Getting to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal from Times Sq.

[Travelroses]

I would like to find out what is the most economical and straight forward way(s) to get to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal from Times Sq. on a Saturday afternoon. I did some research on using the metro and it doesn't seem that bad. Take the F train to Carroll Street and the terminal is a 15 min walk from the station. Does this sound right? Is it easy to catch a cab from the Carroll St Stn to the terminal? Is it wise to walk? Has anyone tried this before? My cruise leaves on a Saturday afternoon and I am concerned about weekend metro schedule. Also, has anyone stayed at the Courtyard in Jersey City before the cruise? That location seems to be closer to the terminal than hotels in TS but can't find any straight forward ways to get to the terminal. Thanks so much.

[smeyer418]

I would like to find out what is the most economical and straight forward way(s) to get to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal from Times Sq. on a Saturday afternoon. I did some research on using the metro and it doesn't seem that bad. Take the F train to Carroll Street and the terminal is a 15 min walk from the station. Does this sound right? Is it easy to catch a cab from the Carroll St Stn to the terminal? Is it wise to walk? Has anyone tried this before? My cruise leaves on a Saturday afternoon and I am concerned about weekend metro schedule. Also, has anyone stayed at the Courtyard in Jersey City before the cruise? That location seems to be closer to the terminal than hotels in TS but can't find any straight forward ways to get to the terminal. Thanks so much.

 

Its slightly closer if you get off at the Smith and 9th street station and take the bus at the street towards red hook and walk in(the walk in entrance is not the motor entrance its a lot closer- get off the bus at Pioneer street I believe not at Imlay Street). It will still be a 10 minute walk from there about a half mile. The Carroll Street Stop will take 30-40 minutes to walk as you are really nearly two miles from the terminal. The walk from Carroll Street(Carrol Gardens) will be nicer as you are in a brownstone area for most of the walk.

Its fairly easy to catch a cab at Carroll Street(easier then Smith and 9th Street) but you can take the bus to a closer point and with a more than one fare metro card the transfer will be free(if there are two of you you just buy one metro card for both of you and you can both use it to enter the subway and as a free transfer-as long as its not a one day unlimited use card).

Have directions with you as I promise you the cab will NOT know how to get to the cruise terminal- after getting into the cab on smith street you want to make the first left to get to Court Street- make a left on Court Street and make a right on Hamilton Avenue stay in the second from right lane. Follow this straight ahead go under the highway and keep going straight until Van Brunt Street make a left and then the first right into the cruise terminal...the vehicle entrance to the pier is actually over a mile from the cruise terminal itself....the cab ride will be about $10.00 per cab.

 

A cab from the times square area should run about $30 in total(but have the directions with you too). I strongly recommend AGAINST taking public mass transportation unless you only have one smaller bag. Subways/buses are not luggage friendly.

 

Its perfectly safe to walk- although traffic especially from Smith and 9th is not walker friendly.

[lannp]

If you take a cab, absolutely have the instructions with you because most cab drivers will tell you that they don't know where it is. They don't want to make the trip back empty so they tell you that.

Once you are in the cabin they are obligated to take you to your destination but if you tell them before you and the bags are in the car they will drive off. I've seen this happen.:mad:

The directions are available on the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal website.

[smeyer418]

If you take a cab, absolutely have the instructions with you because most cab drivers will tell you that they don't know where it is. They don't want to make the trip back empty so they tell you that.

Once you are in the cabin they are obligated to take you to your destination but if you tell them before you and the bags are in the car they will drive off. I've seen this happen.:mad:

The directions are available on the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal website.

I think their directions are terrible.

the directions from Manhattan depend on whether you are on the East or west side. Its really not far from midtown to the Brooklyn cruise terminal...BTW most cab drivers coming back get fares before heading back to Manhattan...but they have to know what they are doing(go through Brooklyn Heights on Clinton Street)

[pjcoach]

I second the earlier post. Do not take the subway if you have luggage. Take a cab. Do not tell the driver where you are going until you get in the cab. A lot of them will not want to go to Brooklyn. Once you are in the cab, they have to take you. They are concerned about not getting a return fare.

[138east]

Of course everyone would love to take a cab, or better yet - a limo. But if the folks ask how to do it by public transit, I think we're obligated to tell them how to do it even if it's not something we would ever choose to do.

 

I still remember a trip I made to Kennedy via subway and bus (before airtrain) with multiple large duffle bags. No money for a cab. The best money I spent was on a porter who put my bags on the scale so I didn't get charged for being overweight. You do what you have to do sometimes. And it's a story that you can tell forever.

