QM2 and New York Questions

[MadScientist_01]

Just wanted to give a quick vote for the Marquiss - fabulous hotel but only if you like constant hustle and bustle (let's face it, it is dead centre of Times Square). HoHo goes from outside the door and is the best way to see Manhattan IMO

[electra2008]

Photocopy your passports x 2 or even 3. If you are a couple a copy each and one for spare. We always carry a photocopy when abroard. Have used it many times for proof of age, for concessionary for buying train tickets etc.

[Garybem]

Good reading above.

 

we going to be in NYC for one day on QM2 in Dec after the Crossing and before we head down to Caribbean... we had planned to do our own thing in NYC as know the city from past trips... but wondered if anyone knows what excursions Cunard have on offer (as assuming they must have some)..

[scifisteve]

:)

Just wanted to give a quick vote for the Marquiss - fabulous hotel but only if you like constant hustle and bustle (let's face it, it is dead centre of Times Square). HoHo goes from outside the door and is the best way to see Manhattan IMO

 

 

Thanks, the consensus seems to be both roughly the same Hotel wise. Just depends if you want it busy or quite in the evening.:D

 

Photocopy your passports x 2 or even 3. If you are a couple a copy each and one for spare. We always carry a photocopy when abroard. Have used it many times for proof of age, for concessionary for buying train tickets etc.

.

 

Yes it is a good idea, I had thought of doing that. Have also got a secure USB that I will have copies of all Important Documents and Tickets.:)

[Route6A]

Marriott Marquis is a good hotel but not out of the ordinary. We stay there when we are in New York to go to the theatre because of the location. Often we book a room using our Marriott frequent user points. We find the beds quite comfortable.

 

This Marriott is very busy, often full of people rushing about in the evening. As you probably know, there is a theatre within the hotel, and that's surely convenient if you are seeing the current offering. Other hotels we like in Manhattan are The Waldorf Astoria, The Palace Hotel and The Michelangelo.

 

I can recommend a restaurant nearby the Marquis for before theatre dining. Thalia. It's a busy place, full of locals. If you are going before the theatre, best to make a reservation. The roast salmon is very good, and by New York standards, the prices are reasonable. There is a featured pre-theatre, multi-course dinner as well. Good service. Pleasant staff.

 

Wishing you a wonderful stay in Manhattan.

[ts19384]

Steve

 

Take the Mariott Marquis over the Hilton - location + ambience.

[Gemlea]

Steve

 

Take the Mariott Marquis over the Hilton - location + ambience.

 

I'd go with the Mariott Marquis too, if only because of its close proximity to the HOHO Bus stop.

 

We used our credit card sized Senior Citizen Bus Passes :D as our form of identification to exchange our e-vouchers for tickets. We pre-booked the City Sights HOHO 2 + 1 open top bus tours, 9/11 Memorial & a couple of Broadway Shows. We were there for the first time in July and our most useful piece of equipment was the see through map carrier which came as a 'freebie' when we purchased a compass from our local camping shop!!! You get given an enormous amount of paperwork/maps/tickets that need to be shown or referred to whilst visiting the various attractions, and it was great being able to slot these into the plastic holder and just hold the bag up at the various places.

 

Enjoy your time in New York - we did, and can't wait to go back.

[gentlemancruiser]

I stayed at the Hilton New York last year and will be going back there this September to stay for 3 nights before out next cruise. I loved the location and would highly recommend it.

 

The Marriott Marquis is also a good hotel, but it's right in the centre of time square and it's VERY VERY busy place, kind of like staying the in the middle of Piccadilly or Trafalgar Sq. T=(think Victoria Stn at rush hour). Also the lights at night in Time Square has caused some guests to complain.

 

Check out TA and look at the reviews.

[scifisteve]

New Questions :)

 

Will be looking to use the Metro as I have said above, but it there a time of night that you would stop using it and opt for a Cab ?

 

I estimated using online calculators that a Cab from Midtown to lower Manhattan is about $20 is that a fair estimate ?

 

I am booking my flight back to the U.K in the Package, Which is the most likely Airline and U.K Airport ?

 

When it comes to Insurance, I am considering the one recommended in the Cunard broacher, unless anyone has a better suggestion (UK) ?

 

Thinking about going to this years March Cruise Show, would I be able to book for April/May 2014 ?

 

Thanks

[thetwotonys]

New Questions :)

 

Will be looking to use the Metro as I have said above, but it there a time of night that you would stop using it and opt for a Cab ?

