Recommendation for private tour in NYC after cruise that will take you to LGA

[najgreen]

Was wondering if anyone has booked a private tour of the city with a nice lunch stop while killing time for a late flight out of LGA?  We are a party of 7 with one person who has mobility issues, so touring on our own isn't an option.  We are on NCL and the one tour they have looks like a non-stop bus tour for 3 hours of the city.  I would like to be able to set our own agenda.  thank you!

[Noxequifans]

Sounds like you'll require a vehicle to handle 7 pax plus luggage. If the vehicle waits while your party has lunch that will add to the costs. Perhaps NCL can make recommendations .... worth the try. 

[mking8288]

Question to OP, what do you & rest of the party wish to see on a private tour of NYC with the late day LGA flight departure ?  What is your idea / definition of a "nice lunch" and do you have a budget in mind ?  Will this be on a weekend & when, Summer or Fall ?  Reasonable to assume that each person will have at least 1 check-in size suitcase plus a carry-on, and will the person with mobility challenges need anything special, i.e. ramps or wheelchairs, or just someone using a walking cane or rollator-walker, etc. 

 

This could get rather costly, not including the costs for a lunch ... 

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, Noxequifans said:

Perhaps NCL can make recommendations .... worth the try. 

Nah...Do you really think NCL is going to help you book a non-NCL tour?

 

 

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, najgreen said:

Was wondering if anyone has booked a private tour of the city with a nice lunch stop while killing time for a late flight out of LGA?  We are a party of 7 with one person who has mobility issues, so touring on our own isn't an option.  We are on NCL and the one tour they have looks like a non-stop bus tour for 3 hours of the city.  I would like to be able to set our own agenda.  thank you!

In another thread a couple of weeks ago poster @Pie recommended a company called NYC Perfect Transportation for a post-cruise tour. You could check that company out...I've never done business with them so I can't say one way or the other if they're any good. 

 

As @mking8288 said "This could get rather costly".

[najgreen]

Thanks to all - we will check out NYC Perfect Transportation.  We were hoping to stick around a couple of areas - maybe mid-town and central park.  We will be there next month on a Sunday. We would need transportation to accommodate us and our luggage.  Mobility issues include a walker and we try to avoid stairs as much as possible.  We might just be sticking with the NCL bus tour!  

[princeton123211]

11 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Nah...Do you really think NCL is going to help you book a non-NCL tour?

And if they did facilitate a private tour/transport the markup would be significant vs what could be booked on your own. 

[princeton123211]

11 hours ago, njhorseman said:

As @mking8288 said "This could get rather costly".

Essentially what you are looking at is a Sprinter Van charter. If you look around at a few different operators these are generally $110-130 per hour with a minimum of 3 hours. They do top out at $1200-1500 which is the "whole day" rate. Got these numbers by looking at the websites of a few providers we've used in the past. Im sure there are taxes, tolls, fees, and gratuity on top of that. 

 

That's the reality of what the OP is staring down the barrel at in terms of cost-- if that works I think it'll make for a nice afternoon and you could pick a fun place for lunch etc. If not you do have the option of the NCL transfer which, from the sounds of it, might be about half of what this would cost. 

[mking8288]

FWIW, NCL's post-cruise shared bus-riding tour of select NYC highlights (mainly, midtown & downtown Manhattan) is a drive-by, with maybe 1 or 2 quick photo-scenic stops, scheduling permitting and there is (usually) an onboard restroom to use - lasting about 3.5 hours per their description, for a whopping $199 per person, 1st person with FAS credit get a $50 "discount" so it's $149 plus $199 or $348 for 2 in a stateroom.  Looking at roughly $1,250 for 7 in OP's party - recommended only for flights after 5:30 pm at LGA.  Ouch, NCL prices really shot up - last time I checked and wasn't that long ago, was "only" $139 post-Covid.  

 

Hourly rental rates quoted for a Sprinter van with a driver that can seat up to 14, perhaps 10 with luggage - with a 2 hour minimum in Manhattan - at $135 to $150 per hour, plus tolls, tips, parking and incidentals.  Let's just say, 3 to 4 hours will be the bare minimum, for a very quick driving tour, pausing briefly - without doing a Brunch stop somewhere, on a given Sunday next month - before dropping off at the airport, allowing for midday traffic out to LGA (figure about 45 minutes ...)   

