Brooklyn Park and Sail Hotels?

[lx200gps]

We're thinking about booking a short cruise in late October out of Red Hook, and will be driving down to NYC. We'd like to spend a few days sightseeing in Manhattan before the trip. Logistically, we'd like to stay near the cruise port, leave our car at the hotel the entire time, then ferry/subway/taxi into mid-town and back each day. Cruise day would ideally be a short taxi ride with our luggage to the pier.  We know Manhattan, from Central Park to Battery Park pretty well but have never been to Brooklyn.

 

Given the high price of NYC parking, particularly in Manhattan, are there any decent hotels in the general vicinity of the Brooklyn terminal that offer Park and Sail packages, with easy(ish) access to transport into Mid-town? I know there are a number of NJ hotels across from the Manhattan terminal that offer such packages, but I'm not too sure about Brooklyn. Staying in NJ, commuting a few days into Manhattan, and then sailing from Red Hook seems a bit too challenging.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[138east]

2 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

We're thinking about booking a short cruise in late October out of Red Hook, and will be driving down to NYC. We'd like to spend a few days sightseeing in Manhattan before the trip. Logistically, we'd like to stay near the cruise port, leave our car at the hotel the entire time, then ferry/subway/taxi into mid-town and back each day. Cruise day would ideally be a short taxi ride with our luggage to the pier.  We know Manhattan, from Central Park to Battery Park pretty well but have never been to Brooklyn.

 

Given the high price of NYC parking, particularly in Manhattan, are there any decent hotels in the general vicinity of the Brooklyn terminal that offer Park and Sail packages, with easy(ish) access to transport into Mid-town? I know there are a number of NJ hotels across from the Manhattan terminal that offer such packages, but I'm not too sure about Brooklyn. Staying in NJ, commuting a few days into Manhattan, and then sailing from Red Hook seems a bit too challenging.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Unfortunately no one has found a park sail package for the Brooklyn Cruiseport.

 

 

[Got2Cruise]

1 hour ago, 138east said:

Unfortunately no one has found a park sail package for the Brooklyn Cruiseport.

 

 

Also, October is one of the most expensive months for lodging in NYC so try to find something cancelable ASAP. Have you considered pubic transportation instead of using your car?

[lx200gps]

20 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

Also, October is one of the most expensive months for lodging in NYC so try to find something cancelable ASAP. Have you considered pubic transportation instead of using your car?

OP here. I'm starting to get a feel for the prices of NYC hotels at the end of October, and you are quite right, it does look like a bad time. Preliminary searching on Expedia seems to say that there is not much cost benefit to staying in Brooklyn vs staying in midtown Manhattan, which would obviate the need for using public transport, as we can walk everywhere. And using public transport around NYC is fine, but we have to drive about 350 miles to get there in the first place.

 

 

[mking8288]

OP, how late is "late" this/any October in NYC ??  Seasonally high rates kick in before the long Labor Day weekend from US Tennis Open, thru Fashion Week & extend to the busy Fall cruise calendars for Canada/New England foilage ... and the NY Marathon runners begin arriving ahead of/by the last week of October to train & prepare.  

 

Use these 2 links to explore various parking options in NYC, both Manhattan & Brooklyn (look at downtown Brooklyn, near Flatbush Avenue ... )  rates are lower than midtown/Times Square, just beware that a surcharge of up to $25 daily will apply to SUV/minivan and anything else "they" define as oversized/over-height/over-length/over-wide/etc. 

 

You might want to consider parking it away from the tourist area & use subways and buses to get around, or taxi/Uber it - at a somewhat lower flat rate for those "several" days before your short cruise out of Brooklyn ... then, park/drive over to Red Hook and park it there, $25 a day, taxes included & no surcharges for van or suv, etc. - Waze/Google Maps/GPS-real time based navigation should take you to Pier 12 easily on a weekend without major issues.  

https://iconparkingsystems.com/

https://www.parkfast.com/brooklyn-parking-liu

https://www.nycruise.com/brooklyn-terminal/parking/

 

There are a # of boutique hotels in the Park Slope/Grand Army Plaza area of the Brooklyn - rates aren't necessary to be going that much lower than Manhattan, some of them should have indoor/underground parking, for a fee, possibility a discount with a nearby facility - you will need to call them directly to ask, and see what the deal is, if any.  

 

We are near LGA in Queens and even in downtown Flushing's commercial area with indoor/underground parking - average parking rates for a 24 hour period is going to be around $20 to $25, or more, most will have that "surcharge" but at a more "reasonable" $10 daily added on.   For a longer stay, a monthly rate for parking around this area is somewhere in the $200 to $300 range & higher, plus that 18.875% or so taxes/surcharge/fees - essentially storing your car safely in the garage.  But, you will have to add the extra cost to/from the pier with luggage as Red Hook is not friendly for walking there from the nearest subway stations & weekend transfer combo on a local bus service, are not luggage friendly.  

