Hello Sarah,
I did this trip 30th September 2013. We arrived into New York Thursday 10 October mid afternoon went to our hotel did what one does, we all met up downstairs where the breakfast room was, as the hotel had put on a buffet for hotel guests. we left the hotel onto the coach for New York by night tour passing Times Square onto the Empire State Building able to go up to the top, it was cold and windy but dry and clear lots of pictures taken by everyone. We left there and went to Rockerfella centre all the trees had lots of tiny white lights we had an added bonus as they where starting work on the ice skating rink!. Lots of pics taken it was time to get back onto the coach back to Times Square but unable to park so pics taken from coach then onto hotel.
Friday 11th was the only full day in New York but you will be surprised what you can fit in and how busy your camera will be!. Went to Central Park passing Dakota Apartments we where told Yoko still lives there, into Central Park for a walk with our NY guide back onto bus next stop 5th Avenue went into Trump Tower cufflinks
bought ( the loos in here are nice), back onto coach able to park for Grand Central we had some
free time here downstairs is a big food hall lots of decorated pumpkins, vegetables, cakes, fruit, fish etc..
then back upstairs more pics there where two young servicemen in there uniforms who where happy to have their pictures taken by themselves and anyone else who wanted theirs taken with them. Back onto coach and down to drop off people who had booked the helicopter rides. Off we went passed Ground Zero did not stop but took pics from the bus. Back to hotel but dropped off at Macys went in for lunch and shopping, Came out to crowded busy noisey streets, to Time Square more pics walked back to hotel time to repack cases with shopping
some of our group where leaving to go down to Ground Zero and then a show as we arrived back.
Saturday 12th October Cases out early after breakfast we left to do The Circle Line Cruise around Manhatten, this cruise was well worth doing and of course lots of pics able to get close to Statue of Liberty because the government strike was still on no one could go up into the statue but to be able to take the pics that we did it did not matter. At the end of the cruise we returned to the hotel they have complimentary hot/cold drinks we bought sandwiches from the deli over the had so had some lunch before we left for the airport. Arrived said our goodbyes to our tour guide Sussanah , booked in had snacks went to the gate and waited and waited our flight was delayed by an hour due to the air crew being held up in NY traffic!!.
Anyone going on these tours if you have the time to do the NY add on you should do it as there is so much to see and do not enough time. Please do enjoy your tour the first part is so full of history and heritage in fact the whole tour is full!
I am going to do the New York city break in October with my travel Buddy as we want to see what we missed!.
Regards Lillie