"NY by Land and Sea" excursion experiences

[jcathers1]

We are sailing on the Meraviglia this November and are considering one of the NY site seeing excursions on our disembarkation day. We don't need to be at the airport until around 5:00pm, so we are looking for something to occupy our time. Anyone have experience with these excursions (there is another called "NY Highlight Drive"). 

 

We are also open to other ways of occupying our time before we head to the airport, but these seemed like a good idea because we will have a place to stow our luggage. Thoughts or recommendations?

[jcathers1]

Bumping this in case anyone can share their experiences.

 

Also, generally looking for guidance on how to manage disembarkation day. We have an early evening flight 5:00ish. So there would be time for us to do something in the city if we wanted. Just not sure what makes most sense. I've seen recommendations to either get a car/driver for several hours or just to go to the airport early and buy a day pass to a VIP lounge. If we did that, is Uber the best way to get to the airport? I know how busy/congested POM can be on disembarkation day, so I can't imagine what it's like in Brooklyn. 

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

[JamieLogical]

Uber/Lyft from the terminal isn't bad. Surge prices can get high, obviously, but you might be able to mitigate that some by scheduling in advance. My Lyft from the Brooklyn Terminal to LGA last week was $58 plus tip. Wait time was ~7 minutes.

 

I am sorry I don't have any info for you about the excursion.

[markwfpb]

I lived in Manhattan for years and go back to the city now and then. I know the ins and outs of the various public transit options. And (assuming they guarantee your airport arrival time) I'd jump at the chance to see the city and not worry about luggage. If nothing else, you'll get a sense of whether you'd like to spend a few days there before or after your cruise next time.

If you want to do it on your own, there are various spots you can store luggage for several hours - you can find them online (but check reviews, of course!). If you decide to go that route, research what part of the city you'd like to explore and head there. You probably won't have time to go to multiple spots dragging luggage. If you're flying out of JFK or La Guardia, you may want to just stay in Brooklyn to see the sights or hit lower Manhattan. Going to midtown or further uptown would eat up more transit time and add to the travel expense. If you're flying out of EWR, you'd still probably wouldn't want to venture more uptown than the Village. Just my opinion, of course!

A totally different option is pushing your flight back a day (or more) and head directly there when you disembark. Spend the day and night then head to the airport for your flight. The hotel bellman can hold your bag before check-in and after checkout!

[markwfpb]

I drilled down to your two excursion options on the msc site.

https://www.msccruises.co.za/our-cruises/destinations/united-states-canada/united-states/new-york

 

Your original "Land and Sea" choice looks much more exciting than "NY Highlights" which focuses on the 9/11 Memorial. I know you'll have just been at sea for a week or more, but seeing the city from the water never gets old.