Advise on excursions in NYC

I am sailing on the Celebrity Eclipse broadway to beaches cruise in November.

I was wondering whether anyone had any advice as to whether it is better to book excursions before hand or wait to see what is available near the ship. I have been looking at some of the excursions and they say that they are if a moderate intensity, one of the members of the party requires a walking stick for long distances so I am wondering whether these would be suitable. Any advice would be appreciated.

I am sailing on the Celebrity Eclipse broadway to beaches cruise in November.

I was wondering whether anyone had any advice as to whether it is better to book excursions before hand or wait to see what is available near the ship. I have been looking at some of the excursions and they say that they are if a moderate intensity, one of the members of the party requires a walking stick for long distances so I am wondering whether these would be suitable. Any advice would be appreciated.

There are hundreds of NYC excursions you can book on your own without the cruiseline's help that will save you money.

Check the "East Coast Departures" board here at Cruise Critic for a wealth of info.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Go to Central Park. Doesn't cost a thing to sit and people watch. Visit the Central Park Zoo. Go to the Boat Basin. Have lunch at the Cafe.

Bethesda Fountain. The Mall walk.

Delacorte Theater.

So much to do!!

http://www.centralparknyc.org

~Robin

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

I am sailing on the Celebrity Eclipse broadway to beaches cruise in November.

I was wondering whether anyone had any advice as to whether it is better to book excursions before hand or wait to see what is available near the ship. I have been looking at some of the excursions and they say that they are if a moderate intensity, one of the members of the party requires a walking stick for long distances so I am wondering whether these would be suitable. Any advice would be appreciated.

One ides would be, since one of your party members needs walking stick, maybe a Hop on Hop off bus would be nice (but just stay on the bus) for the entire loop and you'll get a nice overview of the city.

http://www.newyorksightseeing.com/

http://www.newyorkpass.com/En/bus-tour-packages/

http://www.nyc.com/guided_tours/new_york_city_hop_on_hop_off_bus_tour__all_loops.76219/editorial_review.aspx

You can also get discount tickets for Broadway shows on the day of the performance in Times Square at the TKTS booth and some sites will let you purchase the discount tickets in advance.

http://www.entertainment-link.com/tkts.asp

Check out the East Coast Department forum, there is helpful information on NYC.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=415

I think this is the sailing that is a TA from England to Fla and NYC is the first port of call, yes? IF so, how long will you be in NYC? Will you be there overnight? If you check out the ship's excursions, you might be able to do something similar on your own. I'd check out a few NYC guidebooks and narrow down what you might like to see and plan your time in the city accordingly. With some pre-planning to make the most use of your time and using the subway system, you could cover a good bit of territory inexpensively. Doing it on your own would also allow you to spend at much (or as little) time at any site you might have earmarked for a visit.

Ferry http://www.statuecruises.com/schedule.aspx

Central Park http://www.centralpark.com/

Times Square http://www.nyctourist.com/times-square.php

HOHO bus http://www.nyc.com/guided_tours/new_york_city_hop_on_hop_off_bus_tour__all_loops.76219/editorial_review.aspx

I am sailing on the Celebrity Eclipse broadway to beaches cruise in November.

I was wondering whether anyone had any advice as to whether it is better to book excursions before hand or wait to see what is available near the ship. I have been looking at some of the excursions and they say that they are if a moderate intensity, one of the members of the party requires a walking stick for long distances so I am wondering whether these would be suitable. Any advice would be appreciated.

The NY See It All! Tour is the best tour in NYC because it covers Manhattan Island from Central Park down to Wall Street. One of the highlights of the tour is a ride on the World Famous Staten Island Ferry.

There are so many sights to see.

Have fun

You can do so much spur of the moment and use a cab or service car gives you individual stuff

I'd wait and do at port

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I wouldn't recommend a ship excursion in NYC. It seems so unnecessary. Folks have tossed out some good ideas here already. NYC is an expensive city but many things are free, like the Staten Island Ferry - so why would you pay for a tour for something that is free?

My advice is to figure out what is a "must see" for you and then plan to do that. If you have mobility issues it may be easiest to take cabs, even though the subway is great and I usually recommend tourists not be intimidated and give it a shot, not all the subway stops are accessible.

If you go on your own you also have the ability to go at your own pace. I've seen some folks that have mobility issues really struggle to keep up with ship tours and have felt terrible for them. Some guides are considerate but others are not, that's the thing with ship tours, it's pretty hit or miss IME whether you get a good guide.