Time to Travel from CT/RI to Brooklyn Peir?

[Cruisekitty1977]

Going on the Crown Princess on Thursday 7/5/07

 

My husband, myself, and another couple are going to stay over a friends house on the 4th of July who lives in Mystic, CT (of Mystic Pizza Fame) which is on the border of RI. The next day, we are driving to New York for the cruise. Per Mapquest, it states that it will take approximately 2 1/2 driving time to get to the port. My questions are these:

 

1) Being from Northern New England, I have only been to NYC once. I know that I can star embarking at 1pm, however, what time should we leave Mystic to account for traffic in NYC? We would like to get there as close to 1pm as possible

 

2) Being the day after a major holiday, does NYC have a lot of traffic the next day? Are a lot of people at work or taking a long weekend? This will probably also be a factor.

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

I hope you get the answers your are looking for here, but if not- try the east coast departures board. :) Good luck

[willysgrandma]

July 5th is a workday - I would give myself plenty of time from CT. The BQE is pretty slow moving most work days.

 

If it were me, I'd leave by 9 AM at the very latest - You can start boarding the ship usually around noon. Mapquest doesn't take into effect the traffic snarls or the constant construction.

[smeyer418]

while July 5th is a workday, many people take that week off. Mapquest may be right if you make no stops. But I would leave more time. My summer home used to be in Westbook CT which is near OLd Saybrook- the other side of the CT River from Mystic(and a few miles as well). On a Sunday night it used to take us exactly two hours to get home(no stops) but I would leave at 9 am as the person above suggested.

I 95 to the Merritt to the Hutchinson River Parkway to the Whitestone Bridge to Grand Central to the LIE towards Manhattan to the BQE....

[iteachny]

I really have no idea if this is a good suggestion or not, simply going to throw it out there...

 

Could you possible take a ferry across the Long Island Sound onto Long Island then drive to Brooklyn? I feel as though you'd be saving a lot of driving distance if you went that way. Plus, the traffic from Long Island towards Brooklyn might not be as bad as going through Manhattan towards Brooklyn. However, I don't know how long a ferry takes to cross the Sound...and then there's the added expensive of it...whatever, just a suggestion. :D

[barbels]

Ferry? What ferry? If there is one, it's not a good idea.

 

It's never easy to predict traffic conditions. July 5 is a work day, but my guess is that traffic will be much lighter than usual. It's always noticeably better in the summer and this should be a big vacation week.

 

If I were you I'd leave at 9am. You'll probably make it to the port just in time to board.

[willysgrandma]

I really have no idea if this is a good suggestion or not, simply going to throw it out there...

 

Could you possible take a ferry across the Long Island Sound onto Long Island then drive to Brooklyn? I feel as though you'd be saving a lot of driving distance if you went that way. Plus, the traffic from Long Island towards Brooklyn might not be as bad as going through Manhattan towards Brooklyn. However, I don't know how long a ferry takes to cross the Sound...and then there's the added expensive of it...whatever, just a suggestion. :D

 

You won't be saving time - from Pt. Jeff it is probably a 2 hour drive to Brooklyn plus whatever travel time the ferry is. I'd go the route smeyer gave.

[smeyer418]

Ferry? What ferry? If there is one, it's not a good idea.

 

It's never easy to predict traffic conditions. July 5 is a work day, but my guess is that traffic will be much lighter than usual. It's always noticeably better in the summer and this should be a big vacation week.

 

If I were you I'd leave at 9am. You'll probably make it to the port just in time to board.

 

 

The Ferry is from New London to Orient point. Its a nice ride takes an hour plus lining up etc. and then you have a two and half hour ride(if no traffic) from Orient Point to the Brooklyn Terminal...you will cover literally one end of Long Island to the its other end. Its at least 110 miles on Long Island with at least 55 miles on the LIE also known as the longest parking lot in the world...Its a great ride past wineries and a great farm bakery.....if you have all day.

[crazy4cruzin]

CruiseKitty - count on more like 3 to 3 1/2 hours. The BQE seems to always be a nightmare. I would also suggest leaving by 9:00am and getting to the port by noon as the cruise lines usually begin boarding by noon. I usually like to start the cruise with a nice lunch and getting unpacked before the sailaway party begins and the muster drill.