Inexpensive hotel New York/NJ

Hello all,

We are going on cruise out of Mahatten in Oct 2012. Looking for an inexpensive hotel (if there is such a thing)

We have only been to NY once for an overnight stay and we were in NJ.

We would like to see some sights in NY before the cruise.

Not even sure how to go about all this...... Like where do we keep our bags the day of the cruise after checking out of the hotel, while we sight see? Transporation to the pier?

would like to buy some soda's for the cruise, where?:confused:

I read some stuff about the path, and the busses, but taking your luggage? Is this doable?

Any help on the questions would be great.

You're sailing Oct 14, right? What is your $$$ budget? Are you flying or driving to NY? Airport? What date and time are you arriving?

Hello all,

 

We are going on cruise out of Mahatten in Oct 2012. Looking for an inexpensive hotel (if there is such a thing)

We have only been to NY once for an overnight stay and we were in NJ.

We would like to see some sights in NY before the cruise.

Not even sure how to go about all this...... Like where do we keep our bags the day of the cruise after checking out of the hotel, while we sight see? Transporation to the pier?

would like to buy some soda's for the cruise, where?:confused:

I read some stuff about the path, and the busses, but taking your luggage? Is this doable?

 

Any help on the questions would be great.

Inexpensive and New York aren't really very compatible. While New Jersey would be considerably cheaper, it's obviously more of a transportation hassle (and expense) to get from there to the Manhattan terminal. You have to decide how much you're willing to pay for convenience.

That said, by using the trick I detail in this post: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=34238037&postcount=6, you can get the Algonquin Hotel - where I stayed for our NCL Bermuda cruise last fall - for $236.58; while not exactly cheap, understand that they are charging $599 for that night, so you're getting it at a considerable discount. And it's very close to the pier, so I doubt a taxi would be very expensive (we had our car).

Try calling the San Carlos Hotel. We have them for our cruise hotel. :)

Hello all,

 

We are going on cruise out of Mahatten in Oct 2012. Looking for an inexpensive hotel (if there is such a thing)

We have only been to NY once for an overnight stay and we were in NJ.

We would like to see some sights in NY before the cruise.

Not even sure how to go about all this...... Like where do we keep our bags the day of the cruise after checking out of the hotel, while we sight see? Transporation to the pier?

would like to buy some soda's for the cruise, where?:confused:

I read some stuff about the path, and the busses, but taking your luggage? Is this doable?

 

Any help on the questions would be great.

Trying to sight-see the morning of the cruise? Not a lot of time... but you could either leave your luggage at the hotel, then have a taxi stop by the hotel to pick up your bags on the way to the port... or go to the port early and check your bags in while your taxi waits for you at the departures curb.

m--

Hello all,

 

We are going on cruise out of Mahatten in Oct 2012. Looking for an inexpensive hotel (if there is such a thing)

We have only been to NY once for an overnight stay and we were in NJ.

We would like to see some sights in NY before the cruise.

Not even sure how to go about all this...... Like where do we keep our bags the day of the cruise after checking out of the hotel, while we sight see? Transporation to the pier?

would like to buy some soda's for the cruise, where?:confused:

I read some stuff about the path, and the busses, but taking your luggage? Is this doable?

 

Any help on the questions would be great.

We live in the area but we do visit Manhattan from time to time. I stayed at a Holiday Inn on 57th St & 10th Ave for a show I was working at pier 92. It is a short walk (or cab ride) to the passenger ship terminal. Hotel is ok. Nothing great but the location to the pier is good. When you check out, you can leave the bags with the bell man. When you return from sightseeing, you will only be a few blocks from the ship. We've also stayed at Fairfield Inn, 40th and 9th, and Comfort Inn on 45th and 9th. With such a limited amount of time, why on earth would you stay in New Jersey? I assume you won't have a car but if you do, the rate which could run about $50 at the hotels or leave the car at the pier for $30 per nite. Private garages abound. You can go online for discount coupons. Try ICON and Central. If you stay on the Jersey side across the river, there are passenger ferries that transit to all hours. That may be an option.

Have fun...

We will arrive around noon on that Saturday. Not sure which airport we will arrive, as I won the airline tickets at a funraiser auction.

We leave out of the Mahatten pier.

Really wanted to see the 911 memorial and some of the other landmarks.

Budget is low..........

Dont really care if the hotel is 5 star, just clean, and safe.

Hey there,

I would love to PM you about NY, but I cant find where I would do so.

My work email is montie@bassprinting.net when you have time, could you send me an email please?

thanks,

Montie

Hey there,

 

I would love to PM you about NY, but I cant find where I would do so.

 

My work email is montie@bassprinting.net when you have time, could you send me an email please?

