New Yorkers--Need Advise Please

[bmwjeanne]

First let me introduce you to us. I am 58 and my husband is 62 and still in pretty good shape and we love to walk. We have never been to New York before so that is why I am asking these questions. We live in the central valley of California in a town called Bakersfield. Mostly agriculture and oil. And OH! BOY! was it hot today-110 degrees, but it's a dry heat, but still sweat like hell. (That's why I dream of cruises to cooler places). We are booked on the Gem for the cruise out of New York in the fall of 2014. I have booked the aft suite 10664.

 

Okay, so much of that, here are my questions for the people who know New York.

1. Will be spending 3 nights in New York. We have Priority Points so are considering staying at the Crown Plaza or the Intercontinental at Times Square. Have read reviews and the the Intercontinental sounds likes a better place. More expensive though.

2. Do you know which hotel is better located to tourist sites?

3. Our tourist sites includes Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial, Central Park and anything else we can do in two days.

4. We would like to take our wine on board and if anyone knows of any close by liquor stores with good prices would be appreciated.

 

Would appreciate any input about the city and also from anyone who has done this New York, Boston, Canadian cruise. Also, any input about the Gem and Suite 10664.

 

Thank you.:D

[Demonyte]

Hi jeanne,

 

You can find a lot of NYC related threads and tips from the port of calls sub-forum for East coast departures:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=415

 

Enjoy your stay in NYC and happy cruising!

[Keith1010]

I agree. Visit the East Coast Departure board.

 

Keith

[havoc315]

I'd say the Crowne Plaza has a slightly better location, but really not a huge difference. They are both Times Sq, Theater district. Try catching a show while you're there.

 

Remember, Manhattan is really pretty small. Everything is pretty close...Any 2 points are typically no more than 15-30 minutes apart, whether by walk or subway.

 

I'd suggest you do a downtown day -- Statue of Liberty (you'll get great views of Lady Liberty from the cruise ship as well), 9/11 memorial. Maybe China Town or the Village.

And a midtown day -- Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Broadway.

 

Empire State Building is actually awkwardly located... Between midtown and downtown.

 

Anyway, I'd suggest just go on google maps, look at the locations you're interested in, look at the subway stations and routes. Midtown is a grid, so very easy to follow.

[Moondawgie]

Midtown where your hotels are is very centrally located, so you are good either way.

 

Downtown has Battery Park where you catch the ferry to the State of Liberty (opening July this year) and Ellis Island (not sure when it's opening again after Sandy), but you can sail by. Also downtown (financial district) is the WTC site. Farther uptown from there is Soho and Greenwich Village - all nice walking and shopping/eating.

 

Midtown is for theater, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Times Square (where you are close to), 5th Avenue. A little south of there is the Empire State Building - although in my opinion the lines are soooooooo long. So, I prefer the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center) for observation or The View at the top of the Marriott Marquis. You could have a drink at The View (expensive but worth it).

 

Uptown is Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art and other great museums like the Museum of Natural History, Frick, etc. I like to eat at Trump Tower (not expensive and great window shopping).

 

NY has so much to offer. Don't be afraid of taxis, subway or walking. New Yorkers will be more than happy to direct you and help you. We LOVE our city and it shows.

 

Enjoy. I hope I answered your questions. There is more info at the link that is mentioned above.

[bmwjeanne]

Thanks for the info. Appreciate it. Anybody else have any input?

[Host Jazzbeau]

You can't see everything even in twice the time you have available, so don't obsess over it (says OCD boy!).

 

When we visit a foreign city for the first time, we often find the HOHO bus tour a great orientation. Natives probably snear at them, and as a New Yorker I wouldn't use it myself--but you don't yet have a sense of how things are laid out and the overall feel and mix of NYC, so I would recommend it for you. They have double-deckers with open top decks, which would be great in nice weather.

 

Because of traffic I wouldn't recommend buses for getting to a specific place -- the subway is laid out so logically in NY that it's always my first choice.

 

If you are into art museums, New York is loaded with them. The Metropolitan is like the Louvre (great collections of everything, so too big to really appreciate on a first visit). The Guggenheim is great for Impressionists. MOMA for traditional Modern Art (oxymoron?) and Whitney for cutting-edge. The Cloisters (way uptown and probably too hard to reach for your available time) is an incomparable Medieval cloister/collection.

