Newport RI

[slidemaster5]

8 hours ago, BarnCat1 said:

So sorry to hear that, that was a beautiful walk.  I will make sure I check the Wharfs tours. Thank you

 

Sections are still walkable. On the northern side there is a detour around the Salve Regina Campus due to some rockslides. 

 

[vino100]

Does anyone know of private tours to Breakers that pick you up where the tenders are. 
the cruise excursion is sold out. 

[slidemaster5]

8 hours ago, vino100 said:

Does anyone know of private tours to Breakers that pick you up where the tenders are. 
the cruise excursion is sold out. 

 

Two options:

 

(1) You can Uber to the Breakers which is 2.5 miles away. A self tour includes the audio tour if you want to spend a lot of time in the mansion.

 

(2) Just north of Perrotti Park is the Newport Tarvel Trolley Tours in the visitors center which will give you options such as looping around the major mansions and allowing a tour a mansion of your choice. 

 

Newport Trolley Tour with Breakers Mansion - Viking Tours

[Crusin Karen]

Ok, I’m sure TMI and no one will be interested but I’m throwing this out here! I’m very interested in touring Newport and seeing the mansions. I am a widow cruising solo and I’m deaf tho I have a cochlear implant. I hate tenders. Given all that I’m hesitant to go to Newport (just stay on ship) but this is my opportunity. So I feel “safer” booking an excursion with princess so everything is predetermined/preplanned  and I just go with the crowd lol. I have been wanting to book best of Newport. (Princess excursion) bit pricey but worth it. In the meantime “other stuff” got in the way and I finally sat down to book and its  BOGO 50% off 2nd ticket. In actuality you have to buy 2 tickets and it’s 25% off each ticket. Obviously I don’t need 2 tickets. So now I have to pay more for one ticket and ill have a ticket using up space for someone else. This should be I can purchase one ticket at the original price or 2 tickets at the advertised price. I have “live chatted” with 3 agents 3 different times and they can’t seem to understand this. Again you CANNOT purchase one ticket! So I figured I’d wait until sale was over. Well they’ve extended it. I’m afraid it will be sold out so at this point I’m just going to suck it up and pay for 2 tickets. I’m upset about this, 3 agents 3 different times didn’t or wouldn’t understand. I could almost see them shrugging their shoulders saying oh well, that’s the way it is. One actually wrote that! So FYI there’s is BOGO on the website. I guess I’ll also have an extra ticket if anyone wants to buy it! Sorry for the long post but this has been really aggravating. I’ve come to realize it’s not worth the gray hair and I’m going to say to myself: well, that’s the way it is! Peace! 😵‍💫✌️

[vino100]

14 hours ago, slidemaster5 said:

 

Two options:

 

(1) You can Uber to the Breakers which is 2.5 miles away. A self tour includes the audio tour if you want to spend a lot of time in the mansion.

 

(2) Just north of Perrotti Park is the Newport Tarvel Trolley Tours in the visitors center which will give you options such as looping around the major mansions and allowing a tour a mansion of your choice. 

 

Newport Trolley Tour with Breakers Mansion - Viking Tours

Thanks for the info. 

[princeton123211]

On 6/23/2024 at 11:23 PM, vino100 said:

Does anyone know of private tours to Breakers that pick you up where the tenders are. 
the cruise excursion is sold out. 

Don't overthink Newport- it's pretty small and easily navigated by foot or by Uber. Zero need for a cruise excursion here. 

[Crewbie]

On 6/23/2024 at 11:23 PM, vino100 said:

Does anyone know of private tours to Breakers that pick you up where the tenders are. 
the cruise excursion is sold out. 

 

We stopped in Newport in May - the Newport Transportation & Visitors Center/Newport Transit Center is a one-block walk (and basically in viewing distance down the street) from the Perrotti Park tender drop-off. That location is where two brands of trolley tours began their services. We used Newport Travel Trolley Tours - I think the remaining Viking availability simply didn't quite fit our in-port schedule - and enjoyed it. (Bathrooms are available at both the Perrotti Park tender site and at the Marriott next to the Transit Center - particularly when one is walking back.)