 

Depending on OP's idea of a nice "sit-down" (quick ??) lunch somewhere + restrooms, add another 60 minutes plus to the allocated time, driver will be idling & looking after the luggage held onboard and wait - 5 hours, maybe 6 hours max seemed reasonable, given the reality of NYC's unpredictable weekend traffic.  Parking for a large Sprinter van can be a challenge in Manhattan ("easier" on a non-holiday Sunday ... whew) - keep that in mind in terms of where to "stop" for a nice lunch.  

 

Good to know that it is just one person using a (foldable type) walker in getting around.    

 

 

[navybankerteacher]

18 hours ago, najgreen said:

Was wondering if anyone has booked a private tour of the city with a nice lunch stop while killing time for a late flight out of LGA?  We are a party of 7 with one person who has mobility issues, so touring on our own isn't an option.  We are on NCL and the one tour they have looks like a non-stop bus tour for 3 hours of the city.  I would like to be able to set our own agenda.  thank you!

A “nice lunch stop” on a multi-hour, large vehicle, multi-stop,  guided private tour is sounding like a price tag in the  thousands of dollars.

[najgreen]

Yes, it is pricey!  The NCL excursion will cost us $1248, so if i can find a sprinter van to rent for a few hours that would be in the same ball-park price wise, would really like to not be part of the large bus load of people.  When I google I find plenty of companies that arrange transportation from the pier to the airport, but haven't found anyone yet to book a van for a longer period of time.  I appreciate everyone weighing in!!

[markeb]

I've never arranged something like this in Manhattan. For anyone who has, I'm "assuming" you need a pretty good idea where you want to go and for how long when you book? The Sprinter Van is more of a transportation company than a tour company, isn't it? Or do they normally plan out a "7 people 3-4 hours ending at La Guardia" tour? Curiosity and making sure the OP has the right expectations.

[Pie]

7 hours ago, najgreen said:

Thanks to all - we will check out NYC Perfect Transportation.  We were hoping to stick around a couple of areas - maybe mid-town and central park.  We will be there next month on a Sunday. We would need transportation to accommodate us and our luggage.  Mobility issues include a walker and we try to avoid stairs as much as possible.  We might just be sticking with the NCL bus tour!  

I've used them for 1 vehicle airport to hotel with 3 hr tour of NYC in 2018, also 2 separate vehicles for our group of 6 plus luggage and my small travelscoot scooter from airport to cruiseport and cruiseport back to airport in 2022 (didn't want to use the sprinter).  Will be booking again in Oct for our Bermuda cruise.  They were a lifesaver for me with our group.  I'm not a bus fan.  Communication was great,  I got in the vehicle at the airport and had zero worries after that.  Happy to answer any questions.  They also offer a 10% discount if you use code RIDENYC - don't miss that.

[navybankerteacher]

20 hours ago, najgreen said:

Yes, it is pricey!  The NCL excursion will cost us $1248, so if i can find a sprinter van to rent for a few hours that would be in the same ball-park price wise, would really like to not be part of the large bus load of people.  When I google I find plenty of companies that arrange transportation from the pier to the airport, but haven't found anyone yet to book a van for a longer period of time.  I appreciate everyone weighing in!!

Sounds nice, but do you really think you can get an exclusive ride, with a longer, tailor-made itinerary and throw in that “nice lunch” for the “same ball-park price”?

[princeton123211]

20 hours ago, markeb said:

For anyone who has, I'm "assuming" you need a pretty good idea where you want to go and for how long when you book? The Sprinter Van is more of a transportation company than a tour company, isn't it?

Not necessarily. This is called "as directed" in the industry and is just that-- you tell the driver where you want to go. No prior planning needed and you pay by the hour vs paying by the route.

 

If I were the OP I wouldn't assume that the driver will have the knowledge to be able to deliver a formal tour-- so I would have a few things you would like to see in mind as well as where you would like to go for lunch-- but other than that no prior planning is needed. 

[princeton123211]

24 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Sounds nice, but do you really think you can get an exclusive ride, with a longer, tailor-made itinerary and throw in that “nice lunch” for the “same ball-park price”?

Given that most of these Sprinter van options are $120-150 an hour with a 3 hour minimum, yes, I think its very possible to put together something around $1300 and would be a much better value and more comfortable than the NCL transfer.