When you cruise from NYC...

[mmouse37]

Sailed on DCL out of NYC several times and each time is different. Once time we had so much fog you literally could not see two feet in front of you. The ships fog horn sounded every few minutes that first night. I would say it is a bit rougher than sailing from PC but not terrible. Hey look how rough the Fantasy just had it last week. From what I read those seas were choppier than what I have experienced out of NYC.

We most recently sailed from NYC this past October....and it was beautiful!!!!



MJ

 

[mevelandry]

We've sailed from Manhattan 3 times in November and never had rough seas. Last year it was pretty cold but otherwise no issues. Not to say it doesn't happen just that we haven't experienced it. (We've also sailed from Manhattan in May, June, July, and August.) It's amazing sailing out of Manhattan. I don't think there are any cruise deals in Manhattan probably because cruises are such a small part of the tourist business there. Hotels are pretty expensive - not sure of your budget. I'd book something with free cancellation and keep looking since they'll usually get more expensive the closer to your check-in date. Check the things you want to see/do and then choose a hotel in a location with easy access for your seniors. In case you are considering Airbnb be advised that almost all of the ones in the 5 NYC boroughs are illegal so do your research about it.

We’re used to NYC prices (We go almost every year) and I can usually find a good deal for a room in the Times Square/Central Park Area.

We are going to visit the Times Square and Central Park area so we are most likely going to look for a hotel in that area... Maybe Hell’s Kitchen (worst case scenario, on Lexington).

 

[KashasMom]

We’re used to NYC prices (We go almost every year) and I can usually find a good deal for a room in the Times Square/Central Park Area.

We are going to visit the Times Square and Central Park area so we are most likely going to look for a hotel in that area... Maybe Hell’s Kitchen (worst case scenario, on Lexington).

Okay, didn't want you to be too shocked with prices. We go in for staycations. We've liked Park Lane and the Blakely, both near the park. Further away my daughter and I loved the Bernic Hotel but the rooms were insanely small, worse than the usual NY "small". Blakely is nice because it has a living room, big bathroom, 2 TVs, fridge and coffee maker. Breakfast is included and it's next door to the very popular Black Tap restaurant.

 

[Travel60]

There are several hotels in west side Manhatten that are very accessible to Port. Marriott Marquis and Hilton Garden Inn are two but do a Google search for hotels and you might find one with a deal.

 

[mevelandry]

Okay, didn't want you to be too shocked with prices. We go in for staycations. We've liked Park Lane and the Blakely, both near the park. Further away my daughter and I loved the Bernic Hotel but the rooms were insanely small, worse than the usual NY "small". Blakely is nice because it has a living room, big bathroom, 2 TVs, fridge and coffee maker. Breakfast is included and it's next door to the very popular Black Tap restaurant.

I'll look them up. Thank you!

Edit: The Blakely is very cute. I'm keeping it in my list. Thank you!

 

[msmama]

I feel like there are a lot of nicer/cheaper hotels in Manhattan than the Marriott Marquis. I think your best bet is going to be to stay wherever and then cab/uber/lyft/car service to the port. I'm sure the staff at whatever hotel you chose could help you find the best option on the morning of. Just make sure they know you want to be dropped off as close as possible (sometimes they'll try to drop off across the street, which is fine if everyone is fit and mobile which it sounds like maybe not your party is). My personal favorite hotel for a night is the Hilton Garden inn in Times Square but if I'm staying it's because I saw an evening show and don't want to make my way home in the dark (I'm less than 2 hours away). It's a balance between cheap and nice. There's also a Holiday Inn express about two blocks from the cruise terminal that is nice, if you want someplace in waking distance.

One of the problems with October is it's hurricane season. You don't necessarily have to be anywhere near a hurricane to feel the effects. So seas can be VERY rough. Most people around us had at least one night of not feeling great. My son got hit pretty hard with seasickness one night.

 

[abu'sMom]

We also are cruising from NY, can't decide whether to park and cruise or drive directly to port. How difficult is it to drive in NYC traffic near port. Coming from PA.

 

[mevelandry]

I feel like there are a lot of nicer/cheaper hotels in Manhattan than the Marriott Marquis. I think your best bet is going to be to stay wherever and then cab/uber/lyft/car service to the port. I'm sure the staff at whatever hotel you chose could help you find the best option on the morning of. Just make sure they know you want to be dropped off as close as possible (sometimes they'll try to drop off across the street, which is fine if everyone is fit and mobile which it sounds like maybe not your party is). My personal favorite hotel for a night is the Hilton Garden inn in Times Square but if I'm staying it's because I saw an evening show and don't want to make my way home in the dark (I'm less than 2 hours away). It's a balance between cheap and nice. There's also a Holiday Inn express about two blocks from the cruise terminal that is nice, if you want someplace in waking distance.

One of the problems with October is it's hurricane season. You don't necessarily have to be anywhere near a hurricane to feel the effects. So seas can be VERY rough. Most people around us had at least one night of not feeling great. My son got hit pretty hard with seasickness one night.

I think I'm getting used to rough seas... We've sailed during hurricane season 4 times and our last cruise this month had some pretty rough nights... Our first cruise (2015) was in April and we experienced some rough seas as well (the staff themselves said it was pretty intense).

