New York advice

[Willamy123]

Hi,my wife and I are cruising to the eastern carribean on the 31st of October.We are flying out from Scotland to spend three nights in New York before sailing and would be grateful for any advice on things to see and do This is our first cruise and I was wondering if lt is best to book shore excursions in advance or just do our own thing at each port of call.We are sailing on the Norwegian gem

[laurabegorrah]

This is our first cruise and I was wondering if lt is best to book shore excursions in advance or just do our own thing at each port of call.We are sailing on the Norwegian gem

 

I like to book any excursions I want to do in advance. Waiting until you get to that port, or get on the boat even, could mean missing out on something you really want to do if the tour is sold out. My first cruise, I only took ship sponsored excursions, but if you know what you want to do and are willing to research a bit in advance, you normally get much better deals booking yourself with local tour operators.

[khaide612]

Check the Ports of Call Boards http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

 

Lots of great info.

[jaxw17]

Hi look online for the pass it will save you a load of money we used it and it was great.

[spidybabe]

We usually check out TripAdvisor and book our own tours. Only booked an NCL tour once in 20 cruises

Safe sailing

[uneamie]

Hi look online for the pass it will save you a load of money we used it and it was great.

What exactly is "the pass". ? :confused:

[$hip$hape]

Hi,my wife and I are cruising to the Eastern Caribbean on the 31st of October.

We are flying out from Scotland to spend three nights in New York before sailing and would be grateful for any advice on things to see and do

This is our first cruise and I was wondering

We are sailing on the Norwegian Gem

It does not matter whether you book shore excursions in advance or just do our own thing at each port of call.

What you do depends on your time and effort; there is much to see.. either way you will enjoy.

 

Are you are from Edinburgh or Glasgow or other ? LOL

"If you don't know what you want, it does not matter what you choose"

Keep asking.

Edited April 13, 2017 by $hip$hape

[hftmrock]

spend three nights in New York before sailing and would be grateful for any advice on things to see and do

 

Freedom Tower (9/11 memorial and museum)

Statue of Liberty

Broadway Show

Central Park

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Museum of Natural History

Empire State Building

China Town or Little Italy (or both)

Brooklyn Botanical garden

 

(Just some suggestions)

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Hi,my wife and I are cruising to the eastern carribean on the 31st of October.We are flying out from Scotland to spend three nights in New York before sailing and would be grateful for any advice on things to see and do This is our first cruise and I was wondering if lt is best to book shore excursions in advance or just do our own thing at each port of call.We are sailing on the Norwegian gem

 

In San Juan, I enjoy exploring the old town of San Juan. There is Fortress that is worth visiting and also the Governor's Palace. It's charming there.

 

In St. Thomas I highly recommend doing an island tour that includes the Mountain Top and Botanical Gardens. They make the best Banana Daiquiris at the Mountaintop. Get one you won't be sorry. I wish I had bought a bottle of dark Cruzan Rum while I was there.

 

In St. Maartin I highly recommend heading over to Little Divi Bay Beach Resort on your own. When you get off the ship there will be vans driving passengers there. Depending how many are in the van, it will cst about $5 per person for the 10 minute drive to Little Divi. The water is calm and turquoise there. You can rent chairs there for the day. There is a courtesy changing room. It's by the taxi stand in front of the resort. Bring your own towels because they don't supply them. Don't do Orient Beach, unless you want to be hounded by vendors every five minutes. Plus, the water is rough and colder there. I've done both and Little Divi was great!

 

That all I can help with as I haven't been to the other islands on your trip. Have a wonderful time! Remember- sunblock especially on your feet!!!! I burned mine bad in the Caribbean.

 

Not sure if you are looking for New York City ideas. I love Central Park. You can rent bikes for the day at the Boathouse Restaurant, which is at the lower end of Central Park. It's a fairly easy 6 mile ride around the park. A great way to see it. Another thing I loved doing is visiting Ellis Island. You ferry from Battery Park. With three days there, those two would be my first choices. Also go to one of the Serafina Restaurants if you enjoy Italian food. There are three. I went to the one in Times Square. Very good, nice ambiance and affordable. Skip Tavern on the Green. Bad service. Do the Boathouse instead. It's expensive but worth it. Or try Rosa Mexico near Lincoln Center. It's Mexican and has the best guacamole and a great steak with mushroom sauce. Enjoy!

Edited April 13, 2017 by rebeccalouiseagain

[sannibelislander]

Hi,

I've done a pizza tour in NYC with my son and we had a lot of fun:

 

http://www.scottspizzatours.com/

 

 

We also enjoyed walking the High Line (a park created from an old elevated rail track).

 

Enjoy your trip!

[Budget Queen]

There are hundreds of "tours". What you first need to do, is find out about each area and what they offer. Narrow down your choices, then repost on the ports of call board. Your questions are way general.

 

As for NYC, I don't find the "pass" a good value. :) Instead I suggest, the same- find out about what is available, way more than the "pass" offers.

I am a huge fan of Free Walking tours by Foot in NYC- tip based. they are superb and many to choose from, I've taken most of them, some even repeating. You really get a feel for this wonderful city, you just wouldn't get otherwise. Central Park also is a gem, with park tours offered there too.

 

Just added suggestions to consider.

[jaxw17]

What exactly is "the pass". ? :confused:

Sorry should have said the New York pass you save loads and it covers a lot of things Tussards, Empire state, Ripley. HoHo bus boat tour and lots more well worth it.