 

thanks,

Montie

there is no way to PM on this site.....

give us a ballpark of dollars when you say budget is low...you are not going to find a room for $100. And if you're leaving out of Manhattan, you want to fly INTO either JFK or LGA if possible...while EWR (newark) is really close to NYC, getting into the city can be expensive unless you are traveling light and want to use mass transit...

Try calling the San Carlos Hotel. We have them for our cruise hotel. :)

I wish I had your budget!:D $400 a nite for my cruise dates...but the hotel looks very nice.

Would like to find a hotel for under $200.00.

Will have one checked suitcase, one carry on. Dont mind the transit.

I do have a bum foot, and hard to walk real far, like more than a mile at one time, but still would like to see all we can while there.

there is no way to PM on this site.....

 

give us a ballpark of dollars when you say budget is low...you are not going to find a room for $100. And if you're leaving out of Manhattan, you want to fly INTO either JFK or LGA if possible...while EWR (newark) is really close to NYC, getting into the city can be expensive unless you are traveling light and want to use mass transit...

I have to respectfully disagree. There is an inexpensive and convenient way to get into midtown Manhattan from EWR on the Coach USA/Olympia airport bus, $16 one way or $28 round trip, so if the best airfare is into EWR, by all means it should be taken advantage of.

http://www.coachusa.com/olympia/ss.newarkairport.asp

Would like to find a hotel for under $200.00.

Will have one checked suitcase, one carry on. Dont mind the transit.

 

I do have a bum foot, and hard to walk real far, like more than a mile at one time, but still would like to see all we can while there.

No one can give you an accurate answer without knowing the exact date(s) of your hotel stay. In Manhattan, $200 per night is often the dividing line between hotels that are OK and those that people are reluctant to recommend, and sometimes to get that price level you have to be willing to book on Hotwire, which means not knowing the exact hotel until after you book and pay...but again it's idle speculation without knowing the date you need.

To find a room for under 200 during the summer is a challenge. However, if you are willing to take mass transit vs a cab from the airport to your hotel, you can apply that money towards the hotel. I assume you are arriving on Saturday for a Sunday departure from the passenger ship terminal in Manhattan.

In any event, I would stay on the west side in the area where the hotels I mentioned are located. The bus from Newark goes directly to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Ave & 42nd st. From there you can walk to the hotel. (save money). If you arrive via JFK there is the air train. For $5.00 it will take you to Jamaica Station where you can catch either the LIRR and travel in style to Penn Station, 33rd & 7th for an additional 4-5 dollars or take the E subway on the lower level for $2.25 each. It depends where your hotel is. You may save a few bucks finding a room near Penn Station vs. Times Square area. If you are flying into LaGuardia, you are screwed as the only practical way is by taxi. There is mass transit via bus but it takes forever and you have a limited time here.

Also, by taking the subway (8th Ave line E train), it will take you directly to the World Trade Center Station for $2.25 each. When it's time to go to the ship, it's a short cab ride or you can hoof it in about 15 minutes (downhill). The date is the key. When is the sailing and what airport will you be arriving at.

Sorry,

We arrive on Saturday Oct 13th, the cruise is on the 14th.

OP-you mentioned wanting to go to the 911 Memorial. Make sure you go on-line and make a reservation and print your passes. These will be needed for you to enter.

Since you are arriving at noon, that allows you some time to get to the Memorial. The latest pass they have for the 13th is 5pm.......the line can be long to get in. You have to go through security just like at an airport, so this takes some time.

The others have given really good info on hotels, transportation, etc, but if you can, try and find out which airport you'll be flying in to. That really is going to be key on you finding a hotel and determining your transportation needs. It can take a really good amount of time to get from Point A to Point B in the city. However, with your budget, the Times Square area probably won't be an option. There really are no "inexpensive" hotels in NYC at all, but especially the Times Square area.

You also mentioned sightseeing the day of your cruise. What are your plans for this day? Just be very careful in going too far from the port. Getting around NYC is not like hopping in our cars and driving down to the mall.:D. I would not venture off far from the port that morning. You can see the port from the top of the Empire State Building, so I would just recommend you stay pretty close. :)

Have a wonderful time in the city! We just love it there!! Oh and yeah, have a great cruise too!!

Sorry,

 

We arrive on Saturday Oct 13th, the cruise is on the 14th.

Checking that date on hotels.com and hotwire.com, I don't see an acceptable hotel in Manhattan for under $200. If you are willing to pay slightly more, say in the $225-250 range there's a decent selection.

You might want to search these booking engines yourself to see what's available...just be careful to filter out the hotels that are not actually in Manhattan.

Did everyone overlook the fact that the OP WON the airline tickets in a raffle and has NO IDEA which airport they are flying in to? And also has no idea what TIME they are arriving at any of the NYC airports.