We now have some kind of "protocole" with ginger pills and Gravol, we don't sail without them and it usually goes well.

 

[AnnaS]

We sailed out of NYC to Bermuda first week of October last year. We had beautiful weather the whole week.

It does get choppy going down first night, into the second. I almost had a hard time standing/walking straight/going up the steps. I am very good with motion sickness but did take dramamine as soon as I felt it. I did see a few passengers get sick - probably more sensitive/did not take anything.

We are right over the bridge so we took a car there.

 

[KimmyBlair]

We went on a Canada sailing out of NYC Oct of ‘18 and stayed at the Kimpton ink48 hotel on 11th Ave. The hotel was so close that when we woke up the morning of the cruise we could see the ships funnels from our hotel room. We walked out the side door and were on the same street as the terminal so it was a quick walk. We were located near some great food and also a short walk to Times Square.

We went right by the Statue of Liberty on the way out of port. It was an amazing opportunity to take a great picture of my family that is still one of my favorites!

The water was not great on our trip as we had to deal with a post tropical depression that made the water very choppy, but that is always a risk when sailing during hurricane season. Before and after that however it was not a problem at all. Even though it was October the kids were able to use the pool on our first day before we headed to Canada.

 

[mmouse37]

We also are cruising from NY, can't decide whether to park and cruise or drive directly to port. How difficult is it to drive in NYC traffic near port. Coming from PA.

Take into consideration that parking at the Port of Manhattan is $40 per day

MJ

 

[Ronneeaght]

We were on our first DCL cruise out of Manhattan to Bermuda mid-October. Loved the cruise, loved Bermuda, loathed the seas! Very rough first night and last night. Soooo many people threw up in the dining room on the last night.

 

[DisBNewB]

We also are cruising from NY, can't decide whether to park and cruise or drive directly to port. How difficult is it to drive in NYC traffic near port. Coming from PA.

We drove from PA (Philly area) and the drive was great, dealing with the city was mostly* fine, the only thing to note is, as MJ did above, that parking at the port is NOT cheap. It was worth it to us, given my anxieties about getting there and dealing with luggage etc, but even getting there pretty early, we were told there'd be space in the Disney lot for us, and the car in front of us and I actually had to move over to the Norwegian lot because we were the last two cars let in, and two people'd parked so that the spots next to them couldn't be used. The Norwegian lot was almost full as well, so I was awfully glad that we planned to get there early. (our PAT was either 12:30-1 or 1-1:30, I aimed to get us there around 11. We were a little later than that but not much.)

*there was a bus or van broken down in one of the turn lanes to get into the port driving NB on the west side. We ended up bailing out of that and driving further north, turning around, and coming back SB and were able to get in without an issue. There were also some issues with roads our GPS wanted us to take being (temporarily) closed. But I'm used to driving in NYC, Philly & DC, so if you're used to driving in cities, it's fine. Especially if you don't have to deal with accidental detours from temporarily closed streets and broken down vehicles. XD

 

[DCLPrincess]

We also are cruising from NY, can't decide whether to park and cruise or drive directly to port. How difficult is it to drive in NYC traffic near port. Coming from PA.

I know many people do drive but NYC traffic is too much for me. It's crazy, there are lots of one ways and people honk all the time. We always get a private car then we don't have to stress about parking as well.

 

[mevelandry]

We went on a Canada sailing out of NYC Oct of ‘18 and stayed at the Kimpton ink48 hotel on 11th Ave. The hotel was so close that when we woke up the morning of the cruise we could see the ships funnels from our hotel room. We walked out the side door and were on the same street as the terminal so it was a quick walk. We were located near some great food and also a short walk to Times Square.

We went right by the Statue of Liberty on the way out of port. It was an amazing opportunity to take a great picture of my family that is still one of my favorites!

The water was not great on our trip as we had to deal with a post tropical depression that made the water very choppy, but that is always a risk when sailing during hurricane season. Before and after that however it was not a problem at all. Even though it was October the kids were able to use the pool on our first day before we headed to Canada.

I just checked out the hotel. The rates look very reasonable and the location is exactly what I am hoping for.

Unfortunately it's too early to book but I will take a note of that one.

 

[g_ppetto]

We also are cruising from NY, can't decide whether to park and cruise or drive directly to port. How difficult is it to drive in NYC traffic near port. Coming from PA.

We were on the Magic last November 3 and drove in from South Jersey. Our PAT was 11:30. We took the NJ Turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel. Traffic wasn't too bad until we got near the cruise terminal. If you are unaccustomed to traffic, it's going to be really bad the whole time you are in NYC. As we were heading north past the cruise terminals there were plenty of vehicles. Several traffic lights held up and controlled the flow of traffic. We saw a few police escorts trying to go in the same direction with their sirens blaring. Like it was really going to do any good. I kept telling my wife the sirens were saying 'welcome to New York City', but she remained unconvinced. The actual route is not that difficult. Basically, it is go through the Lincoln tunnel in the left most lane, go up a couple of blocks, make a left, go a couple of blocks, make a right, get in the left lane, continue on until past the cruise terminal as you need to make a left into the cruise terminal from the north end. There were numerous police directing traffic at each end of the cruise terminal. Bring up the route on Google Maps or Waze. Also map your way out to get an idea of where you need to go. Getting out was just as easy.

