Cruise out of NYC

[Starbrite]

My mom & I are planning a Girls Only Spa weekend. We'll be taking a 2-Day Cruise to Nowhere on the Carnival Dream leaving Manhattan on November 13th @ 5pm.

I do frequent Cruise Critic.com - but there aren't many NYC cruisers over there, and I know there are alot of wise people here....so I have a few questions.

I would love to get a few good pictures of the skyline & the Statue of Liberty. I think the cruise sails right past her on the way out. Just wondering how long it takes to get there if we set sail @ 5pm, will it still be daylight?
I'd also like to get some pics of the city lights at night, so hopefully I can accomplish both. Are there any other sights or landmarks I should be on the lookout for from the ship?

When the cruise gets back, we debark the ship around 8am-ish.....our flight leaves LaGuardia @ 2:30pm. Any ideas for something to do, for 2 women (including light luggage) in that short period of time??


Thanks!!

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

yes, you will sail right past the statue of libery, it takes about 20 minutes give or take once you have left the dock. If you depart around 5ish then it may be too dark for any great photos. I think it would also depend on your camera and how far you can zoom in on her. I live in NJ and it is usually darker around then. Your best bet is to wake up eariler in the morning on your retun day and five that a shot. But then again, NY at night/dusk is beautiful so I would try for both. Good luck

 

[SydSim]

I have done quite a few of those out of NYC. Can you say "Party!!!" One tip for you, make your spa appointments as soon as you board - before you eat, before exploring the ship, before looking for your cabin. On the cruises-to-nowhere, they book FAST!

Also, not sure when you're planning on arriving to the pier, but I have found that getting there early (around 10) is best traffic wise (unless you wait until the last moment - then you'll have missed the spa appointments). You will have to wait to board, but you will miss SOO much traffic.

Have fun!

 

[Starbrite]

Your best bet is to wake up eariler in the morning on your retun day and five that a shot. But then again, NY at night/dusk is beautiful so I would try for both. Good luck

Not sure why I didn't think of that!! Yes, I will try to get a few night shots, then a few when we sail back past her at sunrise!!

I have done quite a few of those out of NYC. Can you say "Party!!!" One tip for you, make your spa appointments as soon as you board - before you eat, before exploring the ship, before looking for your cabin. On the cruises-to-nowhere, they book FAST!

Also, not sure when you're planning on arriving to the pier, but I have found that getting there early (around 10) is best traffic wise (unless you wait until the last moment - then you'll have missed the spa appointments). You will have to wait to board, but you will miss SOO much traffic.

Have fun!

Our flight lands before 9am, we're going to head straight there. There is nobody on the ship before us, so hopefully they start boarding early.

We booked a Spa Cabin on the Dream. We're supposed to get priority booking of spa appointments. So hopefully, there's hope

 

[buzz2400]

I just came back from a carnival cruise out of manhatten. We were supposed to leave at 4 p.m. but we actually did not leave until 5 pm. We did pass ellis island and statue of liberty which was on our right side (starboard). We then passed under this bridge and it looks like the cruise ship won't clear it but it does. The statue of liberty is a little too far away to get a good closeup picture.

Re: debarking. customs cleared the ship at 8:15 a.m. and they started getting people off at 9:15. We didn't get off until 10:30 but once off it took only a half hour to go through customs and get our luggage. We just waited for my parents to come pick us up so I don't have any suggestions. You might just want to go to the airport and get something to eat there and wait.

 

[dahirsh]

That time of year it will be dark.

I sailed from Bayonne about a week later a few years back and I got the biggest kick out of being up on deck and snapping pictues as we appoached and went under the Verazanno.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Have a great time.. I just had to cancel that cruise. Had a balcony room booked with 3 girlfriends but they couldnt come up with their balance

 

[LoraJ]

Wow! I would love to go on that cruise!
The Dream looks like a fantastic ship!

And yes, it takes about 20 minutes to get to where the Statue is. Never sailed down the Hudson, but I see ships sail down all the time.

 

[Silent1CB]

Check online to see what time sunset is. It gets dark REAL early in mid-Nov. It might already be dark at 5pm.

 

[Silent1CB]

What does a cruise like this cost roughly? (hope you don't mind me asking)

 

[minijeanie]

If you want to go to a SPA absolutely go to great jones spa in the village. Great place with jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, cold pool...so so relaxing and facials and massages are delectable

Let me know what you are thinking you might want to do.. I have a girls group who meet every sunday. We go to nyc 6-7 times a year and we have done lots of different things. I can suggest great bars, restaurants and tours if interested.,. just let me know
\

 

[SydSim]

What does a cruise like this cost roughly? (hope you don't mind me asking)

Prices vary depending on cabin level, when you book and how many in your party. That being said, most two-day cruises-to-nowhere cost a little more than the short 3 and 4 day cruises to the Bahamas. But if you get a few people together, each rate is good.

There were five of us women, two years ago, and we booked one of the top suites (two bedrooms, two bathrooms - one of which was a luxury bathroom), balcony, butler, concierge and all the stuff that goes with it. We booked about 9-12 months in advance and each of us paid less than $500. If we had two of us in a regular size cabin, we could have just paid around $250.
I think it's a great alternative to a weekend in NYC because all of your food and entertainment is included.

they used to have one night cruises leaving out of NY, and I was going to have my DD's 13th birthday on one, but wouldn't you know it, the year she turned 13, they didn't have any from NY! Those cruises start at around $129pp, but if you wait until the last minute (and they are trying to fill up rooms), you can get them even cheaper.

 

[Starbrite]

That being said, most two-day cruises-to-nowhere cost a little more than the short 3 and 4 day cruises to the Bahamas.

This is soo true!
I could've booked a 5 day Bahamas Cruise for the same per person rate. But alot of things factored in there.
There's no way I could've left my kids w/ family for 5 days....a weekend I can do If I had to pay for the whole family, instead of just me.....it wasn't in the budget. The airfare to Florida was far more than the air to NYC. Also, we have a much longer cruise (including kids) booked on the Carnival Dream in a few months.....we are using this as a chance to get a sneak peek at the brand new ship while enjoying some girls' time!

What does a cruise like this cost roughly? (hope you don't mind me asking)

I believe our rate was $359 pp. We could've gone cheaper but we wanted the Spa package.

Amenities and offerings available to all the spa accommodations include:
Welcome Ritual
Priority spa and cabana appointments including pre-cruise Concierge consultation
Unlimited access to Thalassotherapy Pool , Thermal Suite, Laconium, Tepidarium, Oriental Steam Pool, Aroma Steam Pool
Exclusive optional packages with special savings
Two complimentary fitness classes per person (Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi)
Carnival Splendor Spa-branded towels, bathrobes and slippers
Carnival Splendor Spa stateroom amenities
Personal yoga mats and fitness bands for use during the cruise


So with airfare, I'm nearing $500. I'm not sure I could've spent the weekend in NYC for that price.