New York Brooklyn Flight Logistics

[MJSailors]

Yes, taxi cabs ( metered ) are required to take you to your requested destination within the City limits.

But...the terminal in Red Hook is in Brooklyn, a borough of the City of NY.

Sometimes cabbies are reluctant to accept a destination to or from the outer boroughs ( Brooklyn,Queens,the Bronx and Staten Island) because they may lack a return passenger going back into the City.

Looking at a map, the distance between the Times Square area and the Princess terminal maybe not that far  apart in miles. Time spent driving to the terminal may be different depending on traffic,street closures or construction. The cab’s meter keeps on ticking despite driving conditions.

It could be. possible that the fare would be more expensive than a car and driver.

A dedicated car service  such as Carmel Limo is the preferred transport because a passenger is quoted a set fee for the drive.

IMHO transport going to a cruise terminal should be the easiest form of transport.

Considering the expense of a cruise vacation that is hopefully a relaxing vacation, why start your vacation with a vexing situation that may occur on a drive to the ship?

 

 

 

[riffatsea]

The ferry is actually a great way to go from lower Manhattan to the cruise port in Brooklyn.

The ferry landing is about 1/2 block from the cruise terminal!

I would never try to go sightseeing on the same day as the cruise itself!

I'd want to be at the ship waaay before "all aboard time"!

IF I wanted to do NYC sightseeing I'd come in a few days before my cruise.

Here's a map showing the short walk from the ferry to the cruise terminal:

https://goo.gl/maps/GxAchEEmofoccFhx5

[PSCSkipper]

On 6/21/2019 at 11:45 PM, MJSailors said:

Tedferg

I noticed you mentioned a 5:00 sail away for the cruise.

There is a difference between all aboard time and sail away.

Passengers are expected to be onboard a few hours before sail away.

Please check your Princess information for all aboard time.

With that being said,if you choose to stay in Manhattan overnight,you would have limited. sightseeing time for the 28th. You could do something for a few hours in the morning, but the latest I would leave for the pier would be 1:00.

I do not recommend a HOHO bus as it may be held up in traffic,wasting time.

The downtown Marriot or the  Hilton is a good suggestion. You could  visit the Wall Street area, the Freedom tower and 9/11 memorial, Trinity Church,Battery Park or Little Italy/Chinatown from that location.

The New York Marriot at the Brooklyn Bridge is another good hotel suggestion. From there,you could walk across the Brooklyn Bridge for a sightseeing cruise xperience.

A car service from Manhattan s the way to go.

You may be able to get a cab from a Brooklyn hotel,but we found out when staying in one that the front desk will arrange for a car and driver also.

As to takng a ferry to the cruise terminal, check the location of the drop off place n Brooklyn. You may have to walk a distance and the neighborhood by the Princess Terminal is a bit sketchy.

While improvements are being made in theTerminal neighborhood, it is composed of industrial buildings,public housing and abandoned dock space. A diamond n the rough,so o speak.

I noted that you are from California.

I would suggest that you do some research about Red Hook-the Terminal neighborhood, hotels that have been suggested here and sites that interest you.

NYC is my hometown. It is a great place IMHO !

Just do your homework,be aware and enjoy your visit !

PS I think the embarkation from NYC is one of the best !

I have to disagree with the remark about the ferry as an option.  The NYC Ferry (https://www.ferry.nyc/) South Brooklyn route leaves from Wall Street/Pier 11 on Manhattan every half hour or so  and goes to Red Hook in about 15-20 minutes for less than $3.00 per person.  The ferry docks right behind the cruise ship dock.  The neighborhood might be sketchy, but getting to the cruise terminal from the ferry dock is a straight shot walk of maybe a bit over 100 yards or so.  You would have to schlep your own bags to the front of the terminal, but unless you have mobility issues  it is very doable.

[MJSailors]

Yes, I see the path from the ferry to the terminal is a short,direct route of Google maps.

Is this ferry service relatively new?

The last time we cruised from Red Hook was three years ago and we had a driver take us from LI to  the pier.

