New York: The City That Needs No Introduction

New York has two cruise terminals: Manhattan Cruise Terminal (Piers 88/90/92, West 46th–55th Streets, Midtown) and Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (Red Hook, Brooklyn). Manhattan terminal puts you in Midtown, walking distance to Times Square and Central Park. Brooklyn terminal is in Red Hook — a taxi to DUMBO or the subway at Smith–9th Streets (F/G line) is the easiest access. For embarkation: arrive within your boarding window; New York terminals enforce boarding times strictly. Most of the city is navigable by subway ($2.90 single ride); a 7-day unlimited card is $34 if you're in port for multiple days.

The NYC subway runs 24/7. Buy a MetroCard at any station kiosk ($1 card fee) or use contactless bank card (tap to pay, $2.90/ride). From Manhattan Cruise Terminal: the A/C/E at Port Authority (42nd St) is a 10-minute walk. From Brooklyn: taxi to Red Hook ($15–25) or CitiBike to DUMBO or the F/G at Smith–9th. Taxis: yellow cabs, metered, $3 initial charge + $0.70/0.1mi — a Midtown to Lower Manhattan trip is $15–25. Uber/Lyft widely available. The free Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal gives a close-up view of the Statue of Liberty on a 25-minute crossing with no reservation required.

Central Park: 843 acres in Midtown Manhattan, free. The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the park's east side: $30 suggested admission (legally pay-what-you-wish for NY state residents; the full amount is the right thing to do). The MoMA (Museum of Modern Art): $30 general admission. The Brooklyn Bridge: walk across from Brooklyn side (Manhattan Bridge subway at High Street) for the best view back at Manhattan. One World Trade Center observatory: $44. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island by ferry from Battery Park: $24 (includes both islands). The High Line (elevated park on former railway): free, 1.5 miles.

New York pizza by the slice: $4–6 at a proper pizzeria (not a tourist trap — the correct cheese slice should be slightly greasy and foldable). A chopped cheese sandwich at a Harlem or Bronx bodega: $8–12. The best cheap lunch in the city is likely a halal cart chicken-and-rice plate: $8–10 on any midtown corner. A bagel with lox and cream cheese from a proper bagel shop: $12–18. Sit-down lunch at a non-tourist restaurant: $20–35 per person. Dinner gets expensive quickly; a mid-range restaurant is $40–70 per person without drinks.

US Dollars (USD). Tipping in New York is non-negotiable: 18–20% at sit-down restaurants (pre-tax base is the standard way to calculate, but most people just use the post-tax total); 15% minimum at bars ($1–2 per drink at a casual bar); $1–2 per bag for luggage assistance; $2–5 for taxi rides. New York has some of the highest service worker costs of any US city; the tip is genuinely part of the server's wage. Cards accepted everywhere; ATMs at every subway station newsstand.