New York Harbor. Credit: Pixabay Creative Commons license

Anyone who takes a cruise out of New York City will have plenty to do in the city both before and after the cruise.

The city has two terminals in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Manhattan is the busiest because it has five docks versus one at Brooklyn. The Manhattan terminal also has the advantage of offering quite a few famous nearby attractions for anyone short on time.

Nearby Attractions

The Manhattan terminal sits within about one mile of a variety of attractions including Central Park, Carnegie Hall, Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Broadway, Times Square and Radio City Music Hall.

Fit and energetic walkers can reach many of these attractions within about 15 minutes. Otherwise, they can take advantage of many available taxis.

The smaller and more distant Brooklyn terminal overlooks the Statue of Liberty. It is about seven miles from the popular Manhattan attractions.

Terminal Location and Directions

The Manhattan terminal, 711 12th Avenue, is easily accessible from I-95, Route 495 and the Lincoln Tunnel for passengers arriving from New Jersey and southern destinations.

After the Lincoln Tunnel, turn left onto 42nd Street, travel three blocks and go right onto 12th Avenue. Take 12th Avenue for a half mile and turn left on 55th street, which is the entrance to the terminal.

From the north, Go south on Henry Hudson Parkway (Route 9A) and exit to the right at 55th Street, which is the entrance to the terminal.

The Brooklyn terminal at 72 Browne Street is easy to reach from the north by taking the Battery Tunnel (I-478-E) into Brooklyn.

From the south, take the NJ Turnpike south to Exit 13. Cross the Goethals Bridge to I-278, Staten Island Expressway and cross Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn.

Terminal Parking

The popularity and location of the Manhattan terminal mean a higher parking rate than Brooklyn at $40 per night up to 10 nights and a flat $400 for 11 or more nights.

The overnight rate at the Brooklyn terminal is $25. Passengers don’t need reservations. Budget-minded passengers may want to cruise from the Brooklyn terminal to save money on parking, especially if they don’t plan to visit the Manhattan attractions.

Cruise Weather

© 2021 Scott S. Bateman

Warm weather lovers will find plenty of it in New York City during the summer when daytime temperatures reach into the low 80s Fahrenheit or high 20s Celsius, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.

Winter travelers will find the opposite when daytime temperatures average in the upper 30s Fahrenheit or single digits Celsius.

Unlike the Caribbean, New York City does not have dry and rainy seasons. It has a steady average of about four inches of precipitation (snow or rain) most months of the year.