Pre-Post Cruise trip help for June 2007 OUT OF NYC!!!

[Jacquelyn11]

DUH! Forgot the NYC the last time!!!

 

Since they don't have a NYC port of call listed, this seems to be the best place to ask this.

 

This will be our first visit to NYC. We have one night pre cruise and 5-6 days post cruise. DH and I will be 47 at cruise time, with two DS 13 & 14. We are lucky enough to be Hilton Grand vacation Club members and we have enough HHonors points to stay at any of the Hilton Chain of hotels.

 

We are on the Carnival Legend departing 5/27 and returning 6/4. We are flying from ATL the Saturday before to catch some of the Fleet Week Activites and to see the Intrepid. I have initally booked the Embassy suites for the one night pre cruise stay, 102 North End, on the Hudson River. It looks to be about a mile or so from the cruise terminal. I was debating the Waldorf Astoria as it is now part of the hilton chain. Is it worth the hype to stay there just one night?

 

Post cruise I'm trying to decide where the best area to stay is. We return on a Monday and plan to fly back on Saturday. We plan to get one of the City Passes to see the Museums and tours on it, and get a 7 day Metro Card to get us around, or would relying on Taxis be better? We want to do the main touristy things, EOB, SOL, GCS, WTC, CP. I'm trying to get tickets to GMA and Regis & Kelly. I'm not that much of a shopper (except when I go on a cruise!) so Macy's, Bloomies and the shopping district we can skip. With the two teen boys, both interested in science/math (NOT girl, yet!) We wanted to go to the Intrepid and the Science museum or other places they might like. I'd like to go to a broadway show one evening. Will 5 full days be enough or should I stay Saturday also?

 

Times Square, Central Park, China Town, SoHo, TriBeCa, East side, West side, Next to the Hudson? Does location really matter since you can hop a cab, bus or subway and get to anywhere?

 

We would like to stay at a hilton brand that has a "Suite" like the Embassy or Doubletree (the former includes bkfst!) Or a Hilton Garden or Hampton inn that includes breakfast. On thing I have noticed that most NYC Manhatten hotels DO NOT have a pool! My boys will just have to deal with it!

 

Any suggestions on hotels, activites or attractions would be most appreciated!

 

Jacquelyn :D

[signman]

Can't speak about the rooms at the Waldorf, but the lobby area with Cole Porter's piano is one of New York's treasures.

 

The Embassy Suites and the Hilton Times Square are in Times Square, while the mammoth New York Hilton is in Rockefeller Center. Both locations offer tons of dining shopping sightseeing transportation options. I think you will be exhausted after 5 days, and probably broke too. Have a great time.

[marilynbn]

Jacquelyn - we just returned from a whirlwind trip to NYC. Although I grew up in the city I live in California now and this was my first trip back in 18 years. We had a great time. We stayed in Midtown at the Le Parker Meridien. Pricey, but most midtown hotels are. They have a very nice rooftop pool too. Great location at 56th between 6th and 7th. We went on a 1 night cruise on the NCL Spirit and it was literally 10-15 minutes to the pier on the westside. I would recommend using bus and subway system and also good ole walking. Cabs are sometimes hard to come by in midtown and traffic can move slowly. We only took cabs when we were going to Broadway shows and dressed up. Each cab ride was aprox. $10 and we were just traveling around midtown. NYC is a walking town anyway. The Metro card was great, no fussing with tokens or correct change...love it! We were there 6 nights and still didn't do all that we wanted to and we know the city pretty well. You can only get so much done in 5 or 6 days so just understand that and realize that you will just have to go back! You will love NYC. Marilyn :)

[Jane110]

 

We are on the Carnival Legend departing 5/27 and returning 6/4. We are flying from ATL the Saturday before to catch some of the Fleet Week Activites and to see the Intrepid. I have initally booked the Embassy suites for the one night pre cruise stay, 102 North End, on the Hudson River. It looks to be about a mile or so from the cruise terminal. I was debating the Waldorf Astoria as it is now part of the hilton chain. Is it worth the hype to stay there just one night?

 

Post cruise I'm trying to decide where the best area to stay is. We return on a Monday and plan to fly back on Saturday. We plan to get one of the City Passes to see the Museums and tours on it, and get a 7 day Metro Card to get us around, or would relying on Taxis be better? We want to do the main touristy things, EOB, SOL, GCS, WTC, CP. I'm trying to get tickets to GMA and Regis & Kelly. I'm not that much of a shopper (except when I go on a cruise!) so Macy's, Bloomies and the shopping district we can skip. With the two teen boys, both interested in science/math (NOT girl, yet!) We wanted to go to the Intrepid and the Science museum or other places they might like. I'd like to go to a broadway show one evening. Will 5 full days be enough or should I stay Saturday also?

 

Times Square, Central Park, China Town, SoHo, TriBeCa, East side, West side, Next to the Hudson? Does location really matter since you can hop a cab, bus or subway and get to anywhere?

