Good Time To Arrive At NYC Pier

What is your ideal time for arrival at pier?

Thank you.

What is your ideal time for arrival at pier?

 

Thank you.

for us it's 9AM. We spend the night in NYC pre-cruise and hate waiting around the hotel in the morning, so we head to the cruise terminal to wait with other excited cruisers. There are usually about 5-10 other cruisers there ahead of us. There are about 50 chairs at the terminal and you are seated in the order which you arrive. Once those 50 get filled it's usually shortly after that that we are lined up according to arrival time to go through the security scanners, check in and then wait in the larger area with more seats. At check in you are given boarding numbers according to your latitude status and arrival time. They call your number and you board the ship, so getting there early gets you on the ship before others. Usually they start boarding the ship around noon, and cabins are ready around 1-2PM. Enjoy a nice leisurely lunch in the main dining room until the cabins are ready, and avoid the zoo at the buffet.

Thanks for the tip.

Thank you. There are 7 of us traveling. Mom is 80 and then we will have two grandchildren ages 6 and 2, don't want to get caught up in too much craziness.

Sometime before the ship departs. :D

I don't really get the whole "get there early and sit and wait" thing. I will max my hotel time and arrive at the pier and walk on board have my cabin ready so I don't have to drag my carry on and camera bag around with me. That is a PITA. :eek:

You have to be boarded 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. So if sail away is at 4, you need to be boarded by 2pm. I have sailed out of NYC twice. Both times I was there by 11am. Once was a Haven trip, and the ship was delayed, so I had to wait a bit in the lounge. The other time, not being Haven or suite, we had to wait about 45 minutes because of our boarding group. Neither time was it a big deal. There are plenty of chairs, just like in an airport terminal.

Sometime before the ship departs. :D

 

I don't really get the whole "get there early and sit and wait" thing. I will max my hotel time and arrive at the pier and walk on board have my cabin ready so I don't have to drag my carry on and camera bag around with me. That is a PITA. :eek:

Twice I've done it that way and it was so nice and relaxing. BUT I just don't have the willpower to wait. At least I make sure I don't have any carry-on, so that's something that makes hanging around for hours easier.

Thank you. There are 7 of us traveling. Mom is 80 and then we will have two grandchildren ages 6 and 2, don't want to get caught up in too much craziness.

Earlier is best for you. Mom will need a seat.

Not sure when you are cruising since I can't see signatures.

As others have said, two hours prior to sailaway is required.

We leave our apartment at 10:00 and get to MCT by 10:20 depending on West Side Highway traffic.

If there is any craziness, it's usually pretty controlled.

Nothing can be predicted. Go with the flow and it's all good.

Have a great cruise!

We are departung on August 9 to Bermuda.

Are porters available to help with luggage check in?

Thank you.

Porters are right there at the entrance. Very easy.

Have your paperwork and pen in hand as you enter the terminal.

Bermuda cruises depart at 4:00pm. All aboard by 2:00pm.

Have a great cruise!

10 - 10:30 would be best for you. Early enough to get a seat and avoid the rush that builds by 11. There is a stand to buy a cup of coffee or other snacks while you wait.

When do they actually start the check in/boarding process?

We are renting a 12 passenger van (7 of us). Driving from Rochester, NY, staying over in Mahwah the night before departure.

Thank you.

We always arrive around 9:30am. We drive and stay in a hotel about 45 mins from the port. I hate driving in big cities, so I like to have ridiculous amounts of time in case something goes wrong. We usually pull into the parking lot, get a great spot near the elevators, go inside and they are usually just starting to let people into the security line. We cruise through the ID line and get to the waiting room. Last time we signed up for dining and registered the kids for kids club, then it was time to board. We were sitting in the dining room at noon, which is perfect for us.

I could never wait until 2pm to arrive, I'd be terrified of a road closure or major accident blocking our way to port and missing the ship. Now, if we were staying in Manhattan and could walk to the ship, I may have a different opinion, but this routine works well for us.

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We will be staying in lower Manhattan. How long to the ship by cab on a Sunday morning? We do want to get there before the big crowds.

Most of our NY sailings are out of MCT and we aimed to arrive by 10:30 am, unless we see the ship has been delayed coming into port (NY Habor cam link is great to track the ship coming up the coast the night before, speed, etc.) and of course, ship's live webcam - usually while fuzzing around last minute with morning coffee at home, since we are 30 to 45 minutes (typical travel time) to port.

As others said, lines get longer & processing slower after 11 am - those getting there early usually can find chairs to sit, clean restrooms & drinking water (free) provided inside. VIP, SGN, CAS & Haven guests, special wedding parties, etc. will board early and followed by zones, get those zone card & hold on to them for boarding - usually around 11:15 if disembarkation is not delayed. BA uses 2 gangways for faster boarding too.

We will be staying in lower Manhattan. How long to the ship by cab on a Sunday morning? We do want to get there before the big crowds.

Depending on traffic, and depending on how low in Manhattan you go, my best guess would be in the thirty to forty minute range. Could be as little as fifteen to twenty if everything is clear.