New York City's iconic Times Square at night.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Manhattan. The Big Apple. New York City.
Everyone, it seems, knows about New York. If they haven't been personally, the average person could tell you just about everything you'd need to know. After all, New York may be one of the most prolific cities in the world, alongside the likes of London, Paris and Tokyo. It is mentioned or shown in movies, books, songs, and articles. Its attractions are synonomous with greatness: Grand Central Station, The New York Public Library, The Statue of Liberty, the Guggenheim, the Dakota...the list goes on.
What you might not know about New York, though, is that the area plays host to three separate cruise terminals, each with its own primary set of cruise line tenants. Depending on which line you've chosen for your upcoming cruise, you could be sailing out of the Manhattan Terminal - or across the Hudson in New Jersey.
Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Brooklyn NY - Cunard and Princess Cruises
The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, as seen from Queen Mary 2.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
The terminal is particularily convenient for those looking to stay pre or post cruise in Brooklyn itself, and is only a ten-minute drive from most area hotels, one of which is the very popular Brooklyn Marriott. The area is also easily accessible from both LaGuardia and JFK airports.
The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal resides close to nearby
downtown Brooklyn.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
If the terminal has a single downside, it is that it resides in a largely industrial section populated by rows of ageing warehouses. Its narrow streets and heavy police presence can make turnaround days, when passengers embark and disembark, particularily busy. Traffic has a tendency to bunch up near the terminal as busses, private cars, taxis and limousines compete for space. For this reason, a private car service is an ideal way to reach the terminal; unlike the taxi, its meter isn't running should you encounter traffic.
Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal, Bayonne NJ - Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean
Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, seen from Celebrity Summit.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Opened in 2004 exclusively for ships of Celebrity Cruises and parent company Royal Caribbean International, this former military terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey is ideal for guests planning to arrive or depart from Newark Liberty Airport, located just a short fifteen minute drive away.
Although located in New Jersey, the terminal is just as easy to get to from Manhattan, if a little farther away. As with Brooklyn, a car service can actually save you money on this trip, eliminating the threat that heavy traffic or toll lineups will increase your fare.
The terminal itself is well laid-out and features a large sitting area for passengers to relax before boarding the ship.
There are a number of quirks, though, that make the terminal less ideal than its counterparts across the river. It is farthest away from LaGuardia and JFK airports, where many travellers are likely to fly into, and the quirky design of the terminal means passengers embarking or disembarking must take a bus between the terminal and the ship. On our cruise, this process was executed efficiently enough, but it was still another step that simply just doesn't exist at other terminals.
It is also the most industrial of the three ports; as with Brooklyn, this is a working port - make no mistake about it.
Manhattan Cruise Terminal, New York NY - Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, and most others.
The Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
Photo courtesy of NYCruise.com
The quintessential ocean liner experience can be had at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. Stretching between West 46th and West 54th streets, these piers bordering the Hudson River played host to some of the greatest ocean liners to ever sail the Atlantic.
They continue to do likewise for today's cruise ships.
Made up of piers 88, 90, 92, and 94, the terminal is arguably the most convenient for those looking to stay in Manhattan pre-or-post cruise. While it is roughly located in the centre between New York's three major airports, tolls to and from each can vary, with Newark Liberty Airport routinely costing the most due to tolls. From JFK airport, there is a flat rate of $45 per cab to anywhere in Manhattan, including the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
The Manhattan Cruise Terminal is situated close to -
surprise - Manhattan!
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
This terminal is also ideal for those visiting the city as a port-of-call, allowing passengers to literally walk right off the ship and into Manhattan.
While most visitors to the Big Apple are likely to pick their cruise line of choice regardless of which pier they happen to tie up at, it helps to have a broad overview of each. Just because an itinerary says you'll dock in New York doesn't mean you'll necessarily be there - you could wind up in Brooklyn or Bayonne.
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