Trans-Bridge Bus from Bethlehem PA-Clinton to NYC Pier

Will be doing the NCL BA in Sept. 2015 to Bermuda and will be taking the Trans-Bridge Bus from Clinton, NJ to the NYC Pier in Manhattan. Bus originates in Bethlehem, PA. Cruise ship leaves at 4:00 PM. Bus from Clinton leaves at noon and is scheduled to arrive at the pier at 1:45 PM. NCL site says you must be on two hours before departure. Are we cutting it close? Have used Trans-Bridge many times before to the NYC pier but not with this early departure time.

If anyone has taken Trans-Bridge recently, does it really take almost two hours to get to the pier from Clinton, NJ. Other times I don't recall it taking almost two hours even with a stop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Cruise departs on a Sunday.

That is really cutting it close! It's a good hour if there is no traffic, but the re is always traffic getting into the city. What if there is an accident on 78? Realistically, you are only giving yourself a half hour buffer. Can you come in the day before?

Not worth it to stay in NYC over night before the cruise. We took the train once before into Penn Station but found it a real hassle changing trains in Newark with our luggage.

That is really cutting it close! It's a good hour if there is no traffic, but the re is always traffic getting into the city. What if there is an accident on 78? Realistically, you are only giving yourself a half hour buffer. Can you come in the day before?

Can you drive and park at the pier? I believe that if you arrive at the pier no sooner that 1 1/2 hours before departure, they can't let you board. My dad was taking a bus home from Boston, bus broke down, and she got home 3 hours late. If arriving the same day as departure, most like to have at least a few hours as a buffer.

How about driving to Hamilton and taking NJ transit directly to NY Penn Station? I believe you can park there for $10/24 hour day. You're leaving on a Sunday, so finding a parking place shouldn't be a problem.

I agree that your bus timing is way too tight.

OP here. I just found this on the NCL site:

Arrival at the Cruise Terminal:

For your comfort and convenience, we recommend that guests who have not completed their Online Check-In arrive at the cruise terminal no later than two (2) hours prior to the scheduled embarkation time printed on your cruise documents. Guests who have completed their Online Check-In should arrive at the terminal no later than one (1) hour prior to the scheduled embarkation time printed on your cruise documents.

Final Boarding Time:

In order to facilitate the embarkation process and the processing of your eDocs, and to comply with new government regulations governing departure manifest, all guests are required to complete Online Check-In at least one day prior to sailing and must complete check-in at the cruise terminal and be onboard the ship no later than one hour prior to the departure time noted on their cruise documents or they will not be permitted to sail. Please note guests who have not filled out their Online Check-In must arrive at port two (2) hours prior to sailing.

So I think that maybe we would be OK time wise on the bus. As for a train, we would go from Raritan and have someone drive us to the train station at Raritan.

For driving and parking at the NYC cruise terminal, it is outrageous at $40/day plus Lincoln tunnel toll.

We can get the senior rate on the bus for $31.50 R/T each and the train would be $13.00 R/T each (plus cost of taxi). We could do the train to the pier and do the bus from the pier.

So we do have some options. Just wanted to know if anyone had taken the Trans-Bridge bus and how they made out time-wise at the NYC pier.

Hi! Carol

You had me worried for a little bit. We're taking Trans-Bridge 12/3 for the Gem. When we took the bus last Oct. leaving Bethlehem at 10:30 we were going thru the tunnel at 12:05. Went directly to our room & dropped luggage to eat and people watching by 1:30. Hope this happens again. At least you don't have to worry about the weather, we do. Take care and say hi to Bermuda for me. I go to the webcam every day as it is my favorite island.

Evie

Hi! Carol

You had me worried for a little bit. We're taking Trans-Bridge 12/3 for the Gem. When we took the bus last Oct. leaving Bethlehem at 10:30 we were going thru the tunnel at 12:05. Went directly to our room & dropped luggage to eat and people watching by 1:30. Hope this happens again. At least you don't have to worry about the weather, we do. Take care and say hi to Bermuda for me. I go to the webcam every day as it is my favorite island.

Evie

Evie: Thought your name sounded familiar. We were on the RC Grandeur out of Baltimore in March with you.

Sept. 20, 2015 we will be on NCL Breakaway and it leaves on a Sunday. So Trans-Bridge has a different schedule for Sundays. Bus leaves 45 minutes later from Bethlehem. Ship leaves at 4:00 PM. and check-in closes at 2:00 PM. Also bus stops at the Port Authority. That same day Celebrity Summit leaves out of Cape Liberty and is listed for the same departure time as NY Pier. Wonder if theystop at Cape Liberty before going to NY. NCL web site states we can board up to one hour before sailing.

I will call Trans-Bridge tomorrow and find out why they leave so late on a Sunday. Also there will be three ships at the pier in NYC that day. Can be a real mess at the pier.

We may just take an earlier bus to the NY Bus Port Authority that Sunday and get a taxi to the pier.

So did you ever call? Was wondering what their answer was.

Evie

Evie: I called the other day. They said their schedule is set at getting to the pier at 1:45 PM. They have to looked into it. Then in the afternoon, I got a T-B brochure and wouldn't you know it, they have my NCL Breakaway cruise to Bermuda on the same day we are going (Sunday 9/20/15) featured. Ship leaves at 4:00 PM with a check-in time by 2:00 PM. Will call them again and see it they realized it. Carol

I know last year they had a cruise planned the same day and we had 2 buses non-stop going to the ship from Bethlehem so I don't know what happened in Clinton but that was on a Saturday leaving at 10:30.

Evie: Called last week and again this week to T-B. Today I finally got an answer by the agent that is doing the same cruise that we booked by ourselves with NCL Breakaway on 9/20. They already have 1/2 bus filled. It will go directly to the NYC pier and will be stopping in Clinton. She said NCL is aware that they do have a bus (or buses) and will not leave without the PAX on the bus. Bus leaves Clinton at noon and we should be at the pier by 1:30 PM. I also was able to put in my arrival time at the pier with NCL and the last time they showed was 2:30-3:00 for check-in.

Other ships are now leaving at 4:00 from NYC and Cape Liberty. T-B is aware of this and that is the time the cruse lines have set for them.

Hopefully, one day we can meet on the bus. Carol

Evie: Called last week and again this week to T-B. Today I finally got an answer by the agent that is doing the same cruise that we booked by ourselves with NCL Breakaway on 9/20. They already have 1/2 bus filled. It will go directly to the NYC pier and will be stopping in Clinton. She said NCL is aware that they do have a bus (or buses) and will not leave without the PAX on the bus. Bus leaves Clinton at noon and we should be at the pier by 1:30 PM. I also was able to put in my arrival time at the pier with NCL and the last time they showed was 2:30-3:00 for check-in.

 

Other ships are now leaving at 4:00 from NYC and Cape Liberty. T-B is aware of this and that is the time the cruse lines have set for them.

 

Hopefully, one day we can meet on the bus. Carol

Not to throw a wet blanket on your plans, but the fact that NCL knows passengers are on that bus doesn't guarantee the ship won't leave without those passengers.

Last year an NCL cruise to Bermuda departed without a busload of passengers from New England when the bus got stuck in a traffic jam caused by an unexpected protest march. NCL did its best to help the passengers fly to Bermuda to meet the ship there, but those passengers did miss two days of their cruise, and anyone who didn't have a passport was out of luck, because you must hold a passport to take an international flight.

From Clinton, NJ, it is only an hour ride to the pier. T-B said they never had a problem. So tomorrow, we will be buying our tickets for the bus.

njhorseman: Thanks for your concern.