Please help me plan my pre cruise needs for Cape Liberty

[jabrown40]

We are planning a cruise on Silhouette in 2025, leaving out of Cape Liberty.  We have never been to New York, so we'd like to arrive at least a  couple of days early, and see a few things.  We live in Orlando, I'm not even sure which airport to fly into in New York, and where to stay.  I'm thinking Manhattan is where most tourists go?  Considering a Broadway show.  It's overwhelming!  Also plan to take Uber or Lyft to the cruise port.  Fortunately we have a long time to plan.  And if there is a restaurant for dinner we should definitely make an effort for, please let me know!  (Except for pizza, I'm originally from Chicago, I can't handle the thin crust.)

[princeton123211]

8 minutes ago, jabrown40 said:

We have never been to New York, so we'd like to arrive at least a  couple of days early, and see a few things.

If you want to stay near most of the major sites in New York you'll want to consider staying in Midtown Manhattan. This will both provide you with easy access to the main parts of the city itself as well as an easy commute out to Cape Liberty which is in New Jersey. 

 

9 minutes ago, jabrown40 said:

We live in Orlando, I'm not even sure which airport to fly into in New York,

There are three: JFK (which is mainly long haul international plus some domestic), LaGuardia Airport (which is mainly domestic flights and is closest geographically to Manhattan), and Newark Liberty International (which is a mix of both international and domestic and is just over the river in New Jersey). The bottom line is it should come down to what airport has the best deal and most convenient flight for you. It doesn't make a huge difference which one you fly into. 

 

11 minutes ago, jabrown40 said:

and where to stay.

This is trickier-- what is your budget and needs? Manhattan literally has hundreds of hotels they are more expensive than most parts of the country. You have a range from budget to some of the finest luxury hotels in the world. We need more info to help you but I would look at Midtown, both East and West, as well as the Upper East Side. Personally I would try to avoid Times Square because of how touristy it is but some people think its part of the charm. 

 

14 minutes ago, jabrown40 said:

I'm thinking Manhattan is where most tourists go?  Considering a Broadway show.  It's overwhelming!

It is where most go (and where most of the major tourist sites are) but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. You have zero chance to even scratch the surface of seeing New York in 2-3 days of touring. Pick 5-8 things you want to see or experience and focus on those only. 

 

15 minutes ago, jabrown40 said:

Also plan to take Uber or Lyft to the cruise port.

A good option, especially since you are crossing over into New Jersey. 

 

16 minutes ago, jabrown40 said:

And if there is a restaurant for dinner we should definitely make an effort for, please let me know!  (Except for pizza, I'm originally from Chicago, I can't handle the thin crust.)

Again, way too broad. What interests you culinarily and what is your budget? New York has thousands of restaurants of all sorts of types and nationalities. You can have a fabulous meal for less than $30 per person and you can also have an incredible meal for $200-300 per person. The range is broad. Steakhouses are popular with visitors and New York has some good ones (Keen's is my personal favorite). But let us know what you are looking for and more pointed rec's can be made.

 

Pizza is subjective. I'm a former New Yorker who lived for 2 years in Chicago. Chicago offers cheesey deep dish Italian casseroles-- but there's no way a reasonable person can call that pizza. It's tasty-- but it isn't pizza. 

[markeb]

I was getting ready to write a reply, and got beaten to the punch completely! @princeton123211 is too fast. And I agree with pretty much everything they said. I'd add to look at flight options that go into LGA and leave from EWR. You're kind of making a steady westward progress that way and the NY-NJ and/or NJ-NY only happens once if you fly out of EWR, which will be your closest airport on return. And sometimes it's not much of a price difference.

 

Food is crazy. There are, for instance, 70 Michelin starred restaurants, 4 with the top 4-star rating, in Manhattan. Along with 92 Bib Gourmand restaurants. And then there are the literally thousand or more really good places to have a great meal. All price points and all cuisines. So a little more information would help.

 

And don't ignore New York pizza!

 

Also agree on the hotel thoughts, other than there are hotels that nibble at the edge of Times Square that get you very close to the theater district and some of well known restaurants but aren't "in" Times Square.

[jabrown40]

This is already helpful.  I'm hoping for 500-700 a night for hotels, and one "fancy" dinner.   Between Chicago and Orlando, we've had plenty of steak dinners. So maybe something more unique.  I do want a bagel from New York to check out its reputation!   Empire State, trade tower memorial, and Ellis island are tops on my list.