[lx200gps]

Thanks VERY much for the detail, very helpful.  Timing is arriving 23rd or 24th of October, departing Brooklyn on the cruise on the 26th and arriving back from the cruise on the 31st.  And yes, we would be parking an SUV ;o( (though only a mid-size)

 

If parking around Red Hook for the 5 days can be had at around $25/day, then that is OK for us, I had assumed it would be more. Given the hotel pricing in Brooklyn, it may be easiest for us to just bite the bullet and drive direct to Manhattan (probably around Times Square, our preferred "base of operations" when in NYC) and just pay through the nose for a few days of parking. On cruise morning, we'd drive to Red Hook and park there if it's only $25/day.

 

I'll start going through your links for more details, thanks again very much.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

If parking around Red Hook for the 5 days can be had at around $25/day, then that is OK for us, I had assumed it would be more. Given the hotel pricing in Brooklyn, it may be easiest for us to just bite the bullet and drive direct to Manhattan (probably around Times Square, our preferred "base of operations" when in NYC) and just pay through the nose for a few days of parking. On cruise morning, we'd drive to Red Hook and park there if it's only $25/day.

 

Given your pre-cruise plans, I think this makes the most sense.   You won't lose valuable time traveling to and from Manhattan those days, and after your cruise your car will be right there at the pier, which is incredibly convenient.

 

BTW, here's the parking info from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal web site:

 

https://www.nycruise.com/brooklyn-terminal/

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Given your pre-cruise plans, I think this makes the most sense.   You won't lose valuable time traveling to and from Manhattan those days, and after your cruise your car will be right there at the pier, which is incredibly convenient.

 

BTW, here's the parking info from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal web site:

 

https://www.nycruise.com/brooklyn-terminal/

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks for all the help folks.

 

The Brooklyn Terminal Parking page from the posted links states:

 

Overnight Rate (Up to 24 Hours)    $25.00

 

Is that just bad wording, or does the Brooklyn Terminal not allow long term parking for the length of the cruise? The web page seems to imply it has long term parking, but this makes me wonder.

[mking8288]

@lx200gps - $25 per day/max is the current rates, check it 2 to 4 weeks before your Fall cruise just to reconfirm ... just poorly worded, it's relatively cheap by NY standard, Manhattan pier's rooftop parking is $40 per 24 hours.  It is secured, fenced-in and not accessible to the public otherwise.  

 

It is late in the hurricane season but NY is known to get those fast-moving Nor-Easter in October ... when Superstorm Sandy made landfall in 2012, vehicles parked there were damaged by tidal surge as the entire Red Hook area, along with much of SE Brooklyn's waterfront is in a high-risk flood zone. 

 

Commercial garages will CHARGE extra for an SUV, it doesn't matter whether it's a full-size Ford, GMC or a compact Nissan Juke ... now that we don't need our Honda CRV, we downgraded to a full-size 4 door, no longer getting hit with a $10 or $15 surcharge on top of prevailing parking fees.  

 

For staying in & leaving your car idle in a garage nearby, look at midtown West garages on 10th or 11th Ave, rates are lower - book in advance but make sure a space is guaranteed.  

Edited June 2, 2019 by mking8288

[lx200gps]

13 hours ago, mking8288 said:

@lx200gps - $25 per day/max is the current rates, check it 2 to 4 weeks before your Fall cruise just to reconfirm ... just poorly worded, it's relatively cheap by NY standard, Manhattan pier's rooftop parking is $40 per 24 hours.  It is secured, fenced-in and not accessible to the public otherwise.  

 

It is late in the hurricane season but NY is known to get those fast-moving Nor-Easter in October ... when Superstorm Sandy made landfall in 2012, vehicles parked there were damaged by tidal surge as the entire Red Hook area, along with much of SE Brooklyn's waterfront is in a high-risk flood zone. 

 

Commercial garages will CHARGE extra for an SUV, it doesn't matter whether it's a full-size Ford, GMC or a compact Nissan Juke ... now that we don't need our Honda CRV, we downgraded to a full-size 4 door, no longer getting hit with a $10 or $15 surcharge on top of prevailing parking fees.  

 

For staying in & leaving your car idle in a garage nearby, look at midtown West garages on 10th or 11th Ave, rates are lower - book in advance but make sure a space is guaranteed.  

Thanks, this pretty much confirms it for us. We'll be driving direct to the Times Square area and parking in one of the expensive local garages for the few days we are there, then driving down the morning of the cruise and park at the cruise terminal parking lot if it's only $25/day with no SUV surcharge.

 

Q: We always like to arrive for a cruise early, usually starting the checkin process by 10:30AM. Will there be any issues with finding a parking spot in the Terminal parking area at that time? I expect not, but I'll ask anyway.

 

Also, what would be the best way to get from Mid-Town to Red Hook. It appears that heading west to the Hudson, then south through the Brooklyn-Battery/Carey Tunnel is one option, as is heading EAST, down the FDR and over the Brooklyn Bridge. We'll be doing this on a Saturday morning.

 

Thanks very much for the help.

