New Yorkers, help please!!

[crbinromeme]

If you're driving in and out on the weekend, traffic on the roads you'll be on is pretty light, except right at the pier where you may have to wait a few light cycles.

 

Midtown traffic and midweek traffic are dreadful, but getting to the pier in NYC from the north is simple and easy. We do that drive on the weekends a half dozen times/year.

 

 

Thanks for the input. I'm starting to panic from everyone's comments. If I suggest a change to our group this last in the game, they would think I was crazy. That being said. We will be traveling down on a Tuesday, Cruise sails Wednesday. :(

[Got2Cruise]

I agree getting to the pier from the North is simple. 138 has explicit directions how to drive down from Boston somewhere. So look for that. Manhattan has congestion so it's very slow going sometimes but slow isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lol. If you follow 138s directions you will be on 12 th Ave, the street where the pier is and then you turn right into the drive for the pier.

 

 

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[-Beachie-]

I live in upstate NY, near the Canadian Border, and my wife and I are going to travel down the day before we cruise. Our plan is to stay at the Crowne Plaza Englewood NJ Hotel They have a park and fly option where you can leave your car for FREE!! for the entire cruise. Our plan is to Uber to the terminal! Hope this helps........

[138east]

I live in upstate NY, near the Canadian Border, and my wife and I are going to travel down the day before we cruise. Our plan is to stay at the Crowne Plaza Englewood NJ Hotel They have a park and fly option where you can leave your car for FREE!! for the entire cruise. Our plan is to Uber to the terminal! Hope this helps........

 

 

Beachie - that's really interesting and exciting. How much are you paying for this package? Could you report back on your experience, particularly with Uber? We need more park/sleep options for the Manhattan cruisers. I looked on the Crowne Plaza Englewood web site and didn't see this offering.

[-Beachie-]

Beachie - that's really interesting and exciting. How much are you paying for this package? Could you report back on your experience, particularly with Uber? We need more park/sleep options for the Manhattan cruisers. I looked on the Crowne Plaza Englewood web site and didn't see this offering.

 

 

Last year, April 3rd Breakaway Cruise, we stayed at the Doubletree Inn in Fort Lee NJ.....when I called them back, they do not offer the parking anymore so I dug in a bit and started calling the front desks of the surrounding hotel/motels.... my first choice was the Crowne Plaza. They offer a stay and cruise/fly package which entitles you to parking. There are a few restrictions around time(number of days) but it is well worth it.

 

Last year we took the hotel shuttle over to the ship & Ubered back to Double Tree Inn and had a wonderful driver. He charged us something like $65 to drive us, we gave him $100 for the wonderful experience..... don't forget that $30 of it was for tolls on the GW.....

 

You can Google the Crowne Plaza stay and fly/cruise package, it comes right up. Good luck cruisers...... :cool:

[njhorseman]

Last year, April 3rd Breakaway Cruise, we stayed at the Doubletree Inn in Fort Lee NJ.....when I called them back, they do not offer the parking anymore so I dug in a bit and started calling the front desks of the surrounding hotel/motels.... my first choice was the Crowne Plaza. They offer a stay and cruise/fly package which entitles you to parking. There are a few restrictions around time(number of days) but it is well worth it.

 

Last year we took the hotel shuttle over to the ship & Ubered back to Double Tree Inn and had a wonderful driver. He charged us something like $65 to drive us, we gave him $100 for the wonderful experience..... don't forget that $30 of it was for tolls on the GW.....

 

You can Google the Crowne Plaza stay and fly/cruise package, it comes right up. Good luck cruisers...... :cool:

 

 

Tolls for the GW Bridge are only collected in one direction, when leaving NJ. There's no toll when travelling from NY to NJ, so the toll is only $15 for the round trip.

[crbinromeme]

I agree getting to the pier from the North is simple. 138 has explicit directions how to drive down from Boston somewhere. So look for that. Manhattan has congestion so it's very slow going sometimes but slow isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lol. If you follow 138s directions you will be on 12 th Ave, the street where the pier is and then you turn right into the drive for the pier.

 

Do you mean the member 138east? or what do you mean by 138? Sorry, I'm new to this....

