Scheduling a car service for pickup at Brooklyn terminal after Princess cruise

[ams cruiser]

We will be disembarking from the Caribbean Princess Quebec to NYC cruise in mid-October, and plan to stay a few days in Manhattan before flying home.  Since we're not rushing to catch a flight, and we can't check into our hotel until 3 p.m. (although our hotel will let us leave our bags until check-in), we'd like to eat breakfast before getting off the ship. Is the buffet really crowded on that day, or is the dining room an option? Should we take our own luggage off the ship, or does it matter?  And most importantly, what would be a good time to schedule a pickup with a car service, since we'll have to go through customs?

 

Thanks, in advance, for any advice!

[138east]

Where is your hotel?

[AF-1]

I believe Princess requires all passengers to be off the ship no later than 9am.  So that should be good time to book a car service.

[ams cruiser]

3 hours ago, 138east said:

Where is your hotel?

Noble Den hotel on Grand and Mulberry, across from the Ferrara Bakery (Little Italy/Chinatown).  Friends who stay there every year recommended both the hotel and the car service (Quick Ride).  Since we were planning on booking Quick Ride to take us to JFK at the end of our stay, we thought we'd have them pick us up at Brooklyn Terminal and drop us at our hotel.  Does this make sense, or is it better to take a taxi?  Will there be a lot of traffic?

 

Thank you!

[ams cruiser]

2 hours ago, AF-1 said:

I believe Princess requires all passengers to be off the ship no later than 9am.  So that should be good time to book a car service.

Oh, okay.  I was hoping to book the car at around 10, thinking that traffic might be an issue?  We live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and everything is planned around traffic!

 

AF-1, I just realized that you were the person who helped me learn how to upload pictures from Shutterfly a couple of years ago.  It was for my first (and only) trip review.

You were so helpful, and I really appreciated your encouragement, and the time you took to give me a tutorial!

 

This is our first cruise since then, and I've felt like had to re-learn everything, from planning excursions to figuring out transportation.

 

Best regards,

 

Janet

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, AF-1 said:

I believe Princess requires all passengers to be off the ship no later than 9am.  So that should be good time to book a car service.

Admittedly I haven't cruised on Princess, but that sounds early based on the 9 or 10 other cruise lines I've been on. Usually they want you out of your cabin before 9 but typically the latest time to disembark the ship is somewhere between 9:30 and 10:30.

[ams cruiser]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Admittedly I haven't cruised on Princess, but that sounds early based on the 9 or 10 other cruise lines I've been on. Usually they want you out of your cabin before 9 but typically the latest time to disembark the ship is somewhere between 9:30 and 10:30.

I'm hoping this is this case.  I know we need to clear out of our cabin so that it can be cleaned, but it would be nice if we could meet the car at around 10:00 a.m.  (I'm guessing traffic would be better by then?) The few times we have cruised, we have always gotten off the ship early to head to the airport.  Thanks for your input!

 

[mking8288]

OP,  looks like you are disembarking on Monday, the 14th. - Columbus Day and traffic should be "slightly" lighter after the morning rush hour, the HOV restrictions nearby on the Gowanus Expwy really doesn't apply to your Lower Manhattan/Chinatown in-bound ride with Quick Ride CS.  They are a small Chinatown-based car services and probably best to book them ahead & re-confirm, tell them you are coming off a cruise & will call them on the morning to give them a more precise time; and, to request a pickup when you are ready at Red Hook.  You should have a solid cellular signal from land towers at least 30+ minutes before docking, as the ship approach the VZ Bridge and that's at least another 90+ minutes before your leisure disembarkation ... to be among the last off, especially if you still need to clear CBP formalities (check with Princess) ***  Their fleet of vehicles & drivers typically service Brooklyn, Queens & Chinatown, including airports, just not a large scale one like Carmel or Dial 7.  (you should have Carmel & Dial 7's phone #, just in case ... has happened to us before using our local car service)

 

Chinatown/Little Italty (very little of remaining, really) is heavily congested 7 days a week, actually worst on weekends and no thanks to bike-friendly lanes that reduce local streets to one lane of thru traffic, and watch out for commercial & delivery traffic parked AWAY from the curb (you will see what I mean ...) - getting there will take a little extra time, expect to sit & idle in traffic for longer than usual.  If your JFK flight is early & has an early pickup time, all is fine - adjust it accordingly, hotel's front desk can probably advise you too.  

