Calling anyone that has sailed out of New York on DCL

[RweTHEREyet]

We will be sailing out of New York this coming October for the first time, and I am feeling like a fish out of water in planning this trip. I have the cruise part handled but the arrival in New York and then a 2 night stay when the cruise returns is overwhelming me.

I have received the suggestion of flying into Newark and staying on the New Jersey side for the first night, which is fine with me as we would not have time for sightseeing on arrival day anyway. The plan would be to fly into Newark, take the free shuttle to a hotel near the airport, then take the shuttle back to the airport the next morning and take Uber or Lyft from the airport to the Port. In doing some brief checking, it seems as if Uber might cost between $50- $60 from the airport to the Port.

On the return, I got nothing so far for either hotel/transportation or entertainment for 2 days.

Any suggestions for hotels for either portion of the stays in New York are welcome as well as transportation ideas, etc.

Also,does anyone know the earliest time you can arrive at the Port to start boarding?

 

[bcwife76]

Following! We are hoping to book the October 2019 DVC members cruise out of NYC when that opens for booking in 3 weeks; sailing out of NYC seems very overwhelming to me right now as well!

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

We sailed out of NYC in October, but we're from CT and were able to drive in. Many of those in our cruise group stayed here pre-cruise:
http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/...-ridgefield-park-LGARPGI/offers/100110245.htm. It's across the river from NYC and provided transportation to the port. This might be more convenient (and certainly more pleasant) than staying near EWR.

 

[bbn1122]

I use Trip Advisor when searching for a place to stay. Use the map to see exactly where the hotel is in relation to port and mid town. I live N.J. and will be cruising out of NYC for th third time this October to Bermuda.

NYC has tons of hotels. You can stay right by Newark Airport first night if getting in late. There are also some beautiful hotels in Jersey City by the Hudson River just across from lower Manhattan. Just a Path Train ride (underground subway) to NYC. Very easy. You maybe even to take the Path to the Subway and walk over to the port our grab a cab.

The smaller boutique hotels in NYC are very nice and not as expensive. The Sanctuary Hotel at 47th Street between Broadway and Avenue of the America’s (6th Avenue) is a great place. DH and I stayed there last year. I believe the port is between 47th and 50th Streets. So you are just 5 long blocks away.

Good luck!

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

We will be sailing out of New York this coming October for the first time, and I am feeling like a fish out of water in planning this trip. I have the cruise part handled but the arrival in New York and then a 2 night stay when the cruise returns is overwhelming me.

I have received the suggestion of flying into Newark and staying on the New Jersey side for the first night, which is fine with me as we would not have time for sightseeing on arrival day anyway. The plan would be to fly into Newark, take the free shuttle to a hotel near the airport, then take the shuttle back to the airport the next morning and take Uber or Lyft from the airport to the Port. In doing some brief checking, it seems as if Uber might cost between $50- $60 from the airport to the Port.

On the return, I got nothing so far for either hotel/transportation or entertainment for 2 days.

Any suggestions for hotels for either portion of the stays in New York are welcome as well as transportation ideas, etc.

Also,does anyone know the earliest time you can arrive at the Port to start boarding?

Last October we arrived at the terminal at 9:53 and there were a good three dozen people in line ahead of us. We drove up from VA, so no recommendations for hotels, sorry.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

Do you want to stay near the port? I hate midtown and would never stay there but tourists often want to be close to midtown. My suggestion would be to pick a hotel around Battery Park/South St seaport. Close to ferry to Statue of Liberty, good restaurants, Tribeca/Soho/Chinatown/Little Italy. There is an embassy suites there not too expensive and includes hot breakfast.

 

[Dug720]

Why would you go back to the airport? Uber or Lyft (hint: Lyft is infinitely better) can pick up at your hotel.

 

[Steve Dexter]

We have sailed from New York on DCL multiple times. We always stay in Hells Kitchen within walking distance of the ship terminal, it's one block from Ink 48. It's so great to just walk over to the ship from your hotel on the day of the cruise. If you fly into Liberty, you can take NJ Transit to Penn Station, then just grab a quick cab from there, we normally walk it though unless the weather is bad.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Hijacking here - but can anyone tell me which side of the ship you should be on to see the Statue of Liberty when sailing INTO NYC (I have the WBTA booked, so I would only be arriving, not departing, out of NYC).