[crbinromeme]

hi, we will be staying at the Broadway Plaza Hotel (1155 Broadway) the night before, parking in a parking garage one block over for 35.00/night. In the AM we plan to drive to the pier and park, hopefully with the coupon. Our plan is to go from the garage and turn R on 25th street, then turn R on 10th Ave to 57th St to the Pier. Is this a good plan?

[138east]

I agree getting to the pier from the North is simple. 138 has explicit directions how to drive down from Boston somewhere. So look for that. Manhattan has congestion so it's very slow going sometimes but slow isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lol. If you follow 138s directions you will be on 12 th Ave, the street where the pier is and then you turn right into the drive for the pier.

 

Do you mean the member 138east? or what do you mean by 138? Sorry, I'm new to this....

 

Coming from Maine you want to get onto route I495 South to I290 through Worcester to the Mass Pike (I90) West (exit 7).

 

You go one exit west on the Mass Pike and pick up I84 west in Auburn to I91 south in Hartford (Charter Oak Bridge). You take exit 17 marked W Cross Parkway (Wilbur Cross Parkway) This becomes the Merritt Parkway at Milford.

 

The Merritt Pkwy becomes the Hutchinson River Pkwy at the NY/CT line. From the Hutch take exit 15 in New Rochelle (left exit) to get on the Cross County Pkwy. Stay in the middle left lane, which will become the left lane when the road "scrunches". This leads onto the Saw Mill River Pkwy South which becomes the Henry Hudson Pkwy at the NYC line ($5.50 toll - if no EZPass they will bill you in the mail and you need to pay it!). The toll is worth every penny. Stay on the Henry Hudson to where it ends at the Manhattan Cruiseport. The toll is worth every penny.

 

The are no trucks on this route from the Wilbur Cross Parkway to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and you will avoid any traffic issues on the Cross Bronx Expressway or the I95 intersection with I87.

[Got2Cruise]

 

Coming from Maine you want to get onto route I495 South to I290 through Worcester to the Mass Pike (I90) West (exit 7).

 

You go one exit west on the Mass Pike and pick up I84 west in Auburn to I91 south in Hartford (Charter Oak Bridge). You take exit 17 marked W Cross Parkway (Wilbur Cross Parkway) This becomes the Merritt Parkway at Milford.

 

The Merritt Pkwy becomes the Hutchinson River Pkwy at the NY/CT line. From the Hutch take exit 15 in New Rochelle (left exit) to get on the Cross County Pkwy. Stay in the middle left lane, which will become the left lane when the road "scrunches". This leads onto the Saw Mill River Pkwy South which becomes the Henry Hudson Pkwy at the NYC line ($5.50 toll - if no EZPass they will bill you in the mail and you need to pay it!). The toll is worth every penny. Stay on the Henry Hudson to where it ends at the Manhattan Cruiseport. The toll is worth every penny.

 

The are no trucks on this route from the Wilbur Cross Parkway to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and you will avoid any traffic issues on the Cross Bronx Expressway or the I95 intersection with I87.

 

 

This should be a sticky. Who's the host of this board? I don't even know even though I've been posting since AOL

 

 

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[Cruise a holic]

I have never been to the city so I know nothing about it! 4 of us are taking the Gem out of Manhattan 03/29/17. We have tentative plans to drive south from Maine the day before. Explore the 9/11 memorial, central park, etc the afternoon and evening, stay at a hotel close by, drive to the terminal in the morning and park at the terminal for the duration. Here are my questions:

How should we get around the city the night before? Drive ourselves around or park at the hotel and get a taxi, what? What Hotel should we stay at? Should it be outside the city? We really need any help you can provide.

 

If you can, stay in Manhattan- a great city with so much to see and do- perhaps you can get ticket to a Broadway show and dine in a special restaurant. Check a hotel wholesaler for a decent rate- not cheap- but worth it. You should definately use cabs or the subway when going around the city. Walking is also a good option. If you have such limited time in NYC- I would not suggest you stay in NJ or outside of manhattan. Parking, tolls and traffic can be horrible- why expose yourself to it.

 

Enjoy your vacation

[138east]

 

 

This should be a sticky. Who's the host of this board? I don't even know even though I've been posting since AOL

 

 

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Some folks prefer I95, but I'm not one of them. There are two easy ways to cut over to the Merritt/Hutch from I95. My directions are unclear about getting on I90 from I290.

