NYC excursion

[Rosettemaker]

Hi

We have booked a TA for next May, our first cruise and looking forward to it.

 

My question is, we will only get so long in NYC so we want to make the most of our time there, so.......

 

What time to we need to be back at ship?

Should we book a tour before we sail?

Cunard tour or other?

Are Taxis easy enough to get at the terminal?

 

Any help would be much appreciated, our 3 most wanted are, 9/11 memorial, Central Park and Statue of Liberty we are also thinking of a helicopter tour but not sure if we will have time?!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

TAK :):)

[Lanky Lad]

Are you doing a back to back TA or flying one way?

 

One thing to take into account is the time it takes to get through customs, this can take up a large chunk of your morning.

[welshred]

If you are on a B2B, you will struggle to do all those in one day on your own.

 

You certainly won't be offered a ship's tour to cover them all either.

 

If you decide on the Statue of Liberty, you will not want to be rushed and you are likely to want to visit Ellis Island as well.

 

From Battery Park, you can walk to the 9/11 Memorial and also the area where the helicopter flights are.

 

I would leave a Central Park for another visit.

[Ray66]

If you are doing a Transatlantic roundtrip, then the following thread may be of help:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2336394

[Rosettemaker]

Sorry, it's a round trip!

 

Ashore for just the day 😊

[BigMac1953]

Hi

 

You can book a time at the 9/11 memorial so you don't have to wait in a queue. It takes about 2 hours to go round. I'd suggest a booking time of 9:45am, before it gets too busy.

 

We always use Arecibo Cars, of Brooklyn 718-783-6465. It's about $25 +tip to South Manhattan.

 

Tell immigration officers that you are in transit and you will get priority.

 

Leave the terminal and turn left. Walk along the chain fence and note a number. Call Arecibo and give them the number. They will collect in less than 10 mins.

 

After you visit the memorial, you can walk south to the Staten Island Ferry (free) and this will give you the best view of the Statue. Forget about climbing it. It takes 2-3 hours of queueing and there really is nothing to see. The temperature inside can be as much as 10 deg above ambient. A bit like a sauna in summer.

 

I would leave Central Park until you take your next TA on QM2, as you will!

 

Have fun!

 

Stewart

[Salacia]

I agree with Stewart's suggestion regarding the S.I. Ferry. It's 1 hour round trip, and you'll see some very interesting views including sailing close to the Statue of Liberty. Here's the website for additional information, including schedule: http://www.siferry.com/

 

However, if you decide you'd really want to see Central Park instead, I suggest taking a cab to the park entrance at Central Park South & Fifth Avenue. Maybe a short walk in the park ( http://www.centralparknyc.org/maps/) then stroll down 5th Avenue to Grand Central Station and grab a cab back to Redhook.

 

Be sure to print out the map and directions to the pier found here: http://www.nycruise.com/brooklyn-terminal/directions/

 

I'm sure you'll have fun planning your day in NYC - don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions (there are quite a few of us local folks here :)

[BlueRiband]

You didn't mention which ship but since it is a TA it would be QM2 and she normally berths at the Redhook terminal in Brooklyn. Her dock is just opposite Governor's Island so you will need to cross a bridge or tunnel to get into Manhattan.

 

Cunard's tour offerings will depend on how many passengers are remaining with the ship for the EB.

 

If you choose to go it on your own be aware that there is no subway station conveniently near the Redhook terminal. But if you leave the ship soon after it clears with US authorities there should be plenty of taxis at the terminal. The "all aboard" time will be posted as you leave. Plan to be back on board at least one hour before that time as late afternoon traffic is New York is what it is.

 

The next port is Southampton and not the little town on Long Island New York. :eek:

[welshred]

We always make a point of being one of the first off the ship and travel to Manhatten independently by bus and subway

 

Return travel normally costs us $5.50 each.

 

.

Edited April 11, 2016 by welshred

[rafinmd]

I'll stand by the recommendation I made in this post:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47304542&postcount=19

 

I think it's what welshred suggested with a little more detail. One word of caution: the bus only accepts US coins. You can probably get some from the purser onboard.

 

Roy

[cruiseluvva]

Rosettemaker

 

Which roundtrip in May are you on? We are planning on booking May 24th once we have bought FCDs on QV next month! Last time we did a roundtrip we were exhausted after a VERY early start and were ready to get the bus back before 3pm.

 

Maybe see you on board!

[Salacia]

I'll stand by the recommendation I made in this post:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47304542&postcount=19

 

I think it's what welshred suggested with a little more detail. One word of caution: the bus only accepts US coins. You can probably get some from the purser onboard.

 

Roy

 

Hi Roy. Also accepted is the Metro Card, which may or may not be more convenient and less costly, depending. See http://web.mta.info/metrocard/

Salacia

[rafinmd]

Agreed, Salacia, but I was thinking of a visitor just arriving from the UK.

 

A good thought, and you gave me a brainstorm that didn't work. I put Van Brunt and Pioneer Streets into mta's site locator and the response was "No metrocard merchants within half a mile". Metrocard is definitely a great option for the subway and return visit and also perhaps a visitor could arrange for an American on their crossing to buy one and bring it along.

 

Roy

[Rosettemaker]

Rosettemaker

 

Which roundtrip in May are you on? We are planning on booking May 24th once we have bought FCDs on QV next month! Last time we did a roundtrip we were exhausted after a VERY early start and were ready to get the bus back before 3pm.

 

Maybe see you on board!

 

We sail on the QM2 on the 8th May 😊

[Rosettemaker]

We don't like to use a bus so a Taxi will be our preferred method.