We usually take cruises from FLL or sometimes BayonneNJ.

The last time we drove through the Red Hook area,we did notice some improvements in the neighborhood. But, for someone traveling there the first time, they could notice the state of the area and use caution.

 

[PSCSkipper]

13 minutes ago, MJSailors said:

Yes, I see the path from the ferry to the terminal is a short,direct route of Google maps.

Is this ferry service relatively new?

The last time we cruised from Red Hook was three years ago and we had a driver take us from LI to  the pier.

We usually take cruises from FLL or sometimes BayonneNJ.

The last time we drove through the Red Hook area,we did notice some improvements in the neighborhood. But, for someone traveling there the first time, they could notice the state of the area and use caution.

 

I believe it is relatively new within the last two or three years.  We used it in January 2018 for a Queen Mary II transatlantic to the UK and it worked like a charm for us.  

[PSCSkipper]

4 minutes ago, PSCSkipper said:

I believe it is relatively new within the last two or three years.  We used it in January 2018 for a Queen Mary II transatlantic to the UK and it worked like a charm for us.  

Actually it looks like the ferry service started in May 2017.  Our QM2 departure from Red Hook in January 2018 was delayed by a day because of a storm coming up the coast.  When the captain announced the delay he said we were free to leave the ship that evening if we wanted to stroll around the Red Hook/Brooklyn area.  We chose to stay on the ship.

[MJSailors]

PSCSkipper

You had a good idea to stay on the ship !

[riffatsea]

It is interesting that you describe the area as "sketchy". Maybe right by the dock but Red Hook is now one of the up and coming areas of the city. I was on a food tour of Brooklyn last year and we went to Red Hook and saw it as an area that felt like a village and not with high rises like Manhattan. There are wine bars/beer pubs /art galleries etc.

Interesting to hear other points of view. It is not a dangerous place.

[MJSailors]

The last time we were in Red Hook was three years ago. Neighborhoods can change.

Gentrification is an ongoing phenomenon in many areas of Brooklyn.

Both Greenpoint andWilliamsburg is populated with millennials and young families.

My DH attended a private prep school in Bedford Stuyvesant in the late 1960s. The school hired security guards to walk the students to and from the train station because of the neighborhood situation..

Now,people are renovating brownstones there to their former beauty and the area is being reenergized.

Good to hear you had a positive experience in Red Hook with the food tour group. 

I still would be wary of walking the streets at night on our own.

[Tedferg]

Lots of good input, thanks, two remaining questions. (1) If we were to us the ferry would we have a problem getting a cab from downtown Marriott to pier 11 ? Short ride.

(2) we will stay in Manhattan for two days after cruise - any problem getting cab from terminal to midtown Manhattan ?

 

BTW we would use the ferry for convenience, not to save money. It does seem a car and driver for four of us plus luggage is the best deal - I just thought the ferry could be easy and attractive.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Tedferg

[caribill]

12 hours ago, Paula_MacFan said:

So....you're saying we should have called the police because we couldn't get a taxi to take us there?  I'm simply reporting what our experience was, and even the hotel concierge couldn't get a taxi to accept our request.  

 

No, I am saying get in the cab (with luggage) and then tell the driver where you want to go.

[caribill]

43 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Lots of good input, thanks, two remaining questions. (1) If we were to us the ferry would we have a problem getting a cab from downtown Marriott to pier 11 ? Short ride.

(2) we will stay in Manhattan for two days after cruise - any problem getting cab from terminal to midtown Manhattan ?

 

BTW we would use the ferry for convenience, not to save money. It does seem a car and driver for four of us plus luggage is the best deal - I just thought the ferry could be easy and attractive.

(1) should not be a problem

(2) There will be cabs lined up looking for passengers when you disembark. No problem going in one to Manhattan.

[AF-1]

7 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Lots of good input, thanks, two remaining questions. (1) If we were to us the ferry would we have a problem getting a cab from downtown Marriott to pier 11 ? Short ride.

(2) we will stay in Manhattan for two days after cruise - any problem getting cab from terminal to midtown Manhattan ?

