What time should I schedule car service pickup at Brooklyn Terminal

[ams cruiser]

Hello!  I posted this on the Canada/New England thread and got some very helpful responses, including a suggestion to post here.  I am thinking about scheduling a car service to pick us up at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal  to take us to our hotel on a Monday morning.  The Caribbean Princess is scheduled to dock at 7 a.m.  We're not in a particular rush, because we can't check into our hotel until 3 p.m.  I called the car service that is going to take us to the airport at the end of our NYC stay, and they wanted to know what time we needed to be picked up at the Brooklyn Cruise terminal.  They did say if I could give them an estimated time, I could call them early Monday morning when I have a better idea, as I don't know what group we'll be assigned to disembark.

 

I'd appreciate a suggested time to give the car company.  Does it take much time to pick up your luggage and will customs take much time?  (I don't know how Customs works, since we'll have docked in Bar Harbor, and Boston before we arrive in NYC, and on our last cruise, our luggage went straight to the Seattle airport.)

 

One suggestion that has been made is rolling our suitcases to the neighboring dock, and taking the ferry to Wall St., and then a taxi or Uber to our hotel in Lower Manhattan.  Before deciding between the ferry (what if it's raining in October?) and a car service, I'm hoping to figure out the logistics of scheduling a pick up time.

 

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

 

And if I can sneak in another question, how far in advance will Princess mail our medallions?  We applied through the APP on 8/20, and we are leaving for a bit of pre-cruise traveling in less than two weeks, so I'm getting a little anxious.  (The Princess telephone hold times are excruciating, and I haven't found enough time to wait until they pick up my call.)

 

If this question isn't allowed, I'll post a separate thread.

 

Thanks, again!

[Redhaven]

I think it is very difficult to predict exactly when a car should arrive, except perhaps if you want to set a "safe" time and then wait outside the ship for that time should you be early.  We arrived at Brooklyn a few weeks ago and the disembarkation was delayed because of customs or dock workers, never sure which was the true answer.  Our approach is to call Uber, Lyft, or take a taxi whenever we get off the ship, and thereby don't need to worry about an exact time.  The actual time can vary for many reasons, some external to the ship and some because of scheduling on-board the ship (like needing to get transfer passengers off first to make flights, etc.).

[skynight]

35 minutes ago, ams cruiser said:

Hello!  I posted this on the Canada/New England thread and got some very helpful responses, including a suggestion to post here.  I am thinking about scheduling a car service to pick us up at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal  to take us to our hotel on a Monday morning.  The Caribbean Princess is scheduled to dock at 7 a.m.  We're not in a particular rush, because we can't check into our hotel until 3 p.m.  I called the car service that is going to take us to the airport at the end of our NYC stay, and they wanted to know what time we needed to be picked up at the Brooklyn Cruise terminal.  They did say if I could give them an estimated time, I could call them early Monday morning when I have a better idea, as I don't know what group we'll be assigned to disembark.

I'd appreciate a suggested time to give the car company.  Does it take much time to pick up your luggage and will customs take much time?  (I don't know how Customs works, since we'll have docked in Bar Harbor, and Boston before we arrive in NYC, and on our last cruise, our luggage went straight to the Seattle airport.)

One suggestion that has been made is rolling our suitcases to the neighboring dock, and taking the ferry to Wall St., and then a taxi or Uber to our hotel in Lower Manhattan.  Before deciding between the ferry (what if it's raining in October?) and a car service, I'm hoping to figure out the logistics of scheduling a pick up time. .

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

And if I can sneak in another question, how far in advance will Princess mail our medallions?  We applied through the APP on 8/20, and we are leaving for a bit of pre-cruise traveling in less than two weeks, so I'm getting a little anxious.  (The Princess telephone hold times are excruciating, and I haven't found enough time to wait until they pick up my call.)

 

If this question isn't allowed, I'll post a separate thread.

 

Thanks, again!

