Driving to Manhattan Pier - What have I gotten us into?!?

[SRQbeachgirl]

We are booked on Carnival Sunrise for an 8-day cruise going out of Manhattan on July 30. We plan to drive from Northern Virginia (about 45 minutes west of D.C.). My plan was for us to drive to New York the day before the cruise, do a little sightseeing, and stay at a hotel that offers cruise parking. But after reading through posts, it looks like we'd have to stay in New Jersey to find a reasonably priced hotel that offers cruise parking. New Jersey??? I'm guessing not the best place if we're wanting to see the Statue of Liberty or the 9/11 Memorial. Would we even have time to do those things if we drove in the day before, or am I being way too ambitious and optimistic?

 

We are complete NYC virgins and don't even drive into D.C., preferring to ride the Metro when we go into the city, so trying to navigate NYC is looking very intimidating. Should we just scrap the whole sightseeing idea altogether and just drive most of the way the day before, stay somewhere less expensive outside the city, and park at the pier? Any advice would be welcome, as I'm starting to hope going out of NYC isn't a mistake.   

Edited February 4, 2019 by SRQbeachgirl

[Langoustine]

It's very easy to get from NJ to NYC on public transportation. There are no hotels in NYC that will let you leave your car for the duration of the cruise (there are parking garages and lots in NYC that are cheaper than parking at the pier), but there are hotels in NJ that have cruise parking. Someone else is going to have to help you with specific recommendations.

Edited February 4, 2019 by Langoustine

[mjkacmom]

If you want to go to the SOL/Ellis Island, it’s actually easier to do from NJ, ferries leave from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. You can even hop on a ferry from the SOL and get off on Battery Park in Manhattan, and take another ferry (not the SOL one) back to NJ. What day of the week does your ship depart?

[jtheile]

Ferry service to the Statue is available from NJ. This is what we did in 2016 to see both the Statue and 9/11 Memorial. Drive to the Liberty State Park and take ferry to Ellis Island and Liberty Island then take ferry to Battery Park in NY and walk to the 9/11 Memorial(less than a mile) then walk(.5 mile) to the World Financial Center dock and take the Liberty Landing Ferry back to Liberty State Park(Liberty Landing Marina) for $7 each. Easy to do in a day if you get there the night before, now is the time to make reservations to go in the crown of the Statue.

[SRQbeachgirl]

5 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

If you want to go to the SOL/Ellis Island, it’s actually easier to do from NJ, ferries leave from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. You can even hop on a ferry from the SOL and get off on Battery Park in Manhattan, and take another ferry (not the SOL one) back to NJ. What day of the week does your ship depart?

 

Our ship leaves on a Tuesday. Passengers from the ship will be disembarking that morning, so I'm guessing that if we decided to park at the pier there should be space available from those passengers leaving.

 

If we decide to stay in NJ and do some sightseeing before the cruise, how much time would we need to see SOL/Ellis Island (optional)/911 Memorial? Full day, 1/2 day, etc?

 

Thanks for the info!

Edited February 4, 2019 by SRQbeachgirl

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

Our ship leaves on a Tuesday. Passengers from the ship will be disembarking that morning, so I'm guessing that if we decided to park at the pier there should be space available from those passengers leaving.

 

If we decide to stay in NJ and do some sightseeing before the cruise, how much time would we need to see SOL/Ellis Island (optional)/911 Memorial? Full day, 1/2 day, etc?

 

Thanks for the info!

There will be parking available, since it’s a weekday wait until after 9/10, it could take you an hour or more to get into the city otherwise. The SOL/Ellis Island plus 9/11 is a pretty full day. If you want crown or pedestal tickets, book soon!

[lenquixote66]

Try calling the NYC tourist information office.They should be able to offer suggestions.