 

BTW we would use the ferry for convenience, not to save money. It does seem a car and driver for four of us plus luggage is the best deal - I just thought the ferry could be easy and attractive.

Here is a map of NYC;  you can pinch and zoom to get close ups for sightseeng; hotels, and ferry service

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1TewAV2AG0QGxi-x95hUSZLyL4bbd6AaV&ll=40.68152532842508%2C-74.05374757165589&z=12

[riffatsea]

You should not have a problem getting a taxi to take you anywhere! Just get in and then tell them where you want to go.

[sunsetbeachgal]

10 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Lots of good input, thanks, two remaining questions. (1) If we were to us the ferry would we have a problem getting a cab from downtown Marriott to pier 11 ? Short ride.

(2) we will stay in Manhattan for two days after cruise - any problem getting cab from terminal to midtown Manhattan ?

 

BTW we would use the ferry for convenience, not to save money. It does seem a car and driver for four of us plus luggage is the best deal - I just thought the ferry could be easy and attractive.

Just to let you know that pre arranged car service or Uber or Lyft will most likely be less expensive than a cab.  If cab gets stuck in traffic, not that there are any traffic snags in NYC, lol, the meter runs.  The other options are a fixed price you know in advance, regardless of traffic 

[Tedferg]

3 minutes ago, sunsetbeachgal said:

Just to let you know that pre arranged car service or Uber or Lyft will most likely be less expensive than a cab.  If cab gets stuck in traffic, not that there are any traffic snags in NYC, lol, the meter runs.  The other options are a fixed price you know in advance, regardless of traffic 

Good point, thanks

[Tedferg]

3 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Here is a map of NYC;  you can pinch and zoom to get close ups for sightseeng; hotels, and ferry service

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1TewAV2AG0QGxi-x95hUSZLyL4bbd6AaV&ll=40.68152532842508%2C-74.05374757165589&z=12

What a great map !

[Clampram]

The cost of an uberX from New York Marriott Financial Center to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal comes up as $30.18 which is far superior to taking a cab to the ferry  then boat then walking with luggage IMHO!!

An uberX from the Brooklyn Cruise terminal to Times Square comes up at 55.80.

Cabs are not a problem from the Financial Marriott.....doorman will call for you or you can uber.

[Tedferg]

7 minutes ago, Clampram said:

The cost of an uberX from New York Marriott Financial Center to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal comes up as $30.18 which is far superior to taking a cab to the ferry  then boat then walking with luggage IMHO!!

An uberX from the Brooklyn Cruise terminal to Times Square comes up at 55.80.

Cabs are not a problem from the Financial Marriott.....doorman will call for you or you can uber.

Thanks for checking, and you are right - clearly the best option, I was just fascinated with the idea of the ferry 🙂

[AF-1]

Tedferg, I copied that map from the east coast home port thread.  I will be very useful for me when I go to NY next year

 

[Clampram]

11 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks for checking, and you are right - clearly the best option, I was just fascinated with the idea of the ferry 🙂

You can watch the SI ferry (and other ferries) from the harbor facing views of the Financial Marriott. SI ferry is also free and a good way to see the harbor if you are in the area. You can walk to it from the Marriott

[riffatsea]

Here in California where taxis have to be called I use Lyft.

In NYC where there are tons of taxis on the street to be hailed I use taxis.

I don't see the point of Lyft/Uber in a city like that  but everyone travels differently.

[Clampram]

22 minutes ago, riffatsea said:

Here in California where taxis have to be called I use Lyft.

In NYC where there are tons of taxis on the street to be hailed I use taxis.

I don't see the point of Lyft/Uber in a city like that  but everyone travels differently.

The point in NYC is $$$$. All of my friends/family who live or play in the city use uber or other ride sharing apps to reduce cost

[riffatsea]

I guess we have different friends!

For short rides I don't see much difference. For longer rides maybe.

 

[Ep010835]

Anyone have thoughts on the best options to/from the cruise port to/from LGA?