[LakeWobegon]

I get to NY about once a month or more for work. For Italian restaurants, I would recommend: http://www.lamico.nyc/. Make reservations well in advance. For something more casual: http://www.blackironburger.com/Home.html. Both are amazing in their own right. You could also visit Chelsea Market, where the FoodNetwork films many of their shows. It's not than impressive of a place overall, but the variety of restaurants and food shopping is very good. Also, Eataly is a cool place: https://www.eataly.com/

 

Most of the recommendations are solid in terms of landmarks. Obviously, you could check to see what shows are playing and see some of those. Have fun whatever you do.

[Orleanscruiser]

Sorry should have said the New York pass you save loads and it covers a lot of things Tussards, Empire state, Ripley. HoHo bus boat tour and lots more well worth it.

https://www.newyorkpass.com/En/?aid=12&gclid=CNCZwJX6pNMCFcW3wAodx-sITA

 

[MJSailors]

NYC offers so many varied things to do, it is difficult to suggest sights and experiences without knowing where you will be staying before your cruise and what you like to do. The City is a network of neighborhoods. You could explore places near your hotel if you are pressed for time ,or use public transportation to get to places further away. The concierge at your hotel could be very helpful in suggesting how you could make the most of your visit.

I would suggest the Highline ( an elevated train tracks area that has been transformed into a park that offers some great views of the City), Central Park ( the Boathouse is great for lunch where you can watch people rowing boats on the lake in front of the restaurant or perhaps,rent a boat for yourselves ), a round trip ride on the Staten Island Ferry that travels from lower Manhattan to Staten Island,offering views of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Freedom Tower for a low fare.

If you are interested in seeing a Broadway show. there is a discount ticket booth in Times Square known as TKTS, you can get tickets to top shows there but only for that particular day or evening. Not all shows are available, but with so many shows on Broadway,you could find something that interests you. Macy's is a fantastic store,filling a full City block. You could do a bit of pre-cruise shopping and have lunch there.

I would stay away from tourist places such as Madame Trousseau' s Wax Museum, the Circle Line boat cruise and other things that would take away your valuable time from really experiencing NYC.

I hope these ideas from a native aNew Yorker are helpful.

Enjoy your cruise !

[Willamy123]

NYC offers so many varied things to do, it is difficult to suggest sights and experiences without knowing where you will be staying before your cruise and what you like to do. The City is a network of neighborhoods. You could explore places near your hotel if you are pressed for time ,or use public transportation to get to places further away. The concierge at your hotel could be very helpful in suggesting how you could make the most of your visit.

I would suggest the Highline ( an elevated train tracks area that has been transformed into a park that offers some great views of the City), Central Park ( the Boathouse is great for lunch where you can watch people rowing boats on the lake in front of the restaurant or perhaps,rent a boat for yourselves ), a round trip ride on the Staten Island Ferry that travels from lower Manhattan to Staten Island,offering views of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Freedom Tower for a low fare.

If you are interested in seeing a Broadway show. there is a discount ticket booth in Times Square known as TKTS, you can get tickets to top shows there but only for that particular day or evening. Not all shows are available, but with so many shows on Broadway,you could find something that interests you. Macy's is a fantastic store,filling a full City block. You could do a bit of pre-cruise shopping and have lunch there.

I would stay away from tourist places such as Madame Trousseau' s Wax Museum, the Circle Line boat cruise and other things that would take away your valuable time from really experiencing NYC.

I hope these ideas from a native aNew Yorker are helpful.

Enjoy your cruise !

Thankyou very much.We will be going to pay our respects at the 9/11 memorial then we will try to fit in as many of or suggestions as possible.We are so looking forward to visiting your wonderful city

[sanger727]

If you have any interest in theater def agree with making plans to see something on broadway. Personally though, I wouldn't waste the time for the half price booth. 3 days isn't enough time to waste hours standing in line; too much else to see and do.

 

 

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[Lookingforfacts]

I have mixed thoughts about any of the City Passes. Theoretically you'll save some money. The reality is you'll wind up doing something you don't care about because it's free and skipping something because it's not included. My experience, not NYC, buying the pass was a (small) mistake.

 

Many of the shows available at the TKTS booth are also available, with a discount, for advance purchases. Check travelzoo and broadwaybox.com Be careful, many of the official looking sites will link you to a re seller site. Face value tickets, or discounted with the correct code, are available from ticketmaster (most shows) or www.telecharge.com for other shows.

 

Lines at the TKTS booth are the longest at opening. Later the line is generally reasonable, maybe 20 minutes.Works if you're already in the Times Square area. A waste of time if you're taking a 20 minute subway ride just to get tickets.

[Travelling2Some]

I just want to warn you about the lines to go up in the Statue of Liberty. If you are not on the very first boat over in the morning you will spend hours in line. Either make sure you are on that first boat or content yourself with a view from the Staten Island Ferry. You will also pass right by the Statue of Liberty (on the starboard side) as you leave NY harbor on your cruise, so the ferry is probably redundant. I would also say that the view from the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center) is more iconic than the view from the Empire State Building because you can't see the Empire State Building as part of the view when you're standing in it. I agree that the Circle Line takes too much of your limited time. There are much better things to do. I'm a Native New Yorker also.

[$hip$hape]

I just want to warn you...NYC offers so many varied things to do.

Do your research and focus on one or two things.

On my first trip to NYC, when I got out of the subway, just stared at tall buildings for a while.

[bbryan5]

For the best steak in NYC, go to Keens Steakhouse.

For a fun night at a great Irish pub, go to McSorleys

For great Italian food, take the Staten Island ferry (free) to Staten Island, IMO better Italian restaurants in SI than in Manhattan