NYC pre & post QM2 trip - booking hotel with Cunard - why ?

[ilv4cruising]

Hi All,

 

We will be going on our first QM2 voyage RT from New York City.  I started doing research on hotels in NYC.

 

I decided to ask our rep with Cunard what they had to offer in the way of hotel stays.   We are looking to stay 2 nights pre and post voyage.

 

I was quite shocked at the prices for a 2 night stay so I decided to look at the cost booking directly with the hotel. 

 

In one example if I book directly with the hotel (and apply the senior discount 🙂 ) I can save $842 usd for 2 nights.

 

Other than the price for Cunard including transfers is there any other benefit that I haven't been told (our rep says no). 

 

I just want to confirm I'm not missing something and booking with the hotel is the way to go :).

 

Thanks in advance

[tv24]

We've stayed pre-crossing many times, but always booked on our own since we are picky about where we stay.  And we prefer downtown Brooklyn, or thereabouts, because it is close to the Red Hook terminal, close to JFK airport, and because we love Brooklyn.  It's also a short subway ride into much of Manhattan.  We recently booked a pre-crossing stay at the Nu Hotel in downtown Brooklyn.  Nothing fancy, but well-located.

[MCC retired]

It is crazy . Booked direct , hotels charge per room. Cunard charges per person ?

Not even close $$$. Unless you are booking as a single you are being ripped off by Cunard.

[rog747]

I concur with the other members, book your own hotels and arrange your pick ups to/from airport/hotel and the ship.

If you want enjoy to NYC City then obs book a stay in a Manhattan hotel pre and post cruise.
Red Hook cruise terminal is only a short taxi across Brooklyn Bridge to the ship.

The only advantages in booking the add-ons with Cunard is that they will deal with things if they go wrong (such as the ship is running late or any other major changes).

It's wise to book your own hotels without harsh cancellation or change penalties. 

[ilv4cruising]

15 hours ago, tv24 said:

We've stayed pre-crossing many times, but always booked on our own since we are picky about where we stay.  And we prefer downtown Brooklyn, or thereabouts, because it is close to the Red Hook terminal, close to JFK airport, and because we love Brooklyn.  It's also a short subway ride into much of Manhattan.  We recently booked a pre-crossing stay at the Nu Hotel in downtown Brooklyn.  Nothing fancy, but well-located.

We have been to Manhattan before so not that critical to us.  Brooklyn might be an interesting option to explore. 

 

Other than the Nu Hotel do you have other recommendations for me to check out?

 

Thanks,

[ilv4cruising]

Thank you for your responses.  You just confirmed my thinking as well.  I'll continue to book direct 🙂 .

[tv24]

1 hour ago, ilv4cruising said:

We have been to Manhattan before so not that critical to us.  Brooklyn might be an interesting option to explore. 

 

Other than the Nu Hotel do you have other recommendations for me to check out?

 

Thanks,

We have also stayed at the Aloft Hotel, and that was a good location as well.

[ilv4cruising]

1 hour ago, tv24 said:

We have also stayed at the Aloft Hotel, and that was a good location as well.

Thanks.

 

Since we have never been to Brooklyn we were wondering how safe it is.

 

Also, we plan on getting in 2 days before the crossing so we will have 1 free day.  Any suggestions on what to do (subway isn't an option for my husband though).

 

Thanks,

[tv24]

57 minutes ago, ilv4cruising said:

Thanks.

 

Since we have never been to Brooklyn we were wondering how safe it is.

 

Also, we plan on getting in 2 days before the crossing so we will have 1 free day.  Any suggestions on what to do (subway isn't an option for my husband though).

 

Thanks,

The New York Transit Museum is very close to both hotels.  Also the Brooklyn Museum is world class.  The Esplanade in Brooklyn Heights has the best views of Lower Manhattan and the harbor.

 

Brooklyn used to be very unsafe, but that was 40 years ago before public safety was vastly improved all over New York City, and before waves of gentrification passed over Brooklyn.  There are still areas that I would not recommend venturing into due to safety concerns or because they are boring, but those are further out in the borough.  The areas around downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Williamsburg, and Grand Army Plaza are as safe as Toronto.

[*Miss G*]

24 minutes ago, ilv4cruising said:

Thanks.

 

Since we have never been to Brooklyn we were wondering how safe it is.

 

Also, we plan on getting in 2 days before the crossing so we will have 1 free day.  Any suggestions on what to do (subway isn't an option for my husband though).

 

Thanks,

 

It’s amazingly safe.  Whenever my husband went on business I’d happen to be free that week.  😇  We stayed at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott and I took lovely walks through the elegant brownstone streets in Brooklyn Heights.  It’s also lovely walking the prom along the East River.  They have amazing bagel shops along the way!  (Gosh, I miss those bagels.) I would send you to my favourite Italian restaurant but it’s gone.  😭

 

You could take the ferry from Red Hook over to Manhattan, and I like @tv24’s suggestion of the museum.  Speaking of ferries…  For our last cruise out of NYC we stayed at the Residence Inn Central Park.  It was amazing!  (And I’m not easily amazed.) There are many pubs and restaurants a few steps from the door and it is right across the street from Studio 54!  Also across the street is The Ed Sullivan Theatre where they do The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Maybe you could get tickets to a show, if one strikes your fancy, at one of those venues.  Anyway, from there we had a car service drop us at Pier 11/Wall St to catch the ferry over to Red Hook.  Highly recommend!

