Getting picked up after a cruise in NYC

[myra711]

I'll be getting off the Dawn a week from Saturday (two days to cruise!) and I'm not sure when to tell my husband to be there to pick me up.  If I ask him to be there at at 10 AM, what is a reasonable time to leave the ship, given lines to get off the ship and lines to get through customs?  This is my first Dawn cruise, and I'm hoping that there will be less chaos and wait-time to get off the ship.  I won't be a "walk-off".  

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Sauer-kraut]

You really won't be allowed to be on the ship past 9:30 and if you are last off the terminal won't be crowded.  However, traffic outside might be a mess because of people waiting for cabs and other transport.

[MrMike45]

Best bet...have him park somewhere near by, and then give him a call when you are walking down the gangway before you get into the customs building.  From that point it's about 30 mins until you are on the street with your luggage (roughly).  This is what we do with all our cruises/pickups 

[bones774]

12 minutes ago, MrMike45 said:

Best bet...have him park somewhere near by, and then give him a call when you are walking down the gangway before you get into the customs building.  From that point it's about 30 mins until you are on the street with your luggage (roughly).  This is what we do with all our cruises/pickups 

Make sure he waits/parks legally, enforcement agents are swarming to give tickets. They scan your windshield sticker with their device and bingo, you're ticketed, no chance to talk

[myra711]

Thanks for your input.  I think that I would rather wait for him than have him wait for me!  I will pay attention to what happens and post here for anyone else with this question.  

[kochleffel]

If you're not walking off with your luggage, you need to see what disembarkation time you get. Last year on the Gem - which the Dawn replaced at New York this season - it was possible to choose luggage tags starting at 8:00 a.m. on day 6 in the Atrium. Times are not entirely predictable, because docking could be delayed for any number of reasons, but you can at least select an early or late group. My experience was that U.S. immigration and customs took no time at all. I self-assisted so did not have to retrieve luggage after it was unloaded. Finding one's own appeared to take some time, so the estimate of 30 minutes from the gangplank is probably realistic.

 

If you can walk across the street and a little farther with your luggage, have your husband pick you up across the street from the terminal (northbound side) between 48th and 49th streets. The area directly across from the terminal is a taxi stand, and the near side of the street (southbound side) will already have passengers being dropped off for check-in.

[mking8288]

Based on our recent Dawn experience disembarking and also reading about other ones (returning from Canada/NE) - expect the ship to come in early & should be docked before/by 6 a.m.  However, porters aren't there until 7:30 or 8 am like CBP, and the earliest time for them to start off the Express Walkoff is about 7:30 am ... and it's far easier to "empty" a ship of 2,200+ pax instead of 4,300+ on the mega Escape, using 2 gangways.  

 

Unless your DH is coming from points in south/central/western end of NJ - you will have plenty of time to call him as the ship start to sail past the Rockaways & approach the VZ Bridge, whereby it is very easy to pickup a strong cellular land-based signal to make calls, no longer roaming or needing ship's satellite WiFi - to leave & come into NY to have you picked up.  

 

As noted, if you can manage your luggage (and/or use porter services for a faster exit ... well worth the extra, minor expense of tipping for the services & able to fast track thru CBP) - you should definitely be able to reach the "outside" area on 12th Avenue at the cruise terminal by 9:45 to 10 a.m.   Traffic in that area is not as light on a Saturday vs. Sunday but if you walk across 12th Ave & up one block to W. 49th Street, one-way running from 11th Avenue toward 12th Ave (facing the Hudson River) ... with a bus stop on the corner.  That would be a good area to wait for him to pull up & jump in to head home.  Have him find a parking spot (avoid those no-standing & no-stopping zones, watch for the signage) on W. 49th Street or perhaps nearby on 11th Avenue, and only turn or come down that block when you are cleared & on 12th Avenue, waiting or ready to cross W. 48th Street.  NYPD and traffic agents were there "chasing" cars & drivers away & to keep moving along 12th Avenue.  Otherwise, go mid-block east toward 11th Avenue on W. 48th Street, as it will be easier for anyone to pull over without getting horned at ... far too many car services, Uber/Lyft & limo all trying to wait right at that corner, making it unsafe & dangerous to stop or pull over & double-park to wait.  

[skynyrd]

Jack said to tell him to be there at 11:00.