Sailing out of NY

[buckeyefan10]

My sister and I were considering cruising on Splendor out of NY in April. We would like to spend a few days in NYC before we sail. Any advise? Like the best/cheapest way to get around, hotels to say at. Any must have advise? We have never been to NYC.

[timcar]

I can't recommend any hotels as I live in NJ and just go for the day to NYC. But recently we did the New York Pass for my son's birthday and we were able to do tons of "touristy" stuff, visit empire state, take circle line boat tour, intrepid....there are many different places to go. There is also New York City Pass, but i think you are only allowed to do 6 things (I think). They also sometimes have deals where you get a discount on multiple day passes. There is a website for the New York Pass to check out, we thought it was a great deal.

[Kingisacruiser]

The best way toget around NYC is the subway. Get an unlimited Metrocard for the day and a Subway map and as the commercial says the MTA "is going your way." Taking a cab or driving in Manhattan is frustrating if you are not from the city. As a matter fact, it is frustrating when you are from the city. The subway system is generally quite fast and you can take a trip into Brooklyn, which is now the hippest of the 5 boroughs. I may be biassed because I am from Brooklyn. But you cantake the train to downtown Brooklyn, maybe catch a show at the new Barclay's center or do all that Manhattan has to offer like Times Square.

 

As for hotels, the hotels are tiny in the city. They are like match boxes but you may be able to get a good deal if you stay in lower manhattan. The Best Western near the South Street Seaport is a good one. The best bet is to check trip advisor for hotels.

 

What are some things that you are interested in? What is the age group of the travelers? That would be helpful to give you more specifics about NY

 

If you have more specific questions, I'll be happy to answer.

[buckeyefan10]

Thanks for the advise. I'm 50 and my sister is 60. My bucket list for NYC is: 9/11 Memorial/St Paul's Chapel, Empire State Building and jog through Central Park. Any other must see?

[nybumpkin]

Thanks for the advise. I'm 50 and my sister is 60. My bucket list for NYC is: 9/11 Memorial/St Paul's Chapel, Empire State Building and jog through Central Park. Any other must see?

Oh dear. My "must see" list is so long that in all my years of traveling to NYC (since I was a teen, and I'm now 52) I still haven't seen them all. Never been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, although all three of my sons have been there.:o I'd definitely include the Statue of Liberty - if you want to do it on the cheap and don't care about actually being on the island, take the Staten Island Ferry. It's free and sails right by the statue. (Of course, you'll sail right by the statue on your cruise!) For the 9/11 Memorial - get your tickets in advance. A lot of people who don't know better are getting shut out of a tour because they sell out. If you do go to the Memorial and St. Paul's, check out Trinity Church at the head of Wall Street. It's gorgeous.

 

If you've never visited NYC, you might want to consider a HOHO bus tour. they're a good way to see the major sites. For hotels, I generally recommend a Midtown location for first-timers. Yeah, it's more expensive, but getting around is much easier. You can walk to Times Square, the Empire State Building, and Rockefeller Center.

 

As far as public transportation goes, I'm with Kingisacruiser - get a Metropass for the subway. I hate taxis unless I have luggage (and even then I've been known to take the subway!) There's a few areas where the subways don't work as well (the East Village comes to mind, and don't even ask about public transportation to and from LaGuardia), but by and large you can get anywhere you need to go via subway.

[smeyer418]

The best way toget around NYC is the subway. Get an unlimited Metrocard for the day and a Subway map and as the commercial says the MTA "is going your way." Taking a cab or driving in Manhattan is frustrating if you are not from the city. As a matter fact, it is frustrating when you are from the city. The subway system is generally quite fast and you can take a trip into Brooklyn, which is now the hippest of the 5 boroughs. I may be biassed because I am from Brooklyn. But you cantake the train to downtown Brooklyn, maybe catch a show at the new Barclay's center or do all that Manhattan has to offer like Times Square.

 

As for hotels, the hotels are tiny in the city. They are like match boxes but you may be able to get a good deal if you stay in lower manhattan. The Best Western near the South Street Seaport is a good one. The best bet is to check trip advisor for hotels.

 

What are some things that you are interested in? What is the age group of the travelers? That would be helpful to give you more specifics about NY

 

If you have more specific questions, I'll be happy to answer.

 

 

fyi they no longer sell a daily unlimited metro card and haven't for at least a year.

 

see http://mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm#unlimited

[smeyer418]

fyi they no longer sell a daily unlimited metro card and haven't for at least a year.

 

see http://mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm#unlimited

 

 

1-day Fun Pass ended- Jan. 10, 2011.(last use date)