I am thinking you are on the Caribbean Princess Oct. 4th sailing from Quebec to Brooklyn. In this case you will go through U.S. immigration at the first U.S. port, Bar Harbor. When you arrive in Brooklyn you will not have to go through immigration. We did this cruise mid August this year. Early walk offs began shortly after 7am. Assigned times where you pick up your luggage in the terminal started shortly thereafter. Believe all were disembarked by around 9:30. It's very quick without immigration. Unlike all other Princess cruises we have been on we did not receive a disembarkation questionnaire in our cabin. I think times were just assigned. We visited passenger services, asked what was going on, and requested the early walk off. So if you have a specific time in mind to be picked up visit passenger services and request that time. You can request your time at passenger services and then contact your car service from Boston.

The ferry terminal is literally next to the ship. If you decide to go the ferry route purchase your tickets on line. I'm told the line is very long for tickets. Believe ferries come about every 15/20 minutes.

You should receive medallion 2 weeks in advance if you live in the U.S. If not in the U.S. medallions will be at the pier. 

Edited September 16, 2019 by skynight

[AF-1]

ams cruiser;  how about this scenario.  Plan on taking ferry when you get back.  If it's raining; then you can always take a taxi to your hotel.  The ferry is cheap and it is a once in a lifetime trip; plus the views are awesome.  Have fun on your cruise. 

[ams cruiser]

51 minutes ago, skynight said:

I am thinking you are on the Caribbean Princess Oct. 4th sailing from Quebec to Brooklyn. In this case you will go through U.S. immigration at the first U.S. port, Bar Harbor. When you arrive in Brooklyn you will not have to go through immigration. We did this cruise mid August this year. Early walk offs began shortly after 7am. Assigned times where you pick up your luggage in the terminal started shortly thereafter. Believe all were disembarked by around 9:30. It's very quick without immigration. Unlike all other Princess cruises we have been on we did not receive a disembarkation questionnaire in our cabin. I think times were just assigned. We visited passenger services, asked what was going on, and requested the early walk off. So if you have a specific time in mind to be picked up visit passenger services and request that time. You can request your time at passenger services and then contact your car service from Boston.

The ferry terminal is literally next to the ship. If you decide to go the ferry route purchase your tickets on line. I'm told the line is very long for tickets. Believe ferries come about every 15/20 minutes.

You should receive medallion 2 weeks in advance if you live in the U.S. If not in the U.S. medallions will be at the pier. 

Thank you for the very detailed and helpful information!  I appreciate the hint about purchasing the tickets online.  I already have the ferry app downloaded, just in case. 

This answers a lot of questions for me, and also puts my mind at ease regarding the medallions.  I live in California, so hope to have them delivered by early next week.  

Edited September 16, 2019 by ams cruiser

[Colo Cruiser]

We used to use a car service all the time in Brooklyn.

It is very difficult to pin down a PU time.

I always gave myself a cushion of at least an hour after I thought I would disembark.

Which left us waiting a long time.

I stopped using them quite awhile ago.

Now we use Uber/Lyft and they are there within 10-15 minutes after calling them, and they are cheaper.

[ams cruiser]

2 hours ago, Redhaven said:

I think it is very difficult to predict exactly when a car should arrive, except perhaps if you want to set a "safe" time and then wait outside the ship for that time should you be early.  We arrived at Brooklyn a few weeks ago and the disembarkation was delayed because of customs or dock workers, never sure which was the true answer.  Our approach is to call Uber, Lyft, or take a taxi whenever we get off the ship, and thereby don't need to worry about an exact time.  The actual time can vary for many reasons, some external to the ship and some because of scheduling on-board the ship (like needing to get transfer passengers off first to make flights, etc.).

Thanks for your insight.  This is only our 3rd Princess cruise (across a decade or so!), and we don't have much personal experience to draw upon.  Sounds like a less stressful way to do it.

[ams cruiser]

49 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

We used to use a car service all the time in Brooklyn.

It is very difficult to pin down a PU time.

I always gave myself a cushion of at least an hour after I thought I would disembark.

Which left us waiting a long time.

I stopped using them quite awhile ago.

Now we use Uber/Lyft and they are there within 10-15 minutes after calling them, and they are cheaper.

Yes, we don't want to have to wait longer than need be.  I have very little experience with Uber/Lyft, but had heard about surge pricing during commute time (which I imagine we'll be in going from Brooklyn to lower Manhattan), and didn't know they were cheaper than a car service.  Thank you for your advice!