 

Coming from Maine you want to get onto route I495 South to I290 through Worcester and take exit 7 to the Mass Pike (I90) West. You go one exit west on the Mass Pike and pick up I84 west in Auburn to I91 south in Hartford (Charter Oak Bridge). You take exit 17 marked W Cross Parkway (Wilbur Cross Parkway) This becomes the Merritt Parkway at Milford.

 

The Merritt Pkwy becomes the Hutchinson River Pkwy at the NY/CT line. From the Hutch take exit 15 in New Rochelle (left exit) to get on the Cross County Pkwy. Stay in the middle left lane, which will become the left lane when the road "scrunches". This leads onto the Saw Mill River Pkwy South which becomes the Henry Hudson Pkwy at the NYC line ($5.50 toll - if no EZPass they will bill you in the mail and you need to pay it!). The toll is worth every penny. Stay on the Henry Hudson to where it ends at the Manhattan Cruiseport. The toll is worth every penny.

 

The are no trucks on this route from the Wilbur Cross Parkway to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and you will avoid any traffic issues on the Cross Bronx Expressway or the I95 intersection with I87.

 

 

If you come down I95 there is a cutover to the Merritt at Milford CT exit 38. At Rye NY there is another cutover to the Hutchinson River Parkway South at exit 21(I287) in NY immediately after exit 2 in CT (no exit 1). This cutover is a little longer than the one at Milford and involves getting off onto I287 West and following the signs to the Merritt/Hutch. You get off onto a service road, go through a few lights and take the turn for the Hutch south.

[Cruise a holic]

Best to use the waze application. It has saved us when traveling giving us the best route at any specfic day/time

[crbinromeme]

 

Some folks prefer I95, but I'm not one of them. There are two easy ways to cut over to the Merritt/Hutch from I95. My directions are unclear about getting on I90 from I290.

 

Coming from Maine you want to get onto route I495 South to I290 through Worcester and take exit 7 to the Mass Pike (I90) West. You go one exit west on the Mass Pike and pick up I84 west in Auburn to I91 south in Hartford (Charter Oak Bridge). You take exit 17 marked W Cross Parkway (Wilbur Cross Parkway) This becomes the Merritt Parkway at Milford.

 

The Merritt Pkwy becomes the Hutchinson River Pkwy at the NY/CT line. From the Hutch take exit 15 in New Rochelle (left exit) to get on the Cross County Pkwy. Stay in the middle left lane, which will become the left lane when the road "scrunches". This leads onto the Saw Mill River Pkwy South which becomes the Henry Hudson Pkwy at the NYC line ($5.50 toll - if no EZPass they will bill you in the mail and you need to pay it!). The toll is worth every penny. Stay on the Henry Hudson to where it ends at the Manhattan Cruiseport. The toll is worth every penny.

 

The are no trucks on this route from the Wilbur Cross Parkway to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and you will avoid any traffic issues on the Cross Bronx Expressway or the I95 intersection with I87.

 

 

If you come down I95 there is a cutover to the Merritt at Milford CT exit 38. At Rye NY there is another cutover to the Hutchinson River Parkway South at exit 21(I287) in NY immediately after exit 2 in CT (no exit 1). This cutover is a little longer than the one at Milford and involves getting off onto I287 West and following the signs to the Merritt/Hutch. You get off onto a service road, go through a few lights and take the turn for the Hutch south.

 

I was looking forward to your response. We will not be going directly to the pier from home. We will be going to 1155 Broadway (Broadway Plaza Hotel) Will that change these directions? and will it be ok to take Broadway to 25th street to 10th Ave to 57th Street the morning of the cruise??????

[138east]

 

I was looking forward to your response. We will not be going directly to the pier from home. We will be going to 1155 Broadway (Broadway Plaza Hotel) Will that change these directions? and will it be ok to take Broadway to 25th street to 10th Ave to 57th Street the morning of the cruise??????

 

Directions stay the same, but you drive past the Manhattan cruise terminal south on 12th Ave. Mapquest suggests turning left on 30th St and going across town to Broadway where you made a right to the hotel at 27th St.

 

To get to the Manhattan Cruise terminal Mapquest suggests going south on Broadway to 23rd St, west to 11th Ave, north one block to 24th, west to 12th Ave, and north to the cruise terminal. These directions all make sense to me and are reasonable. On the west side 12th Ave is the route of choice. I have actually driven in the west side river area a number of times in recent years.

