Thanks to jet lag we’re both awake long before 6am so I volunteer to go and get coffee. After convincing the sleeping desk clerk to open the front door I realise it’s raining. As I step into the street I realise it’s raining.
I cross a few blocks without finding a single open coffee shop. For a city that never sleeps, New York seems to be closed a lot. Considering we’re staying in the Manhattan Financial District, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps never sounded so untrue.
Disappointed I return to the hotel and we both wait for breakfast.
The shower in our room is rubbish, as is the WiFi, but the toiletries are decent. The breakfast is limited in choice but plentiful. We both agree that The Wall Street Inn is actually pretty decent and has much more character than one of the hundreds of chain hotels in the city. We would come back.
Next stop, Brooklyn
We check out just after 10am and walk down to Pier 11 to catch the ferry to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook. The trip will cost $4 each and drops us right next to the ship. The ferry trip is quick and pleasant enough, even with large suitcases.
Top tip: When this article was written, accommodation options near the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal were extremely limited. But as cruise ship traffic has increased, at least one hotel had opened within walking distance. Just be warned – there is nothing to ‘see’ in the local area – and it’s still a fairly long walk to the nearest subway station.
Once at the terminal however, it turns out that the ship is not yet ready to accept new arrivals. The terminal fills up quickly with stroppy cruisers who want to start their holiday. There’s a big delay waiting to pass through immigration control and security.
Finally we are allowed on board Sky Princess. We stop for our customary sandwich and cocktail in the Plaza and then head up to our cabin stateroom to unpack. This time round we have booked a balcony room and the reduction in space is quite noticeable. But such is life.
With nothing planned, we spend the rest of the day chilling onboard the Sky Princess. The ship doesn’t leave until late tomorrow evening, so we will do a little more exploring in the city before then.
Article continues after the jump…
Please note that we use sponsored links on this blog. Although we may earn a referral fee or bonus points on some of these products and services, we never recommend anything we wouldn’t use ourselves. Check out our full Affiliate Disclosure Policy for more info.