[princeton123211]

3 hours ago, jabrown40 said:

I'm hoping for 500-700 a night for hotels,

$500-700 a night will put you firmly into 4 star hotel+ territory depending on the time of year. You are too far out to book for 2025 but some top hotels in this category I would look at are the Intercontinental The Barclay, The Sherry Netherland, The Iroquois, The Algonquin, Bryant Park Hotel, or The Pendry Manhattan West. At the high end of your budget (or if you were able to snag a deal) if you were going to look at 5 star hotels the St Regis and The Carlyle are my favorites (the St Regis can be had for free on Bonvoy points or in the $400-500 range if you combine points and cash).

 

3 hours ago, jabrown40 said:

one "fancy" dinner.   Between Chicago and Orlando, we've had plenty of steak dinners. So maybe something more unique.

Le Bernadin (if you like seafood), Daniel, or Le Coucou would top my list for fine dining-- all would need reservations a couple months out. Gramercy Tavern, newly reopened Cafe Boulud, Harry Cipriani, or Raouls would be my favorite "fancy but comfortable" go to's. (While Raouls isnt a steakhouse per se, the famous dish there is a steak au poivre and its insanely good). 

 

3 hours ago, jabrown40 said:

I do want a bagel from New York to check out its reputation!

If you want just a regular bagel with cream cheese there is an H&H Bagel in Moyinhan Train Hall at Penn Station or Liberty Bagels on 58th between 5th and Madison. If you want the whole lox and bagel show head to Russ & Daughters Cafe on the Lower East Side. Righ around the corner there is another New York institution thats well worth a visit: Katz's Deli. 

 

3 hours ago, jabrown40 said:

Empire State, trade tower memorial, and Ellis island are tops on my list.

Empire State Building and the World Trade Center Memorial are easy enough-- depending on where you end of staying the ESB might be a brisk walk. The WTC Memorial will take you a bit of time to get downtown. Ellis Island requires a ferry and will take a good chunk of a day so just be forewarned. You might consider doing the WTC Memorial and Ellis Island on the same day as the ferry departs not far from the memorial. 

[jabrown40]

This was fantastic information, just what I was looking for!  Thank you!  I knew Ellis Island would take a while, but I feel like I have to see it.  We're not into art museums, and have visited other museums elsewhere, so not an issue.  Also not worried about shopping.

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, jabrown40 said:

This was fantastic information, just what I was looking for!  Thank you!  I knew Ellis Island would take a while, but I feel like I have to see it.  We're not into art museums, and have visited other museums elsewhere, so not an issue.  Also not worried about shopping.

Book it in advance and be prepared for a long security line. I felt it was worth it to book a pedestal ticket for the SOL (I’ve been several times but only went inside the SOL on our last visit).

[markeb]

3 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

Le Bernadin (if you like seafood), Daniel, or Le Coucou would top my list for fine dining-- all would need reservations a couple months out.

 

3 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

If you want just a regular bagel with cream cheese there is an H&H Bagel in Moyinhan Train Hall at Penn Station

 

Music to my ears...

 

Another hotel to consider, especially if you do chose Le Bernardin, is the Michelangelo. It is literally across the street from Le Bernardin. It's a somewhat old school "Italianate" hotel, but it's very nice and rooms are typically larger than most in Manhattan.

 

Le Bernardin opens reservations at 7:00 am Eastern time on the first day of the month for the following month online and through the Resy app. So for instance, on Monday at 7:00 am, they'll open reservations for the month of February. Reservations for weekend dinners will probably be gone by 9:00 am. Keep that in mind if you seriously want to book it. Dinner reservations in Manhattan are a competitive sport for the better known locations. And, yes, I absolutely love Le Bernardin. You pay for the experience, but it's an amazing experience. Aldo Sohm's wine bar next door is also very nice. The only time we've been there, we were sort of shocked to see Eric Ripert (chef at Le Bernardin) and Aldo both walk by. I've not eaten at the other two, but they have great reputations. 

 

H&H Bagel in Moynihan Train hall is surprisingly good for bagels (OK, I'm not a native New Yorker, but I really like them) and they're accessible.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

Book it in advance and be prepared for a long security line. I felt it was worth it to book a pedestal ticket for the SOL (I’ve been several times but only went inside the SOL on our last visit).

Just to be sure the OP is not confused: the OP said they want to visit Ellis Island, not the Statue of Liberty.  (It’s the same ferry, two different islands.) 

 

I agree that it would be worth visiting the SOL. 

[jabrown40]

Wow, appears I need to do my research!  I didn't even realize they were separate.  

[mjkacmom]

24 minutes ago, jabrown40 said:

Wow, appears I need to do my research!  I didn't even realize they were separate.  

The ferry goes to both islands, and then back to Manhattan. You can stay on or get off. Statue cruises is the only company that goes to the islands, and you need to book in advance. When figuring out your timing allow at least an hour for the security line.

