I would never recommend arriving for your cruise on the morning of embarkation. Arriving AT LEAST the day before often saves many potential headaches and added stresses to what is already the most stressful day in a cruise vacation.
The good news is that departing on a cruise from the New York area offers an endless supply of things to do.
If you’re leaving from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, you’re already in the heart of the action. If you’re leaving from Port Liberty in Bayonne, NJ or the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, I would still recommend staying in Manhattan, as there’s so much more to do.
Things to do in Midtown Manhattan
Visit Times Square
It doesn’t have to be midnight on New Year’s Eve, Times Square is rarely quiet. There’s plenty of flagship stores to browse through. I could list them all, but it’s already been done.
The Complete Guide to Times Square Stores.
See a Show
The Theatre District is immediately to the west of Times Square, with several theatres right along Broadway (which cuts through Times Square). Many of the shows have huge, international stars performing, and you never know who you’ll bump into. We once ran into Hugh Jackman when he was performing in the Music Man at the Winter Garden Theatre!
If you’ve got your heart set on seeing the hottest show, tickets can be tough to come by. But, they’re always available. For sold out events, TicketNetwork has been a go-to of mine for years. Search TicketNetwork for Events in New York. If you’re looking for bargain tickets to see a production and you’re not picky about the show or what seats you’re in, the TKTS booth in Times Square is a great resource for last-minute tickets.
Several shows are filmed in the area as well. These include Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Stephen Colbert, among others. Here’s a complete list of shows taped in New York.
There’s also many concert venues close by. Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, Palladium Times Square, Webster Hall, The Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts, and the Beacon Theatre are just a few.
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is home to several world-famous sights. In the wintertime, there’s the iconic Christmas Tree and ice skating. It’s also home to NBC studios (and all of their live shows are taped there). Looking to get a bird’s eye view of Midtown? Visit the Top of the Rock, 70 floors above street level.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Right next door to Rockefeller Center is St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The cathedral occupies a city block bounded by Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, 50th Street, and 51st Street, directly across from Rockefeller Center. Designed by James Renwick Jr., it is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America.
5th Avenue
Fifth Avenue is world-renowned for its landmarks as well as it’s shopping. Here you can visit the Empire State Building, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, Museum of Modern Art, Saks Fifth Avenue, or Central Park, just to name a few
Museums
We’ve already mentioned some of these, but here’s a list of some of the most popular museums to visit in Midtown Manhattan.
Take a Sightseeing Tour
The number of things to see can be overwhelming. If you can’t seem to narrow down what you’d like to do, you can always grab a hop-on hop-off bus.
Want to stay close to your ship?
Another fantastic activity to do in New York, especially if you’re OK with not being the first on the ship is to spend the morning at the Intrepid Museum, immediately to the south of the cruise terminal. If you’re a history, aviation, or naval buff, you’re so close it’s a shame to miss out on it. I mean, the Space Shuttle Enterprise is literally 200 yards from your cruise ship!
Things to do near the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
If you choose to stay in Brooklyn, there’s still plenty to do. You can always see an event at the Barclays Center or take a walk on the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. If you do, be sure to grab some of the best Brooklyn-style pizza in the city at Juliana’s, which is located UNDER the Brooklyn Bridge.
My recommendation is to stay in Lower Manhattan in the Financial District/Wall Street area and take the South Brooklyn Ferry from Pier 11 to Red Hook. The ferry terminal is very close to the cruise terminal, and very walkable. There are many more options for sightseeing and activities in Lower Manhattan.
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
There are several website and companies that offer tickets to take the ferry and tour the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island from Battery Park, Statue City Cruises is the only tour operator that is an Authorized Concessioner. The other websites offer the same tours, but with a mark-up. Why not avoid a middleman?
9/11 Memorial and World Trade Center
visiting the World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial, is a sobering reminder of the event that has defined New York for over 20 years. It’s definitely worth spending some time there.
Chinatown
Chinatown in New York City is home to the largest Asian population in the western hemisphere. It’s easy to spend an afternoon here, from seeing the lanterns on Mott Street to enjoying foods from street food, dim sum, or a world-class fine dining experience.
Unfortunately, in our post 9/11 world, visiting the New York Stock Exchange isn’t possible anymore. It’s something I’ve never seen, and I wish that I could have.
Things to do near Port Liberty Cruise Terminal
If you’re leaving from Bayonne, NJ and don’t feel like making the treck into Manhattan and are looking for things to do on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River either before or after the cruise, we’ve got you covered.
Statue of Liberty
You can always visit the Statue of Liberty, departing from New Jersey. There are several different tours available. Or, if you don’t have time for a boat trip and just want great views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, Liberty State Park is the best place to go. You can even re-enact your favorite Liberty Mutual commercial.
Prudential Center and Meadowlands
If you want entertainment but don’t feel like heading into Manhattan, Newark, NJ offers up great live events.
The American Dream Mall
The American Dream Mall in the Meadowlands has an insane amount of things to do. From the North America’s largest indoor theme park to skiing and snowboarding, this place has it all. Be sure to visit kid friendly Nickelodeon Universe, or if you want bigger thrills, Big Snow.
Six Flags Great Adventure
If you’re looking for even bigger thrills, Six Flags Great Adventure is a short drive away (50 miles) in Jackson, NJ. Not only is it one of the largest amusement parks on the east coast, but it also has a safari!
New York City is a place of endless possibilities, and this list only scratches the surface of recommended activities to check out either before or after your cruise.
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