A winge about Shore Excursions!

[WestonOne]

I leave on a Transatlantic round trip tomorrow.  Had it been possible, my wife and I would have just stayed on the ship at New York, since we have both visited several times, but because US customs insist we get off, we decided to book a shore excursion to minimise the hassle.  (For other ports, we often just wander round, but because of immigration and a lot of passengers boarding fresh, we thought it would not be like wandering off at, say, Bergen, and then wandering back on again.  A Cunard excursion probably minimises that hassle.

The choice was limited to three(*), but we settled on a trip to Ellis Island.

On Friday an email came through saying it was cancelled and giving a refund.

Now there are just the two unappealing trips left:  hours in a coach, or that with a couple of hours walking tour as well.  Since my wife has had both hips and both knees replaced, we are happy to walk at our own pace, but not with a group for hours.

I am sure Cunard know their business, so they do not provide an extensive range of trips due to lack of demand, but, really, this is about as minimal as you can get.  New York has plenty more to offer than 'drive past this landmark.'

I am reluctant to organise my own, because of that anticipated boarding hassle. I might be able to do something like that from the ship, but am not hopeful.

(*) There is a fourth, but aimed at people with more serious mobility problems.  We didn't look before, but it is sold out now and I expect it is essentially another coach tour round New York.

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by WestonOne

[Wordzz]

If it helps at all, when we docked in New York recently we also didn't want to go on any tours. We waited until the last possible moment before disembarking (Cunard advise you to do this, and they made very clear announcements); by that time there were virtually no queues at immigration. We then had to walk out of the building and back in to the embarkation entrance, and sat in a 'lounge' (= a designated area of the shed that is Brooklyn cruise terminal) for around half an hour or so. Good wifi, so it passed fairly quickly, and reboarding went very smoothly. So all in all, a bit of a faff, but we wouldn't hesitate to 'stay on board' again in future.

 

 

[exlondoner]

50 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

I leave on a Transatlantic round trip tomorrow.  Had it been possible, my wife and I would have just stayed on the ship at New York, since we have both visited several times, but because US customs insist we get off, we decided to book a shore excursion to minimise the hassle. 


 

 I dont think it is customs, is it? I think it is immigration.

[WestonOne]

17 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 I dont think it is customs, is it? I think it is immigration.

You are quite right.  My mistake there. I just thought 'US officialdom' and stupidly named the wrong set.

Edited October 17, 2022 by WestonOne

[Glenndale]

We did something similar on a B2B Oceania cruise. Last to disembark and was able to re-board almost immediately no sitting in a waiting area, although this was in Miami not NYC.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Because NYC is a homeport for me, I've never had to deal with excursions there. But I do look to see what they offer, and nothing looks that good to me. I don't recall seeing an Ellis Island trip. OP, I'm sorry that was cancelled. it would have been worth your time. Cunard should offer more trips wtih a single focus, considering the time constraints.

 

For anyone who is considering one of Cunard's NYC excursions, I suggest you avoid the bus and "three stops" tour. I was just on the 14 day Canada cruise, and my table companions all had been on since Southampton. One woman said she did this tour, and there was no guidance other than when to get back to the bus. The stops were:

1. "Central Park and an art museum" (her description). This was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a terrible choice for an hour or so--it's huge! I don't know what I would choose to see in only one hour. I spend much longer than that when I go. She said the queue to get in was so long, she just went for a walk in the area. 

2. Rockefeller Center. It's a chance to see an iconic part of Manhattan, but not a lot to do other than look around. 

3. "Somewhere to see a church." Again, her description. From what she said, I guess it was near Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. 

 

To be fair to the tour, she got on the bus with no idea where she was going, but even if she had done some research/planning, it didn't sound like a good use of a day in NYC.

 

[TheOldBear]

There are two Southampton 'turn around' days for the M234A sailing - Tuesday 1 November & Sunday 13 November.

The VP shows a choice of _one_ scheduled tour to Stonehenge on the first, and nothing for the 13th.

 

We'll be taking some of John Bull's advice from the 'Sunday in Southampton' thread and visiting a local museum or two.

[exlondoner]

27 minutes ago, TheOldBear said:

There are two Southampton 'turn around' days for the M234A sailing - Tuesday 1 November & Sunday 13 November.

The VP shows a choice of _one_ scheduled tour to Stonehenge on the first, and nothing for the 13th.

 

We'll be taking some of John Bull's advice from the 'Sunday in Southampton' thread and visiting a local museum or two.

Above all, there won’t be any immigration hassle at Southampton.

[BigMac1953]

Just a suggestion:

 

In April, my son and his new wife had their honeymoon on board QM2 in Britannia Club (which was part of our present to them). We also bought them tickets for the Empire State building.

 

They were able to get the ferry from Red Hook to Wall Street, then up to 34th Street and went the short walk to the ES building.

 

They made it back on board early afternoon by doing the ferry in reverse.

 

They both thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

 

We've done quite a few round trips and will do so again next August.