 

*** We're on a Canada/NE cruise not too long ago, already cleared CBP at our Bar Harbor stop in Maine, yet - had to repeat again (show our passports) when we disembark in NY, after stopping at Portland & Newport along the way.  Luckily, we're not in a hurry, home being less than an hour away once we got out of the terminal & picked up.  

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, ams cruiser said:

I'm hoping this is this case.  I know we need to clear out of our cabin so that it can be cleaned, but it would be nice if we could meet the car at around 10:00 a.m.  (I'm guessing traffic would be better by then?) The few times we have cruised, we have always gotten off the ship early to head to the airport.  Thanks for your input!

 

You may want to ask about the latest possible disembarkation time on the Princess board.

[ams cruiser]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

OP,  looks like you are disembarking on Monday, the 14th. - Columbus Day and traffic should be "slightly" lighter after the morning rush hour, the HOV restrictions nearby on the Gowanus Expwy really doesn't apply to your Lower Manhattan/Chinatown in-bound ride with Quick Ride CS.  They are a small Chinatown-based car services and probably best to book them ahead & re-confirm, tell them you are coming off a cruise & will call them on the morning to give them a more precise time; and, to request a pickup when you are ready at Red Hook.  You should have a solid cellular signal from land towers at least 30+ minutes before docking, as the ship approach the VZ Bridge and that's at least another 90+ minutes before your leisure disembarkation ... to be among the last off, especially if you still need to clear CBP formalities (check with Princess) ***  Their fleet of vehicles & drivers typically service Brooklyn, Queens & Chinatown, including airports, just not a large scale one like Carmel or Dial 7.  (you should have Carmel & Dial 7's phone #, just in case ... has happened to us before using our local car service)

 

Chinatown/Little Italty (very little of remaining, really) is heavily congested 7 days a week, actually worst on weekends and no thanks to bike-friendly lanes that reduce local streets to one lane of thru traffic, and watch out for commercial & delivery traffic parked AWAY from the curb (you will see what I mean ...) - getting there will take a little extra time, expect to sit & idle in traffic for longer than usual.  If your JFK flight is early & has an early pickup time, all is fine - adjust it accordingly, hotel's front desk can probably advise you too.  

 

*** We're on a Canada/NE cruise not too long ago, already cleared CBP at our Bar Harbor stop in Maine, yet - had to repeat again (show our passports) when we disembark in NY, after stopping at Portland & Newport along the way.  Luckily, we're not in a hurry, home being less than an hour away once we got out of the terminal & picked up.  

Thank you so much for the comprehensive information!  Just to clarify, after Quick Ride knows our approximate disembarkation time, should I wait to call them again after we are already off of the ship?  I'm hoping if we can go through Customs at Bar Harbor (we're also stopping in Boston), there won't be much of a delay at Brooklyn.  Is there much of a wait for luggage when you disembark in Brooklyn?  (Our last cruise ended in Seattle, which had a special arrangement with cruise lines. We didn't even see our bags until we picked them up at our home airport.)

 

I definitely plan to call them to schedule transportation on both ends of our stay in NYC.  We are leaving on a Thursday from JFK, but I purposely scheduled a 7 a.m. flight, trying to avoid the worst of the commute traffic in both NYC and San Francisco when we land. Our friends who use Quick Ride regularly said that, even though the scheduling process seems very casual, their drivers have always shown up not time.  It sounds like a good idea to bring numbers for Carmel or Dial 7, just in case, unless you think a taxi or Uber/Lyft would be better back up?

 

As far as the traffic around our hotel, we're hoping that by taking the subway and walking, we can avoid the worst of it.  The last time we were in Manhattan several years ago (chaperoning our son's high school jazz band who were playing in the Essentially Ellington competition), one of the adults in our group made the mistake of buying a ticket for some kind of 2-day HOHO ticket.  She said that they sat in so much traffic, that after a few blocks, she hopped off and never got back on!  (But that was near Times Square, as I recall.)