 

[ams cruiser]

2 hours ago, AF-1 said:

ams cruiser;  how about this scenario.  Plan on taking ferry when you get back.  If it's raining; then you can always take a taxi to your hotel.  The ferry is cheap and it is a once in a lifetime trip; plus the views are awesome.  Have fun on your cruise. 

Hi, AF-1!  Every time I see your name, I smile, because I'm pretty sure you were the person who taught me how to post pictures on my first (and last) trip review on our Alaska cruise a couple of years ago. So thank you, again for helping me!

 

I was planning on taking the ferry, and even downloaded the app so I could purchase tickets and check schedules.  We rode the ferry several years ago on our last visit to NYC to the Status of Liberty and on our visit to Ellis Island, and loved the views.  My husband mentioned wanting to do a ferry/boat tour of NY Harbor while we are there, but I'm guessing this is different from the commute ferries?

 

The only time I started thinking about the car service again, was when I called them to arrange a pickup from our hotel to JFK at the end of our stay in NYC, and asked how much a pickup would be from the cruise terminal. I thought their price quote of $28 from Brooklyn to our hotel in lower Manhattan seemed quite reasonable, since we will have to get a taxi/Lyft from Wall St. to our hotel anyway.

 

But I'd much rather spend time out on the water than sitting in traffic, so your plan really does sound the best.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

[AF-1]

ams cruiser.  You are welcome.  My wife and I will be in NYC next fall for our Princess Cruise.  We plan on staying in the Financial District; so we will take ferry to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; then we can walk to 911 memorial and my wife wants to eat in Little Italy.  Then we will take Pier 11 ferry to the Brooklyn port.  That's our plan and we are sticking to it.  We will most likely fly into LGA since the airfare is cheap from Cincinnati, and it is close to Manhattan.  Have a great day.  

[happiness is cruising]

..and the ferry is only 3.00 ppow..per person one way!!!!!

[ams cruiser]

12 hours ago, AF-1 said:

ams cruiser.  You are welcome.  My wife and I will be in NYC next fall for our Princess Cruise.  We plan on staying in the Financial District; so we will take ferry to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; then we can walk to 911 memorial and my wife wants to eat in Little Italy.  Then we will take Pier 11 ferry to the Brooklyn port.  That's our plan and we are sticking to it.  We will most likely fly into LGA since the airfare is cheap from Cincinnati, and it is close to Manhattan.  Have a great day.  

Sounds like a great plan!  We are staying very near Little Italy, so will be trying some of the local fare.

[ams cruiser]

17 minutes ago, happiness is cruising said:

..and the ferry is only 3.00 ppow..per person one way!!!!!

Can't beat that price!

[ams cruiser]

Just wanted to report that the ferry was a perfect option.  Bought tickets on the app ($2.75) and took the short walk over to the ferry dock.  The ferry came within a few minutes and it was a nice ride to Wall St.

 

The best part was we avoided the crowds waiting for car/taxi services.

 

Thanks to everyone who suggested this route!

 

 

[Daniel A]

On ‎9‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 8:11 PM, ams cruiser said:

My husband mentioned wanting to do a ferry/boat tour of NY Harbor while we are there, but I'm guessing this is different from the commute ferries?

 

When I have guests from out of town coming to NY for the first time, I take them on the Circle Line Harbor Lights cruise.  It is either $41or $56 (depending on your choice of location on the ship.)  The cruise runs about two hours and starts at 7PM and leaves from near the Intrepid Museum.  It's a beautiful cruise that sails around the southern tip of Manhattan and during the cruise, the lights in the buildings of the financial district start coming on and the ship stops in the middle of NY Harbor right in front of the Statue of Liberty which is lit up in the evening dark.  It is truly a magical sightseeing trip. 

 

https://www.circleline.com/sightseeing-cruises/harbor-lights

 

[CineGraphic]

The walkway to the ferry is partially covered.

 

[Daniel A]

On ‎9‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 5:45 PM, skynight said:

I am thinking you are on the Caribbean Princess Oct. 4th sailing from Quebec to Brooklyn. In this case you will go through U.S. immigration at the first U.S. port, Bar Harbor. When you arrive in Brooklyn you will not have to go through immigration.

