How to get off the Breakaway when doing self carry off?

[Jezo]

What should I do to not get stuck in the multiple hour long lines? When we dock in NYC and are ready to go what should we do to ensure we are off the boat as soon as we can and be through customs? We'll wake up before dawn and do whatever is necessary if there is a way to get off the boat easily.

[casofilia]

Be at the exit point about 45-60 minutes BEFORE the boat docks and then walk very fast!!

[lovedestiny]

Be ready to join the line well before the call time. Pack/clear your tab by late afternoon the day before.

[Jezo]

Be at the exit point about 45-60 minutes BEFORE the boat docks and then walk very fast!!

 

Where is the exit point so we dont end up waiting for an hour in the wrong spot?

 

I dont mind getting stuck in a bit of a normal line when at customs and getting off the ship, I just dont want to be in this terror I read of 5,000 people all stuck for hours in a line that goes both around the terminal and inside the ship itself.

[casofilia]

Where is the exit point so we dont end up waiting for an hour in the wrong spot?

 

It depends on the deck and side that you will exit from. You will see them setting up the exit paraphernalia quite early. Almost certainly on the Promenade deck.

[mjkacmom]

After getting off the ship, grab a porter to get through customs faster, worth the $.

[mking8288]

For the BA, ship can arrive back in NY as early as 5 or 6 AM & docked before 7 AM ... but, the earliest (for most sailing, there are many "random" exceptions ... i.e. our sightseeing whales had been spotted as far north as GW Bridge last month chasing school of fishes (food) with marine traffic being asked to exercise care) for self disembarkation is often between 7:30 and 8 AM. CBP does NOT show up any earlier ... even if the dock is ready & porters are there, etc. to start the processing.

 

Folks are known to skip even cont'l breakfast & join the line as early as 6 to 6:30 AM, could be hundreds standing on both ends of the BA as two gangways are used - but, kept away by crew from hanging out around deck 7. Use the AFT stairs as elevators are typically jammed full - there's only one set of escalators & stairs (elevators only for the accessible) to get close to the gangway once they are ready.

 

Not everyone is eager to rush off the ship, eventually - all will be asked to disembark but perhaps a thousand people trying and cutting in to get off isn't exaggerated. Delays and backups are typically inside the arrival halls, even before reaching the luggage holding area (being setup) - you will be pushing, pulling & backpacking your way to reach CBP's booth further ahead, from the back/far end of the pier building (into the Hudson River) & work your way to the uniformed officers, making sure your ID's/passports & customs declaration form are fully filled up & ready.

 

Some of these are within NCL's control but many are NOT, subject to security & CBP procedures on the day of disembarkation ... thus, efforts to make any late morning trains, bus departure, tours or flights, etc. are always risky ... no matter what anyone "promised" otherwise. But, if you do want to roll the dices, feel free and be sure to have top-notch travel insurance to cover delays ... as NCL's optional plan purchased usually do NOT.

 

The shorter line to exit the pier is to "engage" the services of a porter, who will assist you with your luggage thru their dedicated lane thru the CBP area, and get you out to 12th Ave - it's a long walk with luggage in tow, well worth the investment in tipping ... easily save you an extra 15 to 30 minutes.

[MareQ]

We got off the boat around 8:15, cleared through customs and were waiting outside for our pick up sometime around 8:35 or so. We were in the Haven so we did not have to wait for an elevator and exited forward not aft but the only lines we had were in customs. We bypassed that by getting a porter as soon as we could and they took us to a Customs Agent with no line.

 

Disembark aft if you can as early as possible, make sure you are on the floor you need to be on already so you are not one of hundreds of people waiting for the elevators and grab a porter if there's a line in customs already.

[BirdTravels]

Be at the exit point about 45-60 minutes BEFORE the boat docks and then walk very fast!!

 

The BA docks long before the "arrival time" and CBP is ready to process disembarkation.

 

Be in line about 45 minutes before easy walk-off starts. You still have to clear ship's security (mostly that your final payment cleared on morning of disembarkation). You still have to get down the gangway and through the terminal with all of the people who "think" that they can handle their own luggage (not), through the baggage hall, and into customs. Then out of the terminal and across the street if you are trying to get a cab.