 

The only time we are planning on taking a taxi or Uber/Lyft would be in the evenings, possibly after seeing a show.  Hopefully, the traffic will let up later in the evening?

 

Thanks so much, again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ams cruiser]

39 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

You may want to ask about the latest possible disembarkation time on the Princess board.

Sounds like a good idea, if some Princess cruisers don't chime in here.  I called the Princess number, and the person who tried to help me put me on hold for several minutes.  Finally, he came back on the line, and told me I should just ask at the Passenger Services desk when I get on board.  🙄

[138east]

Can you manage your luggage?  If so, you could consider taking the MTA ferry at your leisure from the Red Hook pier to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan and then doing Uber to your hotel.  All you need to do this is the ability to troll your luggage to the nearby ferry dock.  Details can be provided.

[ams cruiser]

3 minutes ago, 138east said:

Can you manage your luggage?  If so, you could consider taking the MTA ferry at your leisure from the Red Hook pier to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan and then doing Uber to your hotel.  All you need to do this is the ability to troll your luggage to the nearby ferry dock.  Details can be provided.

This sounds intriguing!  Is the ferry dock very far?  (We'll each have one suitcase on rollers, plus some kind of small backpack.)  What are the advantages of doing it this way?

[138east]

9 hours ago, ams cruiser said:

This sounds intriguing!  Is the ferry dock very far?  (We'll each have one suitcase on rollers, plus some kind of small backpack.)  What are the advantages of doing it this way?

The ferry dock is right next to the ship pier.  It’s just another option that gives you a 20 minute ride across the harbor to Pier 11 Wall Street with photo opportunities to finish off your cruise - in essence a $3/pp post cruise excursion.  It doesn’t have to be precisely scheduled with a car service.  You can just go with the flow disembarking at your leisure.

 

From Pier 11 you can just get a cab or Uber to your hotel in Little Italy, which is not that far away.

 

https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/route/south-brooklyn/

 

[mking8288]

15 hours ago, ams cruiser said:

... after Quick Ride knows our approximate disembarkation time, should I wait to call them again after we are already off of the ship?  ... leaving on a Thursday from JFK, but I purposely scheduled a 7 a.m. flight, trying to avoid the worst of the commute traffic in both NYC and San Francisco when we land ... a good idea to bring numbers for Carmel or Dial 7, just in case, unless you think a taxi or Uber/Lyft would be better back up?

As far as the traffic around our hotel, we're hoping that by taking the subway and walking, we can avoid the worst of it. HOHO ticket.
The only time we are planning on taking a taxi or Uber/Lyft would be in the evenings, possibly after seeing a show.

 

Call Quick Ride & explain, it is best to ask them how best to call & get picked up from the pier ... if they have you slotted, the driver/vehicle should be no more than 10 to 15 minutes away, while you do a short & leisure walk out to the outdoor pickup area at the terminal.  Most of us here has not sailed out of Red Hook, but with 1 ship using the terminal - I cannot imagine bags taking too long, best to ask on the Princess forum & roll call about others' recent experience with delays.  

 

Or, as suggested by 138east/Carol - consider the inexpensive ferry ride to Wall Street pier/Lower Manhattan, then, do Uber/taxi or even see if Quick Ride is available as it's a 10 to 15 minutes ride to Little Italty/Chinatown ... the congestion surcharge will still apply/fare should run around $20 with tips. 

 

For your 7 am flight, traffic at 4 or 4:15 a.m. should be relatively light, about 45 minutes to 1 hour at most (on average) to JFK ... unless you have Pre-Check, TSA lines can still be long so plan a little extra time, as many long haul ones leave at 6 or 7 a.m. (it's our "home" airport & we always fly pre-dawn to try to get ahead.)  

 

Weekdays, Little Italy offers price fixed set lunch & dinner at good, reasonable prices, check them out on Mulberry Street, and the few on Baxter Street, just around the corner ... ohterwise, you'll see more Asian fusion & Chinese dining outside the hotel surroundings.  

