First cruise out of NYC and I’m lost….

[kona_wahine]

Never been to NYC, just booked a cruise. Cruising on the Carnival Venezia in October. We have cruised out of TX and FL, always fly the day before from Oregon. Is there more than one port, as I can’t seem to find a definitive answer by google. Which airport is best to fly in and out of? I checked JFK prices, not too bad. Best place to spend the night before the cruise? We can catch a flight about 4pm on the day we leave, so that should work out fine. Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated! I’m a little overwhelmed about heading to the BIG CITY! 

[TheOldBear]

4 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

Never been to NYC, just booked a cruise. Cruising on the Carnival Venezia in October. We have cruised out of TX and FL, always fly the day before from Oregon. Is there more than one port, as I can’t seem to find a definitive answer by google. Which airport is best to fly in and out of? I checked JFK prices, not too bad. Best place to spend the night before the cruise? We can catch a flight about 4pm on the day we leave, so that should work out fine. Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated! I’m a little overwhelmed about heading to the BIG CITY! 

There are three cruise terminal areas for New York - Carnival usually uses the Manhattan piers, Cunard, Princess and now MSC use the Brooklyn terminal and RCI brands dock across the river in New Jersey.

 

The Manhattan and Brooklyn terminals are operated by NYCruise - including a schedule of planned terminal assignments.

 

As far as hotels go - I have no direct experience, as we are local to the Brooklyn terminal and have not needed to stay before or after sailing. There should be many discussion threads - and someone knowledgeable will provide input.

 

If you are planning on an evening activity (theatre, concert, opera) for the fly in day, you will want to look at Manhattan hotels [$$$]. If you are planning on arriving, dinner than sleep - an airport hotel might be a better fit. [possibly the 'TWA Hotel' at JFK] 

 

[princeton123211]

6 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

Is there more than one port, as I can’t seem to find a definitive answer by google.

As noted there are three-- Carnival will be at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in Midtown Manhattan unless noted otherwise (which is exceptionally rare). 

 

6 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

Which airport is best to fly in and out of?

There are three major New York City airports-- JFK, Newark Liberty in New Jersey, and Laguardia. Laguardia is the most convenient into midtown, but also has the fewest options and there aren't a ton of cross country flights that go in there. JFK and Newark will most likely offer the most options. Honestly, it really comes down to which one has the best price.

 

6 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

Best place to spend the night before the cruise?

This is entirely up to how much you want to do and see (or not do and see). New York City is vast and there is no way you can even come close to seeing even a little bit of it in an afternoon. If you would like to see some of the sites I would recommend staying in Midtown Manhattan which will also be very easy and convenient the next day boarding your ship. This will put you near Central Park, Times Square, theaters if your'e so inclined. You can walk to a lot. 

 

Hotels in New York can generally be in the low $200s for basic hotels and run into the several thousands per night for 5 star spots and there is a lot in between. Just in Manhattan alone there are thousands of hotels to chose from. What's your budget? Happy to make some recommendations with some more feedback to narrow it down. 

[kona_wahine]

Thanks for the input so far! We would rather stay somewhere comfortable, clean, but inexpensive. We are definitely not the thousands a night type of people! 😉 I guess grabbing a taxi to the ship would be the easiest option in the morning. We will probably take the ship shuttle back to the airport after the cruise.   As for evening activities, probably nothing specific, just look around. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by kona_wahine

[princeton123211]

9 minutes ago, kona_wahine said:

We would rather stay somewhere comfortable, clean, but inexpensive.

Nothing in Manhattan is very inexpensive but there are some options. October is prime time tourist season so rates will be higher-- even more basic spots like Hampton Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, etc will be $300-400 a night around then. There are deals that pop up and you have time-- right now rates are high but I would suspect they could go down a little as it gets closer. Also if you have credit card or hotel loyalty points this is one of those instances where it might make sense to use them. 

 

You could also stay out of town near one of the airports-- it will be marginally less expensive (not dramatically so) but you will have the additional commute the next day into town anyway and you'll miss out on a night in one of the world's great cities. 

