Brooklyn cruise terminal: how long does it take to get through immigration & customs?

We are arriving in NYC on 22 Dec on the westbound TA from Southampton and are going to do "self-disembarkation". We have a car booked to take us into Manhattan at 10:00 am.

We don't want to get off too late....or too early and end up hanging around for the car.

How long does it take to get off the ship and through customs & immigration?

We do the "self help" method ourselves (though we are American). Generally, we will get off the ship about 20 minutes after the the self help folks are allowed to disembark which is usually around 7:30 or 8 and we have yet to be in a queue to leave the ship. If you wait much longer you will probably get caught up in the general disembarkation crowds.

Inside the terminal the lines for US passengers to clear customs has always been significantly shorter for Americans than others.

My advice is check with your steward the day before arriving in NY to see what is the latest time you may be in your cabin. Upon arrival have breakfast then leave the ship after all the other self help folks are gone.

We are arriving in NYC on 22 Dec on the westbound TA from Southampton and are going to do "self-disembarkation". We have a car booked to take us into Manhattan at 10:00 am.

 

We don't want to get off too late....or too early and end up hanging around for the car.

 

How long does it take to get off the ship and through customs & immigration?

From the ship to Immigration is 10 minutes, then between 15 and 35 minutes for the prints/photos and then a couple of minutes to the exit. I would suggest leaving the ship at 9am.

Many thanks for your rapid replies. Informative and helpful as ever Cap'n Pugwash :)

We are arriving in NYC on 22 Dec on the westbound TA from Southampton and are going to do "self-disembarkation". We have a car booked to take us into Manhattan at 10:00 am.

 

We don't want to get off too late....or too early and end up hanging around for the car.

 

How long does it take to get off the ship and through customs & immigration?

Hi,

we are doing the reverse cruise on jan 3rd and I an having a problem finding a car company who will take us from NY to the cruise terminal in Brooklyn, a couple I have contacted were unwilling to do it.

Who have you booked with please

Thanks

linda

Hi Linda,

We have booked our car with Dial 7 via their website.

We used them when we needed to get from our Manhattan hotel to Brooklyn for our crossing from New York to Southampton in 2009. We found them very good and reliable. The car arriived early at our hotel and the driver couldn't have been more pleasant and courteous.

Cheers

Andy

We use Arecibo car service from Manhatten to Brooklyn and Brooklyn to the airport. Very accommodating.

I use Arecibo as well and they are very good and well priced Tel (718) 783-6465. Call them 30 minutes before you need them and they will be there. The added bonus is that they are Brooklyn based so they know their way to the ship.

Thank you for your help. :)

Canadians need help? After arriving from transatlantic cruise that started in Heathrow and ends in Brooklyn NY ; if we took early walk off; do you think we would be completely off; have bags and cleared customs by 9 a.m. Thanks for any help you can give me. Want to prebook tour pick up at Brooklyn for 9.

This past Saturday we disembarked from the Queen Mary 2 at the Red Hook Terminal in Brooklyn. We had never done self help disembarkation. On Friday we went down to the tour office. They gave us a card that was plastic and the size of a credit card. It would allow us to get off the ship on Saturday with us carrying our luggage as soon as the ship cleared immigration. We ate breakfast in the Kings Court. Shortly after 7 AM, we got our luggage and joined a short line on Deck 3 in the Atrium area for leaving the ship. We gave a Cunard employee our special card from the tour desk. Line moved quickly. Through ship security then into the terminal. They had not even started to unload luggage. Lines were short for passport control and immigration and out the door. Maybe 30 minutes at the most to leave the ship. There were plenty of cabs since very few people had disembarked and a long line of black cars with a set fee of $41 to Manhattan. We chose a cab since cheaper. At our hotel on Broadway in less than 20 minutes. Whole process very smooth and quick. Great way to do it if you can carry your luggage. Since we were staying in New York for a few days this allow us some extra hours to enjoy the city. Regular disembarking for us if Cunard did our luggage would have started at 11 AM.

This past Saturday we disembarked from the Queen Mary 2 at the Red Hook Terminal in Brooklyn.

 

SINCERE thanks for taking the time and answering so quickly; needed to hear this information. Anyone else with similar experience from another line?

Hi,

we are doing the reverse cruise on jan 3rd and I an having a problem finding a car company who will take us from NY to the cruise terminal in Brooklyn, a couple I have contacted were unwilling to do it.

Who have you booked with please

 

Thanks

linda

Arecibo (see Capnpugwash post for details) picked me up in Manhattan for transfer to Red Hook. Service was flawless.

Roy

We tried to register for self disembarkation and as they had run out of cards we were told just to turn up. Worked fine.

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We are arriving at Redhook on QM2 in November and will be returning to Southampton same day,what will our disembarkation/embarkation protocols be?

Wait if you do self disembarkation you can leave when're after it's first called? We are coming home with three different couples on different decks and meeting a car service fir the 3 hr drive home and trying to find a time is tough. If that's the case we can leave together (but not at 8 am).