 

Remember that there are 1000 people and 2000 pieces of luggage and hand carries whonhave the exact same idea.

Edited December 29, 2016 by BirdTravels

[momoftwinteens]

I absolutely agree with getting off aft. We did that last March and we're off the ship and through customs in probably 30 minutes

 

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[hladygirl]

Our cruise this fall on the dawn they made us all go to the bliss to wait. We had to line up our luggage and when we were cleared they had us exit in a line according to luggage in line. That was a first.

[HockeyChick15]

Getting off aft is best - be ready to go before they announce walk off in the morning. On our last cruise in Oct it took us 20 minutes from leaving our room to getting in our car on the pier. Didn't even wait thru customs.

 

 

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[luckyinpa]

anyone who doesnt do the porter is nuts lol

 

that being said, how much do you tip if you just go through to the other side of customs

 

i've always used them to walk me to the car and gave 20.

[barbpol]

I've been on the Breakaway twice. One time it was the easiest disembark I've ever had literally walking at a brisk pace off the ship and through customs, the other time it was the absolute worst experience with hours waiting in line on the ship. We didn't do anything different either time.

[fairygirl1]

For the BA, ship can arrive back in NY as early as 5 or 6 AM & docked before 7 AM ... but, the earliest (for most sailing, there are many "random" exceptions ... i.e. our sightseeing whales had been spotted as far north as GW Bridge last month chasing school of fishes (food) with marine traffic being asked to exercise care) for self disembarkation is often between 7:30 and 8 AM. CBP does NOT show up any earlier ... even if the dock is ready & porters are there, etc. to start the processing.

 

Folks are known to skip even cont'l breakfast & join the line as early as 6 to 6:30 AM, could be hundreds standing on both ends of the BA as two gangways are used - but, kept away by crew from hanging out around deck 7. Use the AFT stairs as elevators are typically jammed full - there's only one set of escalators & stairs (elevators only for the accessible) to get close to the gangway once they are ready.

 

Not everyone is eager to rush off the ship, eventually - all will be asked to disembark but perhaps a thousand people trying and cutting in to get off isn't exaggerated. Delays and backups are typically inside the arrival halls, even before reaching the luggage holding area (being setup) - you will be pushing, pulling & backpacking your way to reach CBP's booth further ahead, from the back/far end of the pier building (into the Hudson River) & work your way to the uniformed officers, making sure your ID's/passports & customs declaration form are fully filled up & ready.

 

Some of these are within NCL's control but many are NOT, subject to security & CBP procedures on the day of disembarkation ... thus, efforts to make any late morning trains, bus departure, tours or flights, etc. are always risky ... no matter what anyone "promised" otherwise. But, if you do want to roll the dices, feel free and be sure to have top-notch travel insurance to cover delays ... as NCL's optional plan purchased usually do NOT.

 

The shorter line to exit the pier is to "engage" the services of a porter, who will assist you with your luggage thru their dedicated lane thru the CBP area, and get you out to 12th Ave - it's a long walk with luggage in tow, well worth the investment in tipping ... easily save you an extra 15 to 30 minutes.

 

Can I ask-how do you get a porter and what do you typically pay? I've never usec one before..... thx!!

[mking8288]

Can I ask-how do you get a porter and what do you typically pay? I've never usec one before..... thx!!

Once you are off the ship and downstairs, heading for the luggage hall (bags are sorted, color-coded) and before walking further out toward CBP's booth/checkpoint, the porters are there & easy to spot, each of them will have a cart ... big enough to haul a family's generous # of luggage. They will help place/collect and move your bags, heavy or not - even your backpacks & lighter items unless you insist on keep them yourself - and escort/proceed to bypass the regular line ... there's an exclusive/dedicated lane for them only (and, I don't think it mattered whether you are U.S. or nationals; or, visitors with foreign passports ... very useful as those move even slower due to extra screening)

 

This can save you anywhere from 10 or 15 minutes to half an hour or more, as sometimes, there can be two or three hundreds already in the "regular" roped lines. Porter will ask/or just tell him whether you are parked on the roof or need to go outside for a taxi or meet the car service, or getting picked up by the "family" limo (just kidding) - for insurance reasons, they are not supposed to go across 12th Avenue but many will go out of the way.

