Transportation from JFK to Brooklyn cruise terminal

[angelofjoy23]

I've booked a hotel that's near JFK since we fly into JFK the night before our cruise and they have a free shuttle from the airport.  Is it going to be a nightmare to get to the Brooklyn cruise terminal on a Sunday?  Do you have a recommended transportation method?

[njhorseman]

1 minute ago, angelofjoy23 said:

I've booked a hotel that's near JFK since we fly into JFK the night before our cruise and they have a free shuttle from the airport.  Is it going to be a nightmare to get to the Brooklyn cruise terminal on a Sunday?  Do you have a recommended transportation method?

Use Uber or Lyft,  or a car service such as Carmel Limo.

[Noxequifans]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Use Uber or Lyft,  or a car service such as Carmel Limo.

Also Dial 7 car service.

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, angelofjoy23 said:

I've booked a hotel that's near JFK since we fly into JFK the night before our cruise and they have a free shuttle from the airport. Is it going to be a nightmare to get to the Brooklyn cruise terminal on a Sunday? Do you have a recommended transportation method?

Where specifically is the hotel located? Generally, having to go back to the airport, from the hotel, simply to travel onward to the actual destination (i.e., Brooklyn Cruise Port) can be unnecessarily time-consuming. It could be easy or it could be difficult to travel directly between the particular hotel and the Brooklyn Cruise Port, be it by railroad, subway, bus, or otherwise, but it is not possible to provide directions without knowing the starting point. (There are some people who simply use taxi or TNC services everyplace, and if that were the case here then you probably don't need directions on how to use a taxi or TNC vehicle.)

 

I am anxious to see the new Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Queens/Jamaica opening soon. It will probably be the second-most convenient hotel for JFK Airport passengers (the most convenient being the TWA Hotel located immediately in front of Terminal Five used by JetBlue). The new hotel is located approximately 1,000 feet from the Jamaica AirTrain station, at the intersection of Archer Avenue and 149th Street. Getting between the hotel and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is straight-forward: the Jamaica LIRR station is immediately adjacent to the Jamaica AirTrain station, and it is a quick 20-minute trip into downtown Brooklyn, with a short taxi transfer to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook.

[angelofjoy23]

8 hours ago, GTJ said:

Where specifically is the hotel located? Generally, having to go back to the airport, from the hotel, simply to travel onward to the actual destination (i.e., Brooklyn Cruise Port) can be unnecessarily time-consuming.

We are staying at the Residence Inn New York JFK Airport.  We are only planning to take the shuttle from the airport to the hotel the night before.  Then on Sunday taking some form of transportation from the hotel to the port.  If you have recommendations based on where we're staying, I'd love to hear them!!

[GTJ]

6 hours ago, angelofjoy23 said:

We are staying at the Residence Inn New York JFK Airport. We are only planning to take the shuttle from the airport to the hotel the night before. Then on Sunday taking some form of transportation from the hotel to the port. If you have recommendations based on where we're staying, I'd love to hear them!!

My former office, in south Jamaica, is located about two miles from this hotel. But alas, this hotel is not well-located for good transportation to most places. It is in a largely residential area on the other side of expressways from John F. Kennedy International Airport. There's a local transit bus, route Q40, that stops immediately outside the hotel and goes into downtown Jamaica; and the hotel shuttle bus, but that's about it. There's no commercial activity in the area surrounding the hotel, so unless you're willing to travel a bit, it is likely that you will be eating at the hotel restaurant or getting delivery.

 

You could (1) use the transit bus from the hotel to the Jamaica Long Island Rail Road station ($2.90), or (2) use the free hotel shuttle bus to the Federal Circle AirTrain station, then use the AirTrain service to the Jamaica AirTrain-LIRR station ($8.25). In either case use the LIRR from the Jamaica LIRR station to the Atlantic Terminal LIRR station in downtown Brooklyn ($5.00, plus $2.00 in AM rush hours), plus a short taxi ride to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (3 miles, $15.00, plus $2.50 in PM rush hours). (Alternatively also use AirTrain from the Federal AirTrain station to Howard Beach AirTrain station, $8.25, then the "A" subway train from Howard Beach AirTrain station to Jay Street-MetroTech station in downtown Brooklyn, $2.90. Then short 2-mile taxi ride, $11.50, plus $2.50 in PM rush hour, or bus route B61, free transfer from subway, to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.) About one hour travel time to downtown Brooklyn, plus 15 minutes locally to the cruise terminal, but not especially convenient. But if interested inquire further for more detail directions.

 

A taxi from the hotel to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal would be about 24 miles using the Belt Parkway ($95.50, plus $2.50 in PM rush hours); or about 14 miles using state highway 27 ($53.50, plus $2.50 in PM rush hours). TNC and FHV vehicle prices vary, but likely in the range of $65.00 to $75.00 (others following this discussion can probably give better estimates). Note that taxi fares are regulated by the city, but TNC and FHV vehicle fares are not regulated. About one hour total travel time (it is typically slightly shorter travel time via Belt Parkway, saving perhaps ten minutes, notwithstanding the greater mileage). Given the hotel location this could be the most practicable choice.

