First time visitor to New York City

[qoap24]

I currently have a New England/Canada cruise booked for September 2018 on NCL Escape. I will be traveling with my 23 year DD and my mother that has numerous health problems. She can walk, but not real far or fast. This will be our first time in New York and although I have a few more months before I can book a hotel or flights, I would like to get some input from others.

 

I normally LOVE planning trips, but for some reason, I am finding this trip to be a little overwhelming and not as enjoyable to plan (maybe because I have never booked so early). I have been TRYING to do research online and I feel like there is so much information and my little brain cannot remember it all.

 

Our cruise leaves on a Sunday out of Manhattan. I am thinking about flying in on Friday so we have all day on Saturday to do a tour.

 

So here are my questions (I am sure I will think of more):

 

1. Hotel- No idea what area of town we should stay at. I am hoping to find a nice hotel for about $350-$400 a night (would LOVE for it to be less than that). I don't think we need to be right in the middle of all the excitement, but maybe I am wrong. I feel like we should be closer to the cruise terminal, but again I could be wrong. My mom gets confused easily and argues a lot (because she is always right), so I want to try to avoid public transportation as much as possible to avoid us getting lost and fighting ;p.

 

2. Airport- I am thinking either EWR or LGA. My mom will not have any interest in public transportation because walking with luggage will be way to much for her, so will need to have either a shuttle or taxi.

 

3. Sight Seeing- I plan on booking a tour to see all the touristy sites and we think most of the sites we will be ok seeing from the bus, but there could be some that we want to walk around a little. Do you think we should do a HOHO tour or is there another type of tour that would be better?

 

Thank you for any advise that you can share.

[sunsetme]

https://d12dkjq56sjcos.cloudfront.net/pub/media/wysiwyg/bbtpdf/New_York_Map_June_2017_2.pdf

this map will give you an idea of the bus routes, try to stay midtown for convenience.

[138east]

I currently have a New England/Canada cruise booked for September 2018 on NCL Escape. I will be traveling with my 23 year DD and my mother that has numerous health problems. She can walk, but not real far or fast. This will be our first time in New York and although I have a few more months before I can book a hotel or flights, I would like to get some input from others.

 

I normally LOVE planning trips, but for some reason, I am finding this trip to be a little overwhelming and not as enjoyable to plan (maybe because I have never booked so early). I have been TRYING to do research online and I feel like there is so much information and my little brain cannot remember it all.

 

Our cruise leaves on a Sunday out of Manhattan. I am thinking about flying in on Friday so we have all day on Saturday to do a tour.

 

So here are my questions (I am sure I will think of more):

 

1. Hotel- No idea what area of town we should stay at. I am hoping to find a nice hotel for about $350-$400 a night (would LOVE for it to be less than that). I don't think we need to be right in the middle of all the excitement, but maybe I am wrong. I feel like we should be closer to the cruise terminal, but again I could be wrong. My mom gets confused easily and argues a lot (because she is always right), so I want to try to avoid public transportation as much as possible to avoid us getting lost and fighting ;p.

 

2. Airport- I am thinking either EWR or LGA. My mom will not have any interest in public transportation because walking with luggage will be way to much for her, so will need to have either a shuttle or taxi.

 

3. Sight Seeing- I plan on booking a tour to see all the touristy sites and we think most of the sites we will be ok seeing from the bus, but there could be some that we want to walk around a little. Do you think we should do a HOHO tour or is there another type of tour that would be better?

 

Thank you for any advise that you can share.

 

Step 1 is focusing on reserving a hotel.

 

What are your exact dates? After Labor Day in September is high season in NYC (Fashion Week and opening of the UN) and hotels are at their most expensive. The good news is that you will be looking for rooms on a Fri and Sat night.

 

What kind of bed configuration do you require for the three of you? Manhattan hotel rooms can be small, so you have to choose carefully. Is there a particular hotel chain you like?

 

The various Hoho bus tours should cover the sights you want to see on a first NY trip.

 

Staying in midtown Manhattan would put you close to the cruise terminal as well as the bus tour stops. It is not necessary or recommended to stay as far west as the cruise terminal area.

 

Your mother has mobility issues. For three people getting around midtown Manhattan I would recommend planning on taking taxis or using Uber. For three of you to use public transit it would be $8.25. Within midtown that's should be a substantial chunk of any local area cab fare. The New Yorkers can give you more details about using Uber.

