Penn Station NYC to Brooklyn Cruise Port?

[LB_NJ]

Any thoughts on the best reasonably priced way to get to the Cruise port from NY Penn?

 

Last time I traveled out of Brooklyn I left my car but that doesn't work for a Trans Atlantic.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, LB_NJ said:

Any thoughts on the best reasonably priced way to get to the Cruise port from NY Penn?

 

Last time I traveled out of Brooklyn I left my car but that doesn't work for a Trans Atlantic.

I'd take Uber/Lyft, or a car service such as Carmel Limo or Dial 7. There's typically very little difference from one to the other in price, service and quality of vehicle .

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

Any thoughts on the best reasonably priced way to get to the Cruise port from NY Penn?

 

Last time I traveled out of Brooklyn I left my car but that doesn't work for a Trans Atlantic.

I’d be happy with a yellow cab,  A car service like Uber might be “best”, but if by “reasonably priced” you really mean cheapest, the No. 2 subway to South Street followed by the ferry across the river might be your choice.

[GTJ]

3 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

Any thoughts on the best reasonably priced way to get to the Cruise port from NY Penn?

Most reasonably priced means, besides walking, is to use the subway into downtown Brooklyn, then a short bus ride to the Brooklyn Cruise Port in Red Hook. Total cost: $2.90. More specifically, use the Eighth Avenue subway, "A" or "C" trains, from Pennsylvania Station to Jay Street-MetroTech. Exit the subway onto Jay Street, at Willoughby Street, and walk south one and one-half blocks (Jay Street changes its name to Smith Street). There you will find bus route B61. It is a free transfer onto the bus. The ride into Red Hook is about thirteen minutes. Alight from the bus on Van Brunt Street, corner of King Street. Walk back on Van Brunt Street one block, and turn left on Pioneer Street. It is about 1,500 feet along Pioneer Street to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

[GTJ]

1 minute ago, GTJ said:

Most reasonably priced means, besides walking, is to the subway into downtown Brooklyn, then a short bus ride to the Brooklyn Cruise Port in Red Hook. Total cost: $2.90. No other commercial transportation is less expensive.

 

More specifically, use the Eighth Avenue subway, "A" or "C" trains, from Pennsylvania Station to Jay Street-MetroTech. Exit the subway onto Jay Street, at Willoughby Street, and walk south one and one-half blocks (Jay Street changes its name to Smith Street). There you will find bus route B61. It is a free transfer onto the bus. The ride into Red Hook is about thirteen minutes. Alight from the bus on Van Brunt Street, corner of King Street. Walk back on Van Brunt Street one block, and turn left on Pioneer Street. It is about 1,500 feet along Pioneer Street to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by GTJ

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I’d be happy with a yellow cab,

I wouldn't.

It's a bit tricky to get to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and there's a reasonable chance that your driver will end up making a wrong turn or two, resulting in a higher than necessary metered fare .

 

With Uber/Lyft or a car service your fare is fixed so if the driver takes the wrong route it won't cost anything extra.

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

the No. 2 subway to South Street followed by the ferry across the river might be your choice.

The #2 doesn't go to South St. (or South Ferry). You'd have to exit the #2 train at Wall St. and then walk from the subway Station to Pier 11...about a half mile.

[LB_NJ]

3 hours ago, GTJ said:

Most reasonably priced means, besides walking, is to use the subway into downtown Brooklyn, then a short bus ride to the Brooklyn Cruise Port in Red Hook. Total cost: $2.90. More specifically, use the Eighth Avenue subway, "A" or "C" trains, from Pennsylvania Station to Jay Street-MetroTech. Exit the subway onto Jay Street, at Willoughby Street, and walk south one and one-half blocks (Jay Street changes its name to Smith Street). There you will find bus route B61. It is a free transfer onto the bus. The ride into Red Hook is about thirteen minutes. Alight from the bus on Van Brunt Street, corner of King Street. Walk back on Van Brunt Street one block, and turn left on Pioneer Street. It is about 1,500 feet along Pioneer Street to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

 

I am not really considering a subway because of luggage.

