Manhattan cruise help

Good morning we fly into Newark Friday September 1 in the morning we plan to check into a hotel (or drop our bags at said hotel) and then we really want to see 911 memorial, empire state building and times square and also a wee bit of shopping. We need to be at the Manhattan cruise terminal for the Carnival Sunshine by 1 ish on Saturday September 2nd. Any suggestions on where in Manhattan to stay and is my itinerary doable? What order even would I plan to see the bucket list items? Thanks so much. Hotel budget is 300 max. Also transportation from newark to hotel best options? Will have 2 backpacks and a carry on suite case each (2 of us)

Good morning we fly into Newark Friday September 1 in the morning we plan to check into a hotel (or drop our bags at said hotel) and then we really want to see 911 memorial, empire state building and times square and also a wee bit of shopping. We need to be at the Manhattan cruise terminal for the Carnival Sunshine by 1 ish on Saturday September 2nd. Any suggestions on where in Manhattan to stay and is my itinerary doable? What order even would I plan to see the bucket list items? Thanks so much. Hotel budget is 300 max. Also transportation from newark to hotel best options? Will have 2 backpacks and a carry on suite case each (2 of us)

You're in luck. Sep 1 is the Friday before Labor Day and there are many hotels within your budget. What kind of shopping do you want to do? Macy's? 5th Ave? What is the priority of the items on your itinerary? What time dies your flight arrive?

If you want to make a cancellable reservation right now, look at the La Quinta on 32nd St - near the Empire State, New York Penn Station, Macy's, and 5th Ave with good subway connections for $199 + tax. Meanwhile you can get suggestions from folks about other hotels and what you should do.

My first suggestion would be to take the train from the airport to New York Penn Station $13/pp) and walk to the La Quinta. Go to the 911 Memorial first, then the Empire State, and spend the evening in Times Square. Shop on Sat morning. If the weather isn't good, swap the Empire State and the shopping.

Thanks so much ! Our flight arrives at 10 am ..and of course macys is more of the budget I had in mind.

The La Quinta is in a great location for what you want to do. Unless you're desperate for a full service hotel, the location and price Carol's quoting would be very hard to beat, especially with a limited time. There's a Courtyard by Marriott on 35th that I've stayed at that shows a $185 +tax AAA/CAA "hot deal" that's also an easy walk from Penn Station (no free breakfast at Courtyard).

A couple of things to keep in mind. I'm assuming you want to go up the Empire State Building. It's actually open until 2:00 a.m. (last elevator at 1:15). Hours posted here. They actually suggest visiting from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to minimize crowds. If the weather's good the first evening, I'd probably go on up, just in case...

Macy's is open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; there's actually quite a bit of shopping in the immediate Herald Square area, depending on what you're thinking. If you just want to experience Times Square, it's going to be bustling well into the evening. If you want to grab a bite, I might go a little later after the theater crowd clears (most shows are at 8:00). If there's something you really want to shop for, let us know.

macys is more of the budget I had in mind.

And don't forget that Macy's gives a discount to out-of-town visitors: http://www.visitmacysusa.com/visitor-savings-pass

Thanks so much