Wondering how close the dock is to Grand Central and if a taxi ride would be more economical than leaving a car there for 9 days. Any ideas? Thanks.

It depends on which dock your ship is leaving from - as of mid April, some ships are using a brand new pier in Brooklyn, NY (also known as the Red Hook Terminal or the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal). I would certainly NOT leave my car anywhere around that terminal as it is not a great area. I just arrived at that terminal on 4/29 on the Queen Mary 2 and used the ship-arranged transfer to Grand Central. Since the bus also stopped at Port Authority & Penn Station, the ride took about 1.25 hours for $16. A taxi ride would theoretically be quicker, but traffic is always unpredictable and it could be very costly! If, on the other hand, your ship is leaving out of the piers on the west side of Manhattan, then a taxi ride from Grand Central makes lots of sense. I'm not aware of any parking at those piers, but even if there is, it's bound to cost much more than a cab ride (even a cab ride that gets stuck in traffic!) Grand Central is on 42nd Street between Lexington and Madison Avenues; the piers are on the west side, which is about 8 avenues away, between the mid-40's and mid-50s.

Information about the dock on the west side is at http://www.nypst.com/ Parking rates are $24/day for cruise passengers.

I drive to Poughkeepsi every time I go to NYC, including crusing- twice in the past 6 months. Parking is $20/week train $24 round trip. I take the 42 bus and walk to the Manhatten pier- $2. Packing light is necessary. Cabs run less than $10 from Grand Central without excessive traffic.

BudgetQueen,

Hence, the name..