Post Captain

Just a note to let everyone know that a special exhibit about the SS United States has just opened at the Forbes Gallery, 62 Fifth Avenue (corner of Fifth Ave & 12th Street) in New York City. I'm not sure what items are included in the exhibit, but according to the gallery website, "This exhibition celebrates the 60th anniversary of the ship’s record-setting maiden voyage and highlights the current efforts of SS United States Conservancy to repurpose the vessel."

Certainly worth a visit if you care about this unique ship and if you're in the area.

More info at

http://www.forbesgalleries.com/comingsoon.shtml

Really appreciated your inputs and thank you Post captain for the links which are very helpful.

 

Do you have any suggestions for me to what I can do wth my suitcases after checking out from the hotel at 12:00? Our flight won't be until late so I would like to store the suitcasess somewhere secure for a few hours. It would be ideal if the hotel has that facility, if not, can I store them (with payment) at Port authority but not the self service storage, even if I don't use the bus?

 

Hope you can help. Thank you.

The hotel possibly might be able to store your luggage temporarily, but there's no guarantee that they can.

There are no "left luggage" facilities at the Port Authority bus terminal. (Frankly, the PA terminal isn't a place where you'd want to be wandering around anyway.)

People in the know on these boards frequently recommend Schwartz Travel as the default left luggage location in New York City:

www.schwartztravel.com

Done. But still need your help further.

 

I see the Dewitt Clinton Park near the passenger ship terminal. Is it worth to see this park? Is this where the intrepid is?

 

Is Penn Station closed to Rockefeller or Grand central terminal as it does not show on this map?

 

Thank you.

DeWitt Clinton Park is just a local park, used mostly for recreation by local residents. Nothing of any special interest for the tourist--no nice gardens or fancy landscaping--and certainly not worth going out of your way for. (It's about the size of Russell Square or Lincoln's Inn Fields, but nothing like them in ambiance and attractiveness.)

The Intrepid is berthed due south of the passenger ship terminal--it's about a ten-minute walk, if that, from one to the other. The Intrepid Museum website has two live webcams:

http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/getdoc/c175244a-aeb1-4ee8-9024-9bb15e3dd11f/Live-Webcams.aspx

Here's a video showing views from the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Bulding:

You mentioned Rockefeller Center. If you have the time, it's well worth strolling around and exploring this complex of streets, plazas, skyscrapers, shops, & restaurants--it's almost a self-contained small city, dating from the 1930s, contemporary with the Empire State Building. It's located in the heart of midtown Manhattan. (It's due north of the ESB; you can easily walk directly from one to the other along Fifth Avenue. I'd say it's a 15- 20-minute walk.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Center

http://www.rockefellercenter.com/

As for safety--yes, you can walk from the ESB to your midtown Manhattan hotel in the evening without fearing for your life! I know it comes as a shock,;) but New York today is the safest large city in the United States. Just take the same normal precautions that you would when walking around London. Also, be sure to look both ways before you cross the street, even when you have the walk signal--New York drivers are not unknown to speed up when the see that the light is about to turn red!

(A few weeks ago, on a dark, rainy Saturday evening, my wife & I walked up Seventh Avenue from Penn Station to Carnegie Hall, a distance of some 20 blocks. The only "danger" was that of being jostled by crowds of tourists who lollygagged along the way as we strode purposefully toward our destination--oh, and of having our umbrellas turned inside-out by the wind. But that happens in London too!)

You asked earlier about Penn Station. Here's a photo of the main waiting area for Amtrak trains, showing the indicator board for departures:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Penn_Station_departure_board.jpg

When the track for your train is posted, you will take an escalator or elevator (lift) down to the platform. (All trains leave from a lower level directly under the station.) And yes, there are lots of small shops and fast-food restaurants in Penn Station, although the general ambiance leaves something to be desired. I'm afraid Penn Station is not as pleasant or as well laid out as Waterloo.

Amtrak trains do have luggage bins/ storage areas at the ends of each coach, although they can get filled up if the train is crowded. I've learned through hard experience that the bins are not of equal sizes--for some reason, the bin at one end is quite roomy, while the bin at the other end is relatively narrow. The overhead storage racks are adequate for coats and smallish carry-on bags, but not spacious enough for larger pieces of luggage. (But you won't want to try lifting a large, heavy piece of baggage over your head anyway.)

