NYC disembarkation, what time to book flight home from EWR(most likely)

[TomBeckCruise]

We will be sailing on Polaris in April to Canada and NE.  We dock at NYC and expect to fly home from EWR at 12:30 p.m. if possible.

I can't find an arrival time at NYC, but the other cruise lines we have sailed on want you off the ship fairly early, so is 12:30 safe?

 

[CannotSwim]

I expect so. Viking typically wants you of the stateroom by 8:00 and off the boat mid morning, and they usually have trips to the airport starting hours before that.

 

One way to check: Find what Polaris is doing after your trip. If they are taking on passengers for a trip starting that day the ship will dock early so passengers can get off in the first part of the morning so all the rooms can be cleaned for the incoming passengers.

[shadowlover]

Do you know where you dock in NYC?  Depending on time and day it may take a while to get to EWR but once there you need about 2 hour prior to flight so you would need to arrive EWR by 10:30 at the latest.  I personally feel you would be fine with a 1230 flight especially if you have TSA precheck.

[Peregrina651]

It should say on your Viking Guest Statement the earliest time you should book flights. It is not on page one but in the section where they talk flights and offer you Viking transfer (for a fee). If not, contact Viking. 

 

Regardless, plan for the worst possible scenario and give yourself plenty of time.  It is New York City trafiic you are dealing with. Better sitting at your gate than in traffic or a TSA line or both. OR, buy Viking transfers and let them worry about the timing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dreamercruise]

I would use Uber or Lyft to get me to JFK or EWR. You may want to google how long the ride takes and cushion time for unexpected traffic (big variable) crossing the tunnel from NYC to New Jersey. If you disembark at 8AM, there should be no problem making a 12:30 pm flight from EWR with 3+ hrs to spare.

If you want to eliminate the risk of tunnel traffic, you may taxi or Uber to Grand Central Station to board a train (NJ coast line) directly (fare includes a connecting monorail) to EWR. Train ride is about 30 minutes total. The only traffic, in this case, is the relatively short, local NYC ride from cruise terminal to Grand Central Station.

Above comment is based on the assumption that that your cruise terminal is in Manhattan and not somewhere in New Jersey.

[Peregrina651]

Sometimes they have used Brooklyn.   

[Squawkman]

Corrections to dreamercruise’s post:  If you want to take a train to EWR, you need NJ Transit which you get at Penn Station - not Grand Central Station. Both Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast trains stop at EWR. You can get the schedule at https://www.njtransit.com/schedules/printable

[Mich3554]

Our experience on the Neptune last year was that Viking air was rescheduling everyone who was booked before 11 until after 1.  Despite us getting into NYC with plenty of time, they would not release the ship for while.  As I remember it, they finally allowed the first group off the ship at 9:15ish, we were in the second group that they released at 9:30, then stood in a very long line to get through customs.  We flew out of LGA, got there in time to check in, eat lunch and get on our 3 pm flight with about an hour to spare.
 

The big hold up was NYC officials would not release the ship.  This happened in FL when we got on, and in LA too.