 

 

Even as a young single woman, I never had any issues being on the Subway at any time of the day or night. I've gone home from a nightclub at 2am and felt perfectly safe. Safer than how I'd feel walking the streets of my own city at night. There's rarely a time when you'd find the subway completely deserted, but I'd advocate being as careful as possible, being aware of your surroundings, keep your guard up, and if in doubt, head up to street level and hail a cab.

[Salacia]

New Questions :)

 

Will be looking to use the Metro as I have said above, but it there a time of night that you would stop using it and opt for a Cab ?

 

I estimated using online calculators that a Cab from Midtown to lower Manhattan is about $20 is that a fair estimate ?...

 

 

Thanks

 

Hi scifsteve. Just my personal custom as a native New Yorker, but, yes, there is a time of night when I would not use the subway (is what you meant by "Metro"?). The time varies, depending of the subway route taken, and the distance from the subway to final destination. Generally speaking, after 11pm, ridership is scant on some subway lines. Of course, there are also buses - public transportation in NYC is amazing varied and usually very efficient.

 

Regarding cab fares, I'm afraid that also depends on several factors: time of day, weather, amount of traffic and whether or not the City is tied up with visits from politcal figures or parades, etc. If you want to visit Grand Central Station, there are many subway lines that you can catch for a quick ride to lower Manhattan with a minimum of stops.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time in NY and a great voyage.

 

Best wishes,

Salacia

[Salacia]

Even as a young single woman, I never had any issues being on the Subway at any time of the day or night. I've gone home from a nightclub at 2am and felt perfectly safe. Safer than how I'd feel walking the streets of my own city at night. There's rarely a time when you'd find the subway completely deserted, but I'd advocate being as careful as possible, being aware of your surroundings, keep your guard up, and if in doubt, head up to street level and hail a cab.

 

Hi thetwotonys. Happy to read that you had no bad experiences on the subway. But just to mention that it might not be always advisable to "head up to street level and hail a cab", as there are some subway stops that are in less travelled areas, off the beaten track for cabbies. Which would mean standing and waiting for a cab that might not drive by anytime soon :eek: Heck, just last week, it took me 20 minutes to catch a cab on Madison and 43rd at 2pm! -I shoulda taken da Uptown bus!:D -S.

[paulhants]

New Questions :)

When it comes to Insurance, I am considering the one recommended in the Cunard broacher, unless anyone has a better suggestion (UK) ?

Thanks

 

I'd suggest shopping around, as when I last looked at insurance in the Cunard brochure, it seemed expensive.

 

Most of the 'insurance comparison websites' include travel insurance, so it saves the legwork of going to individual websites yourself. My preference is to stick with one of the better known insurance companies, but there's lots of choice out there.

 

We have a worldwide annual travel insurance policy, that covers two of us (one of whom has a medical condition to declare), which cost just over £90.

 

A single trip policy (for 11 days), for a couple, using Cubard's preferred insurer, was £74 when I checked a few moments ago - and that's before you declare medical conditions.

 

Shop around, and I'm sure you can save yourself some money - which means more spending money in NYC or onboard! :)

[Bispham Boo]

Definitely shop around for insurance. We have an annual policy through our current account (topped up for cruising) & had no issues when we had to use it in the Canaries last year. Obviously, you'll need a worldwide one.

 

We stayed at the Hilton for our honeymoon prior to a TA, liked the area - a short stroll to Central Park past a good diner we used for breakfast - the Hilton was $26 each I think, & we got 2 breakfasts for $20 - juice, eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, toast and tea or coffee. Quite a few builders came in on Day 2 so we figured we were in a decent spot!

 

We used the subway with no problem and also walked a lot. Found the NYers very friendly and helpful.

 

One of the reasons I liked the Hilton was that it is close to the Rockefeller centre. You get a great view of the city from the 'Top of the Rock' without the queues of the ESB and you get to see the ESB in all her glory! We went for a drink at the Rainbow Rooms bar - a real 'Sleepless in Seattle' moment.:)

 

As far as flights home - which is the best airport for your home?

[scifisteve]

Southend is the closest...:) I'm a equal distance from both Heathrow and Gatwick, but would prefer Heathrow has it is easy to get home from there.

[charliedalrymple]

Another opinion on hotels from one who has stayed at both the Marquis and the Hilton:

 

In terms of the actual hotel, I'd give the edge to the Hilton. The ambiance is perhaps a tad more upscale than the Marquis.

