NYC-Can non-cruising bystanders indentify us

[bdklein]

If crusiing out of NYC, is there a place for non-cruising friends and family to be able to wave bon voyage to us? And will they able to see/identify us if we call them with our location on the ship. Thanks in advance for your answers.

[smeyer418]

If crusiing out of NYC, is there a place for non-cruising friends and family to be able to wave bon voyage to us? And will they able to see/identify us if we call them with our location on the ship. Thanks in advance for your answers.

 

you need to let us know which ship. some ships leave from Manhattan, some leave from Brooklyn, and some from Bayonne NJ. The Manhattan pier is best view from the cruise terminal parking lot BUT its technically illegal to take pictures from the terminal parking lot(its a DHS requirement)...you can walk in there.

 

The other place for the Manhattan cruise terminal is from the NJ waterfront( I like the park on river road just North of the Lincoln tunnel is pretty much right opposite Chelsea piers...

 

for Brooklyn the best viewing is from the end of the pier which is off Walcott and Ferris Streets. or from the pier in park at the end of Coffey street http://mapq.st/gAeAC7 all in Red Hook Brooklyn

 

 

For Bayonne the best places are either on the Staten Island side of the VN Bridge or the Brooklyn Side all three can be viewed from these as well.

 

and finally all three can be viewed from Ellis Island....

[bdklein]

you need to let us know which ship. some ships leave from Manhattan, some leave from Brooklyn, and some from Bayonne NJ. The Manhattan pier is best view from the cruise terminal parking lot BUT its technically illegal to take pictures from the terminal parking lot(its a DHS requirement)...you can walk in there.

 

The other place for the Manhattan cruise terminal is from the NJ waterfront( I like the park on river road just North of the Lincoln tunnel is pretty much right opposite Chelsea piers...

 

for Brooklyn the best viewing is from the end of the pier which is off Walcott and Ferris Streets. or from the pier in park at the end of Coffey street http://mapq.st/gAeAC7 all in Red Hook Brooklyn

 

 

For Bayonne the best places are either on the Staten Island side of the VN Bridge or the Brooklyn Side all three can be viewed from these as well.

 

and finally all three can be viewed from Ellis Island....

 

Thanks for the info. The cruise leaves from Manhattan.

[RHefley228]

For Manhattan departures, there is also the waterfront park at 43rd Street west of 11th Avenue, between the Circle Line docks and the Intrepid.

[mking8288]

For ships sailing from any one of three piers - all of them need to pass under the VZ Bridge and on the Brooklyn side, there are 2 lesser known viewing spots directly on the waterfront - good for the ship's port side. A pair of binoculars highly recommended once you are in contact with your party onboard.

 

Spot # 1 - from the BQE coming from downtown, away from the city -keep left & continue to the Belt Pkwy - toward Exit 2 with the VZ Bridge ahead & above you (eastbound, close to the waterfront) - about 500 feet before Exit 2 for 4th Avenue/Fort Hamilton - look for a (small) Sign for "Parking Area" and pull off & park (space for maybe 15-20 cars) - walk down to the pedestrian walkway along the shoreline, find a high spot & get ready. The ship will sail down the harbor channel in the middle as it navigate toward the VZ Bridge - look up, signal & wave (easy if they are on the balcony or top/open deck as pre-arranged)

 

Spot # 2 - Fishing Pier on Bay Ridge Ave (69th Street) off Shore Road - accessible underneath the Belt Parkway / Exit 1 - this is a popular fishing spot for locals, on-street parking nearby (along/around Shore Road) with a short walk out to the pier. Like Spot #1 - have your ship's party stay on the port side on an open deck (or if they have a balcony cabin on port side) - look up (down for them,) signal & wave - and "bon voyage". This is a bit tricky to find, a GPS will be helpful if you aren't familiar with local streets & layouts - off the Belt Pkwy/Exit 1 - Shore Road/Second Ave Exit ....

 

No restrictions on photography or videotaping, AFAIK - NYPD Marine & Coast Guard do patrol in this area and occasionally, Highway Patrol & local PD will be around as well (watched your speed & for those low profile, marked Dodge Charger w. their laser gun on the Parkway) - like yesterday when the Cunard's 3 Queens were in the Big Apple.

 

For sailings out of West Side Pier only, the waterfront off the West Side Hwy (West Street/Chamber Street near Ground Zero) at the World Financial Center pier down by Battery Park City/Lower Manhattan - good viewing spot but the pax will be further out in the Hudson - port side - and binoculars/SLR cameras with tele-photo lens recommended. Will need to arrange for parking (paid - WFC or nearby) and walk a short distance ~ 10 minutes ~ to find a spot.

[bdklein]

For Manhattan departures, there is also the waterfront park at 43rd Street west of 11th Avenue, between the Circle Line docks and the Intrepid.

 

Thanks. Excellent point. And I was just on the Circle Line last spring with my daughter; now I remember that area. Must be getting old.

 

Just curious how easy/hard it will be to see individual people, even if we call be cell phone. Not sure of the distance. We will be on the Norwegian Gem.

[e150club]

As Smeyer said they should not take photos of you from the parking level. But you can photo them from the ship. Its so close you could yell at each other. Wow i remember as a kid being able to board the ship for Bon-Voyage partys in my Aunts and uncles cabins. The horn would blow followed by a All to shore thats going ashore anouncement. Then they would throw streamers off the ship as it pulled out.

[GTJ]

The Manhattan pier is best view from the cruise terminal parking lot BUT its technically illegal to take pictures from the terminal parking lot (its a DHS requirement).

 

Are you sure about DHS? Generally there are no government-imposed restrictions regarding photography, but there are several property owner-imposed restrictions. For example, there are no restrictions imposed by TSA on photographing their activity at airports, but some airports themselves impose such restrictions. I would imagine that such would be the same at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal (restrictions, if any, being imposed by the PANYNJ and/or parking lot operator). If there is in fact anything said by DHS, I would love to have a cite to the relevant part of the C.F.R. or any notice in the Federal Register.

[RHefley228]

Go to the W. 43rd Street park; you really don't want to be arguing this with overzealous security guards in the terminal parking garage, even if you're correct about the lack of regulations.