My daughter, granddaughter (4 yo) & I are taking a cruise to Canada in Sept. We will be flying in the day before-the red eye is OUT- & staying in a hotel. Can anyone please tell me the cheapest,fastest & best way to get from JFK to downtown hotel & from hotel to port. And by the way what is cab fare like besides expensive. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Actually I had heard it was expensive as well. Then I saw that from either of three airports, EWR, JFK or LAG, that the distance to Manhattan is 9-14 miles. I called a hotel in Manhattan and was told that a cab from any of these three would cost around $38.00. If you look at a map the distance from Manhattan to the Carnival dock (pier 90, 12th and 55th.) is not too far so I imagine cab fare is nominal. We are taking the Triumph cruise in Oct. BTW, same itinerary I think. Cheers, Larry

Jacketwatch, that estimate is only true for LaGuardia. It's not correct for the other airports.

First of all, a taxi from JFK is a flat fee of $45, not including tax, tip, or tolls. To a Midtown Hotel, you should expect to pay about $60 to $65 depending on how much you tip.

From Newark, the best bet is a car service (definitely NOT a taxi, which is usually much more expensive). The price will be about $65 to $70 depending on how much you tip. Once you are in baggage claim and have CLAIMED your bags (not before), you should call for the car service. They will be there in 5 to 10 minutes ... i.e., about the amount of time it will take you to get 3 people plus luggage out to the pick-up area.

From LaGuardia the fare in a regular taxi will be about $40 to $45 with toll and tip, depending on how much you tip and traffic.

For three people, I'd recommend a taxi. You might be able to save $10 or $15 total on the trip by taking a shuttle, but it's just not worth it with a small child. Whatever you do, do NOT take SuperShuttle.

From most midtown hotels to the cruise pier, the fare will be $10 or less. If you have the taxi drop you off on the West Side Highway at the corner of 49th Street (this is the street entrance closest to the Carnival Pier, which is actually at between 50th and 51st Streets). You just have to walk across the street and through the gate, turn right and walk to your pier; you'll be on the lower level and there should be porters there to take your bags. You'll save at least $5 on the taxi fare that way; otherwise, the taxi enters at about 54th Street and takes you to the upper level and will drop you off right outside the pier entrance.

$35 is WAY low for a NYC cab, airport to Manhatten. Tipping standards are in the 20% range as well.

I take Airtrain all the time from JFK, $7pp each way. IF you can manage your own bags, and no mobility limitations.

Otherwise a cab from the airport, then another cab to port- you do realize there are 3 NYC cruise ports?? Hopefully you are not sailing on RCI, Celebrity? It would then be Manhatten or Brooklyn.

Well I got this info from a hotel help desk in Manhattan. I don't remember the hotel however. I didn't mean to mislead anyone. Sorry. BQ do you have a number for Airtrain? As the tag line from the OP is Carnival I assume that is what she is taking and the pier location I gave was given to me by Carnival.

Here is a website for NYC area airports and taxi service from all three.
http://www.ny.com/transportation/airports/

Well thanks all of you for information. Now we are concerned about getting from port to JFK at end of cruise. Carnival doesn't provide.

There will be cabs outside the terminal w/a dispatcher
to handle the queue.

Airtrain, Hooks up to the A subway train. There isn't a "number. Look at the JFK website, map of Airtrain available.

Whippetlvr, I'm staying overnight in NY before our June 11 cruise also. I received several recommendations for Dial-7 (www.dial7.com or 212-777-7777 or 800-777-8888). If you check their website, they have an online special of $40 JFK to Manhattan. As I said, they were strongly recommended to me, but I haven't used them yet, myself