 

Hopefully this is enough information for decision-making.

[angelofjoy23]

Wow, thank you so much!  The direct taxi ride to the port seems the easiest (although most expensive).  It does stink that the hotel isn’t near anything good in NYC. But we are only there for one afternoon/evening so I’m not sure it matters. 
 

Do you know the name of the local bus system that I could look up the routes and see where they go?  Maybe we could at least take it to dinner. 

[GTJ]

21 minutes ago, angelofjoy23 said:

It does stink that the hotel isn’t near anything good in NYC. But we are only there for one afternoon/evening so I’m not sure it matters. * * *

 
Do you know the name of the local bus system that I could look up the routes and see where they go?  Maybe we could at least take it to dinner. 

I would not say that there's "nothing good," but rather there are not the type of support services that visitors might utilize (e.g., restaurants).

 

The Q40 bus, that operates outside the Residence Inn, is operated by MTA Bus Company. The subway and most of the buses in Brooklyn are operated by New York City Transit Authority. The passenger trains are operated by the Long Island Rail Road. All three are commonly controlled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the regional planning and funding entity, and maps generally do not distinguish between the two bus operators. The AirTrain service at John F. Kennedy International Airport is operated by Alstom, a multi-national railcar manufacturer, under contract to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and its fares and services are separate from those of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. We don't always make things easy to understand in New York!

 

I have attached to this response transportation maps of Queens (the hotel location), Brooklyn (the port location), and the subway system. Most routes operate frequently.

Queens Bus Map.pdf Brooklyn Bus Map.pdf Subway Map.pdf

[angelofjoy23]

Wow, thank you!!!

[angelofjoy23]

On 9/9/2023 at 3:31 PM, GTJ said:

I have attached to this response transportation maps of Queens (the hotel location), Brooklyn (the port location), and the subway system. Most routes operate frequently.

 Well I have a new hiccup!!  I just found out that our cruise departs the day of the NYC marathon.  How horrible is it going to be trying to get from our hotel to the port?  Looks like we have to cross over the marathon route at one point. 

[GTJ]

4 hours ago, angelofjoy23 said:

I just found out that our cruise departs the day of the NYC marathon.  How horrible is it going to be trying to get from our hotel to the port? Looks like we have to cross over the marathon route at one point. 

I don't foresee any substantial difficulties, at least beyond some possible traffic slowdowns.

 

If traveling by taxi from your hotel in south Jamaica, then your crossing of the marathon route would be grade separated, either on the Belt Parkway crossing under the marathon route that would be using the overhead Gowanus Expressway and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge approach road, or on the Prospect Expressway crossing over the marathon route that would using Fourth Avenue.

 

If traveling by railroad from Jamaica to Brooklyn, then, given that the Atlantic Terminal LIRR station is on the east side of the marathon route, which is along Fourth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue, it would likely be best to first cross the route on foot and then get a taxi on the west side of the route. Alternatively, and this might be best, forgo the railroad and instead travel by subway from Jamaica to Brooklyn, alighting at Jay Street-MetroTech station, located on the west side of the route, and requiring no marathon route crossing (travel by B61 bus or taxi from the subway station to the port).

[angelofjoy23]

Ok this makes me feel a lot better.  I didn't realize there were routes that go above the marathon route.  You have been so helpful.  Thank you so much!

[Brighton Line]

The runners on all three races pass Atlantic Terminal from 4th Ave they turn left onto Flatbush Ave then right onto Lafayette Street so you need to time your trip to after the majority of the runners pass mile 8 of the race. I would think it would be an issue to get transportation there. 

 

For those panicking about the marathon here is the route:

https://prodsitecore.blob.core.windows.net/nyrrsitecoreblob/nyrr/pdf/race-course-maps/tcsnycm23_map_course_082223_rd6.pdf

 

 

[GTJ]

15 hours ago, Brighton Line said:

The runners on all three races pass Atlantic Terminal from 4th Ave they turn left onto Flatbush Ave then right onto Lafayette Street so you need to time your trip to after the majority of the runners pass mile 8 of the race. I would think it would be an issue to get transportation there.

I have not heretofore had to address the matter at Atlantic Terminal, but given the station's importance to downtown Brooklyn, and being on the opposite side of Flatbush Avenue, I would think that the NYPD must have some type of provision for that movement. Nonetheless, this may be an instance where travel from Jamaica would be better by subway than by LIRR (either "E" to Forest Hills, then "F" to Jay Street-MetroTech, or "J" to East New York, then "A" to Jay Street-MetroTech).