Where to stay in New york

[Gramsk]

I've got 354 days to figure this all out, What Airport would be best to fly into?, We are going in one or two days early, where should we stay, we are economical people? We would like to tour the city, but will we be close enough to the city? Is the port very far from say Central Park? We will sail on the Carnival Victory the end of September 2007. My DH is in a powerchair will he be able to get around in New York? Do they have cabs with lifts. What would the cost from airport to hotel run approximately.

Any and all help will be appreciated.

[Smiling Cruiser]

I prefer Newark airport but I have flown in and out of all three major New York airports many times. Your choice of airport should be determined by the airline you use or the cost of flying from your home airport to a NYC airport. My last flight needed to be on American due to two $299 Vouchers from a previously cancelled flight. We flew to Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for DH's 60th Birthday. The only direct flight on AA was out of La Guardia. Used our vouchers and even got $99.00 each in future credit. Our DD had no vouchers and they were able to get a cheaper direct flight on Continental out of Newark. We all met up at the Cleveland airport. All of the NYC airports will get you to the city. The choice of hotel depends on your budget. Do you usually use a specific chain? If so, explore their properties in NYC. If possible, plan to arrive several days before your cruise. Plenty of great places to visit. We picked up cousins at the airport (JFK) 2 yrs. ago-9 AM) and had only a few hours for touring. Took the Belt PKY to Coney Island, stopped at nathan's for a hot dog, pictures and post cards. Traveled on and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge-one of their post cards, drove up the FDR and crossed over to the west side pointing out landmarks as we went. Visited Grant's Tomb and the Cathedral on Riverside Dr. Drove down Broadway, stopped for REAL NEW YORK PIZZA (as my cousin told everyone who would listen. Even told the mother and child sitting next to us that she spent $348 to get to NY to get it.) We were on the ship by 1:30 and really enjoyed our little sight seeing escapade. Personally, I suggest allowing more time (this little group has been to NYC many times but wanted to see a few things they missed in the past.) Use the next 354 days to plan, change plans and plan some more. Have a great time. I hope you love NYC as much as we do and happy sails to you.:) By the way, we are flying to Galveston next month. $218 r/t out of Newark to IAH on Continental. Cheapest and most direct flight from any NYC airport. Needless to say, we booked it.

[cusyl]

You might check with Carnival and see if they are offering any pre sail packages. Cunard offered $199. at Sheraton Sky Towers which is supposed to be close to Times Square. I understand there is a Super Shuttle from JFK that is fairly reasonable. My travel agent is arranging it for us.

[BlueHerons]

Unfortunately, Manhattan isn't wheelchair friendly. The subways for the most part will be out for you and no cabs have power lifts. Your best mode of transportation will be city bus. The good news is that the bus system, while wheelchair friendly, has some of the best views of Manhattan.

[selltile]

the super shuttle costs 17 or 18 dollars a person to squeeze you into a van like sardines--not the best for a handicapped person, and then takes you on a journey here or there. pay yhe 45 with tip to go to your hotel and be done with it. You can throw 50 cents a day into a jar for the next year to pay for it. We stayed at the Warwick--great hotel but not really wheelchair or power chair friendly.We had booked a room and paid for an upgrade to a suite--which was great. The older hotels, while they have great character were not built to deal with handicapped chairs. They tend to have stairs and narrow doorways. I think I would tend in your case to look at one of the more modern hotels that have a more minamalistic layout of furniture so the chair can move easier. I would contact several Manhattan chains directly and check up on thier handicapped rooms. Hilton has them in most of thier hotels but I don't recall seeing a Hilton in Manhattan.

Make sure you take at least a half day for yourself and stroll the ladies shopping area. Many men have a tendancy to have thier eyes glaze over aftre shoe shops with 1500dollar shoes and 3000 dollar purses-to say nothing of De Beers and Tiffanys. Hava a great time--and remember no shuttles--trade off smoking, Starbucks lattes, whatever

[Jane110]

LaGuardia is the closest airport into the city, JFK is further and probably about $20. more in taxi fare. However, if the airfare is cheaper and/or the flights are better for you into JFK then go with that. Newark is the furthest and most expensive from NYC - it's in New Jersey.