 

We would like to stay at a hilton brand that has a "Suite" like the Embassy or Doubletree (the former includes bkfst!) Or a Hilton Garden or Hampton inn that includes breakfast. On thing I have noticed that most NYC Manhatten hotels DO NOT have a pool! My boys will just have to deal with it!

 

Any suggestions on hotels, activites or attractions would be most appreciated!

 

Jacquelyn :D

 

Jacquelyn,

 

Definitely stay 6 days and don't worry about a pool.

 

You're right, you'll be running around town so don't worry about which part of town to stay in. Stay in the nicest hotel you can get and a free breakfast with 2 teenage boys is worth alot I'm sure! :D

 

Make sure you visit the Musuem of NAtural History on the upper west side, near Central Park.

 

Definitely take subway, buses and walk. Taxi's are good late at night, too much traffic during the day.

[trish1c]

There is always so much to do in NYC. There are lots of tourist-y web sites that will help you plan.

 

For teenaged boys I'd recomend:

• the Intrepid (which you are already doing),
  
• maybe tickets to a Mets or Yankees game if you can get them & they are in town
  
• on of the zoos -- either Central park or the Bronx
  
• a Broadway play
  
• South Street Seaport / Chelsea pier
  
• FAO Shwartz which can cap off a walk down 5th Ave (go window shopping, look at tall building including ones you've heard of / seen on TV & in the movies, get their pictures taken on the lions outside the Library (mom & dad can sit for a minute in Bryant park), go in the Disney store, go in the NBA store)
  
• a trip to the Empire State Building
  
• Jane will be able to tell you if they are still open but a meal or snack at Mars 2112, Jekeyll & Hide &/or Serendipity (n.b. I am not recommending them for the pleasure of the adults)

Enjoy your stay.

[Jacquelyn11]

Jane - Yes, we do plan on MONH. It's one of the attractions on the City Pass, along with the intrepid, harbor cruise, Guggenhiem, MOMA, ESB. It's good for 9 days once you start using it, so I'm sure we will get to all of it!

 

Trish - Thanks for the List! FAO is one I'll have to add. We are going to the South side of CP part of one day where the zoo is. I have found some teriffic sites with addresse so I can "Plot" the things we want to do on the Manhatten map. I've read that the Mars eatery had a "space" theme the kids might like. If the Yankees/Mets are playing the ATL Braves we are going to try to go. They just got thru with interleague play and they didn't do so good against the Yankees!! The schedule for next year is not out yet.

 

If we were to take a subway/ferry to one of the four other boroughs that make up New York City; the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, which would you go to. Yankee stadium is worth a visit in the Bronx I sure.

 

Thanks again for all the help!

[Jane110]

 

If we were to take a subway/ferry to one of the four other boroughs that make up New York City; the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, which would you go to. Yankee stadium is worth a visit in the Bronx I sure.

 

Thanks again for all the help!

 

Yankee Stadium is only worth visiting if you're going to a game. It's located in a seedy neighborhood and there's nothing to see in the area.

 

If you want to visit another borough. I'd suggest going to Brooklyn Heights. It's a very pretty area not far from Manhattan. The main street is Montague and there are some lovely shops and restaurants (Noodle Pudding is a local fave) and then you can walk along the promenade for exceptional views of Manhattan.

You can walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in either direction. That's a really fun thing to do.

 

As far as restaurants in Manhattan I'm going to disagree with Trish about going to Jeckyl & Hyde and Mars 2112. Why bother coming to NYC and going to a mall restaurant?

 

Some places I'd recommend with teenagers are:

 

Serendipity 3 (french/american food. famous frozen hot choclate dessert)

Ruby Foo's (multi asian)

EJ's Luncheonette (for lunch - american)

Virgils Real BBQ

Boat House - in Central Park

Cowgirl (white trash food)

Bubby's (american)

Veneiro's (dessert only)

Sushi Samba (japanese/peruvian)

Mary Ann's (Mexican)

John's Pizzeria (#1 pizza in NYC)

Churrascaria Plataforma (Brazillian BBQ - AYCE)

Patsy's Pizza - (pasta & pizza)

El Faro (spanish, paella)

Comfort Diner (excellent diner food)

Carnegie Deli (famous jewish deli)

 

 

Italian Food - Walk through Little Italy (Il Fornaio is my fave)

Chinese Food - Walk through Chinatown (or have dinner in Chinatown and dessert in Little Italy)

Indian Food - Walk on E. 6th St. between 1st and 2nd Ave. Have a great indian dinner (Mitali is my fave) ane then walk to Veniero's for dessert.

 

You MUST pick up a Zagat Guide. It's the best for suggestions and all these places will be in it.

 

Let me know if there's anything special you're looking for.

[trish1c]

As far as restaurants in Manhattan I'm going to disagree with Trish about going to Jeckyl & Hyde and Mars 2112. Why bother coming to NYC and going to a mall restaurant?

 

We're not really disagreeing. I was simply trying to come up with something that the kids would enjoy telling their friends about back home. The food isn't great at either but it can be fun trying to find the bathroom at J & H. :p