 

On my last visit, I picked up a postcard of the twin towers and the Brooklyn bridge, found some nice frames at the dollar store, and now they’re in my powder room!  😄

 

[ilv4cruising]

1 hour ago, *Miss G* said:

 

It’s amazingly safe.  Whenever my husband went on business I’d happen to be free that week.  😇  We stayed at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott and I took lovely walks through the elegant brownstone streets in Brooklyn Heights.  It’s also lovely walking the prom along the East River.  They have amazing bagel shops along the way!  (Gosh, I miss those bagels.) I would send you to my favourite Italian restaurant but it’s gone.  😭

 

You could take the ferry from Red Hook over to Manhattan, and I like @tv24’s suggestion of the museum.  Speaking of ferries…  For our last cruise out of NYC we stayed at the Residence Inn Central Park.  It was amazing!  (And I’m not easily amazed.) There are many pubs and restaurants a few steps from the door and it is right across the street from Studio 54!  Also across the street is The Ed Sullivan Theatre where they do The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Maybe you could get tickets to a show, if one strikes your fancy, at one of those venues.  Anyway, from there we had a car service drop us at Pier 11/Wall St to catch the ferry over to Red Hook.  Highly recommend!

 

On my last visit, I picked up a postcard of the twin towers and the Brooklyn bridge, found some nice frames at the dollar store, and now they’re in my powder room!  😄

 

Very nice

 

[Millieloulou]

We flew into JFK for the Christmas Celebration Voyage, and were picked up by Carmel Limos as recommended by CC.Very comfortable drive to our hotel in Brooklyn , which was the Down town Hampton Hilton, recommended because it was only a short taxi ride to the ship.Could not fault the hotel, and there seems to be a lot of routes into Manhattan.We went for a walk before we left for the ship, much to the amusement of a NYPD traffic ‘cop’ who insisted on holding up all the traffic so we could cross , and then did the same on our way back.All felt very safe.

 

[ilv4cruising]

1 hour ago, Millieloulou said:

We flew into JFK for the Christmas Celebration Voyage, and were picked up by Carmel Limos as recommended by CC.Very comfortable drive to our hotel in Brooklyn , which was the Down town Hampton Hilton, recommended because it was only a short taxi ride to the ship.Could not fault the hotel, and there seems to be a lot of routes into Manhattan.We went for a walk before we left for the ship, much to the amusement of a NYPD traffic ‘cop’ who insisted on holding up all the traffic so we could cross , and then did the same on our way back.All felt very safe.

 

Wow.  That is great (and funny 🙂 )

[buchanan101]

On 4/2/2024 at 10:48 PM, ilv4cruising said:

Hi All,

 

We will be going on our first QM2 voyage RT from New York City.  I started doing research on hotels in NYC.

 

I decided to ask our rep with Cunard what they had to offer in the way of hotel stays.   We are looking to stay 2 nights pre and post voyage.

 

I was quite shocked at the prices for a 2 night stay so I decided to look at the cost booking directly with the hotel. 

 

In one example if I book directly with the hotel (and apply the senior discount 🙂 ) I can save $842 usd for 2 nights.

 

Other than the price for Cunard including transfers is there any other benefit that I haven't been told (our rep says no). 

 

I just want to confirm I'm not missing something and booking with the hotel is the way to go :).

 

Thanks in advance

So easy to find something on Booking.com or Hotels.com. In general they are as cheap as booking direct (it may be a condition by Booking/Hotels to allow hotels on their site)

 

There are other benefits through using portals: cashback, discounts, rewards...

[buchanan101]

16 hours ago, ilv4cruising said:

Thanks.

 

Since we have never been to Brooklyn we were wondering how safe it is.

 

Also, we plan on getting in 2 days before the crossing so we will have 1 free day.  Any suggestions on what to do (subway isn't an option for my husband though).

 

Thanks,

Brooklyn was the only place that unobservant me has smelt weed... a very strong smell as we took a taxi in to Manhattan

 

(Taxis are fine from the terminal, though we were front of the queue to get off and through customs, helped by having Apple tags in our suitcases so we could actually find our cases in the warehouse...)

[NE John]

1 hour ago, buchanan101 said:

Brooklyn was the only place that unobservant me has smelt weed... a very strong smell as we took a taxi in to Manhattan

 

(Taxis are fine from the terminal, though we were front of the queue to get off and through customs, helped by having Apple tags in our suitcases so we could actually find our cases in the warehouse...)

I’m in Manhattan weekly and there’s plenty of pot/weed smoke around, even on Park Avenue. For any big city safety, don’t walk around wearing ear phones, glued to looking at a cell phone, and keep your head on a swivel.