How early to board Insignia in NY?

[LB_NJ]

We have a summer sailing out of NYC on Insignia.  

 

How early can we board the ship?

 

We live in the area so not looking to spend anytime in NY that day, just spend as much time on the ship to get settled, etc.

[StanandJim]

Your Embarkation time will be listed on Page 4 of your Cruise Vacation Guide, a booklet which is sent out at about 45 days before the cruise.

On Oceania, the suite Guests get onboard first.  😇

[sammiedawg]

We’ve sailed out of  NYC a few times.  Never in a full suite but we were onboard by 11:30.  They call suites first, then they call PH, staterooms in descending order.  Any suite passengers arriving later will always have priority but they will move all lines continually.

If there is another ship using the same terminal, checkin might be moved onboard to the lounge.  O representatives are looking to direct their passengers straight to the ship.  

 

 

[pinotlover]

Your assigned boarding time will be in your Blue Book! 

[LB_NJ]

I am thinking of parking at the port so I may get there early (e.g., 10AM) can I check the luggage that early?

 

Thank you for all the assistance so far.

Edited March 3, 2019 by LB_NJ
Needed to add something.

[pinotlover]

What time does your Blue Book say to board???

 

10:00 is probably pushing it, no guarantees. Maybe yes, maybe NO! 11:00 most probably!

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, LB_NJ said:

I am thinking of parking at the port so I may get there early (e.g., 10AM) can I check the luggage that early?

 

Thank you for all the assistance so far.

you could probably park & drop your bags  then  but check in may not be open yet

https://www.nycruise.com/manhattan-terminal/parking/

[CintiPam]

Unless one is flying in on embarkation day and have nowhere practical to go with all one’s luggage, I do not understand the interest/need to board before the time set forth in the lovely blue booklet which one receives somewhere around two months before the sailing date.  That is the earliest I would arrive.  (We received ours for our May 3 sailing one week ago and did the “happy dance.”). 

 

What several years ago was 3 pm now is 1 pm even for us “plebeian non-suite” cruisers, plenty of time IMO.  

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[LB_NJ]

11 minutes ago, CintiPam said:

Unless one is flying in on embarkation day and have nowhere practical to go with all one’s luggage, I do not understand the interest/need to board before the time set forth in the lovely blue booklet which one receives somewhere around two months before the sailing date.  That is the earliest I would arrive.  (We received ours for our May 3 sailing one week ago and did the “happy dance.”). 

 

What several years ago was 3 pm now is 1 pm even for us “plebeian non-suite” cruisers, plenty of time IMO.  

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

As I said above I plan on parking at the port so I want to get there early (eg 10AM)  to get a parking spot.

 

I do not want to drag my luggage around so I want to drop them off as soon as possible.  I will also have a couple carry on bags so just as soon not walk around the area.

[CintiPam]

3 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

As I said above I plan on parking at the port so I want to get there early (eg 10AM)  to get a parking spot.

 

I do not want to drag my luggage around so I want to drop them off as soon as possible.  I will also have a couple carry on bags so just as soon not walk around the area.

It is my understanding that more parking will be available AFTER 10 am when others debarking that morning will be gone.  However, although I lived in NYC I never sailed from there, and have not researched NYC port posts.

 

Best wishes from a Toms River, NJ native!

 

 

[Paulchili]

7 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

As I said above I plan on parking at the port so I want to get there early (eg 10AM)  to get a parking spot.

 

I do not want to drag my luggage around so I want to drop them off as soon as possible.  I will also have a couple carry on bags so just as soon not walk around the area.

I think the answer in your case might be dropping off (not checking it in) ALL your luggage, including carry-ons,  with your co-traveler at the port while you park the car. She /he can watch it until you get there and then both of you can wait in the terminal until check in opens.

[LB_NJ]

5 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

I think the answer in your case might be dropping off (not checking it in) ALL your luggage, including carry-ons,  with your co-traveler at the port while you park the car. She /he can watch it until you get there and then both of you can wait in the terminal until check in opens.

 

Thank you.  That is probably what we will do.

[pinotlover]

What time does your Blue Book say you can board?

[LHT28]

Wow  I thought Miami port parking was pricey  but $40 pd  is  outrageous

[pinotlover]

The OP claims to “ live in the area”! Why would anyone drive and park and pay those fees in lieu of all the other transportation options around the City?

[Paulchili]

56 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Wow  I thought Miami port parking was pricey  but $40 pd  is  outrageous

I am sure that there are many places in Manhattan (and downtown SF) that charge $12 - $15/hour 

[CintiPam]

3 hours ago, pinotlover said:

The OP claims to “ live in the area”! Why would anyone drive and park and pay those fees in lieu of all the other transportation options around the City?

Pinotlover, that is an excellent point.  In addition to private van services, there is very good Uber service.  I have used Uber often in both North Jersey, where our children reside, and Manhattan.  

