Picking departure time from Penn Station

[paulporter77]

Which train departure time should I reserve at Penn Station after arriving on the QM2 on a Friday (30June).  Any problem disembarking and taking a Taxi and catching a train departing at 11:02?  What about a 10:03 departure?  Cunard warns against reserving Penn Station departures prior to noon.

[steve4031]

Where are you trying to go?

 

If you are traveling to points between New York and Richmond, you will have several choices.  If you are taking the train further south on one of the Silver Service trains then I recommend taking the Silver Meteor which departs later.  

[Mickb]

We took the train to Florida and it left mid/late afternoon. It took ages to disembark so for peace of mind - the later the better

[Covepointcruiser]

We had a driver transfer to Penn Station and had no problem catching a 10:40 AM train on 12/22.

 

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

We had a driver transfer to Penn Station and had no problem catching a 10:40 AM train on 12/22.

 

You were lucky to have an on time arrival, a smooth debarkation, and good connection.  10:03 is really pushing it.

[amias]

We did this last June, traveling from Penn Station to Norfolk, VA. Disembarkation was very slow then we had to wait quite a while for a taxi. The journey - in NYC traffic - took close to an hour. Our departure from Penn was at about 1pm (I think) and I would have worried about making an earlier train. We will be doing the same itinerary late May but will make sure we arrange for a driver instead of a taxi this time.

[paulco]

Spend the night in NY!

[Lakesregion]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

You were lucky to have an on time arrival, a smooth debarkation, and good connection.  10:03 is really pushing it.

Plan on at least one hour from Red Hook to Penn Station, then 15 minutes in the station. I always book a 2 pm train headed to Boston . If you arrive earlier than your booked train you can always try to change the ticker to an earlier train. Why ruin a relaxing cruise with a heart ending ride from Red Hook to Penn Station after pushing trough customs and all the rest of the debarking hassle.

[navybankerteacher]

18 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

Plan on at least one hour from Red Hook to Penn Station, then 15 minutes in the station. I always book a 2 pm train headed to Boston . If you arrive earlier than your booked train you can always try to change the ticker to an earlier train. Why ruin a relaxing cruise with a heart ending ride from Red Hook to Penn Station after pushing trough customs and all the rest of the debarking hassle.

There are people who like to push the envelope.  Those who manage to get from ship to plane or train in record time are delighted to chat about it.  You rarely (if ever) see posts from people who tried to make close connections and wound up missing flights or trains -- no one wants to admit having lost a risky bet.  That is why we often see posts from folks who "always" come out ahead in shipboard casinos -- but never from people who regularly lose.   Of course, the people who REALLY know how casinos work (the guys who own and operate them) are in business because they know that, at the end of the day, the customer always loses.

[Starstruckharper]

Depending on traffic, the ferry from Red Hook to pier 11/Wall Street + a brief walk to South Ferry + the 1 train could get you to Penn Station faster, if you don't mind carrying your own luggage. The ferry only runs once an hour though.

Edited February 24, 2023 by Starstruckharper
Added details

[tv24]

Folks are offering good advice, and so is Cunard.  Don't expect to catch a train from Penn Station before Noon.  Lots of delays getting through immigration at the Brooklyn terminal and the cab ride to Penn Station can be very slow due to congestion.  Ferry/subway as Starstruckhaprper suggests is great, but only if you have very light luggage and are not a person of a certain age (like me!).