Afternoon in NYC

[Elly67]

We sail on the Pearl April 18th.  Our flight will be arriving around 9:45 am and since we don't sail until 8:00 pm (back on board by 6:00 pm), the husband and I are hoping to see a sight or two. We figure by the time we collect luggage, get over to the pier and check in, we will have 4 to 6 hours to do a tiny bit of sightseeing.  From our research, it looks like Central Park and Times Square are about a mile or so from the pier.  It appears they are in opposite directions, but possibly close enough to walk to and check out in the small window of time we have.  Any thoughts on this? If you could only see one, which would you choose and why?  We have never been to NYC and realize we will only be able to see one or two things, but would still like get out and about before setting sail.  If these aren't reasonable options, any other idea's to kill some time in the afternoon? Thanks in advance!

[Paul Bogle]

You have many options so your personal interests will play a major roll in deciding what to do.

 

If the weather is nice you could take a cab to the Empire State building at 34th and 5th. Take the elevators to the observation deck and enjoy the entire city unfold all around you. From there you can walk up Fifth avenue and enjoy the many famous stores. You will pass the public library with the lion statues at 42nd st. A few blocks further north you arrive at Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Continue north until you reach Central Park and the Plaza Hotel at 59th street and enjoy the south end of the park. Work your way back east across the park toward Columbus Circle and toward the ship or if you have the energy walk across the park toward 72st and Central Park West (7th avenue) and pay homage to John Lennon at Strawberry Fields. At any time you can just catch a cab back to the pier.

 

There are so many options in midtown you would need a book.

 

You could probably catch a Broadway matinee.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Paul Bogle

[vakamalua]

Both Central Park and Times Square are about a half hour walk from the cruise terminal.  I say it depends on the day.  If it's raining or unusually cold, keep in mind that Central Park is a big (2.5 X .5 miles) park and all outdoors.  It's lovely in the spring and there are museums and lots of natural sites in CP.   Times Square has lots of shops and restaurants to duck into if the weather is bad.  Nothing super special about it bit always crowded.  But not far from Times Square are Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the NY Public Library, Bryant Park and Grand Central Station--all worth a look.  If you walk too far, you can always take a cab back to the terminal.  Have Fun!

[PhillyTravelBug]

Central Park is well worth a visit. I would also recommend the High Line. A great, scenic walking trail through the city.

[mjkacmom]

You could go to Hudson yards and see the vessel (I’m not sure how hard it is to get tickets to enter) then walk the high line south to Chelsea market. You could catch an uber or taxi back to the intrepid right by the cruise terminal. Central Park is great, huge! The museum of natural history has a suggested entry amount, you could just go to see a tiny bit (I wouldn’t feel bad paying less if I was just popping in).

[Laszlo]

Looks like your arriving on a Thursday? Traffic could be a real mess during the day. I would stay close to the port, what I mean by that is don't travel south of mid town. You have a lot of options CP, TS.... all doable

[Greenpea2]

Given the 2 choices, I choose Central Park (as long as it's nice out). Times Square is meh. Or have a long tequila-soaked lunch at Arriba Arriba (great Mexican food) on  51st and 9th (cruise terminal is 55th and 12th I believe, so totally walkable).

[Sailing12Away]

I second the choice of visiting the High Line. It's an old abandoned elevated subway track, now filled with gardens and flowers, and benches, and people watching spots. Nice break from the regular hustle & bustle of the city. https://www.thehighline.org/gardens/ Great place not too far from the High Line to grab lunch is the Meatball Shop. Fair prices (for the city), good food. There's a few locations throughout NYC.  https://www.themeatballshop.com/

 

As a native NY'er, I would personally avoid Times Square at all costs. For yourself, a tourist, it might be a sight to see. For all of 5 minutes. It's just filled to the brim with tourists looking up at the skyscrapers - like thousands of tourists, and tons of odd characters trying to sucker the poor tourists into paying them $5-10 to take their photo with them. If you want a photo with a dude in an Elmo costume, go to Sesame Place.

 

Bryant Park is another alternative to the mega-sized Central Park, it's also right next to the NY Public Library, one of the biggest and prettiest I've ever personally seen. If you head in that direction and like sweets, check out Lady M Cakeshop. They make a mille crepes cake that is to die for - super light and fluffy. https://www.ladym.com/

 

Intrepid air & space museum is also a nice visit, and literally right next to the pier. The infamous Carnegie Hall isn't far either, if you're into fine art, MOMA is also nearby. I can literally give you hundreds of options for food or things to see/do, but need a bit more info about what you enjoy. Just please, skip Times Square if you want a real feel of NYC. Any real NY'er avoids it like the plague.  

