Cruise from NY..need lots of advice

[Arizona Laura]

We are starting from scratch planning a cruise out of New York on Princess. We will have 2-3 days pre-cruise in NY. Interested in tour company to see sites. There could be 12 or more people. If we have to divide up that would be acceptable. There are some walking issues of a few of us.

Cab or Uber?

So interested in hotel for at least 6 rooms or many more since exact number not know yet.

Touring advice

Best pizza and deli since NY is known for this.

Any other suggestions please since this is all our first visit to New York.

 

Thanks so much.

Laura

[138east]

We are starting from scratch planning a cruise out of New York on Princess. We will have 2-3 days pre-cruise in NY. Interested in tour company to see sites. There could be 12 or more people. If we have to divide up that would be acceptable. There are some walking issues of a few of us.

Cab or Uber?

So interested in hotel for at least 6 rooms or many more since exact number not know yet.

Touring advice

Best pizza and deli since NY is known for this.

Any other suggestions please since this is all our first visit to New York.

 

Thanks so much.

Laura

 

That sounds like an ambitious project! I don't envy you trying to manage 12+ people, some of whom have mobility issues, around NY City.

1). What is you cruise date?

2). Where are you flying from?

3). What is your hotel budget per room? What bed sizes?

4). What are your sightseeing requirements?

 

Don't book plane flights until you know what your hotel options are. Price of accommodations is going to be your big issue. Princess sails from Red Hook Brooklyn. There are 3 New York Airports. The choices are complicated.

 

Have you considered using a Travel Agent to put this all together?

[Got2Cruise]

Look at Viator. Also look at the Greyline Tours page. Lots of different options. With 12 people perhaps you qualify for group rate

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[waterbug123]

2-3 days pre-cruise in NY. Interested in tour company to see sites. There could be 12 or more people. If we have to divide up that would be acceptable. There are some walking issues of a few of us.

Cab or Uber?

 

I've been to NY multiple times, but we have a cruise planned next summer with extended family of 16+ people, and some have never been. We, too, will be spending 3 nights pre-cruise in the city before the cruise. We decided (or rather, I decided, LOL) early on that we will NOT try to go everywhere 24/7 as one big group. My boyfriend and I will have our 5 boys (age 13-26) and one of their girlfriends, so our party of 8 is complicated enough. We are planning activities that WE want to do and letting the others know; they can decided to do or not do any of the activities with us.

 

Among the things we plan to do:

- Greenwich Village food tour (through Food Tours of NY, google them). We've done 2 prior tours with them. Good food tastings and entertaining as well. Does require walking. They have different tours, but I've enjoyed the GV tour the most.

 

- 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I think you can arrange a guided tour of the museum, but not necessary in my opinion. Walking involved but not great distances, and at your own pace

 

- view the city from the observation deck of either Empire State Building or 30 Rockefeller Plaza

 

- considering an evening boat ride/cruise around the city

 

- Statue of Liberty and/or Ellis Island. I've done the Ellis Island tour with headset and found it fascinating and I think my boys would enjoy it.

 

- Mets are at home playing the Cubs the week we're there and we plan to catch a game one evening, and probably get tickets to a show (likely the Lion King) another evening

 

- may visit the museum of Natural History

 

- will walk on our own around Central Park, Times Square and such, and may walk a bit of the High Line

 

 

As for cabs/Uber, I've found that for short distances cabs are easiest since they are so plentiful. For longer distances, usually the subway is fastest. For getting a larger party to/from the airport/cruise port we'll either use multiple cabs or Dial 7 car service.

 

Hope that helps somewhat!

[Nitemare]

Go to Tripadvisor's NYC forum. Tons of great helpers there.

[George C]

We are starting from scratch planning a cruise out of New York on Princess. We will have 2-3 days pre-cruise in NY. Interested in tour company to see sites. There could be 12 or more people. If we have to divide up that would be acceptable. There are some walking issues of a few of us.

Cab or Uber?

So interested in hotel for at least 6 rooms or many more since exact number not know yet.

Touring advice

Best pizza and deli since NY is known for this.

Any other suggestions please since this is all our first visit to New York.

 

Thanks so much.

Laura

 

Both Cab and Uber are fine, Uber is normally a little cheaper and easier to get in some locations get the Uber app if you do not have it.

My favorite hotel In Michelangelo on 51st and 7th but its not cheap, but great hotel

Pizza we like Angelo's on 53rd and Broadway next to Ed Sullivan thearter

Deli, too bad Carnigie just closed for good, we like Juniors on 45 and Broadway but many others are around

Go to half price tickets on Broadway and 46th for same day tickets to most of the shows, we go to 4 or so plays every year and get tickets here, get app for this and you can see what is available before you go

As already said World trade center museum is great get tickets with tour online before you go, top of WTC is also great place to view the city, not as crowded as some of the others, I would only do this on a clear day, so I would not buy tickets in advance. If you do WTC, Trinity church is a couple of blocks away along with Wall St and Frances tavern where Washington gave farewell address, you can eat and get drinks there also. Ferry to Statue of liberty is right there also, We can give you more restaurants if needed

[Arizona Laura]

THANKS.. for all the suggestions. Very helpful!