 

15 minutes ago, kona_wahine said:

I guess grabbing a taxi to the ship would be the easiest option in the morning.

If you stay in Midtown it will only be a few minutes to the pier. I would download Uber and Lyft apps-- there aren't a ton of traditional taxis anymore that are just driving around for hire-- most are queued up at airports, train stations, etc. Uber/Lyft can be a huge help if you cant find one. 

 

[Got2Cruise]

Hi. It seems overwhelming I’m sure but mostly because there are so many choices. 
 

Any of the 3 airports are fine. So chose whichever carrier you are comfortable with. 
 

If you just want to look around, then midtown west area would be best, you could walk around Times Square and Rockefeller Center areas. Maybe even go on  one of the open air tour busses. You can stay on for the entire loop and not get off. 
 

What date do you need? I like to use Kayak.com to get an idea of the prices. Then I book directly with hotel for a refundable rate. 
 

 

[cruiseat50]

I was where you are now a little while back and started this thread.  There is a lot of great info and some debates over best airport to go to.  We ended up going with LaGuardia mostly for price/schedule/convenience.  There are some recommendations for hotels in Manhattan and looked at several of them but they were quite pricey and ended up going with Holiday Inn Times square as we are members with them and they were MUCH cheaper than others were.  We have never been to NY before either and now that I have done more research it's less intimidating than before and now are looking forward to this adventure!

Good luck and happy sails!

 

[kona_wahine]

Thanks for all the great info! On an interesting note I was looking on “cruisemapper “ and when I looked up our cruise it shows the Venezia leaving and coming back to Cape Liberty Bayonne, NJ/NY. If that’s the case it looks like the Newark airport is right there. I will wait and see since the ship won’t even head over here until May. but being so close to NYC, how do I not spend a day in Times Square and Central Park…. Lol

[njhorseman]

12 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

Thanks for all the great info! On an interesting note I was looking on “cruisemapper “ and when I looked up our cruise it shows the Venezia leaving and coming back to Cape Liberty Bayonne, NJ/NY. If that’s the case it looks like the Newark airport is right there. I will wait and see since the ship won’t even head over here until May. but being so close to NYC, how do I not spend a day in Times Square and Central Park…. Lol

Carnival press releases I've seen say the ship will sail year round from Manhattan, which makes sense because that's the cruise terminal Carnival uses.

Cape Liberty is 99.999% Royal Caribbean group ships with just an odd exception once in a blue moon if there's no docking space available elsewhere. 

Edited February 4, 2023 by njhorseman

[jbrinkm]

Just be prepared for some culture shock. I grew up in the rural Midwest, went to school in Atlanta, and then moved to the north Jersey area & Manhattan with my husband. I was the type to say "I'm sorry" if someone bumped into ME. I grew out of that quickly up there. It's just a different environment - many people squished into a small space, all looking out for themselves (it feels that way). I don't think it is that people are inherently meaner or less helpful than anywhere else - I certainly came into contact with very kind, helpful people, but the culture can feel like it to someone not from there. I ended up really enjoying living in NYC but it took me some time to get used to the push & shove mentality. So for example, if you are waiting for luggage at the carousel at one of the NY airports, be prepared to say excuse me and move yourself forward to grab your luggage if you see it. Probably no one will move to allow you through. I say this so you can go with the flow, understand that it is just a regional difference and hopefully not get too frustrated about it when you come up against it.

[shipgeeks]

We have sailed out of Manhattan twice, a number of years ago.  Fabulous!

In our case, we arrived by bus, and had hotels booked in the area around 48th Street.  Both times, the room was smaller than a cruiseship cabin(!), with a double bed rather than queen. Both were relatively inexpensive. We were able to walk around the area on arrival day, and the next morning, before walking our luggage to the port.

Being on deck before departure, and seeing the lights of Manhattan come on, was wonderful.

[navybankerteacher]

On 2/4/2023 at 12:36 AM, kona_wahine said:

Thanks for all the great info! On an interesting note I was looking on “cruisemapper “ and when I looked up our cruise it shows the Venezia leaving and coming back to Cape Liberty Bayonne, NJ/NY. If that’s the case it looks like the Newark airport is right there. I will wait and see since the ship won’t even head over here until May. but being so close to NYC, how do I not spend a day in Times Square and Central Park…. Lol

On the cruise site I check (which cannot be mentioned here) Venezia is shown as continually sailing out of Manhattan starting this May.