[lupaglupa]

Times Square is full of large versions of the stores you see in most US malls. Unless that sounds thrilling, I'd avoid it. It isn't a very New York experience. Central Park is large and lovely but it is a big park. Seeing all of Central Park would take a LOT of walking. You could walk to the small and charming zoo, which is not far into the park from where you would likely enter at Columbus Circle.

 

New York is full of iconic sights - the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, any number of excellent museums... the choice is almost unlimited. If what you want is to get a sense of the city, I'd suggest walking to a restaurant in a circuitous route, then walking back. Just looking around at the buildings and people watching is a lot of fun (especially in New York!). If you can Uber you can expand your range. The High Line, which others have suggested, is very cool and fun to do. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (which is in Central Park) is amazing, even for a short visit. Going to the Top of the Rock (at Rockefeller Center) gives a great view and usually has shorter lines and less waiting than the Empire State Building.

 

Honestly - in New York you can't go wrong. 

[hallux]

Having been a couple times now, the only reason I'd go to Times Square is for the Brooklyn Diner.  One of the BEST burgers I've had (sorry, mom).

 

I actually would love to get to the High Line, seems like a great place to kill some time.  Too bad the subway doesn't seem to have many stops in the vicinity of the pier, that's the BEST way to get around, and less expensive than Uber/Lyft.  If there's a subway stop near the pier that I missed, I'd suggest Battery Park (just don't go looking for Duracells and Energizers) and a walk through the park at the 9/11 site.

 

I'll second the idea of going to Grand Central - it's a BEAUTIFUL terminal

[PatJim]

Love the Metropolitan Museum of Art, probably the best museum in the U.S.  Could spend weeks there, but it's fun to nip in and out.  They still have a 'pay what you wish' entrance fee for NYC residents, but just received permission from the City to charge non-NYC residents $25 admission.  So that's probably out for you.  

 

Love the High Line/newly opened Hudson Yards suggestion.  They are next to each other. You'll have to get from the cruise passenger terminal at W. 48th & 12th Ave. (a/k/a West Side Highway) down to W 34th Street.    After exploring a bit of Hudson Yards with its expensive shops and restaurants, walk the High Line south. It's less than 2 miles long, and ends south of W. 14th Street. It's amazing.  The landscaping changes every few blocks. 

 

If you're reasonably fit, you can gage the time it would take to walk NYC blocks as 1 minute per block.  Twenty blocks equals a mile.  Take a backpack for the essentials you don't want to put in your checked bags (medicine, jewelry....).  It's easier than trying to walk around with a roller carry-on bag.

 

To go by taxi, go back up to the upper arrivals level of the terminal and grab a cab, though they are expensive. And NYC just added an additional congestion tax for commercial cars south of 96th Street in Manhattan.  Surcharge for taxis is $2.50;  Lyft and Uber is $2.75.  That's on top of the base starting price.  

[mking8288]

OP, I concur with all the suggestions above - just pick & choose; and, go to YouTube to do a virtual NYC tour to get an earthview of what you have in mind to see & explore, then narrow it down - as this is a weekday with typical commuter traffic & congestion around town.  

 

But, I also want to caution about your available "time" to explore a tiny part of Manhattan - depending on what airport you are flying into & ground travel time with luggage retrieval & dropping off bags at the pier first, that can easily take 2 hours after wheels stopped at the gate, it can sometimes be 15 to 30 minutes circling from runway to taxiway hold.  Allow 90 minutes to 2 hours, maybe 3 hours to reach MCT, to drop checked bags off curbside for the porters.  If you plan to go thru security & do pier check-in first, that's easily another 30 minutes, depending on your Latitude & cabin (Haven ??) status ... or return by 6 p.m. (confirm with NCL about the cutoff for "all abroad" if you are fully checked in with Guest Key Cards issued ... should be no more than 90 minutes, maybe just 60 - for 8 p.m. sailing)

 

Slightly Off-topic: Hi, @PatJim ...

we too, loved, the HighLine and at the southern end, is Chelsa Market, an indoor mall of shops, cafe, bakery & dining venue, including fresh seafood - a great place to do a quick or sit-down lunch, clean restrooms.  From the pier on W. 48th Street & 12th Avenue, maybe just grab a taxi or Uber there first, then, work your way north (uptown) toward Times Square ... just working out the timing & your stops.  

[Peachypooh]

I am familiar with New York having lived there for many years. Others who live there

now have more current information. April 18 can be either pleasant or very cold. As a gardener

the start of planting season where most of the chance of frost is the first week in May.

I would stay close to port and do things like the Intrepid or take a cab to a museum of

your choice/interest if the weather is cold. If the weather is nice you could take a cab to

one of your stated interests like Times Square or Central Park but keep an eye on the time.