If you need to drop off your luggage take the middle ramp, it is well marked, drop off your luggage at the proper pier, continue ahead, exit the terminal and head back to the north end. This time take the ramp to the upper level and continue to DCL parking. If you can wrangle your own luggage you can head directly to the parking when you first enter the terminal. Park and take the elevator down a level to where the porters work. We travel with an ECV so we dropped off our luggage and circled back to the upper level to park. There is a ramp at the south end of the cruise terminal but it is a down ramp only. You will use it when you leave.

Re: leaving NYC - On our trip it was cold, and got very cold once we were heading down the river. We wanted to get as many photos as possible. We were exchanging texts with our daughter who was watching the ship on the PTZTv cameras. When the ship got close to the Verrazano bridge I took some flash photos, four in a row, with my phone. Our daughter was able to see the flashes on the PTZTv camera.

We had expected rough seas in and out of NYC. It wasn't as smooth as cruising around the islands, but not rough at all. I understand several cruises a week or two prior to our trip had a rough go but they were headed north from NYC, and there was a storm in the area.

An EZPass transponder will help too.

 

[mevelandry]

We were on the Magic last November 3 and drove in from South Jersey. Our PAT was 11:30. We took the NJ Turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel. Traffic wasn't too bad until we got near the cruise terminal. If you are unaccustomed to traffic, it's going to be really bad the whole time you are in NYC. As we were heading north past the cruise terminals there were plenty of vehicles. Several traffic lights held up and controlled the flow of traffic. We saw a few police escorts trying to go in the same direction with their sirens blaring. Like it was really going to do any good. I kept telling my wife the sirens were saying 'welcome to New York City', but she remained unconvinced. The actual route is not that difficult. Basically, it is go through the Lincoln tunnel in the left most lane, go up a couple of blocks, make a left, go a couple of blocks, make a right, get in the left lane, continue on until past the cruise terminal as you need to make a left into the cruise terminal from the north end. There were numerous police directing traffic at each end of the cruise terminal. Bring up the route on Google Maps or Waze. Also map your way out to get an idea of where you need to go. Getting out was just as easy.

If you need to drop off your luggage take the middle ramp, it is well marked, drop off your luggage at the proper pier, continue ahead, exit the terminal and head back to the north end. This time take the ramp to the upper level and continue to DCL parking. If you can wrangle your own luggage you can head directly to the parking when you first enter the terminal. Park and take the elevator down a level to where the porters work. We travel with an ECV so we dropped off our luggage and circled back to the upper level to park. There is a ramp at the south end of the cruise terminal but it is a down ramp only. You will use it when you leave.

Re: leaving NYC - On our trip it was cold, and got very cold once we were heading down the river. We wanted to get as many photos as possible. We were exchanging texts with our daughter who was watching the ship on the PTZTv cameras. When the ship got close to the Verrazano bridge I took some flash photos, four in a row, with my phone. Our daughter was able to see the flashes on the PTZTv camera.

We had expected rough seas in and out of NYC. It wasn't as smooth as cruising around the islands, but not rough at all. I understand several cruises a week or two prior to our trip had a rough go but they were headed north from NYC, and there was a storm in the area.

An EZPass transponder will help too.

Phew! This makes me happy we don't drive! It's true that on every trip I've made to NYC, the traffic was a nightmare.

I'm starting to think that finding a hotel where we could "walk to the port" is probably the best idea.

 

[lorimay]

We just got back from our anniversary weekend in NYC, I found a hotel I have been wanting to stay at and we got a great deal.
It's called Park Terrace, its across the street from Bryant Park, very close to Time Square. We got a studio view room, which was a nice size, the rooms are beautiful and so clean, great bed too.
They offer a delicious breakfast every morning included in the price.
Doughnuts from Doughnut Plant and delicious bagels from Zuckermans. They have fruit, cold cuts, cheese and so much more.
This is my new favorite hotel in NYC.

I am seeing a lot of hotels in the city now have a resort fee (Marriot Marquis is one of them) I find this so annoying, NYC is so tight, I don't call any of these places "resorts".

 

[g_ppetto]

Phew! This makes me happy we don't drive! It's true that on every trip I've made to NYC, the traffic was a nightmare.

I'm starting to think that finding a hotel where we could "walk to the port" is probably the best idea.

The traffic wasn't really that bad. I've experience worse traffic driving near a mall during holiday season. These were Saturday mornings and traffic moved well, both in and out of NYC.

 

[Missus_Aitch]

We did NYC to Bermuda this October. Sea was very rough the last night, but there were gale -force winds in the city, so t wasn’t a normal cruise thing. Remember that your last sea day will be more NYC weather than Caribbean weather, so you lose one day of basking in the sun in your bikini.

I live in Brooklyn so can’t help with hotels. We took an uber from home (and then dropped my child off at school en route home from the port!). Sorry I don’t have a guest room for you!