MegPieCruiser

School starts at 8:30 and I need to travel from the manhattan cruise port to Queens so no shot if I can't even start to wait in lines to get off until 8 :( A lot of the responses are kind of the gut check I needed--that I just need to accept the fact that we WILL be late :(

Are you driving and parking at the terminal, getting dropped off/picked up, car service, cab? What time does school start? If you do the self walk off and are heading back to one of the other boroughs, depending what transportation you're using to get to the kid's school, you should be able to get them there maybe on time or an hour or so late, depending what time school starts.

you correctly sensed it...I AM nervous about it :( the first day of school is so important--and I know for certain it's my daughters favorite day of the school year so I'm feeling bad about this planning accident and hoping it doesn't put a damper on what should be a really nice time :(

The ship needs to be cleared by local authorities and this can take 30 - 60 minutes. You will have to go through Customs and Immigration and this could take some time as well.

 

Use the self-disembark program, which means you do not put your bags in the hall the last night but instead you leave the ship with all of your luggage in tow. You will be told where to go line up, but don't be surprised if there are hundreds of others in line with you.

 

At every disembarkation port we've ever arrived at, cabs are lined up waiting to go. A cruise ship is big money, and the cabs go where the money is.

 

Bottom line: we don't know, you don't know. Sounds like you are already stressed about it :( so I suggest you do as much as you can that is in your control, and hope for the best with the rest of it.

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Unfortunately, this is the only week that works, not to mention the week before is insanely more expensive so I guess we'll just have to make the best of it and be a bit late on their first day--I'm just curious as to HOW late we'll be...like what is absolute earliest I will likely be able to actually walk off the boat....:)

If the published arrival time is 8 am I wouldn't count on being off the ship at 7 am. Even if the ship arrives a little early, there are still customs and immigration procedures and set ups that need to occur before the first passenger disembarks.

 

This may seem drastic but since final payment is months away, can you change to an earlier week?

Hi everyone! I'm new here though I've cruised quite a lot, I've just never run into this issue before so I'm turning to you all for help!

I am sailing out of NYC on the carnival horizon this summer. The ship gets back into NYC on Wednesday Sept 5th and due to a scheduling snafu, that is actually the same day my kids are supposed to start school (We thought we had another day but when the school schedule came out, we were surprised!)

The itinerary says we arrive at 8am on that day. We will never make it back to the kids schools in time. My questions:

1) What are the chances it docks earlier than that so we can get an earlier start?

2) how can I ensure I'm 'first off' the boat as soon as we've cleared customs? I plan to do self-assist of course, but anything else I can do? Trying to get as early a start as possible and head straight to dropping the kids at their schools!

thanks!

Thanks for your note! I live in NYC but will need to get from Manhattan to the kids schools in a different borough so will definitely need cab access. I'm just not sure how early to be down by the gangway...I think sometimes these boats clear customs ahead of schedule, right? I'm kind of hoping it clears really early hehe

I also don't know how early it may come in so I can't really tell a private car what time to arrive there to wait for me. I'd be in great shape if I could get off the boat at 7am--is this super wishful thinking?

be at the gangway as soon as you dock with all your bags

as soon as the ship clears you will be first in line

 

Yo do not say if you are flying home, driving or live in NYC

maybe have a private driver ready to pick you up so you are not looking for a taxi

 

Will the school allow children to be late on the 1st day or are you penalized ??

Hi everyone! My first post here though I've cruised quite a lot, I've just never run into this issue before so I'm turning to you all for help!

I am sailing out of NYC on the carnival horizon this summer. The ship gets back into NYC on Wednesday Sept 5th and due to a scheduling snafu, that is actually the same day my kids are supposed to start school (We thought we had another day but when the school schedule came out, we were surprised!)

The itinerary says we arrive at 8am on that day. We will never make it back to the kids schools in time. My questions:

1) What are the chances it docks earlier than that so we can get an earlier start?

2) how can I ensure I'm 'first off' the boat as soon as we've cleared customs? I plan to do self-assist of course, but anything else I can do? Trying to get as early a start as possible and head straight to dropping the kids at their schools! :)

thanks!