 

Subways are fine for evening travel to go back to the hotel, you are near the Grand Street station on Chrystie Street or Canal St - Lafayette St, both served by multiple lines to get around town.  Forget the surface buses, way too slow ... ditto the HoHo buses with the (expensive) passes.  Comfortable walking shoes are best, and unlike "Cisco" it's nearly all flat, no hills.  

[ams cruiser]

2 hours ago, mking8288 said:

 

Call Quick Ride & explain, it is best to ask them how best to call & get picked up from the pier ... if they have you slotted, the driver/vehicle should be no more than 10 to 15 minutes away, while you do a short & leisure walk out to the outdoor pickup area at the terminal.  Most of us here has not sailed out of Red Hook, but with 1 ship using the terminal - I cannot imagine bags taking too long, best to ask on the Princess forum & roll call about others' recent experience with delays.  

 

Or, as suggested by 138east/Carol - consider the inexpensive ferry ride to Wall Street pier/Lower Manhattan, then, do Uber/taxi or even see if Quick Ride is available as it's a 10 to 15 minutes ride to Little Italty/Chinatown ... the congestion surcharge will still apply/fare should run around $20 with tips. 

 

For your 7 am flight, traffic at 4 or 4:15 a.m. should be relatively light, about 45 minutes to 1 hour at most (on average) to JFK ... unless you have Pre-Check, TSA lines can still be long so plan a little extra time, as many long haul ones leave at 6 or 7 a.m. (it's our "home" airport & we always fly pre-dawn to try to get ahead.)  

 

Weekdays, Little Italy offers price fixed set lunch & dinner at good, reasonable prices, check them out on Mulberry Street, and the few on Baxter Street, just around the corner ... ohterwise, you'll see more Asian fusion & Chinese dining outside the hotel surroundings.  

 

Subways are fine for evening travel to go back to the hotel, you are near the Grand Street station on Chrystie Street or Canal St - Lafayette St, both served by multiple lines to get around town.  Forget the surface buses, way too slow ... ditto the HoHo buses with the (expensive) passes.  Comfortable walking shoes are best, and unlike "Cisco" it's nearly all flat, no hills.  

I honestly can't thank you enough for all of this helpful advice!   I will do a posting on the Princess boards to ask for specifics about Brooklyn terminal.   

 

We do have TSA pre-check, so would a 4 a.m. departure from our hotel be about right?

 

Really looking forward to eating in the city, especially Italian food. Do you have any particular favorite restaurants to recommend? It's pretty easy to get a good Chinese meal in our area, so not something we look for on vacation.

 

We will definitely have our comfortable walking shoes for the cobblestones of Quebec City, so we should be fine there.  So it's safe to take the subway after a late dinner or evening show?  (Honestly, I wouldn't do it on our BART system.)

 

Thanks, again, for helping to put my mind at ease in planning these last details.  

Edited August 25, 2019 by ams cruiser

[ams cruiser]

7 hours ago, 138east said:

The ferry dock is right next to the ship pier.  It’s just another option that gives you a 20 minute ride across the harbor to Pier 11 Wall Street with photo opportunities to finish off your cruise - in essence a $3/pp post cruise excursion.  It doesn’t have to be precisely scheduled with a car service.  You can just go with the flow disembarking at your leisure.

 

From Pier 11 you can just get a cab or Uber to your hotel in Little Italy, which is not that far away.

 

https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/route/south-brooklyn/

 

Just reading, this, and it actually sounds like a really good option, especially with the go with the flow scenario.  My husband was just saying that he would like to take a ferry circle cruise at some point during our brief stay. Thank you!

Edited August 25, 2019 by ams cruiser

[mking8288]

Here's a video, showing distance & walk time between the ferry & cruise terminal, about 7 to 8 minutes - there's another one showing the ride along the river from Lower Manhattan/Bklyn Bridge landing in DUMBO ... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcY8KcbUgN4 

 

Subways are fine for evenings returning to the hotel to/from popular tourist stops and the CT/LI station stops on Grand or Canal Street, just do not use the Bowery & Delancy one for your hotel.  4 a.m. pickup/trip to JFK should be fine - might want to pickup some nice breakfast buns/snacks the night before from local Chinatown bakery or stores - pop in the microwave, grab coffee & then ride out.  

