9 Things you need to know about cruising out of New York

Our last cruise was out of the port of New York, which also happens to be our home port.   Sailing out of your home port is one of the most relaxing ways to start out on your journey.  There’s no hassle with getting to the airport or driving to a port far away from home.  For us sailing out of New York is just as convenient as a commute to the office.

Here's what you need to know about sailing out of the port of New York whether you’re a local or just visiting.

So, just where do cruises depart from in New York?

Most cruises departing from New York harbor leave from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.  The terminal is located on the west side of Manhattan at 711 12th Avenue and is situated right next to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum.  Depending on where your cabin is located you can take in views of the aircraft on display or while on deck exploring your ship. 

View of Intrepid Air and Space Museum. Photo Credit: Family Travel Pursuits

However, there is a lesser-known sister location, the Brooklyn Terminal located in Red Hook at 72 Bowne Street.  The Brooklyn Terminal is home to the Cunard Lines Queen Mary 2 and Princess Cruise Lines.   

What ships cruise out of the port of New York?

According to the most recent cruise terminal schedule the following cruise lines sail from the port of New York:

Manhattan Cruise Terminal:

·      Carnival Cruise Line

·      Crystal Cruises

·      Disney Cruises

·      Holland America Line

·      MSC Cruises

·      Norwegian Cruise Line

·      Phoenix Reisen

·      P&O Cruises

·      Royal Caribbean Cruises

·      Saga Cruises

·      Seabourn

·      Vantage Travel

Brooklyn Terminal:

·      Cunard Line

·      Princess Cruise Line

Where can you find the New York cruise terminal schedule?

The New York cruise terminal schedule can be found on the NY Cruise website.  It’s a handy tool to see what cruise ships are leaving from either the Manhattan or Brooklyn Cruise Terminals by date. 

Where can you find a map of the New York cruise terminals?

You can find the Manhattan Cruise Terminal map here.  The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal map can be found here.  Both maps provide a nice overview of the surrounding areas.

How much is parking at the New York Cruise Terminal? 

Manhattan Cruise Terminal parking is located by the West Side Highway, entrance at 55th street and 12th Avenue.

As of this writing, the current parking rates are $40 per night for a cruise lasting 1-10 nights.  Anything over 10 nights is $400 for the duration of your cruise. 

To date, we’ve not had an issue with the lot being full here.  However, if you should encounter this you can drop off your family and luggage and grab a spot at another garage in the area. 

A quick Google search does reveal other parking options that come in less expensive than parking right next door to the cruise terminal.  The catch?  They are further away, and you will have to factor in how you will get from a lot located on say 43rd street to 55th with all your luggage in tow.   

The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is located at Brooklyn Pier 12, 72 Imlay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231. 

As of this writing, the current parking rates are $30 per night.  Parking here should not be an issue as it seems the cruises there are timed so that as one set of cruise passengers leave another set comes in thereby ensuring there’s always room in the lot.

Both lots require you to pay for parking when you arrive.  Payment is by credit card only and they do not take reservations.  In both instances all taxes and fees are included in the per night charge and there is no upcharge for larger vehicles.

One thing to note when parking in the Brooklyn Terminal is that you must bring your parking ticket on board the cruise with you.  You’ll need to present your parking and cruise tickets to reclaim your car.    

Which airport is closest to Manhattan Cruise Terminal? 

This is a tricky question because while both JFK and La Guardia airports are in the borough of Queens, technically La Guardia is closest to the airport.  Traffic can be the deciding factor here as being stuck on any of the roadways leading to and from either airport is not fun. 

That said LaGuardia airport is the quickest route into midtown Manhattan particularly if traffic is in your favor.  Though EWR or Newark airport is in New Jersey it is closer to the terminal than JFK airport. 

What hotels are closest to the Manhattan and Brooklyn Cruise Terminal?

According to the NY Cruise website, Ink 48 Hotel is the closet hotel to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and is located 653 Eleventh Avenue.  That said, I can’t recommend this hotel simply because I’ve never stayed here before and note it only as the one nearest option to the port.   

We have stayed in the city the night before going on a cruise in a hotel located in the Times Square area because it was closest to Broadway and other midtown Manhattan activities.  When we were ready to head to the port, we hopped in a taxi from the hotel. 

My recommendation is if you are going to stay at a hotel in the city prior to embarking on your cruise from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, which I highly suggest if you’re traveling in from out of town that you pick a hotel located in midtown Manhattan that fits your budget and aesthetic and not based on proximity to the terminal.  It’s easy enough to get an Uber, Lyft, yellow taxi, or arranging a private car to take you to the port. 

We’ve not traveled out of the Brooklyn Cruise terminal yet and there were no suggestions on the NY Cruise site for a close hotel.  Based on proximity to this port, I would suggest staying at a hotel in downtown Brooklyn or lower Manhattan for ease of access.  Here again, choose a hotel based on your budget, length of stay, proximity to other activities you want to experience while in town and your aesthetic.   

Shuttles to Manhattan Cruise Terminal

While researching the answer to this question, I was unable to find a hotel with complimentary shuttle service to either cruise terminal.  There are several private companies that offer fee-based shuttle services to the ports from all three area airports.

These same shuttle services will also transport you from your hotel the port.  A shared shuttle may make sense if you are traveling to either terminal from an airport on embarkation day to manage costs.   

Otherwise, I would point you back to taking an Uber, Lyft, yellow taxi, or arranging a private car to take you to the port from your hotel. 

No matter how you arrive traffic is a factor

It doesn’t matter if you are driving or being driven to either terminal, traffic is a thing.  Make certain that you leave yourself enough travel time, especially if your cruise is leaving on a weekday. 

If you are sailing on a weekday, you are sure to be met by traffic arriving from all directions attempting to enter either the garage or the drop off point for the terminal.   Be certain to factor this into your planned arrival time.  I’d suggest leaving your home or hotel planning to allow for an additional 30 minutes of traffic approaching the terminal. 

The last time we left from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on a weekday, we were caught in gridlock about five or so blocks before our left onto 55th street to enter the parking lot.  Being early people, we had plenty of time to spare but it was not fun and took every bit of 30 minutes to go those few blocks.   

Once we were finally able up make our left at 55th street we to that point was the challenge.

No matter which New York cruise terminal you’re departing from or how you decide to get there, enjoy the journey!

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