New York City and Regent Seven Seas, Part 1

New York City and Regent Seven Seas, Seven Seas Navigator
Canada and New England cruise

Bike Riding in Central Park

Bike Riding in Central Park

Freedom Tower

Freedom Tower

Empire State Building

Empire State Building

On Board Regent

On Board Regent

Skyline from Regent Seven Seas

Skyline from Regent Seven Seas

Recently in New York City I had an opportunity to see the sights like a real tourist. I flew on a red eye flight arriving into the city about 7:30 am. My first night was booked at the Element Hotel which is a Starwood property. Well located within walking distance to Time Square, this property was contemporary but well appointed and included a buffet breakfast. Pricing is moderate for New York. I visited the Ritz Carlton on Central Park for a site inspection and the views over the park were the best in the city. Then we visited the St Regis a few blocks away that was equally as nice but no view.

We purchased a three day pass on the Grayline Hop on Hop off bus to use for our transportation and sightseeing around the city. That evening we took the night tour that included a trip to Brooklyn. We got a good overview of the city so we could decide what we wanted to see in more depth. The following day after checking into our new hotel the Intercontinental Times Square, we jumped on the bus and headed to the 911 Memorial Museum. We purchased our passes in advance that allowed us to bypass the 2 hour line. The museum was very well done and a somber remembrance of the day that changed all of our lives. After the museum we explored more of the city by bus and foot. One stop was the Empire State building the #1 tourist spot in NYC. It is best to purchase your tickets on the street from the authorized ticket sellers. This will again eliminate the long 1- 2 hours wait and also offer a slight discount.

Sunday happened to be a scheduled Climate march that literally brought the traffic to a standstill. The UN General Assembly was meeting the following week to discuss climate change and the delegates in town with their black SUV’s had already messed traffic up considerably. Despite these issues we were determined to see and do all the tourist things. We rented a bicycle and rode for an hour through Central Park, walked by 30 Rock and the NBC store and even shopped at Macy’s.

Monday morning after breakfast we checked out of the hotel and caught a taxi to the port. There were several ships in town but ours was easy to spot. Check in was easier than I imagined. With only 600 passengers it went smoothly. Regent Seven Seas has a very high repeat rate and about 30 percent of the people on board had gotten on the cruise in San Francisco coming through the Panama Canal to continue to see the fall colors. Our suite (lowest category on the ship) was spacious with a large window, walk in closet, nicely appointed bathroom, king bed and sitting area. Mini bar was stocked with sodas and beer. We could ask to the cabin steward for whatever we wanted and he would supply and replenish it. SWEET! We departed NYC about 8 pm heading for Newport RI, Boston MA, Portland ME, and then into Canada. Dress code is elegant casual meaning no jeans or flip flops after 6 pm. Every bar had hot and cold appetizers with your pre dinner drinks with piano player for entertainment. No cards or signatures required. Dinner is open seating and we never had to wait more than a few seconds to be seated. Wait staff were all friendly and accommodating and the food was spectacular!

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Tracy Anderson, Branch Manager
Branch: Encinitas
1084 N El Camino Real, Suite C | Encinitas, CA | Google Directions
Toll-Free: (800) 683-1556 | Direct Line: (760) 479-4324
E-mail: tanderson@carefreevacations.com

 

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