[GTJ]

24 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

I am not really considering a subway because of luggage.

If public transportation is not practicable, then next lowest cost will be a yellow taxi.

[njhorseman]

47 minutes ago, GTJ said:

If public transportation is not practicable, then next lowest cost will be a yellow taxi.

For the reason I stated in post #6 I don't recommend taking a metered taxi from Manhattan to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and prefer the fixed rate of a car service or Uber.

 

IMO too many of today's taxi drivers do not have a good understanding of the city's streets when outside of the easy-to-understand midtown Manhattan street and avenue grid and have particular difficulty with the outer boroughs where they may not have driven very often.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

The #2 doesn't go to South St. (or South Ferry). You'd have to exit the #2 train at Wall St. and then walk from the subway Station to Pier 11...about a half mile.

It’s 5 short blocks - about a quarter mile or less.

[GTJ]

17 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

IMO too many of today's taxi drivers do not have a good understanding of the city's streets when outside of the easy-to-understand midtown Manhattan street and avenue grid and have particular difficulty with the outer boroughs where they may not have driven very often.

Rarely do I use a hired car, but when I do I keep an eye on the route being taken by the driver, and if I have any doubt as to the driver's intention I will direct the driver from the back seat. That's probably because that idea of the driver possibly not knowing the best route is in my mind. There was one time where the taxi driver told me he did not know the way (we were going from the Port Everglades passenger cruise terminal to the Fort Lauderdale passenger train station) and so I ended up directing the driver the entire way. A similar thing happened in Chicago when the Lakefront Lines bus driver did not know the way (we were on the Skyway and destined for the 95th Street transit center) and I directed the driver there as well. I don't like having to do so because the drivers are paid to know the way--and I should not have to do their work for them--but better than getting lost. Too many who should know the way do not. If I had to use a hired car from Pennsylvania Station to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, I would likely use a yellow taxi, keeping my eye on the driver, making certain that he or she is preparing to exit at Hamilton Avenue, etc. What about a passenger not knowing the way? Well, the driver is supposed to consult the atlas before dropping the flag, but we know that typically does not happen, and yet it is unfair for the passenger to pay extra to be driven around in circles by a driver not knowing the way.Nor is it fair for the passenger to have to pay extra for a TNC vehicle simply to get a flat fare where driving in circles in not charged extra. In the end I don't think there is an entirely satisfactory answer.

 

As drivers being familiar with the various boroughs, many do know their way around outside of Manhattan because most taxi drivers reside in the boroughs outside of Manhattan. My guess is that most taxi drivers know Long Island City, Queens, very well. As to Red Hook, Brooklyn? Maybe not so well.

[Wildroze]

How easy or difficult is it to take the subway from Penn Station to Wall Street with carryon luggage

[princeton123211]

7 minutes ago, Wildroze said:

How easy or difficult is it to take the subway from Penn Station to Wall Street with carryon luggage

Easy enough-- just the 2 or 3 train from Penn to Wall St Station. The most straight forward way might involve stairs but there are always elevators if you look for them. 

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, Wildroze said:

How easy or difficult is it to take the subway from Penn Station to Wall Street with carryon luggage

If you are in reasonably good shape, your definition of “carryon” actually means fairly little (some folks seem to think that four or five bags, each of them “carryon” size, still means “carryon”), and you are not doing it during rush hour, it is pretty easy.

[Badatz2]

On 12/23/2023 at 10:34 PM, navybankerteacher said:

I’d be happy with a yellow cab,  A car service like Uber might be “best”, but if by “reasonably priced” you really mean cheapest, the No. 2 subway to South Street followed by the ferry across the river might be your choice.

There is no "ferry across the river from South Street" to Brooklyn.  That ferry goes to Staten Island which is not where the OP wants to go.