[crbinromeme]

thanks a million

[crbinromeme]

 

Directions stay the same, but you drive past the Manhattan cruise terminal south on 12th Ave. Mapquest suggests turning left on 30th St and going across town to Broadway where you made a right to the hotel at 27th St.

 

To get to the Manhattan Cruise terminal Mapquest suggests going south on Broadway to 23rd St, west to 11th Ave, north one block to 24th, west to 12th Ave, and north to the cruise terminal. These directions all make sense to me and are reasonable. On the west side 12th Ave is the route of choice. I have actually driven in the west side river area a number of times in recent years.

 

I'm going to print these directions out but my directions don't even come close to yours. LOL. Mine from Google have me taking exit 17 onto S/Wilbur Cross Pkway BUT THEN taking exit 52 for rt 108 towards bridgeport, then merging onto CT8S and taking I95 S exit towards NYC following signs for Triboro Bridge/George Washington Bridge keeping left onto I278W following signs for Robert Kennedy Bridge; then exit 46/FDR drive; Rt 900G/RFK bridge; taking FDR Dr S exit.

[138east]

 

I'm going to print these directions out but my directions don't even come close to yours. LOL. Mine from Google have me taking exit 17 onto S/Wilbur Cross Pkway BUT THEN taking exit 52 for rt 108 towards bridgeport, then merging onto CT8S and taking I95 S exit towards NYC following signs for Triboro Bridge/George Washington Bridge keeping left onto I278W following signs for Robert Kennedy Bridge; then exit 46/FDR drive; Rt 900G/RFK bridge; taking FDR Dr S exit.

 

I've been on all those roads and would NEVER choose to go to 27th & Broadway that way. I really dislike I95 within NYC and am not keen on the Triboro/Robert Kennedy Bridge and the FDR Drive. You're not an experienced NYC driver - there's much more risk that you will miss a turn. I was actually on a cruise bus several years ago where the driver missed the I95/I278 turn in the Bronx and we ended up on Whitestone Bridge to Queens followed by a scenic GPS tour through Queens and Brooklyn to the Williamsburg Bridge back to Manhattan and ultimately the Holland Tunnel to get to Cape Liberty in NJ.

 

If you should miss a turn on my route, it will not be disasterous. You will be in a nicer area (I.e. not the South Bronx) and will have the ability to recover. Once you get on the Saw Mill River Parkway, it's a straight shot to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal area. 12th Ave is a city street, but it is designed to move traffic. Get in the center lane and you will be at 30th St to make a left turn before you know it.

[Got2Cruise]

Google maps always gives you the shortest mileage. They also don't take in account you are in a very urban area and there are some areas you want to avoid even though it means a extra ten minutes or two miles.

 

Same with the Waze app. It's great if you're familiar with the area and know approximately where you are. But if it's taking you past desolate run down warehouses and you have no clue where you are it's not worth it. Jmo

 

 

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[mjkacmom]

Google maps always gives you the shortest mileage. They also don't take in account you are in a very urban area and there are some areas you want to avoid even though it means a extra ten minutes or two miles.

 

Same with the Waze app. It's great if you're familiar with the area and know approximately where you are. But if it's taking you past desolate run down warehouses and you have no clue where you are it's not worth it. Jmo

 

 

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Agreed! This is not the best area to blindly follow a GPS app! Even here in NJ, for some reason, GPS tries to lure you off the GSP into some sketchy neighborhoods!

[crbinromeme]

 

I've been on all those roads and would NEVER choose to go to 27th & Broadway that way. I really dislike I95 within NYC and am not keen on the Triboro/Robert Kennedy Bridge and the FDR Drive. You're not an experienced NYC driver - there's much more risk that you will miss a turn. I was actually on a cruise bus several years ago where the driver missed the I95/I278 turn in the Bronx and we ended up on Whitestone Bridge to Queens followed by a scenic GPS tour through Queens and Brooklyn to the Williamsburg Bridge back to Manhattan and ultimately the Holland Tunnel to get to Cape Liberty in NJ.

 

If you should miss a turn on my route, it will not be disasterous. You will be in a nicer area (I.e. not the South Bronx) and will have the ability to recover. Once you get on the Saw Mill River Parkway, it's a straight shot to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal area. 12th Ave is a city street, but it is designed to move traffic. Get in the center lane and you will be at 30th St to make a left turn before you know it.