[sandym718]

Have stayed at both the Hampton Inn Times Square North and the Hilton Garden Inn Times Square Central.  Would recommend either.   If you just have one afternoon/evening, I'd recommend staying near Times Square.  Walk to Central Park while there's still daylight and explore there.  Times Square is fun to see at night.  Also highly recommend one of the night open-top bus tours.  These are the ones that usually do hop-on/off during the day (I've seen these NOT recommended) but we did a night tour and it was great!  With your very limited time, this would allow you to see some other areas/sites- like the Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial, Brooklyn Bridge, Flat Iron building, etc.   Check Groupon for cheaper tickets for one of these tours.  If you have more time, using the subway was easy for us to get around.  The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry is great to do once.  Other times, we've done the free Staten Island ferry just to get a look.  You may get a look from your ship though??  9/11 museum is wonderfully done, but takes a lot of time and impacts your mood of course.  If you want to do an observation deck I'd recommend Top of the Rock during the day or Summit One Vanderbilt at night.    

 

If you really only have one half-day or less, I'd recommend:  head to a Times Square hotel, check in and drop your stuff, walk to Central Park and see what you can while it's still light,  walk back to Times Square and grab a bite to eat, maybe just a slice of pizza to save time.  Do a nighttime bus tour.  And if you still have energy, walk over and do Summit One Vanderbilt, they're open late, til midnight maybe? 

[LB_NJ]

As others have said Bayonne/Cape Liberty is almost exclusively Royal territory.

However, if your ship is really docking there then Newark is the better choice and staying near the port makes sense.  There is a lot of public transportation that goes into Manhattan from that area in NJ if you want to go in for a couple of hours.  The area's public transportation can be daunting for the uninitiated.

 

However, assuming that the ship leaves from Manhattan (the most likely scenario) then even if it is a few dollars more you are better off staying in Manhattan especially if the embarkation day is a business day (ie, normal weekday).  Manhattan is an Island (yes, I am stating the obvious), and on business days the commuter traffic can be grueling (limited routes into Manhattan), and you may not want to stress out on your departure day.

[GTJ]

On 2/8/2023 at 7:49 PM, LB_NJ said:

[I]f your ship is really docking [in Bayonne] then Newark is the better choice and staying near the port makes sense. There is a lot of public transportation that goes into Manhattan from that area in NJ if you want to go in for a couple of hours. The area's public transportation can be daunting for the uninitiated.

I would add to that recommendation the alternative of staying in either Hoboken or Jersey City. Like Newark, both of these cities are urban environments that are reasonably close to Bayonne, and both have excellent public transportation that operates frequently 24/7 to and from Manhattan. Of the two, Jersey City has a larger number of hotels.

 

On 2/8/2023 at 7:49 PM, LB_NJ said:

Manhattan is an Island (yes, I am stating the obvious) * * *

Perhaps not so obvious. "Manhattan" is both an island and a borough. But the borough includes several islands (the largest of which is Manhattan Island), and includes includes a portion that is now attached to the mainland of the United States and no longer an island. (There are other communities in the United States also called "Manhattan," including one in Illinois to which one can board a commuter train from Chicago.) The geography of New York City is fascinating and filled with many quirks that can excite any trivia enthusiast.

[cementhands]

On 2/3/2023 at 3:22 AM, kona_wahine said:

Never been to NYC, just booked a cruise. Cruising on the Carnival Venezia in October. We have cruised out of TX and FL, always fly the day before from Oregon. Is there more than one port, as I can’t seem to find a definitive answer by google. Which airport is best to fly in and out of? I checked JFK prices, not too bad. Best place to spend the night before the cruise? We can catch a flight about 4pm on the day we leave, so that should work out fine. Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated! I’m a little overwhelmed about heading to the BIG CITY! 