[princeton123211]

2 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

I agree that it would be worth visiting the SOL. 

 

1 hour ago, jabrown40 said:

Wow, appears I need to do my research!  I didn't even realize they were separate.

I'll be the naysayer here and say that personally I think the Statue is best viewed from the water and that spending the time to visit, when you only have a few days in town, might not be the best use of that time. Ellis Island on the other hand needs to be visited and experienced to be appreciated. 

[mjkacmom]

25 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

 

I'll be the naysayer here and say that personally I think the Statue is best viewed from the water and that spending the time to visit, when you only have a few days in town, might not be the best use of that time. Ellis Island on the other hand needs to be visited and experienced to be appreciated. 

Yes to view the statue, I used to think even getting off the ferry was a waste but went with another family the last time and I really appreciated the inside of the statue (there was a museum there at the time but I think it’s been moved outside the statue), and the views from the pedestal were amazing (the previous weekend we did the WTC observatory so the opposite views). I live less than 20 miles from liberty state park and WTC so I’ve been several times. EI was really cool before being renovated, they offer a hard hat tour of the areas not renovated that I think would be very interesting. Another good pairing is the tenement museum.

[princeton123211]

7 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

I used to think even getting off the ferry was a waste but went with another family the last time and I really appreciated the inside of the statue (there was a museum there at the time but I think it’s been moved outside the statue), and the views from the pedestal were amazing (the previous weekend we did the WTC observatory so the opposite views). I live less than 20 miles from liberty state park and WTC so I’ve been several times.

Which I agree with and if I lived 20 miles from Liberty State Park I would feel the same. But for someone visiting New York City, staying in Midtown, and set on visiting Ellis Island for a good part of the day, a stop at the Statue of Liberty wouldn't be my top priority. 

[lenquixote66]

On 12/28/2023 at 5:25 PM, princeton123211 said:

If you want to stay near most of the major sites in New York you'll want to consider staying in Midtown Manhattan. This will both provide you with easy access to the main parts of the city itself as well as an easy commute out to Cape Liberty which is in New Jersey. 

 

There are three: JFK (which is mainly long haul international plus some domestic), LaGuardia Airport (which is mainly domestic flights and is closest geographically to Manhattan), and Newark Liberty International (which is a mix of both international and domestic and is just over the river in New Jersey). The bottom line is it should come down to what airport has the best deal and most convenient flight for you. It doesn't make a huge difference which one you fly into. 

 

This is trickier-- what is your budget and needs? Manhattan literally has hundreds of hotels they are more expensive than most parts of the country. You have a range from budget to some of the finest luxury hotels in the world. We need more info to help you but I would look at Midtown, both East and West, as well as the Upper East Side. Personally I would try to avoid Times Square because of how touristy it is but some people think its part of the charm. 

 

It is where most go (and where most of the major tourist sites are) but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. You have zero chance to even scratch the surface of seeing New York in 2-3 days of touring. Pick 5-8 things you want to see or experience and focus on those only. 

 

A good option, especially since you are crossing over into New Jersey. 

 

Again, way too broad. What interests you culinarily and what is your budget? New York has thousands of restaurants of all sorts of types and nationalities. You can have a fabulous meal for less than $30 per person and you can also have an incredible meal for $200-300 per person. The range is broad. Steakhouses are popular with visitors and New York has some good ones (Keen's is my personal favorite). But let us know what you are looking for and more pointed rec's can be made.

 

Pizza is subjective. I'm a former New Yorker who lived for 2 years in Chicago. Chicago offers cheesey deep dish Italian casseroles-- but there's no way a reasonable person can call that pizza. It's tasty-- but it isn't pizza. 

 

On 12/30/2023 at 11:59 PM, princeton123211 said:

Which I agree with and if I lived 20 miles from Liberty State Park I would feel the same. But for someone visiting New York City, staying in Midtown, and set on visiting Ellis Island for a good part of the day, a stop at the Statue of Liberty wouldn't be my top priority. 

Technically speaking there are 5 and not 3 airports that one can fly into NY from Orlando.There is MacArthur and Westchester airports both have daily flights to and from Orlando.

[princeton123211]

11 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

echnically speaking there are 5 and not 3 airports that one can fly into NY from Orlando.There is MacArthur and Westchester airports both have daily flights to and from Orlando.

If we are getting technical then you are leaving out Teterboro Airport. In the realm of reality, with HPN being over an hour to Midtown and MacArthur being at very least an hour and a half (on a good day), I wouldn’t expect them to be viable options for a visitor coming in for a day or two the same as I didn’t make the assumption that flying into TEB privately was viable for them. If there are any savings they are easily wiped out by significant transportation costs (not to mention time wasted). 