 

Also noted while we were waiting - the Transit Center also services some bus routes; Bus Route 67 might also be of interest to you and others looking to get to the mansions as a number of cruisers from our ship also seemed to have used this for their plans. The RIPTA site also has city pocket maps that can help give another view for your plans. Hope this helps!

[Cruiser418Low]

Few questions

1) Is the walk from the tender spot to The Breakers doable with a small child?

 

2) How much is a typical Uber/Lyft ride to/from the mansion?

 

3) What does the charge code as? I have a Chase Freedom card that is currently 5x points for museums. 

 

Thanks!

Edited July 7 by Cruiser418Low
formatting

[McGarrett5oh]

Jumping in here with a question.   Our NCL cruise arrives Newport at 6am on Monday, September 30th and departs at 3pm.  We've visited the mansions and the Cliff Walk on previous visits, so we're looking for something different to do. 

 

I would imagine the downtown shops don't open until 9 or 10am and wondering what, other than a self guided scenic walk through town or perhaps an early water excursion (too cold!), can be accomplished so early in the morning.  Around town trolley tours show only afternoon departures, so we're currently at a loss of what to do for 3-4 early morning hours (other than sleep in 🙃)  Any thoughts?

[princeton123211]

10 hours ago, Cruiser418Low said:

1) Is the walk from the tender spot to The Breakers doable with a small child?

Its like 45 min to an hour. Fairly flat and sidewalks most of the way. 

 

10 hours ago, Cruiser418Low said:

2) How much is a typical Uber/Lyft ride to/from the mansion?

It's a short ride-- only about 2 miles. $10 or sometimes less. 

 

10 hours ago, Cruiser418Low said:

3) What does the charge code as? I have a Chase Freedom card that is currently 5x points for museums. 

It's The Preservation Society of Newport County. 

[slidemaster5]

7 hours ago, McGarrett5oh said:

Jumping in here with a question.   Our NCL cruise arrives Newport at 6am on Monday, September 30th and departs at 3pm.  We've visited the mansions and the Cliff Walk on previous visits, so we're looking for something different to do. 

 

I would imagine the downtown shops don't open until 9 or 10am and wondering what, other than a self guided scenic walk through town or perhaps an early water excursion (too cold!), can be accomplished so early in the morning.  Around town trolley tours show only afternoon departures, so we're currently at a loss of what to do for 3-4 early morning hours (other than sleep in 🙃)  Any thoughts?

 

I can't think of anything before 9AM. Trolley tours, boat rides, Tennis Hall of Fame, Touro Synagogue - all are late morning or afternoon. End of September means the ocean will be near its peak here which is low 70s. If you are from Tampa Bay I wouldn't go in the water unless your cruise insurance includes good medical coverage, lol. 

[loving2cruise]

On 4/21/2024 at 9:11 PM, slidemaster5 said:

FYI - I posted these comments this week for a Princess roll call for September 2024. I currently live in RI. Replace the below weather comment with: October - High will be in the 60s early part of the month dropping to high 50s by month end. Nights 10-15 degrees cooler. In the fall the weather changes often and gets influenced by the wind direction - warmer if the wind blows from the land, cooler if the wind is blowing from the sea. 

 

Newport

 

In General

Climate/crowds: Labor Day weekend expect 75-80 degrees weather. Don't be surprised if it is humid since we do have hot humid summers here but usually cooler on the water. Expect crowds if the weather is nice since this is the traditional end of tourist season so the streets will be crowded by late morning. (Locals often avoid this weekend since parking gets difficult - obviously not a cruiser issue.) Newport is probably the OG of seaside towns and has a feel similar to Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA. 

 

Downtown

Most of the shops and restaurants are clustered in the downtown area which consist of America's Cup Avenue and Thames Street which run parallel along the Bay. America's Cup is along the Bay and Thames Street is just east of it a block away. My understanding is that tenders drop off at Perrotti Park which is on America's Cup Avenue. Shops and restaurants start at Perrotti Park on America's Cup and go about a half mile or so southward. Thames Street shops and restaurants start about a 1/4-mile further north. 