IF by chance the airport is EWR (Newark), I would stay on the NJ side. MUCH cheaper hotels. Take a taxi from the airport to a hotel in Secaucus. $35 + tip There is an entire list of hotels attached to the info about the fare. Priceline BIDDING/Hotwire is your friend for an inexpensive, very nice hotel in the Secaucus area. http://www.secaucustaxi.com/

Get to the hotel. Drop off your luggage. Take the 320 bus into Manhattan. Very, very cheap and leaves you in the middle of all the action. Then you can take the hop on/hop off bus tour or figure out your own way to get where you want to go-subway/taxi/bus.

The day of your cruise, in the immediate area of most of the hotels, there is a Walmart and Sam's, so that takes care of you soda/water needs.

IF you can schlepp your luggage on the bus, a cheap way to get into Manhattan. Then a $10.00 taxi ride to the port. BUT since you want sodas/water, I would also call Secaucus taxi for a ride to the port. Drop your luggage and sodas, and go sightsee again until it is time to get on the ship.

To figure the prices-$100-125 for a hotel and that is for the better hotels, $90 for transport from the airport to a Secaucus hotel and to the cruise port. Approx $10pp for the bus to and from Manhattan and intra city transport for sightseeing on public transport. So you have spent about $200-225 accomplishing just about everything you want.

A decent hotel in Manhattan will cost you AT LEAST $200. AND if you fly into EWR, you will have AT LEAST $30 in transport costs just to get into Manhattan (Coach USA bus from the airport). Then you still have to get to your hotel which may or may not be walkable from the bus drop off.

Just about the same scenario if you are flying into JFK or LGA. $200 for a hotel, $30-35 for a cab from LGA to your Manhattan hotel, $60 for transport from JFK to Manhattan.

Your choice but if this is really a budget trip, I would stay in Secaucus, take the bus into Manhattan for sightseeing and use Secaucus taxi for transport from the airport and to the cruise port.

Did everyone overlook the fact that the OP WON the airline tickets in a raffle and has NO IDEA which airport they are flying in to? And also has no idea what TIME they are arriving at any of the NYC airports.

 

IF by chance the airport is EWR (Newark), I would stay on the NJ side. MUCH cheaper hotels. Take a taxi from the airport to a hotel in Secaucus. $35 + tip There is an entire list of hotels attached to the info about the fare. Priceline BIDDING/Hotwire is your friend for an inexpensive, very nice hotel in the Secaucus area. http://www.secaucustaxi.com/

 

Get to the hotel. Drop off your luggage. Take the 320 bus into Manhattan. Very, very cheap and leaves you in the middle of all the action. Then you can take the hop on/hop off bus tour or figure out your own way to get where you want to go-subway/taxi/bus.

 

The day of your cruise, in the immediate area of most of the hotels, there is a Walmart and Sam's, so that takes care of you soda/water needs.

 

IF you can schlepp your luggage on the bus, a cheap way to get into Manhattan. Then a $10.00 taxi ride to the port. BUT since you want sodas/water, I would also call Secaucus taxi for a ride to the port. Drop your luggage and sodas, and go sightsee again until it is time to get on the ship.

 

To figure the prices-$100-125 for a hotel and that is for the better hotels, $90 for transport from the airport to a Secaucus hotel and to the cruise port. Approx $10pp for the bus to and from Manhattan and intra city transport for sightseeing on public transport. So you have spent about $200-225 accomplishing just about everything you want.

 

A decent hotel in Manhattan will cost you AT LEAST $200. AND if you fly into EWR, you will have AT LEAST $30 in transport costs just to get into Manhattan (Coach USA bus from the airport). Then you still have to get to your hotel which may or may not be walkable from the bus drop off.

 

Just about the same scenario if you are flying into JFK or LGA. $200 for a hotel, $30-35 for a cab from LGA to your Manhattan hotel, $60 for transport from JFK to Manhattan.

 

Your choice but if this is really a budget trip, I would stay in Secaucus, take the bus into Manhattan for sightseeing and use Secaucus taxi for transport from the airport and to the cruise port.

A few posts back they referenced getting in around noon.

Also they should check more since tickets cannot to be just anywhere. They need to be assigned some sort of seat on an aircraft going to an airport.

I have to respectfully disagree. There is an inexpensive and convenient way to get into midtown Manhattan from EWR on the Coach USA/Olympia airport bus, $16 one way or $28 round trip, so if the best airfare is into EWR, by all means it should be taken advantage of.

 

http://www.coachusa.com/olympia/ss.newarkairport.asp

whoops!! thanks! :o:)

that is easy and reasonable...

Also they should check more since tickets cannot to be just anywhere. They need to be assigned some sort of seat on an aircraft going to an airport.

"Not sure which airport we will arrive, as I won the airline tickets at a funraiser auction."