 

Grotbags: back to back cruise; when we have done them in past; the cruise line knows who you are and they ask you all to assemble together; usually around 9:30 or 10; then they take you to get your new cruise cards (must settle $$$ up on the first cruise) before this; and then get new key card etc and can then go back on ship or out for day. When you return; can walk right onto ship. Often when we do B to B cruise; we want to get going on this day and not wait for above to happen; that's fine as well but they don't advertise it ; if you do it this way; then must stand n line and preregister when you return for next cruise. It's nice if you are staying in same cabin for both cruises but if not; porter can easily move your clothes all on hangers and your suitcases to new cabins; you do not have to be around for this.

 

Sppunk ; yes you don't need to wait in long line from usually 6;15 A.M. till time they get clearance; usually around 7:15 to do express walk off but if you wait till they call easy /express walk off; you will never get an elevator to debarkation floor. Many cruise lines do not like express/early walk off's to leave after this group is called. I was on one cruise when they refused to let those people off , after the designated time, till after nearly all had departed; without luggage . The other advantage of getting off with express walk off (taking your luggage); faster to get through immigration, crab a cab or on your way There's a window of about 15 minutes for these people but no help from porters and have seen so many people use this service who certainly shouldn't. Long ways usually to drag suitcase, totebag etc.

Thanks Burma for the info.:)

From the ship to Immigration is 10 minutes, then between 15 and 35 minutes for the prints/photos and then a couple of minutes to the exit. I would suggest leaving the ship at 9am.

We are doing a roundtrip crossing on 18th October - 1st November 2018. Am I to understand that when we go through US Customs our fingerprints and retinas will be scanned? So far I have managed to resist this being done, I see it as an infringement on privacy and am not convinced our details are safe. I'm afraid that if this is the case I will have to stay on board!

Unfortunately that's not an option, all passengers have to leave the ship in New York.

We are doing a roundtrip crossing on 18th October - 1st November 2018. Am I to understand that when we go through US Customs our fingerprints and retinas will be scanned? So far I have managed to resist this being done, I see it as an infringement on privacy and am not convinced our details are safe. I'm afraid that if this is the case I will have to stay on board!

Even on a roundtrip TA and if you plan not to spend the day in New York you still have to purchase an ESTA and you still have to get off the ship and go through customs i.e.fingerprints and retinas scanned and then wait to get back onboard. With regards to infringement of privacy if it stops a terrorist attack or catches a terrorist then I am all for it. I have nothing to hide so do not mind who takes my fingerprints or scans my retinas if it makes it a safer world.

We are also on the roundtrip TA on QM2 on 18th October-1st November we booked it what seems an age ago and will be our second roundtrip TA.

Even on a roundtrip TA and if you plan not to spend the day in New York you still have to purchase an ESTA and you still have to get off the ship and go through customs i.e.fingerprints and retinas scanned and then wait to get back onboard. With regards to infringement of privacy if it stops a terrorist attack or catches a terrorist then I am all for it. I have nothing to hide so do not mind who takes my fingerprints or scans my retinas if it makes it a safer world.

 

We are also on the roundtrip TA on QM2 on 18th October-1st November we booked it what seems an age ago and will be our second roundtrip TA.

Thanks for this valuable information; so how much is the ESTA; cash or credit card? What would be your guess, if we get off at Brooklyn terminal with express easy walk off at 7:15 a.m.; what time would we be ready to be picked up for a NY tour, at dock? Thanks

Thanks for this valuable information; so how much is the ESTA; cash or credit card? What would be your guess, if we get off at Brooklyn terminal with express easy walk off at 7:15 a.m.; what time would we be ready to be picked up for a NY tour, at dock? Thanks

You do the ESTA online. From memory it is about $14. It last 2 years.

We did self disembarkation with luggagewhen we left the ship on 12th August and were at the ferry terminal next to the port within an hour of joining self disembarkation queue. Within 2 hours of joining the queue we were on our hotel near Wall St.

I recommend the ferry to Wall St esp if you are day tripping. It was $11 for 4 of us, took about 25 mins and there was a ferry every half an hour on a Saturday. You can easily walk from the ferry to the Battery for subway or for Staten island of Ellis island ferries.

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This past Saturday we disembarked from the Queen Mary 2 at the Red Hook Terminal in Brooklyn. We had never done self help disembarkation. On Friday we went down to the tour office. They gave us a card that was plastic and the size of a credit card. It would allow us to get off the ship on Saturday with us carrying our luggage as soon as the ship cleared immigration. We ate breakfast in the Kings Court. Shortly after 7 AM, we got our luggage and joined a short line on Deck 3 in the Atrium area for leaving the ship. We gave a Cunard employee our special card from the tour desk. Line moved quickly. Through ship security then into the terminal. They had not even started to unload luggage. Lines were short for passport control and immigration and out the door. Maybe 30 minutes at the most to leave the ship. There were plenty of cabs since very few people had disembarked and a long line of black cars with a set fee of $41 to Manhattan. We chose a cab since cheaper. At our hotel on Broadway in less than 20 minutes. Whole process very smooth and quick. Great way to do it if you can carry your luggage. Since we were staying in New York for a few days this allow us some extra hours to enjoy the city. Regular disembarking for us if Cunard did our luggage would have started at 11 AM.

Thank you. This is some good information. I will be doing this in June 2019.