 

NYC can be tough in a wheelchair because it's an old city, so new places are easier to enter/exit. Before going to any restaurants, call ahead and double check accessibility.

 

All buses are wheelchair friendly and it's easy to figure out their routes.

 

As far as hotels, my suggestion would be to do a search on some discount hotel sites and then come back here and list some choices that look good to you, then people can give you some feedback. Additionally, I'm sure some people here will give you some recommendations. Since I live here I can only comment on location.

[Dkidd]

Jane, I am afraid that you are mistaken about Newark Airport. It is the closest airport to the West Side of Manhattan (where the Passenger Ship Terminal is). I live a few blocks from the Termnal (in fact, I usually drive my luggage to the Terminal, put my car back in the garage and then walk to the ship to embark). I park on 42nd Street between 9th and 10th and from my garage to Newark Airport, assuming no traffic, takes 20 minutes. Another advantave of Newark over Laguardia is that the runwawys are much longer so weather is usually less of a factor there. Check flights, costs etc. but do not rule out Newark simply because it is in NJ.

[BlueHerons]

Jane, I am afraid that you are mistaken about Newark Airport. It is the closest airport to the West Side of Manhattan (where the Passenger Ship Terminal is). I live a few blocks from the Termnal (in fact, I usually drive my luggage to the Terminal, put my car back in the garage and then walk to the ship to embark). I park on 42nd Street between 9th and 10th and from my garage to Newark Airport, assuming no traffic, takes 20 minutes. Another advantave of Newark over Laguardia is that the runwawys are much longer so weather is usually less of a factor there. Check flights, costs etc. but do not rule out Newark simply because it is in NJ.

 

Dkidd, I think Jane was saying LGA is the closest overall airport to Manhattan; not to the cruise terminal. It is also the easiest to get in and out of Manhattan.

 

Personally, I dislike flying into Newark when I'm in the city. LGA is smaller and a little less hectic but if there is a significant price decrease, I'll certainly fly out of Newark.

[Gramsk]

I love the cruise critic boards, just ask a question and all these lovely people are there to help. Thanks so much everyone you are all wonderful.

 

To Selltile: The reason for this trip is our reward for quiting smoking (3 weeks now). We are saving those $$ to spend in NY.

 

To Smiling Cruiser: We welcome you to Texas. Enjoy your cruise. The next time you come this way, fly into Hobby, it's smaller, much closer to the port and a cheaper taxi ride.

 

One more question, if they don't have shuttles or taxi's with lifts for a power chair, do the buses run to the airport?

 

Would you suggest staying downtown NY to be able to get to the sites better, or to stay near the Port if its not to far from the downtown area.

I am clueless in regards to New York.

 

Thanks again everyone.

[BlueHerons]

One more question, if they don't have shuttles or taxi's with lifts for a power chair, do the buses run to the airport?

 

Would you suggest staying downtown NY to be able to get to the sites better, or to stay near the Port if its not to far from the downtown area.

I am clueless in regards to New York.

 

Thanks again everyone.

 

Do not stay outside Manhattan if you want to sight see in Manhattan. You already will have transportation glitches and that will make things worse.

 

I would order a car for your trips to and from the airport and cruise terminal. I use Carmel at 212-777-7777 or the other one at 212-666-6666.

[From a land down under]

I agree, to see Manhattan STAY in Manhattan. It can be such an ordeal getting in and out of the city and IMHO the best part of it is very late at night, seeing all this bizarre activity in this city that doesn't sleep, peering out your window, and waking up to the muted symphony of car horns - it really does sound like an orchestra warming up late at night.

There is nothing like stepping out of your hotel in the morning, breathing the air and continuing on your merry way.

May I suggest the open top bus tours of areas of the city. Very informative and a great way to see everything.

[Jacquelyn11]

We are flying Delta from Atlanta to NYC next June. It was $20 per ticket CHEAPER to fly into Newark than LGA or JFK. Our Pre Cruise Hotel (Embassy Suites near Battery Park) is on the Lower West side of Manhattan which also made it a logical choice. Plus the $80 we save can help pay for transportation.