 

[Carrie in AZ]

We sailed out of NY in October. We spent a couple of nights in Times Square to sightsee prior to our cruise, but your plan to stay near Newark for your arrival night sounds good.

There are a gazillion places to stay in NY after your cruise. I would just pick a hotel in your budget near what you want to see and experience and don’t look back!

Getting transportation at the port after you disembark will not be a problem but the one thing to keep in mind is the number of people in your party and the amount of luggage. Our family of four and all of our luggage would not fit in a taxi sedan, we ended up gettting a large SUV.

There are a few large threads here from NY last year where many cruisers asked questions. I would search for them and read thru. I felt pretty overwhelmed with the planning but it was unnecessary to worry — it is NYC and there a SO many options for hotels and transportation. It will all work out! Good luck and have fun!

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

We will be sailing out of New York this coming October for the first time, and I am feeling like a fish out of water in planning this trip. I have the cruise part handled but the arrival in New York and then a 2 night stay when the cruise returns is overwhelming me.

I have received the suggestion of flying into Newark and staying on the New Jersey side for the first night, which is fine with me as we would not have time for sightseeing on arrival day anyway. The plan would be to fly into Newark, take the free shuttle to a hotel near the airport, then take the shuttle back to the airport the next morning and take Uber or Lyft from the airport to the Port. In doing some brief checking, it seems as if Uber might cost between $50- $60 from the airport to the Port.

On the return, I got nothing so far for either hotel/transportation or entertainment for 2 days.

Any suggestions for hotels for either portion of the stays in New York are welcome as well as transportation ideas, etc.

Also,does anyone know the earliest time you can arrive at the Port to start boarding?

We stayed at the Skyline Hotel which was reasonably priced (for NYC) and had s restaurant in it. We took Uber everywhere. The hotel is just a couple blocks from the port and our window had a great view of the USS Intrepid.

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

Hijacking here - but can anyone tell me which side of the ship you should be on to see the Statue of Liberty when sailing INTO NYC (I have the WBTA booked, so I would only be arriving, not departing, out of NYC).

I believe it would be port side. We were starboard side and see Lady Liberty on our way out of the port.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

We will be sailing out of New York this coming October for the first time, and I am feeling like a fish out of water in planning this trip. I have the cruise part handled but the arrival in New York and then a 2 night stay when the cruise returns is overwhelming me.

I have received the suggestion of flying into Newark and staying on the New Jersey side for the first night, which is fine with me as we would not have time for sightseeing on arrival day anyway. The plan would be to fly into Newark, take the free shuttle to a hotel near the airport, then take the shuttle back to the airport the next morning and take Uber or Lyft from the airport to the Port. In doing some brief checking, it seems as if Uber might cost between $50- $60 from the airport to the Port.

On the return, I got nothing so far for either hotel/transportation or entertainment for 2 days.

Any suggestions for hotels for either portion of the stays in New York are welcome as well as transportation ideas, etc.

Also,does anyone know the earliest time you can arrive at the Port to start boarding?

We stayed at the Homewood Suites Edgewater this past October. They have a full hot breakfast and if your arrival is Monday-Thursday they also have dinner that includes beer and wine. It’s across the Hudson and slightly north from the Pier so we could see the Magic when we woke up the morning of the cruise. We took a Supershuttle from the airport to the hotel and then had a private SUV service to get us to the ship, unfortunately I don’t remember which company I hired for the SUV. It was very easy and I highly recommend the hotel. Was in a good area with restaurants and shopping practically connected to the hotel.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hom...,rc_ludocids:2287910492431907409,ru_gwp:0%2C7

 

[Travel60]

You asked about entertainment....we have booked Broadway show Frozen. Would also like to see Hamilton but that may be another trip. You can also spend a good part of a day in Central Park...see Balto and Strawberry Fields, walk around the pond. Tour the United Nations. And, of course Rockefeller Center. Eat from a street vendor and shop 5th Avenue. For a somber reminder go down to Trade Towers memorial.

