Questions about 9 day Caribbean aboard Gem

[Rockyhill]

Seniot moment! I thought it was for GOING to the cruise! My only worry would be if the ship docked later than usual (this happened to us and we didnt start disembarking till almost 12 :eek:)

 

Thanks for the alert. Booked second flight out at 3:45 as back up. Now I can sleep well tonight, if I don't forget to go to bed!:eek:

[mommyto2girls]

Little confused. Our flight leaves Newark at 1:40pm the day the ship returns from our 9day cruise. The itinerary says the ship arrives NY at 10:00am.

 

We have never docked later than 8 a.m. we are usually home by 10:30 and we live 15 minutes from the port.

[mizLORInj]

I would keep the 1:40 flight.

The last time it came back it docked at 7 and people were debarking at 7:30. Reported by someone who came back on it last Monday. I asked the same question since I'm on the 9 nighter in April and it says 10am return.

It also says 10am return for the 11/15 1 nighter and I'm sure we'll be back before 10am!

[mking8288]

We're on the Gem last year shortly after Hurricane Sandy and the pier wasn't in the best shape, we sailed up the Hudson around 7 AM and were pulling into Pier 90 by 7:30 AM to dock. Took a little time to prepare the gangway & wait for the ship to be cleared, just make sure you do the Express Self Walkoff (since you are flying & presumably traveling light ...) as along with the Priority Disembarkation, those folks were coming off the ship by 9 AM - the lines were still long. We opted for the leisure way and we're out by 10 AM & walk across 12th Avenue to the Taxi Stand - plenty of yellow cabs waiting. Our eDocs showed a 10 AM arrival back in NY but we're advised of a 8 AM once we're onboard - and on the last evening, we made good timing coming up the coast & were going very slow (around 15 knots) in the early morning hours & then 12 knots approaching Sandy Hook (lighthouse).

 

Going to EWR, cab ride by yellow taxi is considered expensive by many here, do consider pre-booking with Dial 7 and/or Carmel (which is our preferred one) and call them before leaving NY & let dispatch note in the system that you would call when ready for pickup, once you cleared CBP. It's a good 10 minutes walk out to 12th Avenue and by the time you call & have them dispatch the black car/minivan - it should be in the vicinity and/or waiting for you across 12th Avenue @ 48th Street, as they sometimes allow car service to come up into the pier (2nd. level/upstairs) to pickup while sending everyone outside at other times.

 

If you have smartphone & your air carrier has mobile online check-in, you can do that in the early morning as you will have land-based cellular signal while you are still at sea, coming up the Lower Bay into NY harbor - that's plenty of time to check-in. You can print your BP using the self-service kiosk once you are at EWR and get help with checking luggages if not doing carry-ons - no need to print any paper ones on the ship. We just wave & show our bar-coded BP on the smartphone going thru TSA at the airport last time.

 

Even with moderate traffic leaving via the Lincoln Tunnel, closest to the Pier, travel time to EWR should not take more than 45 minutes to 1 hour, and as long as you are in a taxi or car service by 11:20 AM, you should be fine with checking in & clearing airport security - Newark has a poor reputation among FT's for TSA bottlenecks on top of delays on the ground & in the air.

[boopsahoy]

Thanks for the alert. Booked second flight out at 3:45 as back up. Now I can sleep well tonight, if I don't forget to go to bed!:eek:

 

Smart!:D

[Rockyhill]

We're on the Gem last year shortly after Hurricane Sandy and the pier wasn't in the best shape, we sailed up the Hudson around 7 AM and were pulling into Pier 90 by 7:30 AM to dock. Took a little time to prepare the gangway & wait for the ship to be cleared, just make sure you do the Express Self Walkoff (since you are flying & presumably traveling light ...) as along with the Priority Disembarkation, those folks were coming off the ship by 9 AM - the lines were still long. We opted for the leisure way and we're out by 10 AM & walk across 12th Avenue to the Taxi Stand - plenty of yellow cabs waiting. Our eDocs showed a 10 AM arrival back in NY but we're advised of a 8 AM once we're onboard - and on the last evening, we made good timing coming up the coast & were going very slow (around 15 knots) in the early morning hours & then 12 knots approaching Sandy Hook (lighthouse).

 

Going to EWR, cab ride by yellow taxi is considered expensive by many here, do consider pre-booking with Dial 7 and/or Carmel (which is our preferred one) and call them before leaving NY & let dispatch note in the system that you would call when ready for pickup, once you cleared CBP. It's a good 10 minutes walk out to 12th Avenue and by the time you call & have them dispatch the black car/minivan - it should be in the vicinity and/or waiting for you across 12th Avenue @ 48th Street, as they sometimes allow car service to come up into the pier (2nd. level/upstairs) to pickup while sending everyone outside at other times.

 

If you have smartphone & your air carrier has mobile online check-in, you can do that in the early morning as you will have land-based cellular signal while you are still at sea, coming up the Lower Bay into NY harbor - that's plenty of time to check-in. You can print your BP using the self-service kiosk once you are at EWR and get help with checking luggages if not doing carry-ons - no need to print any paper ones on the ship. We just wave & show our bar-coded BP on the smartphone going thru TSA at the airport last time.

 

Even with moderate traffic leaving via the Lincoln Tunnel, closest to the Pier, travel time to EWR should not take more than 45 minutes to 1 hour, and as long as you are in a taxi or car service by 11:20 AM, you should be fine with checking in & clearing airport security - Newark has a poor reputation among FT's for TSA bottlenecks on top of delays on the ground & in the air.

 

Thanks mking now I can sleep. Will book with dial7 in the next couple days. But will keep the late flight for back up.

[spidybabe]

Get a porter to help get you thru customs. They have a designated line---no wait, right thru.....Will save a lot of time

Another private car service who is very good( we have been using them for years) is Four Twos

718 746 2222 ( better priced than dial 7)

Glad you booked backup

Safe sailing

[LaPrincesa]

Hello all. I'm just wondering about the ports of call on this cruise. We are scheduled in San Juan, St Maartens, St Thomas, and Samana. Can someone tell me wether each of these ports are tender or docking? Also, what I've heard about Samana is not very good, maybe the reason that NCL is changing that venue to Tortola later in the year. Maybe I should skip Samana and spend the day onboard and have the ship all to myself. :). What do you all think?

 

Did the 9 day on the Gem last December. We tendered in St. Thomas.

 

~ La Princesa

[davy jones]

Just off the 9 day cruise today.

 

I don't get the San Juan stop. Old San Juan is a good port, but arriving at 3PM is too late to go to the forts that close at 5 or 6 PM. We've been there before, so we just walked around town and returned to the ship for dinner.

 

St. Thomas - We were the only ship in port (big bonus). We also avoided the crowds and took a taxi to Emerald Beach, an underrated beach close to town.

 

St. Martin - Used Bernards SXM tour. I recommend them highly if it's your first time at SXM.

 

Samana - Went to Cayo Levantado beach. A good day.

 

Walk off debarkation started at just before 8AM today. They may say 10AM because the ship is running all our pretty much all the way back from Samana and weather could slow it down a bit.