 

There are also many fantastic restaurants, but they'll just prejudice you against the food on the ship... ;)

[HarpHarp]

We took this cruise a few years ago on the Dawn & were just in NYC a few weeks ago, so here are my tourist suggestions.

 

The HOHO bus is great for getting around to the spots you mentioned. If you get the 2 day pass, you can take a night tour over to Brooklyn and back up through Times Square and all the lights. You can take the Downtown loop one day-The Statue of Liberty etc, and the Uptown loop the next day Central Park, The Dakota, St John the Divine, MOMA etc. I agree the Top of the Rock has the Empire State Building beat when it comes to observation decks.

 

The ports are wonderful on this cruise. The HOHO in Boston stops right across from Black Falcon. Halifax is a great town with an interesting Maritime Museum and Citadel.They had a free bus when we were there.

Newport -the mansions are a must see. At least go to the Breakers. Bar Harbor-take a tour of Acadia National Park, it's lovely. Go to the Bay of Fundy at St John.

This is a wonderful cruise.

[garycarla]

Anywhere in that part of town will be fine.

 

As said, the ports of call boards are good.

 

Also, NYC has some great tourist web sites.

 

As to wine - wait till you get there - the hotel can send you to a few places. Keep in mind the ships policies on wine.

[bmwjeanne]

Demonyte--thank you for the related thread. Took time to read it today. Very informative and learned a lot. Appreciate your help.

 

Also, thank you to HarpHarp, havoc 315, Moondawgie, jazz bear and garycarla.

Yes, I know the rules regarding bringing wine on board.

 

March of last year we sailed out of New Orleans on the Spirit to the western Caribbean. What a blast and in a suite too. We bought wine at the CVS across the street from our hotel before we boarded. Even gave us a great zippered Mardi Gras bag to carry the wine. Checkin at the port was a breeze.

 

Again, thanks for all your help.:D

[marco]

As others have said, both are nice. If you priority points are going to save you a lot of $$$$$, definitely...stay there. No matter where you stay, no one hotel is going to be near "everything". And as someone above noted, pick and choose what you want to see and you won't be able to see (and enjoy) anything if you try to pack everything into a couple of days. Pick up a Frommers, Rick Steves or Lonely Planet NYC guide book. If you don't want to purchase one, I'm sure your library would have at least one of them. Read through and decide the sites that you want to to see in the order of importance and just work down the list at a comfortable pace for you. There are tons of small, not expensive, excellent ethnic restaurants to enjoy, too!

[lolane1]

First let me introduce you to us. I am 58 and my husband is 62 and still in pretty good shape and we love to walk. We have never been to New York before so that is why I am asking these questions. We live in the central valley of California in a town called Bakersfield. Mostly agriculture and oil. And OH! BOY! was it hot today-110 degrees, but it's a dry heat, but still sweat like hell. (That's why I dream of cruises to cooler places). We are booked on the Gem for the cruise out of New York in the fall of 2014. I have booked the aft suite 10664.

 

Okay, so much of that, here are my questions for the people who know New York.

1. Will be spending 3 nights in New York. We have Priority Points so are considering staying at the Crown Plaza or the Intercontinental at Times Square. Have read reviews and the the Intercontinental sounds likes a better place. More expensive though.

2. Do you know which hotel is better located to tourist sites?

3. Our tourist sites includes Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial, Central Park and anything else we can do in two days.

4. We would like to take our wine on board and if anyone knows of any close by liquor stores with good prices would be appreciated.

 

Would appreciate any input about the city and also from anyone who has done this New York, Boston, Canadian cruise. Also, any input about the Gem and Suite 10664.

 

Thank you.:D

 

Looking at your itinerary, I would suggest the following.

1. Stay at the Crowne Plaza. It is in a better neighborhood than the Intercontinental which borders not so nice areas around Port Authority.