 

For the quintessential New York experience, however, I'd go with the Marquis. It is in the center of the theater district and Times Square is right outside the door. As someone mentioned, the cavernous lobby of the Marquis is a hub of activity, and at peak times it can look like Grand Central Station. (It seems to attract a fair number of tourists who aren't even staying there.) The revolving rooftop bar is fun to do once, but it be prepared to pay double price for mediocre drinks!

 

The Hilton is in a (slightly) quieter area--but it is, after all, still Manhattan.

[capnpugwash]

Another opinion on hotels from one who has stayed at both the Marquis and the Hilton:

 

In terms of the actual hotel, I'd give the edge to the Hilton. The ambiance is perhaps a tad more upscale than the Marquis.

 

For the quintessential New York experience, however, I'd go with the Marquis. It is in the center of the theater district and Times Square is right outside the door. As someone mentioned, the cavernous lobby of the Marquis is a hub of activity, and at peak times it can look like Grand Central Station. (It seems to attract a fair number of tourists who aren't even staying there.) The revolving rooftop bar is fun to do once, but it be prepared to pay double price for mediocre drinks!

 

The Hilton is in a (slightly) quieter area--but it is, after all, still Manhattan.

 

I've stayed several times in the 6th Avenue Hilton and have been into the Marriott, there is no comparison. Hilton wins hands down and is only a few blocks from the Theatre District. 6th Avenue is much nicer than Time's Square in my opinion.

[turquoise 6]

Our daughter lives in Brooklyn. Last year DH, daughter and her girlfriend, cruised from San Juan into NYC and she and her girlfriend walked off with their luggage, walked two blocks to the bus stop, and took the bus home. We were with them. After they dropped their luggage at home, we took the subway to Manhattan, went to the Met and then too the subway to the Trader Joe's wine store to stock up on wine for our crossing.

 

The girls were disembarking in NYC, but DH and I took the subway back to Brooklyn Borough Hall Station and then took a bus back to the ship. We had been warned by many people on our roll call not to try public transportation from the pier, but it was a piece of cake.

 

FWIW, we got some really good wine at Trader Joe's for about $3.00 a bottle. Thank God we stocked up. When we got to Halifax, we found that it was $16 a bottle for wine that wasn't any where near as good. Go figure.

trader Joes has only one wine store & thats on west 14th st in manhattan. The trader joes in Brooklyn does not have a wine store

[Salacia]

...FWIW, we got some really good wine at Trader Joe's for about $3.00 a bottle.....

 

But was it as good as POL ACKER?:D

[gabianno]

I've stayed several times in the 6th Avenue Hilton and have been into the Marriott, there is no comparison. Hilton wins hands down and is only a few blocks from the Theatre District. 6th Avenue is much nicer than Time's Square in my opinion.

 

I agree with the captain. But I actually dislike the Marriott, though the rooms are largish and comfy. I even prefer the Edison just across the street from the Marriott. A tad shabby it is true, but a real slice of old New York, the Marriott can be like a Fair on a Friday at times.

Gab

[Bispham Boo]

Southend is the closest...:) I'm a equal distance from both Heathrow and Gatwick, but would prefer Heathrow has it is easy to get home from there.

 

If your'e doing your flights through Cunard I would guess Heathrow will be your default airport, and probably BA. We live in the NW of England so flew from Manchester with Continental, who were fine.

[Bispham Boo]

trader Joes has only one wine store & thats on west 14th st in manhattan. The trader joes in Brooklyn does not have a wine store

 

The poster went to Manhatten then Trader Joe's, then back to Brooklyn, so I guess they used the one you mention. Handy to know for our next trip :)

[turquoise 6]

The poster went to Manhatten then Trader Joe's, then back to Brooklyn, so I guess they used the one you mention. Handy to know for our next trip :)

oh ok, it seems trader joes has a liquor license for only one store in NYC

[scifisteve]

When Giving a NYC Cabbie a long number such as 1456; do you say ?

 

One Four Five Six

 

One Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty Six

 

Fourteen Fifty Six

 

Cheers.

[capnpugwash]

When Giving a NYC Cabbie a long number such as 1456; do you say ?

 

One Four Five Six

 

One Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty Six

 

Fourteen Fifty Six

 

Cheers.

 

1 or 3, I would suggest. Most of them don't have English as their first language so 2 might be more confusing for them.