 

As for what's good nearby, across the street is Ferrara Pastries & Cafe, a classic since 1892 ... it was our late night hangout place in the younger days.  Eileen's Cheesecake at 17 Cleveland Place (Kenmare & Centre Street) is the place, not Junior's in Brooklyn (we do have a nice one near us, too far & only locals know of them - in N.E. Queens) - a short 5 minutes or 3 blocks walk. 

 

For lunch or dinner, do a scroll up/down Mulberry to checkout menus & specials, posted outside (between Canal & Broome Street) ... checkout Umbertos Clam House, since 1972 (moved from its original location on the corner) known for its seafood & red clam sauce ... and clams casinos.  

https://www.umbertosclamhouse.com/

A block away really in the Chinatown section, on the corner - Vincent's - another spot for us back in the 80's since ... 

https://www.originalvincents.nyc/

Like other places, they offer weekday lunch & dinner specials, posted outside - check them out & if see another place you like, go for it ... most of them are survivors of post 9/11 slums & drop in tourism, support them.  

 

Seriously, for Chinese dining, I recommend H.K. Flower Lounge in Burlingame, on your way home/out to the SFO ... for dim sum, if you are like them (LOL, or any place in that area along the San Bruo corridor.)  Richmond was our favorite area then but not sure if we would go there on our next trip, given ... Nothing to recommend as you can get those just as good in the Bay area, probably for less or same $$.  

 

Enjoy your visit, cruise & welcome to the Big Apple. 

 

[ams cruiser]

4 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Here's a video, showing distance & walk time between the ferry & cruise terminal, about 7 to 8 minutes - there's another one showing the ride along the river from Lower Manhattan/Bklyn Bridge landing in DUMBO ... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcY8KcbUgN4 

 

Subways are fine for evenings returning to the hotel to/from popular tourist stops and the CT/LI station stops on Grand or Canal Street, just do not use the Bowery & Delancy one for your hotel.  4 a.m. pickup/trip to JFK should be fine - might want to pickup some nice breakfast buns/snacks the night before from local Chinatown bakery or stores - pop in the microwave, grab coffee & then ride out.  

 

As for what's good nearby, across the street is Ferrara Pastries & Cafe, a classic since 1892 ... it was our late night hangout place in the younger days.  Eileen's Cheesecake at 17 Cleveland Place (Kenmare & Centre Street) is the place, not Junior's in Brooklyn (we do have a nice one near us, too far & only locals know of them - in N.E. Queens) - a short 5 minutes or 3 blocks walk. 

 

For lunch or dinner, do a scroll up/down Mulberry to checkout menus & specials, posted outside (between Canal & Broome Street) ... checkout Umbertos Clam House, since 1972 (moved from its original location on the corner) known for its seafood & red clam sauce ... and clams casinos.  

https://www.umbertosclamhouse.com/

A block away really in the Chinatown section, on the corner - Vincent's - another spot for us back in the 80's since ... 

https://www.originalvincents.nyc/

Like other places, they offer weekday lunch & dinner specials, posted outside - check them out & if see another place you like, go for it ... most of them are survivors of post 9/11 slums & drop in tourism, support them.  

 

Seriously, for Chinese dining, I recommend H.K. Flower Lounge in Burlingame, on your way home/out to the SFO ... for dim sum, if you are like them (LOL, or any place in that area along the San Bruo corridor.)  Richmond was our favorite area then but not sure if we would go there on our next trip, given ... Nothing to recommend as you can get those just as good in the Bay area, probably for less or same $$.  

 

Enjoy your visit, cruise & welcome to the Big Apple. 

 

The video is great, and really gives a good idea of the distance between cruise ship and ferry.  We should be fine, as long as it isn't raining, and I don't pick up too many souvenirs during our cruise!  