Can't help with transportation as we are training up from Maryland a couple days early and staying near mid-town or 42nd Street...DH made reservations, probably a Hilton. Don't be afraid of the subway system....easy to figure out and cheaper/faster than ground transportation....I can walk across town faster than vehicle can drive. Don't be afraid to walk....street/avenue grid easy to figure out...only a mile wide, how lost can you get?

 

[Dug720]

You asked about entertainment....we have booked Broadway show Frozen. Would also like to see Hamilton but that may be another trip. You can also spend a good part of a day in Central Park...see Balto and Strawberry Fields, walk around the pond. Tour the United Nations. And, of course Rockefeller Center. Eat from a street vendor and shop 5th Avenue. For a somber reminder go down to Trade Towers memorial.

Can't help with transportation as we are training up from Maryland a couple days early and staying near mid-town or 42nd Street...DH made reservations, probably a Hilton. Don't be afraid of the subway system....easy to figure out and cheaper/faster than ground transportation....I can walk across town faster than vehicle can drive. Don't be afraid to walk....street/avenue grid easy to figure out...only a mile wide, how lost can you get?

Oh, you can see Hamilton. If you sell a kidney and your firstborn.

 

[cruiser21]

We really liked the Double tree suites in Times square. It's a 15 minute walk to the port. We took Uber to and from the EWR. I can't say anything good about Uber in NYC. My experience with Uber has been about 50/50. I've taken Super shuttle to the airport in Phoenix and they were great. I imagine they'd be fine in other cities.

 

[kaseyC]

We are sailing out of New York again in July (not on DCL). We also do quite a few Broadway weekends in NY. My favorite hotel for the past few years has been the Casablanca. It great little boutique hotel right off Times Square.
https://casablancahotel.com

We also like Dial7 for private transportation.
https://www.dial7.com

We try to do something a bit different each trip. This trip we will be seeing Mean Girls and Carousel. We also booked a Hell's Kitchen Walking Food Tour through Manhattan Walking Tours. This will be our 4th time touring with them. Their guides are fantastic.
https://manhattanwalkingtour.com

 

[darnheather]

We sailed out of NY last October. I drove in and we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Ridgefield Park. Very nice hotel with hot breakfast and car service to the port included. Our package included parking as well and was around $300 including taxes which for the area was reasonable.

 

[psac]

Hijacking here - but can anyone tell me which side of the ship you should be on to see the Statue of Liberty when sailing INTO NYC (I have the WBTA booked, so I would only be arriving, not departing, out of NYC).

I believe it would be port side. We were starboard side and see Lady Liberty on our way out of the port.

Yes, Port side to see Statue of Liberty coming IN to NYC, and city skyline going OUT of NYC. Starboard for the reverse — Statue of Liberty going OUT of NYC, and N.Y. skyline coming back in.

Keep in mind the ships usually come in really early, we’re usually in port by the time we wake up! (We always book late seating, so we have late breakfast the last day, and can sleep a little later.)

 

[msmama]

1. All airports in NY suck and it's going to take a long time to get to wherever you're going from whichever hotel no matter what so if Newark doesn't work as well, don't be afraid of other airports - just know they could all be miserable experiences (or fine). Laguardia would be my last choice, but if flights were significantly cheaper/more convenient, I'd do it. You could do public transport from JFK. (I live about an hour out of NYC).

2. For returning - I'd suggest figuring out what you want to see in NYC and then figure out where you want to stay. Personally, though I don't love it, if I'm spending a night in the city I tend to stay in the midtown area because I usually end the night seeing a show so it's a quick walk back to the hotel. There are some really nice boutique ones, but unless I've had person recommendations, I tend to stay with chains because I feel more comfortable with the quality (there are some sketchy boutique hotels, too). I'd probably walk from the port to a midtown hotel, but a car service/uber/taxi wouldn't be hard to get either.

3. You don't say who you're traveling with and what kind of stuff you're interested in. Museums? Seeing the sights? Shows? Art? Sports? If you want suggestions, let us know what kind of stuff you're interested in (or who you're traveling with).