Manhattan Cruise Terminal to EWR with an octagenarian

Hello,

We are coming in on NCL Gem on a Friday morning. My husband, myself and my mother are flying out of EWR at 3:00 p.m.

We could go straight to the airport...I think our cruise line has a shuttle to EWR...but we would be spending a lot time in the airport. But I have my mom and my luggage to think about, too. Mom is 88, and uses a walker to get around. She is mobile at a slow pace.

We'll have priority disembarkation...so I was thinking of taking a cab from the cruise terminal to midtown: maybe the Bryant Park/NY Library/Grand Central Station area (so mom can get her oysters) and then head to the airport. Oyster Bar opens at 11:30, so we would head out as soon as mom downed her dozen raw.

- So...am I biting off way more than I should?

- Am I leaving enough time to get to EWR from midtown?

- Is there a place we can check our bags at Grand Central?

- If not, has anyone used a luggage storage place? There is a Vertoe luggage storage place close to Bryant Park that is only $6.00 a bag.

- I have found a bus that goes to EWR (Newark Airport Express). Has anyone had any experience with this shuttle? How reliable is it?

- Does the shuttle take us to where we need to go to check in get rid of our luggage? Or do we need to take something else to get around the airport?

You will probably get more attention on the East Coast Departure Board.