 

Even out here in Cincinnati I have switched from parking at the airport to using Uber if I will be away more than ten days.

[LB_NJ]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

The OP claims to “ live in the area”! Why would anyone drive and park and pay those fees in lieu of all the other transportation options around the City?

 

I don't like Uber/Lyft so my reasonable options to get to the port are:

 

1. Limo - haven't checked prices but I am guessing about $200 each way. So driving and parking at the port saves about $100 for a 7 day trip and I personally don't see it as really being any less convenient.

 

2. Mass transit, either commuter train to Penn Station or commuter bus to Port Authority and then from either a taxi to the port.  Some of least expensive commuter train parking (I don't commute so I don't have a parking permit) is at the Amtrak Metropark station, I think it is now $6 a day.  Both of these are great options for spending a day in NY however I do not really want to drag the luggage onto a train/bus and then through Penn Station or Port Authority if I don't have to.  This option at best saves round $140 over driving and parking at the port for a 7 day cruise.  There are also commuter ferries however I don't see them as being less expensive or more convenient.

 

3. New York is an expensive place to park.  While it might be a little cheaper not right at the port I then have to get a taxi and deal with that.

[Mura]

Parking prices in NYC are horrendous, and midtown is worse.  I was horrified at the prices when I first arrived in NYC in the spring of 1970.  I was comparing them to hourly parking prices in Beverly Hills at the time.  There was no comparison.  It hasn't gotten better!

 

There was a time -- years ago -- when I used long term parking at JFK for a relatively short trip (7-14 days, I don't recall), and that worked out very well.  I could even uses my EasyPass to pay the fee when leaving. But I haven't used long term parking anywhere in NYC for many years because those prices increased tremendously as well.

 

When flying out of Newark I found it advantageous to use the parking lots around the airport.  Parking there for up to 14 days could cost less than cab fare to and from Brooklyn.  They also give free shuttle service to and from the airport (of course you should tip the driver).  So that was one reason why we tried to fly out of Newark rather than JFK.  OTOH, cab fire to JFK for us is cheaper than to Newark.

 

Living here, we always have taken a cab to the NYC pier because we live close enough (in Brooklyn Heights) that trying to park at the port was never a consideration.  But for someone living in the area who has a 7-10 day cruise, it might well be worth it.

 

Let's not judge ...

 

Mura

 

[bradpole]

On 3/3/2019 at 4:22 PM, LHT28 said:

Wow  I thought Miami port parking was pricey  but $40 pd  is  outrageous

I agree, but it is Manhattan!  I researched other options rather than parking at the pier but in the end the convenience won out for us and we paid the ransom and parked at the pier.  

 

To the OP, we have sailed r/t from Manhattan on Insignia the past two summers.  Both times we arrived at the pier around 10, earlier than what we had preferred, but given how unpredictable traffic in North Jersey/NYC can be we'd rather be early!  Both times we were able to check our luggage that early.  We had to bring it down from the parking on the roof to the terminal level both times they were collecting luggage up on the parking deck but it was the other ships in port with us that day, they weren't expecting any Insignia guests to be parking at the pier.  

 

This past August Insignia had the entire pier to herself, once the checkin lines opened around 11 they called the suites, then concierge, then everyone else.  The prior year (2017) we were sharing the pier with a NCL ship.  Before going through security we were directed to shorter security line for NCL suites and Insignia guests.  After going through security we were directed to wait in a side room with other Insignia passengers and when they were ready to begin checkin they called the cabin categories to proceed aboard and we were processed in the show lounge.  Both times very quick and easy!  

[LB_NJ]

We are sharing the pier with a 4000+ PAX NCL ship so I expect the pier to be busy.

[Mura]

Many people seem to think (primarily newbies I would assume) that things change from ship to ship.  On a bigger line that can  be true, but the "R" ships are pretty much the same as are the "O" ships -- in terms of rooms and service, at least.

 

As to boarding times, the vast majority of our cruises (no matter on which ship we were sailing) have had boarding for  suites at 11am and for lower level cabins at 1pm.  But it can also depend on when the ship actually arrives as well as when it is scheduled to depart.  Most of our cruises have left port at 6pm, but some have left at 10 or 11pm.  Likewise, the ship usually arrives early in the morning so that departing passengers can be off by 9am, allowing the room stewards to turn the ship around in just a few hours.

 

So it's really not possible for us to give you an absolute answer to a question like that "when is boarding on Insignia in NYC".  Probably suites at 11, lower level cabins at 1 ... but that isn't a promise by any means!

 

Mura

 

[azam71209]

If  you are a fan of maritime museums, there is a great one just a short walk from the ship at pier 86. We boarded, had lunch and then spent a couple of hours at the museum, which is a converted aircraft carrier, the Intrepid. See Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. 

 

Mary