 

You are a life saver!

[JFontaine]

The Merritt and the Saw Mill are both two lane, no trucks, fast and somewhat curvy roads. They are not for me. I much prefer slow and straight 95. Obviously this is a personal preference. I live, work and drive in NYC. NYC driving requires patience, but because it is slow, it isn't dangerous. I take cabs every day without problems. Your sightseeing plans are ambitious after a long drive. I would suggest Time Square, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue to Central Park (pass Trump Tower) all walking - and leave downtown for another visit. If you are exhausted consider a hop on hop off bus just to see as much as you can. You might consider parking at the cruise terminal and not the hotel. Drop off everyone and bags at hotel and then drop car, walk to hotel if in Times Square. You never know what might impact traffic, so don't cut it too close getting to the ship. Have a great trip.

[crbinromeme]

 

Some folks prefer I95, but I'm not one of them. There are two easy ways to cut over to the Merritt/Hutch from I95. My directions are unclear about getting on I90 from I290.

 

Coming from Maine you want to get onto route I495 South to I290 through Worcester and take exit 7 to the Mass Pike (I90) West. You go one exit west on the Mass Pike and pick up I84 west in Auburn to I91 south in Hartford (Charter Oak Bridge). You take exit 17 marked W Cross Parkway (Wilbur Cross Parkway) This becomes the Merritt Parkway at Milford.

 

The Merritt Pkwy becomes the Hutchinson River Pkwy at the NY/CT line. From the Hutch take exit 15 in New Rochelle (left exit) to get on the Cross County Pkwy. Stay in the middle left lane, which will become the left lane when the road "scrunches". This leads onto the Saw Mill River Pkwy South which becomes the Henry Hudson Pkwy at the NYC line ($5.50 toll - if no EZPass they will bill you in the mail and you need to pay it!). The toll is worth every penny. Stay on the Henry Hudson to where it ends at the Manhattan Cruiseport. The toll is worth every penny.

 

The are no trucks on this route from the Wilbur Cross Parkway to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and you will avoid any traffic issues on the Cross Bronx Expressway or the I95 intersection with I87.

 

 

If you come down I95 there is a cutover to the Merritt at Milford CT exit 38. At Rye NY there is another cutover to the Hutchinson River Parkway South at exit 21(I287) in NY immediately after exit 2 in CT (no exit 1). This cutover is a little longer than the one at Milford and involves getting off onto I287 West and following the signs to the Merritt/Hutch. You get off onto a service road, go through a few lights and take the turn for the Hutch south.

 

Can I ask you one more question? Do you think it would be ok to stay on 15 (the Charter Oak Bridge which you said to take is on Rt 15) after the Charter Oak Bridge instead of taking 15 to I 91S and back to 15?

[138east]

 

Can I ask you one more question? Do you think it would be ok to stay on 15 (the Charter Oak Bridge which you said to take is on Rt 15) after the Charter Oak Bridge instead of taking 15 to I 91S and back to 15?

 

I looked at the map and I don't see this option. I see route 15 connecting to route 5 connecting back to route 15 in Meriden, but you don't want to do that.

 

When you come down I84 almost to Hartford, there is a left lane cutoff marked Charter Oak Bridge and New York. You take that and get in the right lane as you cross the bridge. On the other side of the bridge this lane becomes a dedicated exit lane onto I91 South (no merge required). This is very easy (I just did it yesterday), but you can't afford to miss the Charter Oak Bridge because there is no easy way to get onto I91S from I84 in downtown Hartford (there used to be this connection many years ago, but it was eliminated when they put in the seamless Charter Oak connection).

[crbinromeme]

 

I looked at the map and I don't see this option. I see route 15 connecting to route 5 connecting back to route 15 in Meriden, but you don't want to do that.

 

When you come down I84 almost to Hartford, there is a left lane cutoff marked Charter Oak Bridge and New York. You take that and get in the right lane as you cross the bridge. On the other side of the bridge this lane becomes a dedicated exit lane onto I91 South (no merge required). This is very easy (I just did it yesterday), but you can't afford to miss the Charter Oak Bridge because there is no easy way to get onto I91S from I84 in downtown Hartford (there used to be this connection many years ago, but it was eliminated when they put in the seamless Charter Oak connection).

 

OK, I'll check this out!! We leave in 14 days. :)