New York Arrival Question

[VOLEYMOM]

Will be arriving on a Sunday on the Caribbean Princess. Our flight doesn't leave until 5:00 so would love to hire either a tour guide with a car or drop off our luggage at Swartz Travel and see some of the sites. Does anyone have a recommendation for tour guides or do it yourself adventures. We hope to get off the ship asap and see as much as possible. We leave out of JFK. Any suggestions will be so helpful as we have never been to New York. There will be 5 adults who can move fast if we need to. Thanks!

[BlueHerons]

Will be arriving on a Sunday on the Caribbean Princess. Our flight doesn't leave until 5:00 so would love to hire either a tour guide with a car or drop off our luggage at Swartz Travel and see some of the sites. Does anyone have a recommendation for tour guides or do it yourself adventures. We hope to get off the ship asap and see as much as possible. We leave out of JFK. Any suggestions will be so helpful as we have never been to New York. There will be 5 adults who can move fast if we need to. Thanks!

 

You need to leave for JFK around 2:30 so you aren't going to have a lot of time. I would suggest arranging a car service to pick you up at the Boat House in Central Park where you could finish your day with Sunday Brunch.

 

I'd get off the ship, walk through Times Square, up Seventh Avenue to 51st and into Rockefeller Center. I'd spend some time walking through there, maybe a little shopping, then over to Fifth Avenue and walk up to Central Park from there.

 

I'd stop at Trump Towers and gawk, go into St. Patrick's Cathedral and light a candle, and stick my head in The Plaza and maybe walk through on my way to The Boat House. I'd get there no later than 12:15 for a 12:45 reservation.

 

http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/718.php

 

http://www.timessquarenyc.org/

 

http://www.rockefellercenter.com/

 

http://gonyc.about.com/od/shopping/ig/Fifth-Avenue-Shopping-Tour/

 

http://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/

 

http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/home.htm

[njhorseman]

If you're on the Caribbean Princess, you almost certainly will be disembarking in Brooklyn (check your itinerary...once in a while there is an exception), which means that you first have to get from the Brooklyn cruise terminal to Schwartz Travel in Manhattan. With 5 adults plus luggage you are either going to need two taxis, or arrange with a car service for a van or two cars. (The same will be true for your trip from Manhattan to JFK.) Traveling from the ship to Manhattan will cut even further into the time available for sightseeing and needing two cars or a van will add considerably to the expense.

[VOLEYMOM]

Thanks for the help and suggestions, do you have any idea on cab prices to Swartz Travel in Manhattan, I kind of figured 2 taxis, looks like not much time once we're off the ship! Maybe hiring a private tour guide to pick us up and drive us around would be cheaper in the long run. Anyone know a good tour guide?

[BlueHerons]

Thanks for the help and suggestions, do you have any idea on cab prices to Swartz Travel in Manhattan, I kind of figured 2 taxis, looks like not much time once we're off the ship! Maybe hiring a private tour guide to pick us up and drive us around would be cheaper in the long run. Anyone know a good tour guide?

 

I'm sure there are plenty of people that hire a car tour guide but I've never heard of it (for the record, I used to live in Manhattan part time from the late 1990s through the early to mid 2000s).

 

One of the reasons why this isn't the best ideas because you cannot see anything from a car window, car services can be expensive, parking in Manhattan can be a PIA and some things you'll want to get out and see, and it's really not a great way to see the sights of Manhattan.

 

I would pick one thing, such as brunch somewhere iconic; see above, 21 Club, Norma's, Rainbow Room (see Anthony Bourdain), Water Club, The Carlyle, Four Seasons, The Plaza, Le Bernardin, etc and try and do it up right.

 

You really don't have much time seeing that you are having to schlep yourselves from Brooklyn to the luggage place.

 

OR you could stay in Brooklyn and head to One If By Land, Two If By Sea (www.OneIfByLand.com) for the most amazing views of Manhattan and have their AMAZING Sunday Brunch. I'm sure you could call ahead of time and arrange to have your luggage stored in the coat check. You might even have enough time afterwards to walk the Brooklyn Bridge which is a very NYC thing to do.