 

Just wondered about the Cunard excursions ashore and if we should wait to book one of those as they are not live just yet.

 

We also fancy a helicopter trip but not sure how far they are from the ship - and cramming in too much isn't really our style!

 

Missing the ship would be a complete nightmare as I hate flying so we will head back on board at around 2.30/3pm hope that will leave us enouh time via Taxi and we will be Broadway end of NYC not Central Park which seems a bit of a way over!

 

So much to think about and I am a very organised person - how does it work with Customs as this is a round trip will people be leaving and joining the ship thus taking up time getting through Customs?

 

We can book a Taxi online but unsure of what time we will eventually get through Customs and ashore?

 

Thanks for all replies 😊👍

[Ray66]

Just wondered about the Cunard excursions ashore and if we should wait to book one of those as they are not live just yet.

 

That's probably because there most likely won't be any, or just a couple to book on board

 

Please read the following thread for an explanation:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2336394

[jburton59]

Heading back to the ship earlier in the afternoon is a good idea if you are traveling by taxi. There's a major shift change plus rush hour begins by 4:00. So many of the taxis are heading back to their garages and the new shift is heading toward Wall Street to pick up fares. It can be extremely difficult to get a taxi in late afternoon if you aren't heading downtown. I've frequently ended up on long, unexpected walks back to my hotel at the end of the afternoon.

[Rosettemaker]

Heading back to the ship earlier in the afternoon is a good idea if you are traveling by taxi. There's a major shift change plus rush hour begins by 4:00. So many of the taxis are heading back to their garages and the new shift is heading toward Wall Street to pick up fares. It can be extremely difficult to get a taxi in late afternoon if you aren't heading downtown. I've frequently ended up on long, unexpected walks back to my hotel at the end of the afternoon.

 

:)

Not quite mastered the art of walking on water as yet but giving it a good go lol

 

Thank you!

[Solent Richard]

Hi

We have booked a TA for next May, our first cruise and looking forward to it.

 

My question is, we will only get so long in NYC so we want to make the most of our time there, so.......

 

What time to we need to be back at ship?

Should we book a tour before we sail?

Cunard tour or other?

Are Taxis easy enough to get at the terminal?

 

Any help would be much appreciated, our 3 most wanted are, 9/11 Memorial, Central Park and Statue of Liberty we are also thinking of a helicopter tour but not sure if we will have time?!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

TAK :):)

 

Hi RosetteMaker.

 

Have a look at this...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/06/24/one-way-to-do-new-york-brooklyn-to-central-park-via-the-highline-walk/

 

Primarily of interest to you will be the fast transit into Manhattan.

 

My advice would be book both 9/11 memorial and Statue of Liberty online with obvious time gap in between depending on entrance times to 9/11 memorial.

 

The rest will fall into place. Allow for time on Ellis Island which is included in your Statue ferry ticket.

 

Warning: When you return to Carroll Street don't rely on a last minute taxi transfer. They are very few and far between.

 

Another aspect for you, though I guess it won't be that cold ...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/09/25/one-way-to-do-new-york-christmas-edition/

 

New York is fabulous. Make the most of it.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Solent Richard

[Solent Richard]

We don't like to use a bus so a Taxi will be our preferred method.

 

Just wondered about the Cunard excursions ashore and if we should wait to book one of those as they are not live just yet.

 

We also fancy a helicopter trip but not sure how far they are from the ship - and cramming in too much isn't really our style!

 

Missing the ship would be a complete nightmare as I hate flying so we will head back on board at around 2.30/3pm hope that will leave us enouh time via Taxi and we will be Broadway end of NYC not Central Park which seems a bit of a way over!

 

So much to think about and I am a very organised person - how does it work with Customs as this is a round trip will people be leaving and joining the ship thus taking up time getting through Customs?

 

We can book a Taxi online but unsure of what time we will eventually get through Customs and ashore?

 

Thanks for all replies 😊👍

 

Hi again.

 

I read these posts in chronological order and have now seen this one.

 

With a little bit of luck you can be clear of the ship at 8.00am.

 

Taxis are nor always available and there is a bit of a scramble for them.

 

My best guess is that using the Cunard 'New York on your own' type excursion will necessitate a modification to your OP wish list.

 

Good luck anyway. Like you I am a very organised person, hence I developed the route I promote in my blog...

 

[alanrow]

We did the September trip form UK to Quebec and one of Cunard's offerings was a 3 stop

coach run to Central Park/Museums area , Rockefeller Centre area and the 9/11 Memorial area . We had 1 1/2 to 2 hours at each location to do what we wanted . It was not cheap but a good way of seeing New York for the first time for us .

[majortom10]

We did a roundtrip TA last year and there were 3 excursions available only to book once onboard. There were 2 highlights tours and a transfer taking you into Manhatten and dropping you off at Macy's and then picked you back up at 2-30/3pm.

[Mysticalmother]

Although a few years ago now, we too did the TA & trip to Quebec on Qm2. We booked a Cunard tour as we had never been to NYC before and felt it was actually good value and an excellent way of getting a feel for the city. I think it was a similar tour to that mentioned by alanrow, as we went up the Rockefella centre, spent a nice amount of time at the new 9/11 center (this had literally just opened a few days beforehand), had a good amount of time for lunch at somewhere I cant remember, as well as a guided coach trip around the city, seeing many landmarks including part of central park. I would certainly recommend it as we were almost first off the ship and fastracked through immigration. It was a long and full day out, arriving back at the ship only half an hour before sailing, but without the worry as we knew the ship would wait for us.

Have a great trip!