhattan, use Priceline or Hotwire for a hotel or go over to the hotels around La Guardia. I very often stay at the LaGuardia Plaza (which used to be the Crowne Plaza until the owners were forced to change the name because they also own the Hampton Inn next door and those are two competing hotel chains. Hampton Inn is more expensive than the Crowne-go figure). EASY transit into the City on the #7 train (30 minutes to Times Square). IF you need further info about staying around La Guardia, please post.

[navybankerteacher]

If you want to see a bit of New York, you do not want to stay in New Jersey or at an airport hotel, which would take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour each way to get into the city. You want something in the center of things - where you can walk around. Hotel Pennsylvania - right across from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station is within walking distance of Times Square - also a short cab ride to the cruise terminal, and is not overly expensive.

[Hlitner]

Since you are cruising on NCL this means you are cruising out of the NYC Port which is located on 12th Ave around 52nd Street. For hotel purposes this is also known as the West Side. If you use a booking site like Hotwire or Priceline (where you do not actually choose your specific hotel) you can usually find rates of around $200 in pretty decent 3 to 4 star hotels. You will also have the cost of a transfer from JFK into Manhattan (there are several options). You should definitely spend your pre-cruise night somewhere in mid-town NYC since this will put you within walking distance of places like Times Square, Broadway, 5th Avenue, etc. When it comes time for you to head over to the port it will just be a relatively short taxi ride from any midtown hotel to the port.

 

Hank

[SparkleBee]

do not stay in a hotel near the airport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the logistics are horrible.

and don't stay in NJ either to save a few bucks.

 

totally agree with the poster right above me. you want to stay mid-town, or West side due to the location of the port. If you can find anything decent near Times Square you will be well located. with having only 1 day in NYC it's worth it to pay for a prime location.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Times Square area. :)

I agree...