Manhattan cruise port is New York City, Bayonne New Jersey is elsewhere, might be one in Brooklyn but never used it. Suggest that you fly in day early and check out tri ni Ty reservations for hotel and transportation. We’ve used them several times in New York City and Bayonne and Baltimore too! Last trip January 2023 dedicated suv with round trip service to and from beautiful sprin hill suites in Newark New Jersey . Keep in mind sometimes Newark has cheaper flights !

[JCrewz]

Kona....your trip sounds exciting.  We are sailing on the Venezia in mid September.  We are proud budget travelers that are willing to accept a few challenges, within reason, to score a better value.

 

Value, of course, is relative to different expectations.  For us, we usually fly Southwest Airlines into LaGuardia.  The luggage going with us for "free" is the big selling point there.  We like to stay in Long Island City in Queens, just across the East River from Manhattan.  There are a number of hotels within very close walking distance to a subway station.

 

We are staying at the Red Lion Inn about 150 yards from the Queensboro Bridge Subway Station.  About $150.00 pre-cruise if you can live with a non refundable rate.  We are always willing to take that chance.  About 10 minutes on the subway and you're in the heart of Manhattan.  Times Square is easy to get to and the theater district is close if you want to see a play.

 

Still plenty of walking no matter what you do, but a convenient, budget option.  Long Island City by itself does not have much to offer and the Red Lion Inn is an older, but clean and somewhat comfortable hotel.  The taxis were easy to catch at LaGuardia and pre-pandemic the cab ride plus a good tip was $30.00.  Not sure what they are now.

 

Some well meaning folks on these boards will tell you that you get what you pay for and will opt for much more expensive places that I am sure will be more enjoyable.  But, if trying to get in the day before and onto the ship for around $300.00 (hotel, transportation and a couple of pretzels) instead of $700.00 appeals to you, it can be safely done.

 

We plan on catching an Uber the Saturday morning of the cruise.  We always try to get to the port early and wait our turn to check in.  We love the feeling of knowing that our bags are handed off to the luggage stewards and that we are in the right spot for our cruise.

 

You are doing the right thing by gathering as many points of view and information as you can.  Whatever you decide to do, have a great trip out of fabulous NYC.

[Brighton Line]

3 hours ago, JCrewz said:

We are staying at the Red Lion Inn about 150 yards from the Queensboro Bridge Subway Station.  About $150.00 pre-cruise if you can live with a non refundable rate.  We are always willing to take that chance.  About 10 minutes on the subway and you're in the heart of Manhattan. 

There is no "Queensboro Bridge Subway Station". The area JCrewz is referring to is Long Island City in the borough of Queens. The first or second subway stop in Queens traveling from Manhattan. There are many hotels in this area and pricing can be competitive to Manhattan. Red Lion Inn is like the fourth brand this hotel which was originally built as a Choice Hotel Property and operated under two of their brands before changing again.

 

Yes until the pandemic I worked in Long Island City in two locations for over 20 years. I now work across the street from the Brooklyn Marriott. 

 

The Red lion Inn & Suites Long Island City is closest to the Queensboro Plaza Station of the 7/N/W subway and a slightly longer walk to the Queens Plaza Station of the E/M/R Subway. First is an elevated station and latter is underground, both are on Queens Plaza roadway which is divided north/south and leads to the Queensboro Bridge a.k.a. 59th Street Bridge a.k.a. Mayor Ed Koch Bridge which is for pedestrian and vehicle traffic over the East River.

Edited February 14, 2023 by Brighton Line

[GTJ]