[TheOldBear]

1 hour ago, Badatz2 said:

There is no "ferry across the river from South Street" to Brooklyn.  That ferry goes to Staten Island which is not where the OP wants to go.

The Manhattan side of the ferry is Pier 11, "Wall Street"

See https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/route/south-brooklyn/ 

[Badatz2]

1 hour ago, TheOldBear said:

The Manhattan side of the ferry is Pier 11, "Wall Street"

See https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/route/south-brooklyn/ 

My bad.  As a native long time New Yorker the only ferry is the Staten Island Ferry. We call the new boat service a water taxi.

Although I do remember paying 5 cents for the ferry from Manhattan to Brooklyn before the Verrazano Bridge was built.

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, Badatz2 said:

My bad.  As a native long time New Yorker the only ferry is the Staten Island Ferry. We call the new boat service a water taxi.

Although I do remember paying 5 cents for the ferry from Manhattan to Brooklyn before the Verrazano Bridge was built.

Actually a “water taxi” is a boat individually hired to take you across the water - much as a taxi takes you around town.  A scheduled service taking people across water is called a ferry. (Posted as a native New Yorker - born in Manhattan, lived there many years, worked there many more until retiring.)

[Brighton Line]

And before we had the East River Ferry by Hornblower that runs a line that never enters the East River from St. George Staten Island to South Ferry and then to the west side to Battery Park City and Midtown West on the North River (Hudson) the water taxi service painted their boats to look like a NYC Medallion Taxi so Water Taxi was a named used. 
Still see some of those yellow boats around but I don't think they are run by the original company.

[njhorseman]

35 minutes ago, Brighton Line said:

And before we had the East River Ferry by Hornblower that runs a line that never enters the East River from St. George Staten Island to South Ferry and then to the west side to Battery Park City and Midtown West on the North River (Hudson) the water taxi service painted their boats to look like a NYC Medallion Taxi so Water Taxi was a named used. 
Still see some of those yellow boats around but I don't think they are run by the original company.

The St. George to Battery Park City (Note: no stop at South Ferry) to Pier 79 route is now operated by NYC Ferry, the same company that runs the South Brooklyn ferry that stops at Pier 11 Wall St. and Red Hook as well as several other routes. NYC Ferry is owned by Hornblower.

 

The yellow "New York Water Taxi" boats are now apparently solely a charter/rental operation. They're part of New York Cruise Lines, the company that operates Circle Line, as well as a couple of floating restaurants and a speed boat ride.

[eppler]

I really appreciate all the knowledgeable folks getting in this thread.  We did a cruise from the Manhattan port last year and you guys helped a lot then as well.

We are doing a last minute cruise out of Brooklyn in 3 weeks.  We come in to Penn Station on Amtrack (based on great recommendation from last year).

 

It is more expensive than subway/bus but we are thinking it is easier and worth it to use Uber.

My question is......what is the traffic like at the Brooklyn pier for Uber.  We are coming and going on Sunday but concerned about getting a quarter mile from the terminal and then crawling along the last bit for an hour.

 

Might be a stupid question, so if it is then just say so.

Edited February 18 by eppler

[eppler]

To follow my question above, would it be actually easier to Uber to/from Pier 11 and then ferry over to Red Hook since it docks a few minutes of walking away?

 

[njhorseman]

50 minutes ago, eppler said:

To follow my question above, would it be actually easier to Uber to/from Pier 11 and then ferry over to Red Hook since it docks a few minutes of walking away?

 

IMO, yes...Uber or taxi from Penn Station...actually Moynihan Train Hall...to Pier 11 and then the ferry to Red Hook would be my choice.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

IMO, yes...Uber or taxi from Penn Station...actually Moynihan Train Hall...to Pier 11 and then the ferry to Red Hook would be my choice.

Ditto — pricier than subway and a bit of a walk, but when you booked the cruise in the first place you had essentially decided that spending some money for a good time was more important than saving a couple of dollars.