 

We are flying from Phoenix to NYC. Princess Cruise NE/Canada Sept 24th.

Hotel budget $200 or more as needed. I assume prices would be higher in NYC. Queen or King.

Also planning to do tour on our own after cruise from Quebec City to Niagara Falls.

Sightseeing requirements thinking of one 8 hour day group tour to see main sights and next day seeing the sights we want to at more relaxing pace.

I appreciate time taken to reply to my questions.

Laura

[138east]

THANKS.. for all the suggestions. Very helpful!

 

We are flying from Phoenix to NYC. Princess Cruise NE/Canada Sept 24th.

Hotel budget $200 or more as needed. I assume prices would be higher in NYC. Queen or King.

Also planning to do tour on our own after cruise from Quebec City to Niagara Falls.

Sightseeing requirements thinking of one 8 hour day group tour to see main sights and next day seeing the sights we want to at more relaxing pace.

I appreciate time taken to reply to my questions.

Laura

 

Sept is super high season in NYC. $200 is not going to get you rooms in Manhattan for Sep 21-24. Planning this trip for 12+ people, some of whom are mobility impaired, is a huge undertaking. You really need the help of a travel agent. You can get random ideas and suggestions from this site, but you need a professional to put all the pieces together for your group. You need hotel rooms before you plan flights. You need a good strategy for getting from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the Brooklyn Cruiseport. You should be able to find an all day tour for the first day. It might be a good strategy to let everyone do their own thing the second day.

[Budget Queen]

- Greenwich Village food tour (through Food Tours of NY, google them). We've done 2 prior tours with them. Good food tastings and entertaining as well. Does require walking. They have different tours, but I've enjoyed the GV tour the most.

 

 

 

 

I have gone with this company on several tours as well, but I find the food tours by Free Tours by Foot superior for cost and numerous tours. I have gone on all of the food tours with also over 20 of their other tours. A well run company that is a great option to see the city. i have taken a wheel chair person on a few with no problem. :) http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/new-york-tours/

Edited February 8, 2017 by Budget Queen

[Budget Queen]

 

We are flying from Phoenix to NYC. Princess Cruise NE/Canada Sept 24th.

Hotel budget $200 or more as needed. I assume prices would be higher in NYC. Queen or King.

 

You are at the Manhattan pier? or Brooklyn? This budget is not going to make it- Frankly you're going to need to consider over $300. I'm not an advocate of staying in Jersey, Brooklyn or Queens and "commute" in. Add to the limited mobility visitors, location is important frankly.

[markeb]

Let me second Carol that you need to work with a professional on this. Your one and only saving grace is that the major fall events (U.N. opening, U.S. Open, NY Fashion Week) all appear to be early this year. But you're going to need a lot of help to pull this off. For instance, one of the hotels I routinely stay at in Midtown East for around $200-250 a night is $503/night for that time period!

[Arizona Laura]

Thanks

We will pay what ever we have to to get a nice hotel.

I think the food tour has to be out.

Definitely agree group tour Day 1 and Day 2 break up in smaller groups.

 

Laura

[markeb]

If you're going to do it yourself, how many rooms do you need?

 

For instance, the Marquis Marriott currently has a Marriott Rewards rate of $297 per night (not really; it goes up) or $970 a room plus tax for a room with two doubles and a sofa bed that will sleep 4. The same room was $280 or $950 for 2. The hotel is in Times Square, close to the subway, and the major HOHO buses.

 

12 is a horrible number; 10 rooms is a group for most hotels, but you're probably talking 3-6 rooms depending on how you sort the group, so it's not a "group".

 

If you stay in Midtown to be near attractions, you're still going to have a heck of a time getting from an airport to Midtown and from Midtown to Brooklyn...

 

Oh, and if you do stay at the Marquis, Johns Pizzeria is all but across the street. Big, which is important for your group!

[waterbug123]

Thanks

Definitely agree group tour Day 1 and Day 2 break up in smaller groups.

 

Sightseeing requirements thinking of one 8 hour day group tour to see main sights

 

Just my .02 but there are a LOT of things that could be included in "main sights" and trying to see them all in one 8 hour stint would be tough. You'd be going at breakneck speed and I can't imagine how you're mobility impaired family members would manage that. And this is NYC and it's not like everything is right next door to everything else; you can lose a lot of time transiting from one part of the city to another to get from one sight to another.

 

I would take the 2 days and break them up and see a couple of things each day, at a more doable pace.