Expanding slightly on the historic geography of Long Island City: The modern city of New York was created in 1898 by the consolidation of three formerly independent cities (plus the entirety of one remote rural county, Richmond, and one-half of another largely rural county, Queens). One of those three cities was Long Island City. It had been created in 1870 from what had then been a portion of the town of Newtown—all of Queens County west of approximately 48th Street. That portion of Newtown had until then included the incorporated village of Astoria and several unincorporated hamlets, including Hunter’s Point, Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, Steinway, among others. Thus, this part of modern day Queens can be referred to by many names, some overlapping. The use of “Long Island City” as a geographic descriptor is the most broad and least specific, and there has never been a central city center of Long Island City. Nonetheless, many people do think of the area surrounding the eastern end of the Queensborough Bridge as the center of Long Island City, though that really has no historical basis if only because the Queensborough Bridge was not completed until 1909, eleven years after Long Island City had ceased to exist as a distinct political entity. This area is more precisely referred to as Queensborough Plaza, or Queens Plaza for short, as a reference to the plaza established at the eastern end of the Queensborough Bridge. The plaza itself had been covered by a much more massive elevated structure when it was built in 1916, so as to accommodate two separately-operated rapid transit companies, but later the service was simplified and in 1964 the elevated structure over the northern half of the plaza was demolished, returning some sunshine to that part of the plaza that had been shrouded in darkness for the previous 48 years. Historically this area would be referred to as Dutch Kills, the center of Dutch Kills being near what is today the intersection of 41st Avenue and Northern Boulevard. The area had come to importance in 1861 when the Long Island Rail Road relocated their main line from Brooklyn to Hunter’s Point, with the new line going through Dutch Kills (the New York and Flushing Railroad had, in 1854, been the first railroad to build to what had been a swamp at Hunter’s Point). My personal preference is to use the term “Dutch Kills” for this area, though I frequently use the term “Queens Plaza.” I try to avoid the term “Long Island City” simply because it refers to a geographically larger area, though it is not incorrect. The term used earlier in this discussion, “Queensborough Bridge Subway Station” would be a correct geographical description, though not the actual name of the subway station and might confuse people (best to use the actual subway station names, either Queensborough Plaza station for the elevated station above the plaza, or Queens Plaza station for the station at the eastern edge of the plaza and below Northern Boulevard, Queens Plaza East, and Jackson Avenue.

[JCrewz]

Thank you Brighton Line and GTJ for the correction.

 

The overriding point I was hoping to make is that "Long Island City" is a fairly convenient, reasonably safe and less expensive way to see Manhattan than staying in Manhattan.

 

I would love to hear Brighton and GTJ weigh in on the best plans for travelers pre-cruise with their extensive knowledge of the area.

[GTJ]

6 hours ago, JCrewz said:

The overriding point I was hoping to make is that "Long Island City" is a fairly convenient, reasonably safe and less expensive way to see Manhattan than staying in Manhattan.

Agree fully. Many people will pay a premium to stay in Manhattan, and in many cases it is more convenient doing so. But there can be much greater value on the other side of the East River, with little, if any, inconvenience.

 

6 hours ago, JCrewz said:

I would love to hear Brighton and GTJ weigh in on the best plans for travelers pre-cruise with their extensive knowledge of the area.

Not certain what all you might be seeking, but I first start with a necessity: eating. A few favorites of mine, all within easy walking distance of the hotel, are the following. John Brown BBQ, 27-20 40th Avenue, http://www.johnbrownbbq.net. Excellent BBQ (the burnt ends are enjoyed by many), informal, order at the counter, outdoor patio available. Not a good choice for vegetarians (who will likely have to made do with the cole slaw). Best to go earlier as the menu items are available until they sell out. M. Wells, 43-15 Crescent Street, http://www.magasinwells.com. Authentic Québécois cuisine (the chef-owner hales from Montréal and its well-known Au Pied de Cochon). First-rate tourtière. Steak and seafood. Manetta's, 10-76 Jackson Avenue, http://www.manettaslic.com. Good Italian food, including pizzas. Tournesol, 50-12 Vernon Boulevard, http://www.tournesolnyc.com. Classic French cuisine. Across the street is the informal Café Henri, 10-10 50th Avenue, http://www.cafehenrilic.com. Also French fare. Xi'an Famous Foods, 26-19 Jackson Avenue, http://www.xianfoods.com. Excellent western Chinese cuisine. Informal and inexpensive, order at the counter. Among the best items is N2, spicy and tingly beef with hand-ripped noodles. The main restaurant is in Flushing, about four blocks from my home; this location is a branch of the main restaurant. Casa Enrique, 5-48 49th Avenue, http://www.casaenriquelic.com. Michelin Star Mexican cuisine (the chef-owner hales from Chiapas in southern México). Expensive.

