Looking for the nearest indoor attraction

[Happyholidayer]

Will be on the December M847B. Last time Cunard were quite useless in helping me. It's very cold and my husband needs assistance with his wheelchair. So we only want to travel a short distance. Get in and out as quickly as possible. So looking for somewhere to visit for a couple of hours. It was such a hassle last time we did not bother. I can't rely on Cunard so I must do it. We would have looked at the Intrepid museum but it's quite far and I think will be too cold. Most of it being outside.

Sorry Queen Mary 2

Edited April 1, 2018 by Happyholidayer

[MarkBearSF]

Hi Happy Holidayer. Hopefully your holiday WILL be happy.

 

I checked your itinerary (It might be helpful if you were more explicit about what ports you were asking about)

 

I have no idea about facilities in the Caribbean, I would assume that they are more limited than in the states, especially on poorer islands like Antigua.

 

However, there should be good options in NY. Pretty much anything you want to see can be done with proper transportation. (Although I suspect the Intrepid, with lots of deck areas, docked in the Hudson in December would be cold, as you mentioned.) However museums would be fine (there's a nice smallish art museum in Brooklyn) and you can do a nice lunch indoors in the same location (in Manhattan, MoMA is always nice, the Frick Collection is a beautiful fin-de-siecle mansion with priceless artwork, and the American Museum of Natural History is always a treat for us, and there's the Met, Guggenheim, and Whitney).

 

A facebook friend lives in Brooklyn and also works part-time for the port agent checking passengers in. I'll ask him if he has any advice for particularly helpful ride services for wheelchair users, as well as suggested sights in Brooklyn.

 

- Mark

Edited April 1, 2018 by MarkBearSF

[canoncruiser]

Hi,

 

All of our major NY museums have handicapped access,they also have nice restaurants; and try and book a car that can carry your husband’s chair. Enjoy our town!:D

[Happyholidayer]

Thanks for your replies

Sorry, I'm only asking about New York as I know the limitations/procedures on the over ports.

I would have like to visit the Botanical gardens but will be too cold.

We may just take a round trip of the Red Hook ferry and takes some pics.

Do you know if there are any nearby hotels/restaurants with some good views.

[MarkBearSF]

There is NOTHING of interest near the pier. Perhaps in a few years, as the neighborhood is changing. If you can arrange a good transport, there is no reason to be stuck in Red Hook for the day, when you're in one of the greatest cities of the world.

 

- Mark

[LB_NJ]

Will be on the December M847B. Last time Cunard were quite useless in helping me. It's very cold and my husband needs assistance with his wheelchair. So we only want to travel a short distance. Get in and out as quickly as possible. So looking for somewhere to visit for a couple of hours. It was such a hassle last time we did not bother. I can't rely on Cunard so I must do it. We would have looked at the Intrepid museum but it's quite far and I think will be too cold. Most of it being outside.

Sorry Queen Mary 2

 

Do not do the Intrepid. Both Botanical gardens and probably central park are probably out that time of year.

 

First, weather in December can be quite unpredictable. It could be reasonably warm or there could be snow on the ground.

 

Also, it depends on how much time you really have after going through customs. Everything will require transportation.

 

Manhattan has the best selection of options however traffic to and from Manhattan can be unpredictable, especially if there is snow.

 

The previous list of museums is probably a good start. My personal favorites are the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 5th Ave around 82nd street. Although you might check out the web sites for the other museums (e.g., MOMA) to see what the special exhibits are. There are numerous other museums (e.g., NY Transit Museum in Brooklyn) if you could provide some details on your interests it would help.

 

Some people like to walk down 5th avenue to see the window exhibits in the stores, go to Rockefeller Center and see the tree/skating, Bryant Park, however the mobility problems probably preclude that. Not sure if there are mobility issues if you want to go to the top of a skyscraper.

[Happyholidayer]

I think it might be better to find a close hotel with a view.

http://www.themostperfectview.com/new-york-hotel-views/

I did a search but it's a bit of a mine field. locating where they are from/distance Red Hook.

The Conrad looks the nearest but I do not know the distance or area.

[Neuhoftraveler]

As a New Yorker born and bred, let me strongly recommend the Brooklyn Museum on Eastern Parkway, less than 3 miles by taxi from the Cruise Terminal. My San Francisco compatriot notwithstanding, it is not "smallish" at all, but rather is NYC's third largest, and has a world-class art collection of 1.5 million works (not all on display at one time, obviously).

 

If art museums interest you and you decide to go into Manhattan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue at about 81st St. is one of the greatest in the world. It also is enormous, and you would be well advised to do some advance planning of what exactly you'd most like to see. With only a couple of hours to visit, consider instead the Frick Collection, also on Fifth Avenue at 70th St., a truly lovely small museum housed in the former residence/mansion of a famous Gilded Age industrial tycoon.

 

An off-the-beaten-track museum that ought to be of special interest to out-of-towners is the Museum of the City of New York, somewhat further up Fifth Avenue (at 103d Street). It will show you the history of the city, from its founding to the present day, as well as as various temporary exhibits on specific aspects of NYC life both past and present.

 

If your day in New York is a Saturday or Sunday, traffic even in Manhattan should not be bad, and a taxi from the Cruise Terminal to the "Museum Mile" (as it's sometime called, there are lots of others on Fifth Avenue I haven't mentioned) shouldn't take more than 30-40 minutes if that.

 

Both you and my San Francisco compatriot might be interested to know that until 1898 Brooklyn was an independent city, and quite a large-ish one at that. Brooklyn-ites (who do not include me) are very particular about this fact. Witness that the major-league baseball team still known as the "Dodgers" was called the "Brooklyn Dodgers" before they shamefully decamped to Los Angeles some 50 years ago. (The Yankees have never been called the "Bronx Yankees," nor the Giants the "Manhattan Giants" before they too decamped to California.)

Edited April 5, 2018 by hoftraveler

[MarkBearSF]

hoftraveler, deepest apologies if I appeared to demean either your fine borough or museum. Indeed, a few years ago, I visited the Brooklyn Art Museum and gave an extra donation, I enjoyed it so much. (It was a surprise to see The Dinner Party, having remembered it from the 70s, and glad to hear it's getting anniversary attention again).

 

I said "small-ish" to set expectations. In comparison to major tourist museums like the Met, MoMA, or Louvre, Prado, or the like, it would likely fall short. However, agreed that it's definitely worthwhile and worthy of a visit. (Probably for someone especially interested in furnishings, the many model rooms are fabulous) There was also a spirit that I really appreciated.

 

And, as a San Franciscan, I agree with most of my compatriots that we wouldn't have minded if the Dodgers stayed in Brooklyn!

 

- Mark