I'm not contesting what you say but something isn't sounding right to me.  Are you saying you don't need to clear your luggage through customs when you disembark at the end of your cruise?  My recollection is that now Customs and Immigration are a combined interview when you disembark.

[CineGraphic]

2 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I'm not contesting what you say but something isn't sounding right to me.  Are you saying you don't need to clear your luggage through customs when you disembark at the end of your cruise?  My recollection is that now Customs and Immigration are a combined interview when you disembark.

You will have already cleared everything at your 1st US port. The same thing happened when we sailed from Ft. Lauderdale to Quebec, we were cleared at our first Canadian port of call, and were able to walk right off of the ship in Quebec. They wouldn't let anyone off the ship in any of the US ports if you weren't already cleared.

Edited October 17, 2019 by CineGraphic

[Daniel A]

56 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

You will have already cleared everything at your 1st US port. The same thing happened when we sailed from Ft. Lauderdale to Quebec, we were cleared at our first Canadian port of call, and were able to walk right off of the ship in Quebec. They wouldn't let anyone off the ship in any of the US ports if you weren't already cleared.

Thank you for responding but I'm still confused.  If I am sailing from Canada to New York and the ship stops at Bar Harbor as a first stop for excursions in the U.S., Do I clear Customs in Bar Harbor?  Does that mean I would have to pack up all my luggage and present it to U.S. Customs and then take it back onto the ship for the remainder of my cruise?

[CineGraphic]

I've only done it in the reverse order, from Fort Lauderdale to Quebec. Our steward left a customs for in our cabin and we filled it out. He picked it up later that night or the next day. Nobody had to take any luggage anywhere. Nor did we have to present our passports to Canadian officials.

[ams cruiser]

12 hours ago, Daniel A said:

When I have guests from out of town coming to NY for the first time, I take them on the Circle Line Harbor Lights cruise.  It is either $41or $56 (depending on your choice of location on the ship.)  The cruise runs about two hours and starts at 7PM and leaves from near the Intrepid Museum.  It's a beautiful cruise that sails around the southern tip of Manhattan and during the cruise, the lights in the buildings of the financial district start coming on and the ship stops in the middle of NY Harbor right in front of the Statue of Liberty which is lit up in the evening dark.  It is truly a magical sightseeing trip. 

 

https://www.circleline.com/sightseeing-cruises/harbor-lights

 

Sounds beautiful!  We flew home today, so I’m going to put it on my list for next time!

[ams cruiser]

7 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

I've only done it in the reverse order, from Fort Lauderdale to Quebec. Our steward left a customs for in our cabin and we filled it out. He picked it up later that night or the next day. Nobody had to take any luggage anywhere. Nor did we have to present our passports to Canadian officials.

As it turns out, the Customs people just waved us through.  We had already been through immigration in a Bar Harbor, and had to show our passports there.

[Dawniepoo]

On 10/17/2019 at 4:47 AM, ams cruiser said:

Just wanted to report that the ferry was a perfect option.  Bought tickets on the app ($2.75) and took the short walk over to the ferry dock.  The ferry came within a few minutes and it was a nice ride to Wall St.

 

The best part was we avoided the crowds waiting for car/taxi services.

 

Thanks to everyone who suggested this route!

 

On 10/17/2019 at 4:47 AM, ams cruiser said:

 

Thanks for the update. Now that I've read about your experience, that is exactly what we are going to do next year!

[ams cruiser]

On 10/17/2019 at 10:51 AM, Daniel A said:

Thank you for responding but I'm still confused.  If I am sailing from Canada to New York and the ship stops at Bar Harbor as a first stop for excursions in the U.S., Do I clear Customs in Bar Harbor?  Does that mean I would have to pack up all my luggage and present it to U.S. Customs and then take it back onto the ship for the remainder of my cruise?

Just did this cruise.  We had to show our passports to immigration officials who came on board in Bar Harbor. (Very long lines for this.).  There were customs officials in the terminal when we disembarked in NYC but they just waived us through.  No one ever looked at our luggage, and we never had to declare anything.