[ballroom-cruisers]

Having experienced the zeroing (!) of the ship in NYC some years ago, the tedious immigration processing, and the need to queue to get back on board, we decided never again to do a TA - which is a shame really, as the TA itself was fabulous.  I just cannot see what the need is to get people off the ship and back on, when someone does not even want to step a foot on American soil for a back to back (or part of an onward voyage after NYC) where there is never any intention to be on US land. Seems quite bizarre and I am not aware of anywhere else that has anything remotely similar when a ship arrives with passengers who are only there in transit for an onwards voyage.

[exlondoner]

3 minutes ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

Having experienced the zeroing (!) of the ship in NYC some years ago, the tedious immigration processing, and the need to queue to get back on board, we decided never again to do a TA - which is a shame really, as the TA itself was fabulous.  I just cannot see what the need is to get people off the ship and back on, when someone does not even want to step a foot on American soil for a back to back (or part of an onward voyage after NYC) where there is never any intention to be on US land. Seems quite bizarre and I am not aware of anywhere else that has anything remotely similar when a ship arrives with passengers who are only there in transit for an onwards voyage.

Yes, I agree, it is completely ludicrous, and I cannot think of any benefit to anyone from doing this, except for keeping immigration officers in jobs.

[2BACRUISER]

16 hours ago, TheOldBear said:

There are two Southampton 'turn around' days for the M234A sailing - Tuesday 1 November & Sunday 13 November.

The VP shows a choice of _one_ scheduled tour to Stonehenge on the first, and nothing for the 13th.

 

We'll be taking some of John Bull's advice from the 'Sunday in Southampton' thread and visiting a local museum or two.

Can highly recommend the Maritime Museum, it had a superb Titanic exhibit and Southampton docks thro the ages exhibit. Well worth the entrance money, concessions if you qualify too. It certainly helped us kill a few hours as we had a latish boarding time on QV in August. HTH

[ballroom-cruisers]

16 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Yes, I agree, it is completely ludicrous, and I cannot think of any benefit to anyone from doing this, except for keeping immigration officers in jobs.

 

The one time we did get off in NYC and 'endured' the immigration processing, once 'cleared', fingerprinted, photographed, and dead pan immigration officer had stamped the passport, finally wishing us 'Have a nice day in New York', getting the ferry across to central NYC to meet my brother and his wife for lunch worked nicely. At least we did have something pleasant to do before having to be processed back onto the ship in the afternoon and the evening departure passing under the Verrazzano Narrows bridge during dinner glimpsed from well away from the MDR windows.

[Bedruthen]

There is a ferry dock right next to pier 12. You could take a ferry over to the Financial district and visit Battery Park and the 9/11 memorial. It would minimise the walking an keep you close to the terminal. If you haven’t been to the 9/11 Memorial and museum, I can highly recommend it.

[57eric]

On 10/19/2022 at 5:19 AM, ballroom-cruisers said:

 

The one time we did get off in NYC and 'endured' the immigration processing, once 'cleared', fingerprinted, photographed, and dead pan immigration officer had stamped the passport, finally wishing us 'Have a nice day in New York', getting the ferry across to central NYC to meet my brother and his wife for lunch worked nicely. At least we did have something pleasant to do before having to be processed back onto the ship in the afternoon and the evening departure passing under the Verrazzano Narrows bridge during dinner glimpsed from well away from the MDR windows.

What's involved in "having to be processed back onto the ship"?  I thought B2B passengers got return boarding cards before disembarking and simply walked on.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, 57eric said:

What's involved in "having to be processed back onto the ship"?  I thought B2B passengers got return boarding cards before disembarking and simply walked on.

Not in New York. Or any US port.

[57eric]

The poster (#13) had long since cleared immigration, so what it "the process" for reboarding to which they refer?

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, 57eric said:

The poster (#13) had long since cleared immigration, so what it "the process" for reboarding to which they refer?

Seems to involve sitting in a windowless shed for a couple of hours.

[mcloaked]

36 minutes ago, 57eric said:

The poster (#13) had long since cleared immigration, so what it "the process" for reboarding to which they refer?

 

Whether you have been out in the city or coming back from the immigration hall after disembarking in NYC, means you go into the departures 'shed' at the same entrance that you enter from outside for initial check-in, and check in again, and how long takes depends on how long the queue of people is to get to the next available desk - yes, if you are already checked in and have a cruise card, then it is a bit quicker than when first checking in for a new cruise in Redhook, but you still have to have your credentials checked, and go through the departures passport control again and go through security to get on the ship. Most other places in the world at ports, if you have got off the ship with your cruise card, you simply queue for the gangway after showing your card to one or more security officials between the portside entrance area and the gangway itself, and then scan your card in once just inside the ship entrance, and then go through security and the scanner, or the same within the terminal before getting on board.  A few places demand you take your passport as well, and have to clear customs/immigration/security in the port terminal, in which case you don't get security a second time on the ship, but just scan in as you step aboard - Venice is a port where this happens for example.