 

Check the flights on your airline and see if there is a difference in price! I'd also check with ground transportation at the Airport and some of the tour operators to see if they have wheelchair accessible transportation.

 

Jacquelyn :D

[murrayhaven]

DD(18) and I are driving from TN to Lancaster Co., PA to visit family. We will then take the train from Lancaster to New York to meet up with 16 others - eventually - for our cruise celebrating someone's wedding and DD's HS graduation.

 

Questions, please:

 

1. According to website, Penn Station's address is 8th Ave between 31st Street and 33rd Street. This is Manhattan?

2. Is this an area we should stay in for two nights before cruise? I want to see a show, Times Square area, do some shopping, walk around just simply taking in the sites, museums, good eats, etc. Try to give my daughter a couple of fun days in NYC.

3. Do we do our traveling by taxi, i.e., from train station to hotel, from hotel to port? Can we be close enough to walk? Safe enough to walk?

4. When looking for a hotel, I get confused by the description of location stating Upper East Side, Lower East Side, East Side, West Side, Midtown, etc.

5. Is the NY pier for the NCL Spirit located at 12th Ave and 55th Street? Is this still Manhattan?

 

Thanks to all you locals and/or NYC regulars for any help.

 

Barbara

murrayhaven@comcast.net

[Betsy's Mom]

You really should get yourself a map of New York City. Google Tourism New York City (or some such) they will send you a packet of information which will be invaluable. If the map they send is too big to travel with go to a bookstore and buy a small one. All the things you mentioned are in Manhattan. You will probably want to taxi to your hotel and from your hotel to the Pier, but this will depend on where your hotel is! There are no tourist hotels in the area near the piers, at least none I would stay in, not walkable. The East Side is East of Fifth Avenue, the West Side is West of Fifth Avenue. Midtown is in the middle of Manhattan Island. Times Square is in the middle of the middle more or less!

Hope this helps you,

B.

[Jane110]

DD(18) and I are driving from TN to Lancaster Co., PA to visit family. We will then take the train from Lancaster to New York to meet up with 16 others - eventually - for our cruise celebrating someone's wedding and DD's HS graduation.

 

Questions, please:

 

1. According to website, Penn Station's address is 8th Ave between 31st Street and 33rd Street. This is Manhattan?

2. Is this an area we should stay in for two nights before cruise? I want to see a show, Times Square area, do some shopping, walk around just simply taking in the sites, museums, good eats, etc. Try to give my daughter a couple of fun days in NYC.

3. Do we do our traveling by taxi, i.e., from train station to hotel, from hotel to port? Can we be close enough to walk? Safe enough to walk?

4. When looking for a hotel, I get confused by the description of location stating Upper East Side, Lower East Side, East Side, West Side, Midtown, etc.

5. Is the NY pier for the NCL Spirit located at 12th Ave and 55th Street? Is this still Manhattan?

 

Thanks to all you locals and/or NYC regulars for any help.

 

Barbara

murrayhaven@comcast.net

 

Listen to Betsy'sMom and get a map!

 

But to answer your questions:

 

1. Yes, Penn station is in Manhattan. There are not too many hotels in the area. Cabs are plentiful. Get a hotel that sounds like a good deal for the type of accomodation you want (3 star, 4 star, 5 star, etc). When you fond some hotels that interest you, perhaps post them here and get some feedback on location and/or the hotel itself.

 

2. New York is one of the safest cities in the world. Plan on doing alot of walking, but also your hotel conciege can give you bus and subway advice. Taxi's are available too but depending on the time of day, can be difficult to get.

 

4. Besty's mom gave you the basics. 5th Ave is the dividing line between east and west and the numbers get larger as you travel further away from 5th Ave. So for example, the address of 10 E. 53rd St. would be on 53rd street very close to 5th Ave and the address 300 E. 53rd street would be about 4 blocks east of that. 10 W. 53rd street would also be close to 5th Ave but on the other side of the street and 300 West 53rd St. would be about 4 blocks west of that.

 

5. Yes. Take a taxi to the pier no matter where your hotel is located. There is no hotel close enough to walk to the pier from.

[cusyl]

Cunard is offering Sheraton Sky Tower for pre cruise, is this within walking distance to Times Square and the Theatre district?

