NCL Encore New York - Airport

[zjc]

Hi

 

New cruiser time NCL having just booked the Encore August 30 2020 out of New York

 

The itinerary says we get back into New York at 7AM

 

 

Does anyone know how early you can get off the ship following docking? Do NCL allow you to carry off your own luggage to speed up the process?

 

Trying to work out if I can make a 11:30AM flight from JFK.

 

Thanks

[hallux]

4 hours ago, zjc said:

Do NCL allow you to carry off your own luggage to speed up the process?

 

You certainly can do this.  What time you're allowed off depends on how quickly the port releases the ship to begin the process of disembarkation.  You then need to account for the customs/immigration step in the terminal.

 

The best place to ask this question would actually be the East Coast Departures forum - https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/317-east-coast-departures/

 

Or you can browse that forum as questions like this are asked in there, a lot...

[NoobCroozer]

With all the variables that can arise in NYC, that may be cutting it close, I probably wouldn't. If ships late, customs issues, traffic, JFK (in general ugh). 

 

On a perfect day a Sunday drive from the terminal to JFK is about 50 min that time of the morning, so I suppose it is possible if all the stars are in alignment.

 

Best of luck!

[Paul Bogle]

11:30 from JFK is cutting things very close. Newark and LaGuardia are both closer to the Manhattan cruise terminal and I would be shy of booking a flight from either of those before noon. I would prefer a flight at 1:00 or later from JFK but perhaps I'm just more cautious than others.

 

YMMV, Good Luck 😊

[Greek Boss]

JFK is always a rough airport.... best of luck.

[BirdTravels]

21 hours ago, zjc said:

Hi

 

New cruiser time NCL having just booked the Encore August 30 2020 out of New York

 

The itinerary says we get back into New York at 7AM

 

 

Does anyone know how early you can get off the ship following docking? Do NCL allow you to carry off your own luggage to speed up the process?

 

Trying to work out if I can make a 11:30AM flight from JFK.

 

Thanks

You will be fine. Self walk-off will start around 7:00 am if you can carry all of your own bags down the gangway, through the terminal and through customs. 

[zjc]

 Thanks for everyone’s advice.

 

It’s a difficult decision because the next flight to Seattle isn’t till 4:50PM and I don’t really want to wait around until then!

 

Big decision to make! Harder than picking the cruise! 

[mking8288]

The key here, IMHO, is whether (and, do you pack & travel light): 

a) whether the ship will be get back into NY and docked before 7 a.m. at the pier; and, cleared to start disembarking the express self-walkout or/and priority escort (i.e. those in Haven/suites & VIP, etc.)  It is NOT entirely all in NCL's direct control  

 

On more than 2 to 3 occassion, we've been back early (i.e. 5 a.m. at the berth, engine stopped & ropes tied/gangways secured) and yet ... no passengers allowed off until 7:30 a.m. 

 

Once, that's given the green light - it is possible, for those first in lines, to race ahead of others, thru CBP (and, yes - "facial recognition" this year has helped to speed things up ... just not for us, yet) - and be curbside, ready for ground transportation in less than 30 minutes.  

 

b) depending on port security/pier operations - add 5 to 10+ minutes for all FHV (For Hired Vehicle) pickup downstairs, upstairs or across 12th Avenue - to get into ground transport, to the airports or whatever, JFK & all other destinations.  

 

c) local cross-town (typically light & smooth, end of summer & Labor Day weekend) traffic & highway congestion out to JFK, weather permitting ... as noted, allow 1 hour to 90 minutes (allows set aside time ... only predictable element in NYC is commuting/travel time is UNpredictable at best)   Van Wyck Expwy (I-678) to/from JFK - is one of the worst 10+ miles stretch of highway, a moving stop-n-go roadway that's been under construction for 15+ years (one of the worst weekday commute trip that I used to sit thru).  If it isn't gridlocked traffic, accident or lane closures/merge due to construction, then it might be flat tires and/or rubbernecking due to police activity ... get the idea.  Neither NCL nor airlines/JFK operations have any control over your ground travel (last time I checked - NCl recommend booking flights 5 hours after arrival, just in case - for JFK same day departure) 

 

d) To make OP's JFK gate departure at 11:30 a.m. - one should, even the TSA Pre- (Global Entry) and/or flying J/B or F class ... be at the terminal 90 minutes prior, 2+ hours for international departure.  Thus - no later than 10 a.m. (9:30 or earlier preferred)  Of course, check with your airline for their JFK timing - some terminals are better/easier to run thru.

 

We cruise & sail out/into NYC on a regular basis - without rushing & doing Express walk-off / getting up ultra-early and standing in line or needing to be escorted off at 7:15 a.m. along with dozen others - mostly able to be inside the terminal by 8:45 to 9:15 a.m. and connect to ground transportatin to get home in another 15 minutes, using porter services.  It is possible to be at JFK by/before 10 a.m. if all of the above conditions are favorable, 10:30 a.m. should be doable - and, if things are truly bad - taking Woodhaven Blvd. thru Queens off I-495 (Long Island Expwy) with traffic lights en enroute, instead ... to be curbside by 11 a.m. 

 

Feel free to pose/ask the question on East Coast forum here - most of us will advise against it, too close for comfort but if you are feeling lucky & good at tossing the dices, roll with it.  Otherwise, why not relax & enjoy that last morning, go do a nice sit-down hot breakfast ... do the leisure walkoff minus the luggage as among the last off - with plenty of time to collect your checked bag.  Then, do your ground transportation out to JFK, maybe stop by the "new" TWA Hotel (formerly TWA/Pan Am Terminal 5, next to JetBlue) if you have time ... or, make use of Lounge access (if you have/can ... or a Day Pass.)  

 

BTW, don't forget to buckle up riding in the backseat ... not required, but for safety - NY's pavement isn't the most friendly.  

 

[zjc]

Thanks for the reply! Really appreciate the detail!

 

Think after considering all that could go wrong, maybe 11:25AM is a little too early and it may be better to go for the 4:45PM departure and have a relaxing morning being one of the last off the ship instead and then head for some lunch at the TWA hotel before the flight. 

 

That way it avoids any stress sat in taxis in traffic worrying we may miss the flight!