B2B from Cape Liberty - what can we do on turnaround day?

[Missusdubbya]

We are on a Vision of the Seas B2B which arrives and departs from Cape Liberty on October 23, arrival 7am, departure 5pm.

 

Any suggestions for what to do on turnaround day?

 

We haven't ever visited New York, and I can see we can take a taxi to the light rail station, then light rail with one change to the city. However, this may be too time consuming for a brief visit. Any advice here?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

[138east]

We are on a Vision of the Seas B2B which arrives and departs from Cape Liberty on October 23, arrival 7am, departure 5pm.

 

Any suggestions for what to do on turnaround day?

 

We haven't ever visited New York, and I can see we can take a taxi to the light rail station, then light rail with one change to the city. However, this may be too time consuming for a brief visit. Any advice here?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

You're on an unusual cruise. Are there any excursions being offered? Will you have a cell phone?

 

The easiest excursion is to go to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ. That would be a taxi from the port to Liberty State Park and a taxi back. It would also be possible to continue from the SOL to lower Manhattan and walk up Broadway past Wall St and Trinity Church to the 911 memorial area. Then you would take PATH one stop to Exchange Place Jersey City for the 8th Ave Bayonne light rail back to 34th St.

 

Is there a particular place in NYC you've always wanted to see? If you don't have a cell phone to call a taxi, then you need to get back to Exchange Place where you can go in the Hyatt and have them get you a cab.

 

Another issue is how quickly you can disembark to do all this. Normally guest services has all the B2B folks get off together around 10 am, go through customs and immigration together, and reboard together.

[sddsddean]

We did a b2b at Cape Liberty a few years ago (and we've got another later this year). The first time, admittedly we arrived just after a storm had dumped 2 feet of snow on the dockside(!), but we didn't get off to do the US Border thing until about 11. Bear in mind, that although the ship sails at 5, you will have to do muster drill again and 'all aboard' is normally earlier on embarkation day, so you will probably have to be on the ship about 3. Unless anyone knows better, I'd be inclined to just plan to have the ship to yourselves for the day and enjoy the free lunch (if there are enough b2b er's on board). By the time you get anywhere, it will almost be time to start heading back...annoying I know, but better than missing the ship!

 

Simon

[138east]

You really do have to check with guest services to see what is actually possible. However, you can organize a plan of what you want to do assuming you can get off the ship immediately.

 

At a minimum you should be able to take a local shuttle to the shopping center if you need anything like wine or sundries after your crossing.

[Missusdubbya]

You're on an unusual cruise. Are there any excursions being offered? Will you have a cell phone?

 

It is an unusual cruise, Quebec to New York and then New York to Galveston. We will have our cell phones (although as Aussies they are not always reliable o/s).

 

Thanks for the advice on the SOL and Ellis Island option, definitely an option!

[Missusdubbya]

but we didn't get off to do the US Border thing until about 11

 

I think we will have done this at an earlier port like Portland, so we might have a bit more time up our sleeve

[Missusdubbya]

I think we will have done this at an earlier port like Portland, so we might have a bit more time up our sleeve

 

Thanks everyone for your advice, much appreciated

[138east]

https://www.statuecruises.com/statue-liberty-and-ellis-island-tickets#/

 

At that time of year no real reason to buy advance tickets just to go to Liberty Island. Ferry schedule is important. Read the security instructions.

 

You are on a TA with Cape Liberty as a port stop. If you go through customs prior to arriving, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't get a full port day to go and do what you like.

[Missusdubbya]

thanks 138east

 

(and it is definitely not a TA, it is 2 one way cruises B2B with Cape Liberty as the 1st cruise disembarkation/2nd cruise embarkation so not really a port stop)

[sddsddean]

I think we will have done this at an earlier port like Portland, so we might have a bit more time up our sleeve

My experience with the US, it won't make any difference. We did a Cape Liberty - Cape Liberty cruise, had to go through border immigration and then did another CL - CL cruise and had to go through immigration again. When you get to Portland, you will just do it for that cruise. I'm sure they will make you do it again at CL.

 

 

Simon

[njhorseman]

My experience with the US, it won't make any difference. We did a Cape Liberty - Cape Liberty cruise, had to go through border immigration and then did another CL - CL cruise and had to go through immigration again. When you get to Portland, you will just do it for that cruise. I'm sure they will make you do it again at CL.

 

 

Simon

 

Your second CL-CL cruise visited at least one foreign country, hence you had to clear immigration at the end of that cruise even though you had already cleared it on your first cruise. Every time you leave the country you have to clear immigration upon your return.

 

I haven't looked at the poster's exact itinerary, but normally on a cruise that starts in Canada (or any foreign country) you have to clear US immigration at your first US port call, apparently Portland in their case, and then if all your subsequent port calls are in the US, which I suspect is the case on their cruise, you don't have to clear US immigration again upon disembarkation, because you didn't subsequently leave the US. However you would usually have to complete and turn in a US customs declaration form at your disembarkation port, but often that doesn't involve anything more complicated than handing it to someone upon your disembarkation, so the process is much quicker than the typical disembarkation clearance.

 

All that having been said I've seen US Customs and Border Protection change its procedures from time to time and require a full clearance at disembarkation despite the ship having made a previous US port call not followed by any further foreign port calls. As a result you can't say with any certainty how immigration and customs clearance will be handled at disembarkation.

[Missusdubbya]

Thanks for the immigration advice, I will be ready for anything [emoji1]

 

 

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