[138east]

25 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Thanks, this pretty much confirms it for us. We'll be driving direct to the Times Square area and parking in one of the expensive local garages for the few days we are there, then driving down the morning of the cruise and park at the cruise terminal parking lot if it's only $25/day with no SUV surcharge.

 

Q: We always like to arrive for a cruise early, usually starting the checkin process by 10:30AM. Will there be any issues with finding a parking spot in the Terminal parking area at that time? I expect not, but I'll ask anyway.

 

Also, what would be the best way to get from Mid-Town to Red Hook. It appears that heading west to the Hudson, then south through the Brooklyn-Battery/Carey Tunnel is one option, as is heading EAST, down the FDR and over the Brooklyn Bridge. We'll be doing this on a Saturday morning.

 

Thanks very much for the help.

The West Side route down 12th Avenue usually moves very well.  It’s 3 lanes in each direction and the lights are timed well.  When I’ve used it I found the center lane to work well for me.

[mking8288]

On the question of parking availability, I don't recall reading or knowing of any issues with the lot filling up - those disembarking & parked there should be vacating their space as early as 8 to 9 am, depending on when the ship is docked & cleared, etc. etc.   Use Apps like Marinetraffic to track ship's actual arrival on the morning of.

 

Traffic will be light on a typical Saturday morning across much of Manhattan, including the Theater Districts - head south on the West Side Hwy for the Hugh Carey Tunnel (cash-less toll) would be the easiest, and, I looked at ETA just now on Google Maps/Waze navigation - time saved is only about 2 minutes.  The Red Hook exit, which is immediately right after exiting the Tunnel to the right, is a tricky one & you will be going back the opposite way via local/city streets with a series of turn - GPS navigation is a definitely plus to help not get lost.  

 

Otherwise,  assuming you've driven in NYC before & will have GPS-assisted real-time navigation enabled, it will be just as easy to head east, across mid-town for the FDR Drive, entrance to go south on E. 42nd Street or E. 34th Street, and take the right lane exit for & across the Brooklyn Bridge, continue & pickup Rt. I-278 for a short distance, take Exit 27 for Atlantic Avenue from the right lane, pretty much along the waterfront on local/city street, another 3/4 mile to Pier 12 & parking. 

 

Do a virtual drive on Google Map & you can visualize the roads, highways, exit ramps & directions ... it should put you at ease in driving there yourself.  Enjoy your cruise !

[lx200gps]

2 hours ago, mking8288 said:

On the question of parking availability, I don't recall reading or knowing of any issues with the lot filling up - those disembarking & parked there should be vacating their space as early as 8 to 9 am, depending on when the ship is docked & cleared, etc. etc.   Use Apps like Marinetraffic to track ship's actual arrival on the morning of.

 

Traffic will be light on a typical Saturday morning across much of Manhattan, including the Theater Districts - head south on the West Side Hwy for the Hugh Carey Tunnel (cash-less toll) would be the easiest, and, I looked at ETA just now on Google Maps/Waze navigation - time saved is only about 2 minutes.  The Red Hook exit, which is immediately right after exiting the Tunnel to the right, is a tricky one & you will be going back the opposite way via local/city streets with a series of turn - GPS navigation is a definitely plus to help not get lost.  

 

Otherwise,  assuming you've driven in NYC before & will have GPS-assisted real-time navigation enabled, it will be just as easy to head east, across mid-town for the FDR Drive, entrance to go south on E. 42nd Street or E. 34th Street, and take the right lane exit for & across the Brooklyn Bridge, continue & pickup Rt. I-278 for a short distance, take Exit 27 for Atlantic Avenue from the right lane, pretty much along the waterfront on local/city street, another 3/4 mile to Pier 12 & parking. 

 

Do a virtual drive on Google Map & you can visualize the roads, highways, exit ramps & directions ... it should put you at ease in driving there yourself.  Enjoy your cruise !

Thanks so much to all for taking the time to advise. I suspect we'll just wait until the day of and check the traffic levels to decide whether to use the tunnel or the Brooklyn bridge. 

 

One last question (for now anyway ;o), how does the cashless toll work on the Carey Tunnel. We are literally driving in from a foreign country, your northern neighbor, how does the toll get charged? Credit card I assume?

[mking8288]

Good question - for those without an EZ-Pass "tags" video/cams at all of the NYC tolled bridges and tunnel crossing will bill you, to pay-by-mail, based on your license plate ... doesn't matter whether it's from Ontario or Maine, etc.  

Toll-by-mail/cash rate is $9.50 for the Carey Tunnel each way, EZ-Pass rate is $6.12.  

 

I am guessing that you will probably be using the cash lanes coming down the Adirondack Northway onto the NY State Thruway at the Albany interchanges - you can consider getting an EZ-Pass on the Go "tag" to use ($25 is the purchase price, full amount is credited to the account once activated - $30 when purchased in NYC ... basically, a prepaid account & can be refilled or extra funds added as needed) 

https://www.e-zpassny.com/en/onthego/onthego.shtml

https://www.e-zpassny.com/en/onthego/general_info.shtml