 

Appreciate the specifics about the subway stations.  The last time we were in NYC was a little over ten years ago.  There was so many things that impressed us about the city, and one of them was the subway system.   Apparently, the Noble Den is right across the street from Ferrara's, and they have free pastries in the lobby in the morning, that apparently go quickly!  I have copied links to the restaurants/bakeries you've recommended in my travel spreadsheet, and look forward to trying some of them. We definitely want to patronize the local businesses.  We will never forget the courage of the people of NYC after 9-11. 

 

We had better do a lot of walking, because I can already tell that we are going to be eating well!

 

I will also make note of the H.K. Flower, although we rarely get to Burlingame.  Whenever we fly, which isn't very often, we try to use Oakland.  I grew up in the Bay Area, and the traffic has gotten more and more horrendous, especially in the past ten years or so.  We rarely venture into the City (what locals call S.F.!), with traffic and parking being what it is.  If we had a good subway system, it would be a different story.

 

You are a wealth of information, mking, and I thank you for your hospitality!

Edited August 26, 2019 by ams cruiser

[AF-1]

mking8288;  have you been to Vincents Italian recently?   That place looks nice;  any pizza parlors near this address?

[mking8288]

@AF-1  - Not lately, passed thru the area however, the outdoor seating is nice and have pizza themselves.  As for pizza-only places, only a handful in that area, one near the courts 3 blocks away by the park in Chinatown has closed after generations.  High end sit-down places like Lombardi's, Forlini's and Caffe Roma all have pizza on their menus, typically $20 to $25 for a large cheese pizza.  One of our local favorite takeout joint, large cheese thin-crest pizza special (8 slices) is just $12 ... The annual San Gennaro Feast is coming next month - maybe, we will go grab a Sicilian pie, cannoli & sip expresso - Mulberry Street will be jammed packed & traffic will be a nightmare again ... subway is the way to go. 

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/feast-of-san-gennaro-guide

 

[AF-1]

mking8288;   thank's for the above info.  My wife and I plan on going to Little Italy next year when we cruise.  We plan on staying in Financial District; and will take ferry to liberty island, and ellis island; then visit 911 memorial and also stop for pizza down there.  I hear there are some pretty good pizza joints in that area.  All is good.  Thanks

[NOLALADY]

On 8/25/2019 at 6:36 AM, 138east said:

The ferry dock is right next to the ship pier.  It’s just another option that gives you a 20 minute ride across the harbor to Pier 11 Wall Street with photo opportunities to finish off your cruise - in essence a $3/pp post cruise excursion.  It doesn’t have to be precisely scheduled with a car service.  You can just go with the flow disembarking at your leisure.

 

From Pier 11 you can just get a cab or Uber to your hotel in Little Italy, which is not that far away.

 

https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/route/south-brooklyn/

 

We are also docking in Brooklyn now (was Manhattan) and looking for something to do since our flight isn't until 3:40.  Can you tell me if there is anything to do near the Wall Street area if we take the ferry?

[138east]

1 hour ago, NOLALADY said:

We are also docking in Brooklyn now (was Manhattan) and looking for something to do since our flight isn't until 3:40.  Can you tell me if there is anything to do near the Wall Street area if we take the ferry?

The 911 Memorial, the 911 Museum (reservations required), the Statue of Liberty, the free Staten Island ferry for a view of the SOL, Freedom Tower, and South Street Seaport among others.  There are now options for luggage storage (google luggage storage downtown Manhattan), which you would have to do for the 911 Memorial or SOL and probably the Freedom Tower.

[NOLALADY]

16 hours ago, 138east said:

The 911 Memorial, the 911 Museum (reservations required), the Statue of Liberty, the free Staten Island ferry for a view of the SOL, Freedom Tower, and South Street Seaport among others.  There are now options for luggage storage (google luggage storage downtown Manhattan), which you would have to do for the 911 Memorial or SOL and probably the Freedom Tower.

Thanks Carol!  I had everything all planned out including luggage storage prior to Carnival moving our pier and I was totally at a loss as to where we will be geographically.  This helps a lot.  We'll be NYC prior to the cruise so we already have 911 Memorial tickets, but these other options are great.  Thank you so much.