 

The Crowne Plaza is within short walking distance to Rockefeller Center. Top of the Rock provides fabulous views of NY either day or night. It is also close to St. Patrick's cathedral and 5th Ave and Saks for a bit of upscale shopping right next door. Continue walking up FIfth Ave for more upscale shopping to 59th street, the old Plaza hotel, Tiffany's, horse carriages and the southern entrance to Central park. Get a map of the park or take a pedicab tour. The park is enormous and you could roam it for hours. Buy lunch at a deli and enjoy it in the park. You may want walk west to John Lennon's Strawberry Fields (71st - 74th Sts) and the Dakota where he lived. Wear comfortable sneakers. Staying on the east side is the Metropolitan Museum of Art and walking west and north though the park will bring you to the Museum of Natural history. This is more than you could accomplish in one day so be picky.

 

Another day's itinerary would be at the southern end of Manhattan. Take the subway down to the Statue of Liberty. The park around the edge of Manhattan is pretty beautiful. After Lady liberty walk north to the 9/11 memorial. Discount shopping nearby at Century 21 for a bit of retail therapy. Check out the World Financial Center with its spectacular glass atrium. Detour over to Rockefeller park at the water's edge and river terrace. Buy lunch, enjoy it in the park. Wear sneakers. Day not over? Walk east or take the free Downtown Connection bus south direction eventually arriving near the east side and the Southstreet Seaport.

Downtown Connection bus:

http://www.downtownny.com/getting-around/downtown-connection

Lots to do there also. Have a cocktail, get tipsy. Take a cab back to the hotel, collapse, soak your feet.

 

Avoid touristy chain restaurants. Most of them in the times square area are not really good and way overpriced. Times Square is an area I avoid like the plague, but it's OK for you, you're tourists. But don't eat there. Check out menupages.com for restaurants.

 

http://www.menupages.com/

 

Instead of taking the free bus, you can walk to the Seaport by going east and detouring though Chinatown. Favorite restaurant in Chinatown is Peking Duck House. Best chinese food, upscale decor, really reasonably priced.

 

http://www.pekingduckhousenyc.com/

 

Finally, the cheapest and best place for wine is Trader Joes wine shop at 138 East 14th Street. You won't believe the prices. Avoid the cheap, cheap stuff that NYU students get. Yuk. But plenty of French, Italian, New Zealand, etc. etc. selections at rock bottom prices. Truly, a find. With 15 dollar corkage fee, you will still be way ahead of the game.

[lolane1]

You can get off the free bus at Bowling Green and see the famous Charging Bull, and visit Wall Street.

 

I suggest you get a good map.

 

Also, City Hall is near 9/11 memorial (Mayor Mike, eh) and the New Freedom tower. St Paul's chapel is worth a visit. Very old cemetery and it remained intact when the towers fell - a miracle with it's proximity to the towers.

[remydiva]

You can't see everything even in twice the time you have available, so don't obsess over it (says OCD boy!).

 

If you are into art museums, New York is loaded with them. The Metropolitan is like the Louvre (great collections of everything, so too big to really appreciate on a first visit). The Guggenheim is great for Impressionists. MOMA for traditional Modern Art (oxymoron?) and Whitney for cutting-edge. The Cloisters (way uptown and probably too hard to reach for your available time) is an incomparable Medieval cloister/collection.

 

 

We have 2 days in NY pre cruise and our plans are to use the HOHO (is there more than one? I see it called Big Red but then that is how I would describe the Grey Line HOHO).

 

We would like to spend time at Frick, Guggenheim and the Met but likely not the MOMA (if it is like the Pompideau in Paris we can give it a miss). I know the Guggenheim is closed on Thurs so we'd have to do these all, if possible, on a Friday pre cruise.

 

Are we foolish to plan on visiting all 3 the same day? I know like in Paris, you can't possibly see all that they offer but a sampling would be good. I'm guessing the Frick is going to be our first stop and favourite just from what I've seen and our interests.

 

From the map I see, it looks like the Green Downtown Loop goes close to the museums so we could walk up and back then catch the HOHO back? Does this plan have any merit?

 

Comments and suggestions most welcome. Thanks.

[cruiserking]

If you enjoy walking why not consider the historic Art and Architecture tour of Rockefeller Center. The fall is a terrific time to visit this area and you are close to many other famous landmarks like 5th Avenue, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Museum of Modern Art, Central Park.

 

Personally, I think the Top of the Rock is the best view in New York City you're right in the center of town and can see Central Park and the Empire State Building, something you can't see from the ESB. ;)

 

Jonathan