 

It's still a pretty long & slow walk with dozens ahead moving & struggling with all the heavy luggage on their own ... $10, $15 or $20 aren't too much, iMO for his 15 to 20+ minutes of personal services, depending on # of luggage. Afterall, it's customary to tip the porter when dropping off the bags for embarkation at the suggested rate of $2 per bag (in NYC) & they don't have to personally walk/escort the bags & you thru the bypass/shortcut.

[Jezo]

Getting off aft is best - be ready to go before they announce walk off in the morning. On our last cruise in Oct it took us 20 minutes from leaving our room to getting in our car on the pier. Didn't even wait thru customs.

 

 

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Were you down in line at 6am?

 

Sounds like we need to be on deck 7 before dawn on order to get a chance to get off the ship.

 

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[Wilbsy]

We carried our own bags off and didn't get up early enough so it took oven an hour just to get to Customs

 

The issue didn't seem to be with the ship as much as the Pier. We were all herded to one double door after getting off the boat. Some exited from the front of the ship some from the back. After going through the door to the pier there's an escalator that completely slows everything down, especially due to the individuals carrying their own luggage off.

 

If you are on the top floors, and HAVE to use the elevator to get down, get up even earlier. The elevators are packed with people riding them up, just to get down. People waited a half hour just to get on.

[vince_g]

Were you down in line at 6am?

 

Sounds like we need to be on deck 7 before dawn on order to get a chance to get off the ship.

 

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You should plan on getting down to deck 7 by 6:30 or so. It gets extremely zooey down there starting around 7, with people getting off the elevators and plowing through the crowd to get to the end of the line. Then there are the folks who have WAY too much luggage to be doing self assist, but it is their right, and they will do it even if it kills them.

 

My last time on BA, I got down to deck 7 around 6:45 and the line was only to the noodle bar. Ended up sitting at a slot machine to wait.

[antncille]

Our group will not be in any rush to get off the ship upon it's return. No flight to catch, etc... Having never been on a ship this big before, what would your advice be? Should we do our best to get off the ship early and follow the advice we have already seen on this thread? Or, since we are not in any rush, should we just wait it out, and leave after the mad rush? And, if we don't rush off the ship, where should we hang out/stay while waiting to get off? thanks.

[BirdTravels]

Our group will not be in any rush to get off the ship upon it's return. No flight to catch, etc... Having never been on a ship this big before, what would your advice be? Should we do our best to get off the ship early and follow the advice we have already seen on this thread? Or, since we are not in any rush, should we just wait it out, and leave after the mad rush? And, if we don't rush off the ship, where should we hang out/stay while waiting to get off? thanks.

 

Thousands of people want to "get off quick". Pull a late bag tag color. Let the porters take you bags off. Have a liesirly breakfast and take your time off.

[luckyinpa]

Thousands of people want to "get off quick". Pull a late bag tag color. Let the porters take you bags off. Have a liesirly breakfast and take your time off.

 

the problem with this is it may not avoid the lines. ive been waiting in the terminal 2x to board, where it was after 1030 or 11 and still saw people outside waiting to enter the terminal to head down the escalators.

[cage keeper]

Thousands of people want to "get off quick". Pull a late bag tag color. Let the porters take you bags off. Have a liesirly breakfast and take your time off.

 

How long can we stay and where to we park it if we are not in a big hurry to get off? It's almost 2 years from our last Breakaway cruise but I don't remember any big waits. Yes, the elevators were a night mare. Then I think we got in a line and it just kept moving. Also is the buffet the only place open for breakfast?

[BostonGal35]

they need to do something with self walk offf. i see far too many elderly people and couples with small children trying to do self walk off. and people with too many bags, customs forms not filled out, ID's and ship cards not out and ready.