Cheers!

Does anyone know of a webcam were we can see Cape Liberty cruise port? Thanks

There is no Cape Liberty webcam per se, as far as I know. (And nothing comes up in an Internet search.)

However, there used to be a very interesting webcam site that included various cameras positioned near the Hudson Review and New York Harbor:

http://hudsonriverlive.com/

I used to look at this quite frequently, as the cameras refreshed every minute or so and gave live great views of the harbor and harbor traffic, including (as I recall) Bayonne/Cape Liberty in the not-too-distant distance. But the site now seems defunct--a pity.

In the meantime, for what it's worth, there is a Cape Liberty website that includes a number photos of the facility and ships that have docked there, as well as some useful information:

http://www.cruiseliberty.com/index.htm

Ross, was that you who outbid me at the last moment on the eBay auction for the booklet "Flaggshiff Bremen" last evening???:D It looks like a terrific item--67 pages, with pictures of "our" Bremen as well as of other ships that have had the ship name since the mid-1800s.

Actually, my brother is the serious collector in our family.

I just pick up what I can when I see it--mainly Furness-related items, plus prints of classic ships (e.g., a large print of W. J. Aylward's painting of the United States; prints of various Cunarders, etc.). I haven't come across many Bremen-related items, but maybe that's because I haven't really looked until now. This thread & your comments about the Bremen really have gotten me started in that direction now!:)

Cheers,

John

Ross, Thanks for sharing your terrific memories of the Bremen. I didn't really know any of that.

You certainly don't get service like that on any of the mass market lines today, though from what I've read, the Deutschland (Peter Deilmann ) and the current Europa (Hapag-Lloyd) still offer a very traditional and very German high-end service.

The only distinct personal memory I have of the old Bremen is of standing on her promenade deck one evening before she sailed from the Manhattan pier. It was dark--perhaps she departed in the evening, or else it was late autumn or winter? I can actually see the scene right now, but unfortunately I have no recollection of the context. And hard as I try, I can't recall her public rooms or ambience at all. But you created a vivid picture for me.

As my father worked for North German Lloyd, we must have had copies of Bremen deck plans, brochures, and postcards back then. However, as far as I know, my parents didn't keep any of it; but then again, my mother might have something hidden away with all her travel memorabilia. (I'll have to remember to do a surreptitious search next time I'm visiting her.)

Cheers,

John

My father worked as an executive for North German Lloyd for several years in the late 1960s (following his long career with Furness Bermuda Line). He took me aboard the Bremen in Manhattan on sailing day on at least a couple of occasions, though alas my recollections of her aren't as clear as I'd wish. (I would have been in my early teens at the time.)

With her black hull and prominent mustard-color funnel (placed rather far forward), she certainly looked a distinctive and very substantial vessel, though of course, being in the 32,000-ton range, she was small in comparison to today's behemoths.

Following her service with NGL, she sailed as the Regina Magna for Chandris Line. However, I much prefer her North German Lloyd livery. She was rather more suited for transatlantic crossings than for warm-weather cruising.

She sank while en-route to the Taiwanese breakers, and thus was spared the ignominy of being reduced to razor blazes & such.

http://simplonpc.co.uk/ChandrisRMagna.html

Readers may also recall her NGL fleetmate, the twin-funnel Europa (ex-Kungsholm III; subsequently Costa's Columbus C.)--a handsome vessel in her own right.

Hello Kevin,

Not any pictures of my own (I haven't had the good fortune to sail on this lovely ship in any of her incarnations--though hope to before too long), but you can find some photos (exterior only) at http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/RVStar.html. As you may know, she currently sails as the Black Watch for Fred. Olsen Lines; I believe the Olsen website has numerous photos (both exterior and interior), & you can download a color brochure in pdf format.

Although she has been made over several times since her days at the Royal Viking Star, from what I can tell Olsen's recent refurbishment has been very tasteful. She still looks stylish, elegant, and modern in the best sense of the word--a far cry from the boxy shopping-mall megaships being built today! I saw her sister ship the Boudicca (former Royal Viking Sky) in Dover a few weeks ago & she too looked splendid. (I've posted a few photos of her on another ship enthusiast website.)

Sounds like it was a wonderfully romantic proposal!

Best regards,

John