[57eric]

6 hours ago, mcloaked said:

 

Whether you have been out in the city or coming back from the immigration hall after disembarking in NYC, means you go into the departures 'shed' at the same entrance that you enter from outside for initial check-in, and check in again, and how long takes depends on how long the queue of people is to get to the next available desk - yes, if you are already checked in and have a cruise card, then it is a bit quicker than when first checking in for a new cruise in Redhook, but you still have to have your credentials checked, and go through the departures passport control again and go through security to get on the ship. Most other places in the world at ports, if you have got off the ship with your cruise card, you simply queue for the gangway after showing your card to one or more security officials between the portside entrance area and the gangway itself, and then scan your card in once just inside the ship entrance, and then go through security and the scanner, or the same within the terminal before getting on board.  A few places demand you take your passport as well, and have to clear customs/immigration/security in the port terminal, in which case you don't get security a second time on the ship, but just scan in as you step aboard - Venice is a port where this happens for example.

Thanks, I had no idea.  I assume that passengers who reboard directly from the immigration process can skip most of this.

 

Along with other posters, the zero count policy makes no sense to me. 

[Underwatr]

On 10/18/2022 at 12:25 PM, ballroom-cruisers said:

Having experienced the zeroing (!) of the ship in NYC some years ago, the tedious immigration processing, and the need to queue to get back on board, we decided never again to do a TA - which is a shame really, as the TA itself was fabulous.  I just cannot see what the need is to get people off the ship and back on, when someone does not even want to step a foot on American soil for a back to back (or part of an onward voyage after NYC) where there is never any intention to be on US land. Seems quite bizarre and I am not aware of anywhere else that has anything remotely similar when a ship arrives with passengers who are only there in transit for an onwards voyage.

I don't see the point of a TA in either direction just to turn around and head back. We did a few TAs - the first was an eastbound followed by a week in SE England and a flight home from Heathrow. The second was an eastbound to Hamburg with five days visiting friends we had met years earlier on a QM2 Christmas cruise, followed by the westbound return from Hamburg to New York.

My point is that there are other ways to do a QM2 TA than immediately flying or cruising home, and the meaningless hassle that you mention is eliminated. It's easy to research the year's crossings schedule to find the crossings in either direction that offer a return crossing 5-10 days later and these (or a return day or night flight a few days after the crossing) make much more sense to me. 

[ballroom-cruisers]

5 hours ago, Underwatr said:

I don't see the point of a TA in either direction just to turn around and head back. We did a few TAs - the first was an eastbound followed by a week in SE England and a flight home from Heathrow. The second was an eastbound to Hamburg with five days visiting friends we had met years earlier on a QM2 Christmas cruise, followed by the westbound return from Hamburg to New York.

My point is that there are other ways to do a QM2 TA than immediately flying or cruising home, and the meaningless hassle that you mention is eliminated. It's easy to research the year's crossings schedule to find the crossings in either direction that offer a return crossing 5-10 days later and these (or a return day or night flight a few days after the crossing) make much more sense to me. 

 

Any westbound TA heading to NYC will require you to be processed through US immigration, so you get that to enjoy irrespective of whether it is a B2B or travelling on to other destinations in America or flying back. Of course American citizens have a rather easier time returning home and being welcomed back compared to all others who are 'aliens'! Eastbound TA of course for 'aliens' means flying in to the US and going through immigration at the arrival airport, and then going through departure immigration and check-in for the TA. So whichever way you choose to do a TA as an 'alien' means you get to enjoy being processed through the system,. whether or not you add in extra days holiday on land.

[Jacqueline]

I was just on a Disney cruise, four days (plenty). But if course lots of people do back to back.

As of august, not only did the ship need to zero out, but all returning passengers had to pack all their belongings before disembarking and testing for covid. I guess they decided they didn’t want positive people back on the ship at all. 

[LB_NJ]

One of the reasons I love this forum is I get to learn new words I have never heard before, "winge."  Had to look it up on the internet.

 

Anyway, the US is one of the countries that does not allow people to transit through the US without going through immigration.  For example, if you use the US for an international flight transit you have the same problem.

 

Anyway, as other people have mentioned there is a ferry/water taxi right next to the pier.  You might want to check the schedules to see where it goes.  Assuming the weather is good when you dock.  The weather for this Sunday and Monday are iffy.

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, LB_NJ said:

One of the reasons I love this forum is I get to learn new words I have never heard before, "winge."  Had to look it up on the internet.

 

Anyway, the US is one of the countries that does not allow people to transit through the US without going through immigration.  For example, if you use the US for an international flight transit you have the same problem.

 

Anyway, as other people have mentioned there is a ferry/water taxi right next to the pier.  You might want to check the schedules to see where it goes.  Assuming the weather is good when you dock.  The weather for this Sunday and Monday are iffy.

I think in UK English, it is usually whinge, with an h.

 

The interesting question is why the US has this tedious policy. And why they think making people actually leave the ship, thereby setting foot on US terra firma, when they have no desire to,  is a good idea.