Also know that getting around in NY can take a loooong time so if doing transportation

by cab/uber/bus add an hour cushion at the end of your expected return to the ship.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Peachypooh

[MrMike45]

I work in Times Square, on Broadway between 50th and 51st.  On a Thursday afternoon, you will deal with alot of congestion and traffic, but it's the better of the 2 choices.  

 

Alot of the attractions in Central Park are not open mid-week in April.  They start ramping up more towards mid-late May when the weather is nicer.  Yes, can still walk around but as others mentioned, you have a 50/50 shot of 70 degrees and sun vs. 45 degrees and rain.  

 

If you do decide to come to Times Square, a can't miss I always suggest for tourists is Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center.  It's on 49th between 5th & 6th Ave.  Get the most amazing unobstructed view of all of Manhattan and into Jersey.  The schedule is every 10-15 mins too, so no matter what time you get here, can sign up for a tour fairly soon.   

[njhorseman]

You're going to have to be back on board well before 6 despite the ship not sailing until 8. They have to hold the muster drill before sailing and since dining rooms are used as muster stations the drill has to be completed before the start of dinner service. The result is that the muster drill should start no later than 4:30 .

 

Other than that as has already been noted, New York can still be quite cold, and damp in mid April so what you do may be dictated by the weather. One possibility is to visit the Intrepid Museum, which is at the next pier south of the cruise terminal.

[josephw830]

I’d say to go to the intrepid. Next to the pier and it’s a great museum for the day! Tickets bought online 

[noelea626]

I am NYér born and raised. Birth to 20 in NYC, then from 1998-2014 on Long Island, now I live Upstate NY. I can tell you that you 100% want to avoid Times Square at all costs. It is overcrowded and if you cannot handle large crowds it is not the place for you. You are literally looking up at buildings and if it is not at night its not really worth it. Central Park is large and beautiful. Bryant Park is beyond nice. If you want to stay close to the ship, go on the Intrepid. If you want to venture downtown, you have the 9/11 Memorial and there are many places to eat and the South Street Seaport is not far from the 9/11 Memorial. No matter what direction you go in NYC there are Ubers and yellow cabs that can get you back to the ship on time. Any questions feel free to message me. 

[Turtles06]

I want to add an additional caution about being too far from the pier and relying on a taxi/Uber to get you back in time.  Please leave yourself a lot of time for that, especially if it's raining, and especially if you are going cross-town (that is, along the numbered streets).  As others have said, traffic in Manhattan can be very slow to the point of gridlock. 

[JesseB]

The last time I left out of NYC (got in the day before departure) we went to the Central Park zoo, it’s very nice. 

[Peachypooh]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

I want to add an additional caution about being too far from the pier and relying on a taxi/Uber to get you back in time.  Please leave yourself a lot of time for that, especially if it's raining, and especially if you are going cross-town (that is, along the numbered streets).  As others have said, traffic in Manhattan can be very slow to the point of gridlock. 

Are there still Thurs. matinees in the theater district?  If yes 3-4 pm or so lots of foot traffic and difficulty getting a cab. Nevermind I looked it up and near as I can tell the matinees are now on Wednesdays.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Peachypooh

[MrMike45]

31 minutes ago, Peachypooh said:

Are there still Thurs. matinees in the theater district?  If yes 3-4 pm or so lots of foot traffic and difficulty getting a cab. Nevermind I looked it up and near as I can tell the matinees are now on Wednesdays.

 

No only on Wednesdays.  Wicked (like the most popular show ever) is literally in the basement of my building.  And on Wednesdays, it is a crime scene around here.  

[keywest1]

2 hours ago, noelea626 said:

If you want to venture downtown, you have the 9/11 Memorial and there are many places to eat and the South Street Seaport is not far from the 9/11 Memorial. No matter what direction you go in NYC there are Ubers and yellow cabs that can get you back to the ship on time. Any questions feel free to message me.

9/11 Memorial was an experience I'll never forget.  Really glad we didn't skip that.

[MJSailors]

Yes, the 9/11 Memorial is both inspiring and sobering. But, I have some advice to theOP from a native New Yorker 

It may be too much of a distance from the pier given time restraints of all - onboard time and what another poster mentioned about , the timing of the muster drill. Traffic can be very congested most of the time and especially during rush hour.

You may be stresssed trying to get back to the ship in time. 

I would contain my sightseeing to the area nearby the pier. If you plan to walk, the sites mentioned of Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center and the Museum of Modern Art are places of interest not far from the cruise terminal

[mjkacmom]

Regarding getting back in time and traffic, it depends on how much you can walk. I’d have no problem walking 2 miles in under 1/2 hour, and I’d give myself more time just in case.

[noelea626]

I agree with MJ Sailors. As a first time cruiser I am not aware of the time constraints that you may run into. I can say NYC can get congested and I would not want you to miss the ship for any reason. I would try to stay as close to the ship as possible.