Sure looks like donated tickets to a charity to me. And they may have been donated using FF miles or a corporate account. Very, very often, corporate accounts/corporate travel depts DO NOT do seat assignments. One big reason airline seat maps are so deceiving. The plane may be almost full-30-40% of the seats sold to a corporate travel group going to a conference but NO ONE has picked a seat. Same thing with some cruise line air tickets.

About 30-35% of seats are held at the gate for assignment.

So until the OP finds out which airport they will arrive in, all we can offer is suggestions. NO concrete ideas.

"Not sure which airport we will arrive, as I won the airline tickets at a funraiser auction."

 

Sure looks like donated tickets to a charity to me. And they may have been donated using FF miles or a corporate account. Very, very often, corporate accounts/corporate travel depts DO NOT do seat assignments. One big reason airline seat maps are so deceiving. The plane may be almost full-30-40% of the seats sold to a corporate travel group going to a conference but NO ONE has picked a seat. Same thing with some cruise line air tickets.

 

About 30-35% of seats are held at the gate for assignment.

 

So until the OP finds out which airport they will arrive in, all we can offer is suggestions. NO concrete ideas.

Does it really matter which airport the OP is flying in to if they want to stay in Manhattan to take advantage of the brief time they will have for sightseeing? Most of us have been answering based on staying in Manhattan, and the OP certainly hasn't disagreed that would be their preference.

Does it really matter which airport the OP is flying in to if they want to stay in Manhattan to take advantage of the brief time they will have for sightseeing? Most of us have been answering based on staying in Manhattan, and the OP certainly hasn't disagreed that would be their preference.

Maybe I don't read very well but I see no mention by the OP of Manhattan. I do see-relatively short time for sightseeing, $200 or less hotel room.

And if those were my priorities, I would either stay in NJ if flying into EWR or at LGA and take the #7 train into Manhattan. Did it a couple of months ago just to test the theory-one of my employees flew into JFK and we had a business meeting at the W. I was already at the hotel at LGA. At about the same time he got his luggage and called for the car service, I caught the hotel shuttle to the train. I was in Manhattan almost 9 minutes before he was.

So for a balance of time and money, there are other options.

You will be visiting a world class city for 24 hours and to me, staying in new jersey isn't an option. You don't get the pulse of the city by commuting. We live an hour by train but will stay in Manhattan a few times a year. Did a quick search on the night you'll be here and it'll cost around $300 minimum for a place I would stay in. You can price line it for at least a third off so you would be in your budget. In any event you have plenty of time to make multiple reservations and when you get close to your trip, cancel the ones you don't use.

just remember, life is too short. Go for it!

Just a few thoughts - OP's charity/auction-won airline tickets are with AA, it's likely for them to fly into LGA although EWR or JFK can't be ruled out until they have their flight info. Typically, the bidders and certainly the winner should at least know what airlines they are flying on - it's not as if they are on a standby ticket valid for universal travel.

For an overnight stay with some city/Manhattan-based sightseeing, staying on NY side of the Hudson is preferred but looking at hotwire & priceline quotes, $200 for a decent one could be a challenge for preferred location once all the fees are totalled up - plus it could be a real PITA for the Hudson crossings, with the transfers & yellow taxi/car service rates are simply ... Even some of the boutique & micro-hotels in Manhattan are asking for $300 a night and one with a 2-nights booking.

For weekends, NYC subways aren't bad nor over-crowded as long as there are no track work or detours - so, as long they are traveling fairly light & can manage their wheeled luggage and carryons for those few stairs - it can help keep the expenses low. Car service will be cheaper if they are staying on the Queens side like Long Island City/close to the 59th or Queensborough Bridge - with a # of upscale 3 stars ++ hotels with "better" rates. With a bit of smartbidding as they still have time, it's possible to score a 3.5 stars or even 4 stars in LIC for under $200 inclusive using hotwire or PL - and it's only 1 or 2 stops to Manhattan on the N or Q/R (4 or 5 stops on the #7 train to 42nd. Street) - LIC has been changing over the years & gone upscale, and on higher floors, has excellent view of the city's skyline - day & night - depending on the location.

On the morning of the cruise, they can check out of the hotel early after breakfast - taxi/car service over to the pier to drop bags off - and do very limited sightseeing as they need to board the ship by the early afternoon. However, assumed on-time landing - they could take a short taxi ride over to the LIC area hotel to check-in, then use subway/bus to "roam" Manhattan late into the night - inexpensively, depending on what they wanted to see or visit or enjoy. Times Square is beautiful at night - not so much during the day - at least for us, YMMV - and it's just 20 minutes from LIC via the subway that run 24/7 (mostly ...) - far more visitors-friendly than going the NJ route, just another opinion/view.