Dropping Off Passengers at New York Cruise Ports (With Pictures)

If you’re dropping passengers off for their cruise, first of all, give yourself a pat on the back. The traffic around New York is notorious for being hard to navigate. Meanwhile, everything about getting to and parking at the ports is expensive.

For instance, to park at the pier in Manhattan runs upwards of $40 a day. And if you take an Uber from Manhattan to Cape Liberty, you can expect to pay upwards of $100 each way.

So right not only are you helping out by dropping someone off, but you’re also saving them a lot of money!

The thing is, it can be somewhat confusing to drop passengers off at the New York ports if you’ve never been there before. Between the heavy traffic and congested traffic of Manhattan and the more distant drives to spots in Brooklyn or New Jersey, there’s a lot you should know.

Below we have instructions on navigating to all three cruise ports (Manhattan, Cape Liberty, and Brooklyn) to drop off cruise passengers.

Dropping Off Passengers at Cape Liberty

Cape Liberty is located in Bayonne, New Jersey, due east of Newark Airport. If using GPS, you can enter the address to help you find your way:

4 Port Terminal Blvd, Bayonne, NJ 07002

Coming from the North
If approaching from the north or from Manhattan, the best way to reach the port is via Interstate 78 (New Jersey Turnpike). From here, you’ll take Exit 14A, looping around to head south. Once you pass through the tollbooth, stay toward your right, going onto the elevated roadway, which is Port Jersey Boulevard.

Continue on Port Jersey Boulevard, keeping right to exit for Chosen Few Way. After exiting, you will head south down Chosen Few Way. From here you will continue south until reaching the intersection with Goldsborough Drive. Take a left to head down to the cruise terminal. From here, continue straight, following the regular signs to the cruise terminal.

Directions to Cape Liberty
Map data: Google

Coming from the South
If approaching from south of Cape Liberty, then the easiest way to get to port is to take I-95.

The interstate will take you past Newark-Liberty International Airport, and just after you will take exit 14-14-C (New Jersey Turnpike/Interestate 78) toward Bayonne, New Jersey.

Crossing the river on the turnpike, you’ll take exit 14-A. From here, you can follow the directions above, where you will head down Chosen Few Way to Goldsborough Drive. Goldsborough Drive takes you directly to the Cape Liberty terminal.

Dropping Off at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal

It can be a little tricky dropping off at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. The traffic combined with a very specific route to reach the passenger drop-off makes things tougher than most ports. Still, dropping off at the port saves a ton of money compared to parking or having to pay for transportation.

For reference, the port address is: 711 12th Avenue, New York, NY.

No matter where you are coming from, there is one route to take for parking and dropping off passengers at the port. All cars enter the cruise terminal coming from the north at the intersection of 55th Street and 12th Avenue.

Coming this way will take you by each cruise ship, so there’s no need to use alternate directions to go to a specific terminal.

Manhattan cruise terminal
Map data: Google

You know that you are in the right place when you see the following signs. Keep in the correct lane for private cars.

Entrance to Manhattan cruise terminal

Dropping Off at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal

The Brooklyn Terminal is located on the western side of the city, in the Red Hook neighborhood across from Governors Island.

Brooklyn cruise terminal sign
Image courtesy of Google maps

The address is: 72 Bowne Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Coming from the major freeways in the area — I-478 (Brooklyn Battery Tunnel) or I-278 — you’ll use Exit 26 (Hamilton Avenue). Once exiting the freeway, continue down the service road until you get to the intersection of Hamilton and 9th Street.

Here, you’ll take a U-turn under the bridge and then back up the service road toward Manhattan. Continue until you reach Van Brunt Street, where you will take a left.

Just a couple of blocks down Van Brunt Street, you’ll take a right on Bowne Street. Simply follow Bowne Street down to the cruise terminal.

Keep in mind that the area around the port is industrial and it doesn’t look like a cruise terminal would be there. Just keep following the route and you will eventually see the signs for the ships.

Directions to drop off at Brooklyn cruise terminal
Map data: Google

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9 COMMENTS

  1. I am considering dropping my wife off with the luggage at manhattan cruise terminal, then returning my rental car, and taking a taxi back to the terminal.

    Is this doable?

  2. So what exactly do I tell my Uber/LYft driver to get to the terminal or drop-off? I’ll be coming from a mid-town hotel.

    • If you use Uber or Lyft, you enter your destination into the app. It will then route the driver where to go.

  3. How close can a coach bus get to the ship to drop off passengers at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. Have passenger in wheel chair and trying to make it as easy as possible for this individual.

    • We don’t know the exact distance, but buses should take you right to the terminal. Expect to still have to go some distance, but it won’t be terribly far.

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