Port guide: New York City, US

Big, bold, sophisticated and multicultural New York is constantly upgrading and reinventing itself yet also offers the American scenes of the stereotypes.

Who goes there

All the major cruise lines feature New York, either in passing or as a homeport on cruises to Bermuda, the Caribbean, along the east coast of New England and Canada, or across the Atlantic to Europe.

Sail on in

You’d be a jaded traveller indeed if you weren’t up on deck at the break of dawn for one of the world’s great cruise arrivals as you sail under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge towards this city’s famous skyline. You pass the Statue of Liberty, with brilliant views of Lower Manhattan and its fang of skyscrapers. You’ll unfortunately miss the best bits, however, if your ship docks at the outer Cape Liberty Cruise Port.

Berth rites

There are three cruise terminals: Manhattan, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty. The first two are the most used and are big, facility-filled and efficient. Manhattan Cruise Terminal is the best located (you could walk into the city or use buses that pass by) but you can’t choose, since usage depends on the cruise line and available docking spaces.

Before and after

You’ll certainly want to extend your stay, although you’ll pay more for hotels here than anywhere else in America. Avoid Midtown, and you’ll find better value; even better in Brooklyn or Queens, which are only a subway ride away. Chain hotels such as Best Western and Comfort Inn provide relatively budget options. The sky is the limit at top digs such as The Peninsula New York and Four Seasons Hotel New York.

Going ashore

Plan ahead, pick a neighbourhood or two because you’ll never see it all. Top museums the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and intimate, private Frick Collection could swallow up a day. Dozens of buildings from the Chrysler Building to Grand Central railway terminal are worth admiring. So are dozens of districts, such as trendy SoHo and Meatpacking District, the Bronx for its musical legacy and zoo, and Greenwich Village for its bohemian vibe.

Don’t miss

Nothing says New York more than the Rockefeller Centre, a complex of buildings with superb art deco architecture (both outside and in lobbies) that expresses the exuberance and optimism of early-20th-century New York. Top of the Rock observation platform is dazzling for architecture and views.

Get active

New York’s crowded concrete canyons aren’t designed for exercise, but Central Park has 80 kilometres of pathways. You can also boat, play pickleball, in-line skate along designated lanes, and let the kids lose in playgrounds.

Best bites

New York has some of the world’s best restaurants and, thanks to its large immigrant communities, food from all over the world, although eating isn’t cheap, and you’ll cop a hefty state tax and be expected to pay a 20 per cent tip on top of your bill. West Village has pub-style eateries and trattorias, trendy NoLiTa fashionable seafood restaurants of Zen-like cool, but true aficionados will want to trek further to Flushing for Asian cuisines and Williamsburg for the latest in innovative culinary offerings.

Further afield

There’s so much to see and do in New York, and so many diverse neighbourhoods to explore, that excursions outside the city are rare – nor would you want to take the time to get beyond the urban sprawl. A popular harbour excursion brings you to Liberty Island for the Statue of Liberty and nearby Ellis Island, which processed 12 million immigrants and has fascinating exhibitions on their experiences. Views of the Manhattan skyline are splendid.