 

Restaurants

For the locals (Rhode Islanders) Newport is very popular year-round. The wife and I have two favorites we take people to: Brick Alley Pub on Thames Street which has the pub and tavern feel and The Mooring which is seafood (has meat options). The Mooring has great views if you get an outside table since it overlooks the Bay, and you are in the midst of a wharf / boat slips. Brick Alley is a 5-minute walk (.2 mile) east from Perrotti Park and The Mooring is a 7-minute walk (.3 mile) south down America's Cup. There are plenty good restaurants around. I strongly suggest making reservations no matter where you plan on going. Make them at least a few weeks out. As a point of reference, I tried to walk into Brick Alley on a weekday in the summer and there was a 1 hour wait for lunch.

 

Excursions

One word - yikes! The last excursion listed (Newport Scenic Schooner Cruise) is a great example. I took family last June on the same schooner and it is $45 a ticket. They want $129. You can actually book the same time they are showing and save yourself $84 per person and still have the safe return guarantee, LOL.  Mansion tickets run $25, $38, $46 for one, two, or three mansions respectively if you want to compare. Now, you would have to uber/taxi to avoid the walk (about 45 minutes) but you get the point. 

 

Points of Interest

Various boat rides (as discussed above) are generally from Bowens Wharf is about 5-minute walk from Perrotti Park down America's Cup.

 

Mansions - if you do one, I suggest the biggest and most famous - The Breakers. Marble House or Rosecliff are also good options. (I haven't been to Rosecliff and may go this summer. This mansion is the most "filmed" - True Lies/The Great Gatsby(1974)/Heaven's Gate/Amistad.) 

 

If you are into cultural or are of the Jewish faith, Touro Synagogue is the oldest surviving synagogue in the country. (5-10 minute walk from drop off).

 

If you like sports - the International Tennis Hall of Fame is there. (20-minute walk from drop off point)

 

The Cliff Walk which runs a total of 3.5 miles is scenic. The easier (flat sidewalk part) is the first mile or so and wraps around the Breakers. Some points literally require rock hopping so that is not for the casual walker. If you want to walk the flat part have them take you to the end of Narragansett Avenue which dead ends at the ocean. Uber/taxi since it is a 45 minute walk from Perrotti Park.

 

 

Thank you SO much for this very informative post! Newport will be one of our stops on our upcoming cruise, so I have been researching alot, and your post tied all the ends together.  Even though I knew where we would like to go, we did not know the distance between everything.

 

We decided on the "land and sea" tour going straight through the company there in Newport, instead of paying TRIPLE through the cruiseline. I also learned here on Cruise Critic (I LOVE Cruise Critic) there is a bus #67 (2 bucks I read) that can take you through town...instead of doing the long walks to see it all.

 

One of our interest also is to see is the new "Umbrella Sky" at Brick Center. Have you seen that yet?

 

Another question I have, is have you ever been to Block Island?  If so, what is there?  Is that worth a trip?  Also I noticed there is a fast ferry...have you ever taken a day trip from there to Martha's Vineyard?  We thought about that one at first, but don't think we would have enough time to get back to the ship in time.

 

Since you are pretty much a local as you had mentioned, have you noticed if there are any "Pet Friendly" places so that we can come up on a road trip in the future and bring our 7 pound dog.

 

I'm sorry for all these questions...lol...but you seem very knowledgeable about Newport.

 

Thank again!  🙂

[slidemaster5]

24 minutes ago, loving2cruise said:

 

 

Thank you SO much for this very informative post! Newport will be one of our stops on our upcoming cruise, so I have been researching alot, and your post tied all the ends together.  Even though I knew where we would like to go, we did not know the distance between everything.

 

We decided on the "land and sea" tour going straight through the company there in Newport, instead of paying TRIPLE through the cruiseline. I also learned here on Cruise Critic (I LOVE Cruise Critic) there is a bus #67 (2 bucks I read) that can take you through town...instead of doing the long walks to see it all.

 

One of our interest also is to see is the new "Umbrella Sky" at Brick Center. Have you seen that yet?

 

Another question I have, is have you ever been to Block Island?  If so, what is there?  Is that worth a trip?  Also I noticed there is a fast ferry...have you ever taken a day trip from there to Martha's Vineyard?  We thought about that one at first, but don't think we would have enough time to get back to the ship in time.

 

Since you are pretty much a local as you had mentioned, have you noticed if there are any "Pet Friendly" places so that we can come up on a road trip in the future and bring our 7 pound dog.