[smeyer418]

... And it's a story that you can tell forever.

LOL as you can tell about the cab driver taking you to Brooklyn....

 

http://new.mapquest.com/mq/3-L1hsl1T0psJhVm2a

 

here is a map the red mark is the actual entrance to the cruise terminal building. the motor entrance is at Imlay and Bowne Street. The Walk in entrance is at Pioneer off Conover Streets. The Bus stops at Pioneer and Van Brunt....

 

The subway stops are at Smith and 9th Street or Smith and Carroll Streets..

 

the aerial photo appears to be from before the cruise terminal was completed....

[smeyer418]

Google earth is more up to date

 

 

I put markers but the cruise terminal is marked as the QM2 terminal...

[Travelroses]

Thanks for all the info. I think I will take a cab from TS so that I don't risk missing the ship :-) Carroll Gardens sounds pretty though.

[Brighton Line]

Latest Google Earth search term "Brooklyn Cruise Terminal Brooklyn NY" and zoomed right to it.

Photo was taken when the USS Growler from the Intrepid Air & Space Museum was moored there while the pier in Manhattan was being redone and the USS Intrepid was docked at the Staten Island Home Port for refit (Zoom out to Staten Island to see her).

 

FWIW

 

Google Earth

5.2.1.1329 (beta)

Build Date

Jun 10, 2010

[smeyer418]

Thanks for all the info. I think I will take a cab from TS so that I don't risk missing the ship :-) Carroll Gardens sounds pretty though.

here are the directions from Times Square(assuming the west side of Manhattan).

go west to 11th Avenue.

make a left on to 11th Avenue(southbound).

11th Avenue runs into west street/aka 12th ave aka 9A.

west street to the Brooklyn Battery tunnel(toll with EZ pass its $4.57- taxi's are required to have a EZPass without it its $5.50).

Take the BBT to Brooklyn

immediately after the tolls take the Hamilton Avenue exit

make the two first lefts(yes you just made a U-turn) be careful not to get back on the roadway to the Tunnel).

go under the highway continue straight ahead until Van Brunt Street make a left and then the first right on Bowne Street into the cruise terminal vehicular entrance.

Travel time without traffic 20 minutes with traffic it should be no more than 30 minutes or so...

 

generally you can just tell the cab driver to take you to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Battery tunnel and that you will give him directions from there

when you get out of the tunnel, the cruise terminal directions are well marked with Blue signs that say "Brooklyn Cruise terminal"

 

From the East side I would go differently.

Tell the cab driver to take you to Brooklyn via the free Brooklyn Bridge and the east side highway(the FDR highway).

Take the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn

don't take the first exit even though it is signed for the Cruise terminal

go straight ahead to Atlantic Avenue(about 7 lights).

At Atlantic Avenue make a right(there is another Cruise terminal sign here too)

on Atlantic Avenue go under the highway and make a left.

Make the first right(its a long block as the piers are on your right) follow that street around to Bowne Street and make a right into the cruise terminal again.

This may take longer even though its on a free bridge. They are doing construction on the BB and it tends to back up anyway.

Once over the Bridge it is a maximum of 10 minutes to the cruise terminal...

[GTJ]

It's slightly closer if you get off at the Smith and 9th street station and take the bus at the street towards Red Hook and walk in (the walk in entrance is not the motor entrance its a lot closer- get off the bus at Pioneer street I believe not at Imlay Street). It will still be a 10 minute walk from there about a half mile.

 

Should anyone elect to go this route, do note that the bus routes in Red Hook were recently changed, and old bus maps and old transit travel directions may no longer be correct. After alighting from the subway train at Smith-Ninth Streets station, go down the long escalators or stairs to street level and leave the station building. In front of the station building and slightly to the right--facing the street--is the bus stop you'll need (it is on the north side of Ninth Street, just east of its intersection with Smith Street). There you will wait for route B61 destined for downtown Brooklyn. It will to into the community of Red Hook, loop around Ikea, then after a few more blocks head north along Van Brunt Street. Once on Van Brunt Street look to alight at Pioneer Street (the bus stop will be on the far side of the intersection with Pioneer Street). From the bus stop walk back towards Pioneer Street, turn right (crossing Van Brunt Street) and continue straight for two blocks to the gate leading into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The passenger terminal is then the equivalent of additional two city blocks within the BCT area.