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

If we are getting technical then you are leaving out Teterboro Airport. In the realm of reality, with HPN being over an hour to Midtown and MacArthur being at very least an hour and a half (on a good day), I wouldn’t expect them to be viable options for a visitor coming in for a day or two the same as I didn’t make the assumption that flying into TEB privately was viable for them. If there are any savings they are easily wiped out by significant transportation costs (not to mention time wasted). 

I never know idea of the geographical location of Teterboro.

Last month a friend of mine living in Orlando flew to MacArthur and took a leisurely drive to Manhattan.

The first time I was going to Houston people talked me into flying to Hobby Airport which has much less congestion that the main airport.

[princeton123211]

8 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I never know idea of the geographical location of Teterboro.

It's just to the North of the Meadowlands sports complex-- generally an easy, quick ride into Manhattan BUT you cant fly into it commercially. I was being tongue in cheek when I mentioned it. 

 

9 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Last month a friend of mine living in Orlando flew to MacArthur and took a leisurely drive to Manhattan.

It's a leisurely 1.5-2 hour ride into Manhattan. MacArthur is a Long Island airport-- its not in New York City or really even close to it. The reason I'm belaboring the point here is that I wouldn't want to be from out of town and think that MacArthur is close to New York when you have Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK much closer. 

 

11 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

The first time I was going to Houston people talked me into flying to Hobby Airport which has much less congestion that the main airport.

Which works well in some places-- but Hobby is only about 15 minutes from downtown and the main airport is about the same in Houston. I try and fly into Chicago Midway when I can to avoid O'Hare, but Midway is both smaller and closer to downtown which is why its great. 

 

MacArthur is not any of these-- its an airport that services Long Island that is a significant distance to Midtown Manhattan. 

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, princeton123211 said:

It's just to the North of the Meadowlands sports complex-- generally an easy, quick ride into Manhattan BUT you cant fly into it commercially. I was being tongue in cheek when I mentioned it. 

 

It's a leisurely 1.5-2 hour ride into Manhattan. MacArthur is a Long Island airport-- its not in New York City or really even close to it. The reason I'm belaboring the point here is that I wouldn't want to be from out of town and think that MacArthur is close to New York when you have Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK much closer. 

 

Which works well in some places-- but Hobby is only about 15 minutes from downtown and the main airport is about the same in Houston. I try and fly into Chicago Midway when I can to avoid O'Hare, but Midway is both smaller and closer to downtown which is why its great. 

 

MacArthur is not any of these-- its an airport that services Long Island that is a significant distance to Midtown Manhattan. 

I’ve had many 1 1/2 - 2 hour drives on LI, I wouldn’t describe them as leisurely though. I’ve lived in northeast NJ my entire life and have only used the 3 NYC airports. I know some friends down in south jersey have used a/c, and I do see teterboro commuter planes fly overhead every morning and evening.

[princeton123211]

9 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I’ve had many 1 1/2 - 2 hour drives on LI, I wouldn’t describe them as leisurely though. I’ve lived in northeast NJ my entire life and have only used the 3 NYC airports. I know some friends down in south jersey have used a/c, and I do see teterboro commuter planes fly overhead every morning and evening.

I'm in complete agreement-- I was responding to the other poster who was grouping Westchester and MacArthur in as NYC airports-- which they are not. 

[jabrown40]

Is there any benefit from Orlando choosing between JFK or La Guardia pre cruise?  I'm thinking I'll fly home from Newark after disembarking.

[princeton123211]

48 minutes ago, jabrown40 said:

Is there any benefit from Orlando choosing between JFK or La Guardia pre cruise?

Not a major difference-- I would be more concerned about air fare than which airport. LaGuardia is closer to Manhattan but JFK isn't the end of the world (and JFK does have fixed rate taxis). Honestly I would just pick the one of the 3 that provides the best overall price for your air fare. 

[jabrown40]

Thanks, just the info I need!

[meadowlander]

20 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

 

Technically speaking there are 5 and not 3 airports that one can fly into NY from Orlando.There is MacArthur and Westchester airports both have daily flights to and from Orlando.

Technically speaking you are leaving out  Trenton-Mercer airport, which has daily flights to Orlando, and is also a 90-120 minute drive from NYC.

 

One could add Philadelphia International and Bradley in Hartford if they fancy a 2 hour plus drive after flying.

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, meadowlander said:

Technically speaking you are leaving out  Trenton-Mercer airport, which has daily flights to Orlando, and is also a 90-120 minute drive from NYC.

 

One could add Philadelphia International and Bradley in Hartford if they fancy a 2 hour plus drive after flying.

I have never heard of any of the above airports.