[lenquixote66]

If you want to see a lot of the city of NY without spending a lot of money I offer this suggestion that I have been telling people about for more than 20 years .

 

You can board a bus for $5 per person that will take you from Midtown Manhattan to the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn . It is a commuter bus and from the first to last stop is about 90 minutes . You can get off in Sheepshead Bay and walk across a bridge to Manhattan Beach .It is very beautiful .There are benches to sit and many restaurants.

The return trip to Manhattan will be about 60 minutes .

[George C]

I would go for midtown also, I also think hoho bus would be good, not sure if it is in your budget but Michelangelo is in a great location 51st and 7th and rooms are super large all over 400 sq ft

[markeb]

I'm not a big HOHO fan in Manhattan, but this is the situation where they'll make sense. At least do the downtown loop, then see if you want to do the uptown loop. In my experience, you're more likely to want to get off on the downtown loop, so the uptown loop won't take as long. Get an early start on Saturday; traffic will get busy! It's definitely worth getting off at Battery Park, and allow for a lunch break, etc., along the way.

 

Short trips in Midtown by cab are going to probably be $10-15, so I'd agree with Carol. If you use the HOHO to get from Midtown to Battery Park, for instance, you'll likely be looking at short trips.

 

I think you definitely want to be in Midtown, and I'd go 6th Ave and west, especially if you're in town during the UN opening. If you're looking for one room with two beds, they may be on the small side, but that's doable. Two with a sleeper is hard, but possible with some searching. For instance, the Marquis Marriott in Times Square has that configuration; they can be pricey.

 

Manhattan just seems scary. It's a good city to visit, and, although pricey, you'll enjoy it.

[Got2Cruise]

I would suggest the HoHo but OP mentioned that her mom likes to argue. lol been there. There are also coach bus tours with a tour guide that has a set schedule and all fees paid. That might be another option but as 138 stated get your hotel first. Usually folks book the best available with option to cancel, so if something better comes along they can switch.

 

 

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[beachys]

We went with family who have mobility issues twice. Both times we stayed at Marriott Times Square. Is it cheap? No. However the convenience of being right there was worth it. When they were tired we took them back to the hotel and the rest went out and enjoyed Times Square at night.

[TruckerDave]

At least you have reasonable prices for hotels. That opens up many hotel options for you.

[qoap24]

Step 1 is focusing on reserving a hotel.

 

What are your exact dates? After Labor Day in September is high season in NYC (Fashion Week and opening of the UN) and hotels are at their most expensive. The good news is that you will be looking for rooms on a Fri and Sat night. I am thinking we will fly in on Friday September 21st and cruise leaves Sunday September 23rd.

 

What kind of bed configuration do you require for the three of you? Manhattan hotel rooms can be small, so you have to choose carefully. Is there a particular hotel chain you like? I would prefer 2 queen bed if at all possible. Normally when I travel I stay in Marriotts, but I know New York has TONS of hotels.

 

The various Hoho bus tours should cover the sights you want to see on a first NY trip.

 

Staying in midtown Manhattan would put you close to the cruise terminal as well as the bus tour stops. It is not necessary or recommended to stay as far west as the cruise terminal area.

 

Your mother has mobility issues. For three people getting around midtown Manhattan I would recommend planning on taking taxis or using Uber. For three of you to use public transit it would be $8.25. Within midtown that's should be a substantial chunk of any local area cab fare. The New Yorkers can give you more details about using Uber.

 

Thank you for your help.

[qoap24]

 

You can board a bus for $5 per person that will take you from Midtown Manhattan to the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn . It is a commuter bus and from the first to last stop is about 90 minutes . You can get off in Sheepshead Bay and walk across a bridge to Manhattan Beach .It is very beautiful .There are benches to sit and many restaurants.

The return trip to Manhattan will be about 60 minutes .

[/b]

 

Does the bus go near other touristy sites? Do you know which bus I would need to take? Thank you for the suggestion.

[qoap24]

I would go for midtown also, I also think hoho bus would be good, not sure if it is in your budget but Michelangelo is in a great location 51st and 7th and rooms are super large all over 400 sq ft

 

Thank you for the suggestion. I have put Michelangelo on my list to check on in a couple of months when I should be able to make reservations. Would you be able to give me an idea on how long of a taxi ride it would be from this hotel to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal? When looking at a map it looks fairly close.

