Is it worth driving to NYC to see ship in Pier 88?

[Eric Julie and Hailey]

I am wondering what the view of the ship is from near Pier 88 right now? We live one hour out of the city. My kids are begging to go see her up close (we sail 4/14/12). But, I know the parking is a fortune - and there's nowhere to just "pull over" and see her for five minutes and then turn around and come home.

Is the aggravation worth it? Or, is the Fantasy basically hidden anyway by the pier (from the side) and the pier drop off roadway in front?

This DCL obsession stuff is OUT OF CONTROL! But, fun....

 

[templed]

Hard to say... http://wirednewyork.com/webcam3/ That's the "view"...

But there's no place to just pull over and stop. (The pier is right off the West Side Highway).

You would have to park and walk over.... and while you would not see the "whole" ship... you'd see the upper decks for sure.

I work in Manhattan... so I'm going to take a walk over there tomorrow... (I forgot to grab my camera on the way out of the house this morning).

 

[BethC1952]

If you want to see her, why not cross the river and drive down the Jersey side? Kennedy Blvd. East goes right along the top of the Palisades and there are a number of places where you can park and view Pier 88 (and all the others). There are some absolutely fabulous photo spots along there. My parents wedding pictures were taken at the southern end of the road in Weehawken just above the spot where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had their duel!

Beth

 

[Cindyrellablue]

Why not drive down to Edgewater, NJ and take the Ferry to NYC? It passes right by the ship on it's way to the City. I'm doing that with my niece & nephew later today...figured it would be more fun for them than standing on shore and just looking at it.

Note...if you take the Ferry from Weehawken, it will not pass the ship...only the run from Edgewater does.

 

[Eric Julie and Hailey]

The NJ side is a bit far. We want to get super close, if possible.

 

[Cindyrellablue]

Because of the way the terminal is set up in NYC, if you drive by on the west side highway, you will probably see parts of the ship...but there is a two story concrete road in front of the ships.

Honestly, from Danbury, CT, the drive into NJ would be an additional 5 minutes more of a drive for you and you wouldn't have to deal with NYC interior traffic.

Anyhow you do it...I hope you get to see it...she was amazing to watch this morning!

 

[Long Island Mickey]

Thank you Cindyrellablue for the info! My kids and I are going to head into the city and do the round trip from Manhattan to Edgewater! The next one leaves around 4. Packing up the bag now.

 

[Eric Julie and Hailey]

Neat idea. Only about 6 blocks on the Manhattan side, too.

Any idea about restrooms, parking and food options on either side? (Considerations with kids in tow!)

 

[Eric Julie and Hailey]

It looks like there is no parking?

 

[HUNGTE]

.

 

[cindy18]

Actually, I was just there (my office is a quick cab ride from the pier). There is no place to pull over, so you will need to park the car. You should be able to find a lot on 11th Avenue. You can get a very unobstructed view of the ship from the north side of the pier she's docked on (you can see very little from the south side). She's just magnificent, and she's just there, sitting there. It was a little unreal, actually. I think it's worth the look. Made my day!

 

[MrRay]

I was just down there and you can't get a great view. From one side a little more than half of the bottom is hidden by the terminal. From the front you can't see much more than the ropes holding it in place...and you have to look through a fence and a service road to see that much.

I would think about driving down when it sails away...there are plenty of spots to get a good view in and out of manhattan.

 

[cindy18]

I was just down there and you can't get a great view. From one side a little more than half of the bottom is hidden by the terminal. From the front you can't see much more than the ropes holding it in place...and you have to look through a fence and a service road to see that much.

I would think about driving down when it sails away...there are plenty of spots to get a good view in and out of manhattan.

Actually, from the north side, you have a full-on, unobstructed view. If you cross the west side highway at the main entrance to Pier 88 (I think it's 48th Street) and walk along the pier to the north of the ship, you can see all of that side of the ship, from front to back, including the water ride and the top of the big screen. It's really worth it, IMHO.

 

[HUNGTE]

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[Long Island Mickey]

We came in and actually even got in to the cruise terminal and rooftop parking so we were really close to the ship. The ferry was good but you are enclosed and the windows are cloudy. I even bumped in to other disboarders!! What a fantastic afternoon with the fantasy!!

 

[mmouse37]

check out my pics in this link....got some very close ones at the port.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/582415577XRzSgL

We came in and actually even got in to the cruise terminal and rooftop parking so we were really close to the ship. The ferry was good but you are enclosed and the windows are cloudy. I even bumped in to other disboarders!! What a fantastic afternoon with the fantasy!!

So nice to meet you today!!!

MJ