[BlueHerons]

Cunard is offering Sheraton Sky Tower for pre cruise, is this within walking distance to Times Square and the Theatre district?

 

Come again? Never heard of a Sheraton Sky Tower in Manhattan. There are two Sheraton Hotels on Seventh Avenue across the street from one another on 50th and 51st Avenues. They are literally spitting distance to Times Square without being in the fray.

 

Very busy hotels.

[cusyl]

Come again? Never heard of a Sheraton Sky Tower in Manhattan. There are two Sheraton Hotels on Seventh Avenue across the street from one another on 50th and 51st Avenues. They are literally spitting distance to Times Square without being in the fray.

 

Very busy hotels.

Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers 811 7th at 53rd Street

[murrayhaven]

Thanks Betsy's Mom and Jane110. This is exactly the kind of information I'm looking for.

 

Barbara

[DaveAndEllen]

There are Tons of Hotels (old, new, seedy to 4 Star) relatively close to the Pier. If you look at the area between 57th Street at the North, 42nd Street at the South and from 7th Avenue to the River (see that Map), you will find 2 Sheratons, a Marroitt, a Westin, a Hilton, a W, and many others. There is a HoJo on 8th Avenue, many of the smaller boutique hotels etc. etc. I suggest that you stay in this area as it is close to all Broadway theaters, Times Square and the Pier. You can also get anywhere else in Manhattan with ease as it is very centrally located. 5 to 10 Minute cab ride to the Pier when you are ready to go.

[Budget Queen]

There are Tons of Hotels (old, new, seedy to 4 Star) relatively close to the Pier. If you look at the area between 57th Street at the North, 42nd Street at the South and from 7th Avenue to the River (see that Map), you will find 2 Sheratons, a Marroitt, a Westin, a Hilton, a W, and many others. There is a HoJo on 8th Avenue, many of the smaller boutique hotels etc. etc. I suggest that you stay in this area as it is close to all Broadway theaters, Times Square and the Pier. You can also get anywhere else in Manhattan with ease as it is very centrally located. 5 to 10 Minute cab ride to the Pier when you are ready to go.

 

 

The Hojo has been gone from 8th Ave for a couple years. It's now the Hampton. The Days Inn across the street is also long gone, now a Hilton.

[Budget Queen]

DD(18) and I are driving from TN to Lancaster Co., PA to visit family. We will then take the train from Lancaster to New York to meet up with 16 others - eventually - for our cruise celebrating someone's wedding and DD's HS graduation.

 

Questions, please:

 

1. According to website, Penn Station's address is 8th Ave between 31st Street and 33rd Street. This is Manhattan?

2. Is this an area we should stay in for two nights before cruise? I want to see a show, Times Square area, do some shopping, walk around just simply taking in the sites, museums, good eats, etc. Try to give my daughter a couple of fun days in NYC.

3. Do we do our traveling by taxi, i.e., from train station to hotel, from hotel to port? Can we be close enough to walk? Safe enough to walk?

4. When looking for a hotel, I get confused by the description of location stating Upper East Side, Lower East Side, East Side, West Side, Midtown, etc.

5. Is the NY pier for the NCL Spirit located at 12th Ave and 55th Street? Is this still Manhattan?

 

Thanks to all you locals and/or NYC regulars for any help.

 

Barbara

murrayhaven@comcast.net

 

 

I too agree, Penn Station isn't the best place to stay in my opinion. If you want ease of getting around, walking is great. I stay at the Super 8, great location and sometimes good web deals. Book and keep checking pricing trends, easy to cancel. My last trip in July had a $60 per night drop three week prior. :) Econlodge and Comfort Inn sometimes also have low rates.

 

The Spirit- NCL?? will dock between 48th and 52nd St. Subtract 40 from the dock number and you have the street. The subways and buses are the best bargain around in NYC. If you post specific areas after you book your hotel, you can get accurate travel information.

[murrayhaven]

Thanks to DaveandEllen and Budget Queen. Thanks to all the above replies, I know where to start my search for a room!

 

Barbara

NCL Spirit 7/21/07 - 7/29/07