[qoap24]

I normally love doing all the research when planning trips. Heck, I even plan some of my family and friend's trips. But for some reason, my brain just cannot comprehend everything I am seeing online regarding New York. I am so excited and I know we will have a good time.

 

I think the part that is throwing me off is I look at maps and everything looks fairly close, but everyone talks about how long it takes you to get to places. Normally when we cruise, I rent a car and we drive where ever we want to go.

[qoap24]

I would suggest the HoHo but OP mentioned that her mom likes to argue. lol been there. There are also coach bus tours with a tour guide that has a set schedule and all fees paid. That might be another option but as 138 stated get your hotel first. Usually folks book the best available with option to cancel, so if something better comes along they can switch.

 

 

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I love my mother to death, but traveling with her has become a chore lol. I have been trying to get a hotel, but I'm not finding any that allow me to book over a year in advance.

[qoap24]

At least you have reasonable prices for hotels. That opens up many hotel options for you.

 

Trust me, I would have NEVER said $350 to $400 a night for a hotel if it were for any other city. I had a hard time typing that in, I cannot imagine how hard it will be handing over my credit card once I check out! :o:loudcry:

[George C]

Thank you for the suggestion. I have put Michelangelo on my list to check on in a couple of months when I should be able to make reservations. Would you be able to give me an idea on how long of a taxi ride it would be from this hotel to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal? When looking at a map it looks fairly close.

 

5 mins less than 1 mile. Great hotel in a great location ( also lots of others within a couple of blocks)

[138east]

Your challenge is going to be to find a room with two Queen beds. I found this list from 2015 on TripAdvisor. It's a start to narrow down your choices. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k8845166-2_Queen_Beds_in_Manhattan_Hotels-New_York_City_New_York.html

 

If your mother is a senior, don't forget to price at the senior rate. The large hotel chains offer significant discounts.

 

For Marriott hotels look at the Courtyard Times Square West. There are also a number of Hiltons and Hyatts on the list as well as the Michaelangelo, which was mentioned by another poster. A more budget hotel on the list that we recommend regularly would be the La Quinta on 32nd Street. I actually found out about this hotel from a CC poster who stays there often and I am staying there next January before a cruise from Cape Liberty. I had a chance to walk by this hotel earlier this month and liked the location on a side street just steps from Herald Square(Macy's) and 2 blocks from the Empire State Building. In the dead of winter on a Saturday, I was able to get a senior rate of $95!!! Hotels really can go begging at that time of year, but at a more normal time it runs just under the $300 range. This hotel is a good candidate to be your basic cancellable reservation.

[colombiangirl]

Just a little tip......make sure besides reading hotel reviews you look at the bed bug registry.

 

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[Got2Cruise]

I love my mother to death, but traveling with her has become a chore lol. I have been trying to get a hotel, but I'm not finding any that allow me to book over a year in advance.

 

 

 

It should be opening up soon. Book directly on hotel website for best deals. Getting a place with free breakfast is always a bonus.

 

 

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[shipgeeks]

I stayed at the Broadway Plaza Hotel a few years ago. We were given a room with two queen beds, unheard of after all the tiny NYC hotel rooms with one double bed. It's a bit further south than midtown, but might be worth a try. It was not expensive.

[mjkacmom]

Trust me, I would have NEVER said $350 to $400 a night for a hotel if it were for any other city. I had a hard time typing that in, I cannot imagine how hard it will be handing over my credit card once I check out! :o:loudcry:

Don't worry, you hand over your credit card when you check in, I don't remember the last time I needed to check out of a hotel.

[LHC Kirby]

Marriott Marquis is the only place I stay - it's so central, and nice, and the night life around it is solid. I am staying there this August - I agree with a city bus IF you want to just look. HOHO if you want a narrative - BUT I have heard that you want to either stay on - or look at the crowd getting on when you are getting off - IF LARGE - consider walking back to the last stop if the crowd is big (as in you won't get on if there is not enough seats), might be easier to get on.

[Got2Cruise]

I wouldn't stay at Marriott Marquis. If the OP really wanted to stay in the middle of Times Square I would look into Double Tree Suites. But so many choices available. I personally wound choose a property on a quiet side street

 

 

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[George C]

I agree I prefer staying away a little bit away from this area, but Marriot is a huge and beautiful hotel with a cool revolving bar with a great view of times square

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

For a first timer I would recommend the Hop on Hop off bus.