 

I'm sorry for all these questions...lol...but you seem very knowledgeable about Newport.

 

Thank again!  🙂

 

The Umbrella Sky / Brick Marketplace is literally 50 feet from the Brick Alley Pub restaurant I mentioned above. It is a small area with probably 10-20 shops/restaurants. It is between Thames and Avenue of Americas. On my last trip in June 2023, we stayed on the major streets, so I do not know if they changed some stores when they themed that area. 

 

I haven't been to Block Island in decades. It is small and most of the restaurants / shops are near the harbor. Back then one would rent bikes and ride around the island which isn't difficult (8-mile loop). There are some sights like beaches, a cliff area and lighthouse. It is definitely a day trip place. I do not know if there is a high-speed ferry from Newport. The regular ferry is about 2 hours. The high-speed ferry may only leave from Point Judith which is on the mainland. If you are only in Newport for a day as part of a cruise it is probably not doable.

 

Martha's Vineyard is a much larger island with several towns. However, that would not be a day trip either. 

 

Newport appears dog friendly. There are several pet related shops and occasionally see a water bowl outside a store. You may want to check if you have a specific restaurant in mind.

 

[loving2cruise]

Thank you again for this great info :)

[loving2cruise]

1 hour ago, slidemaster5 said:

 

The Umbrella Sky / Brick Marketplace is literally 50 feet from the Brick Alley Pub restaurant I mentioned above. It is a small area with probably 10-20 shops/restaurants. It is between Thames and Avenue of Americas. On my last trip in June 2023, we stayed on the major streets, so I do not know if they changed some stores when they themed that area. 

 

I haven't been to Block Island in decades. It is small and most of the restaurants / shops are near the harbor. Back then one would rent bikes and ride around the island which isn't difficult (8-mile loop). There are some sights like beaches, a cliff area and lighthouse. It is definitely a day trip place. I do not know if there is a high-speed ferry from Newport. The regular ferry is about 2 hours. The high-speed ferry may only leave from Point Judith which is on the mainland. If you are only in Newport for a day as part of a cruise it is probably not doable.

 

Martha's Vineyard is a much larger island with several towns. However, that would not be a day trip either. 

 

Newport appears dog friendly. There are several pet related shops and occasionally see a water bowl outside a store. You may want to check if you have a specific restaurant in mind.

 

 

 

Thank you again for this great info! :-)

[princeton123211]

3 hours ago, loving2cruise said:

Another question I have, is have you ever been to Block Island?  If so, what is there?  Is that worth a trip?  Also I noticed there is a fast ferry...have you ever taken a day trip from there to Martha's Vineyard?  We thought about that one at first, but don't think we would have enough time to get back to the ship in time.

You absolutely don't have the time to go to Block Island or Martha's Vineyard on a day call to Newport. The ferry schedule alone doesn't line up (return trip to Newport departs Block Island at 5pm) and even if it did it would be taking an enormous risk on even a small delay. 

 

Both are nice and worth a look at some point-- Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have much more going on. Block Island is a lot sleepier. 

[slidemaster5]

24 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

You absolutely don't have the time to go to Block Island or Martha's Vineyard on a day call to Newport. The ferry schedule alone doesn't line up (return trip to Newport departs Block Island at 5pm) and even if it did it would be taking an enormous risk on even a small delay. 

 

Both are nice and worth a look at some point-- Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have much more going on. Block Island is a lot sleepier. 

 

I agree with this. Perhaps my language was not strong enough since I saw some land and sea language initially. You can't take a ferry out of Newport is a better way to word it. It is not just lining up the ferry schedule - there is a chance you don't even come back the same day. The Block Island ferry has left people stranded overnight due to weather issues. 

 

[loving2cruise]

49 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

You absolutely don't have the time to go to Block Island or Martha's Vineyard on a day call to Newport. The ferry schedule alone doesn't line up (return trip to Newport departs Block Island at 5pm) and even if it did it would be taking an enormous risk on even a small delay. 

 

Both are nice and worth a look at some point-- Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have much more going on. Block Island is a lot sleepier. 

 

Thank you. I will wait until my next trip to Newport, which will be a longer amount of time.