 

Also nearby and within easy walking distance is the Kaufman Astoria Studios, 34-12 36th Street http://www.kaufmanastoria.com, the center of movie-making and television on the east coast. Within the studio complex is the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue, http://www.movingimage.us. A fascinating permanent set of exhibits, and one of the theatres for film screenings. Best to go when there is an interesting film being screened. No movie trailers, no sticky floors, and frequently there are live post-screening interviews (with audience Q&A) with the the movie's director and/or stars. Also, sign-up with Shadow Casting and Productions, http://www.shadowcasting.com, to get into the audience of television programs being produced at Kaufman Astoria Studios (many times including payment of an hororarium for attending). The competing Silvercup Studios, 42-22 22nd Street, http://www.silvercupstudios.com, is a few blocks away. One of the noted museums in the area is MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Avenue, http://www.momaps1.org, part of the Museum of Modern Art housed in a former public school. Several other museums are also in the neighborhood.

 

Finally, a note about addresses in Queens. Generally, "Streets" run north-south and "Avenues" run east-west. (You might remember this rule by noting that Manhattan does its Streets and Avenues backwards: in that other borough "Streets" run east-west and "Avenues" run north-south.) 1st Street is at the western end of Queens, and the numbers increase going eastward; 1st Avenue is at the northern end of Queens, and the numbers increase going southward. In-between successive Streets are "Places" and "Lanes," and in-between successive Avenues are "Roads" and "Drives." Addresses are of the form number-hyphen-number. The first number, to the left of the hyphen, is the number of the cross-street, while the second number, to the right of the hyphen, is the order of houses on that block. Some streets have names instead of numbers, but most named streets do have a number equivalent. In short, Queens addresses are the most sensible in all of New York City, and usually it is very easy to ascertain where a particular address is located, even without having GPS mapping available!

Edited February 15, 2023 by GTJ

[SusanMK]

We are sailing out of Brooklyn Red Hook cruise port on the MSC Meraviglia on July 9. We are seniors but taking our 10 year old grandson. We are coming from Massachusetts so we are trying to decide on parking at pier or taking Amtrak day before and stay in NY City without breaking the bank. How safe is our car at cruise port. We could stay in CT day before and then drive to the port. My husband is concerned if when we arrive if there is no parking available what will we do. Any suggestions or advice would be great.

[navybankerteacher]

On 2/14/2023 at 6:54 PM, JCrewz said:

Thank you Brighton Line and GTJ for the correction.

 

The overriding point I was hoping to make is that "Long Island City" is a fairly convenient, reasonably safe and less expensive way to see Manhattan than staying in Manhattan.

 

I would love to hear Brighton and GTJ weigh in on the best plans for travelers pre-cruise with their extensive knowledge of the area.

Do you REALLY think that a good "...way to see Manhattan..."  is from across the East River?   Yes, you could find less expensive hotels in the outer boroughs or New Jersey -- but, if the point of the exercise is to see Manhattan, I suggest you stay IN Manhattan - and not spend several (perhaps many) of your hours in the area either riding time-consuming, perhaps dangerous, public transportation or Ubers - the cost of which could seriously bite into your savings on hotel room cost.

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, SusanMK said:

We are sailing out of Brooklyn Red Hook cruise port on the MSC Meraviglia on July 9. We are seniors but taking our 10 year old grandson. We are coming from Massachusetts so we are trying to decide on parking at pier or taking Amtrak day before and stay in NY City without breaking the bank. How safe is our car at cruise port. We could stay in CT day before and then drive to the port. My husband is concerned if when we arrive if there is no parking available what will we do. Any suggestions or advice would be great.

We parked at the Brooklyn terminal last September. We had driven down the day before and stayed in northern NJ for FAR less than a hotel in Manhattan or Brooklyn, then drove to the BCT the day of the cruise. There was tons of available parking, no issues finding a spot very near the ship, and our car was perfectly fine 7 days later. We did arrive relatively early as we like to board ASAP, so the outgoing passengers were clearing the parking lot as we arrived.