NYC Embarking Experiences with NCL

[NoobCroozer]

   Making inquiry as have had bad past experience personally boarding with Carnival out of NYC. I purchased Priority Access as a backup for an upcoming in May, but seeing mixed reviews on it and am considering pulling it before final payment. I am aware that P/A is lackluster in many ways and I am only interested in if for embarking. I know it's a steep price to pay for utilizing it for this reason, however my one other cruise out of NYC was a 2.5 hour wait to board.

 

   The poll is for non-handicapped/non-priority/non-Rewards passengers with NCL.

 

   I understand P/A has struck a nerve with those who have Latitudes Rewards and those who are feeling nickel and dimed and hope the thread doesn't go down a rabbit hole for bashing NCL and the new program, or those interested in it. Please just stick to your average wait times. Just trying to make an educated decision.

 

Thank you in advance, happy cruising.

[Lancaster99]

Hello!  I have sailed out of NYC on NCL many times.  I have found if you can get to the terminal later (noon or after), there is a much shorter wait to get on the ship.  I wouldn't go too late though.  Ask the cruisers who have traveled weeks before on your itinerary as to what time they actually start boarding. Have fun!

[JamieLogical]

So it's tough to say. Are you including security and check-in time or just the time for us "normal people" to be allowed to start boarding once boarding has officially begun? Nearly every time I have embarked out of NYC, I have been through security and check-in before boarding actually started, so I wouldn't include those in my "wait" time.

Edited January 9, 2020 by JamieLogical

[DinaS]

The "average wait time to embark" is completely dependent upon arrival time.  If you get there really early, you will wait longer since embarkation for "normal people" doesn't normally start until 11:30AM or later.

 

If you mean from the time you check in, then your "poll" doesn't mean anything since check-in can take a few minutes to an hour or more - depending again on when you get there, and how many people decided to get there at precisely the same time.

 

If you are looking for the easiest way with the least amount of total wait time, I would suggest you get there around 1:00PM or so.  Lots of people will have already boarded, and once you check in, you will probably be boarding immediately.

 

 

[FLAHAM]

I arrive about 1:00 p.m. and have very little wait.  Still on board in time to enjoy a leisurely lunch in the MDR.

[NoobCroozer]

1 hour ago, FLAHAM said:

I arrive about 1:00 p.m. and have very little wait.  Still on board in time to enjoy a leisurely lunch in the MDR.

Probably what I'll do.....not in a rush on board for the carts or Vibe so.....

[BirdTravels]

While the terminal is a bit tight, I don’t see NYC any different than other ports. General boarding starts around 11:30 and quickly progresses through the boarding groups. 

[AL3XCruise]

My first experience at the port was the worst I've ever seen.  Staff were rude and unprofessional, getting into loud and heated arguments with each other.  3+ hours of chaos and confusion.  Had it been the first time the ship had sailed from Manhattan I might have been more understanding, but at the time Breakaway had been sailing there for months.

 

After that, I was hesitant to sail out of Manhattan again.  However, the second time around things were far better, though it still was probably about two hours from the curb to the ship.  Of course I arrived fairly early, so those boarding in the early afternoon may have a much shorter wait.  If a noon, 1pm boarding is to your liking, it probably will help avoid the worst delays (baring any unusual issues).

[smrtypnts]

I have boarded NCL in NYC numerous times.  I generally go early and the check in line is "quick".  Because I get there early I generally have to wait to board for no other reason than they are not boarding yet.  How long I have to wait depends on how quick they start the embarkation process and where i fall in line.  They hand out these "tickets" that tell you when you will board.  If you're number 1, then you're in the first group of people to board.  If you're number 120, then you'll have to wait for that group to be called.  The only time i have had to wait a particularly long period of time was when they started the embarkation process late due to something related to immigration.  Immigration did not give them the "go ahead" for everyone to disembark so it held up everything.  Typically I'll arrive around 11 and be on board by noon.  

[tomk3212]

Have sailed out of NYC on NUMEROUS occasions.  My tips:

 

1) As MANY others have said get to the terminal after 1PM.  You'll miss the initial "scrum" of everybody-and-his-kid-brother trying to board the ship at 1130.

 

2) "Priority boarding" @ $179/cabin...yeah, right...another $$ grab by NCL.  I would absolutely "pull" this added "feature" from my cruise ASAP.

 

3) The NYC cruise terminal does have some unique issues that other terminals don't.  For example, the initial TSA screening there seems to be more robust than other cruise terminals we've sailed out of so that may take longer.  I've also experienced times where TSA doesn't have enough people to handle several cruise ships leaving on the same day.

 

4) Once we attained Gold Latitudes status we got a Priority Boarding number (#1 or 2) so we board right after Haven & Suite pax and the physically challenged folks.  Even with Priority Boarding, however, you're going to WAIT till 1130 to actually start boarding.  Also there always seem to be technical "glitches" during the initial boarding process.  Examples; not enough NCL crew swiping pax key cards to board OR the laptop being used to swipe cards used goes down.

 

We lived in NJ for over 30 years (we now live in MD) and cruised out of NYC on many occasions, as I stated earlier.  Cruising out of the NYC cruise ship terminal is hit-and-miss; sometimes it's smooth as silk and other times not so much...lol  As I said arriving after 1PM should solve most of your wait time issues.

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

Edited January 10, 2020 by tomk3212

[Peachypooh]

We sailed out of NYC twice but the most recent was on the Gem when it was sailing from there to Bermuda.

We were in the Haven so were let on the ship first and some of my family were not. By the time we finished our embarkation

lunch in Cagney's (took around 45 min) they were sitting in the buffet waiting for us. Only you know if the

money is worth it to you. That was just for the difference after they start boarding. 

[trish1c]

Walking off the Gem last week at 9:30 people were already arriving.  Usually we opted to show up after 1 & it was about 1 - 1.5 hours to get through all the lines.  

 

We had priority boarding this time so it was quick.  Because of that I wouldn't count us as what we usually are "normal people"

[Katie H]

We are departing on Getaway from Manhattan on 4/23 on the trans-Atlantic.  Departure is 9:00 pm.  Does anyone know if we would still board at the usual time?  The previous cruise ends in New Orleans on 4/19 and I assume they are deadheading to NYC since a cruise would not be allowed by PVSA.  Cruise docs have not been issued yet, so I have no info on when they want us to board.  Just looking for info from anyone with experience boarding a ship leaving that late in the evening.

[mismal]

Katie H

am on the same cruise, awaiting the docs also and using the flight option w/ NCL so really have no clue when we will arrive but I wonder if you arrive in NYC at an early time/am/mid day is it worth it or can you drop you bags and tour the city since the depart time is so late

I recall other trips we have given the porter our bags outside the terminal; that may be an option to just hope into a car and go where we want prior to the check in process or is it even a thought or allowed to check in and then get off the ship and get back on before departure

any thoughts from others appreciated!

 

[mking8288]

OP, answer for your question with a sidenote: salute to MOS for your services.  

 

The key to a smooth embarkation for any sailings out of NYC is whether it is NCL or another line is the vessel's expected/actual arrival time ... that can be easily monitored & checked on harbor cams, ship's live webcam and AIS data reported to open sources including Marinetraffic (using the free mobile app, as I do)  If that's early/on-time, it is usually a smooth & easy day for turnaround, mega/+ ships will take longer for obvious reasons - even with 2 gangways.  

 

If there is a scheduled and/or unannounced USCG and/or other official inspections, or, escalated cleaning measures for health/safety reasons - that can disrupt & delay disembarkation, clearing the ship for a zero count, before anyone is allowed to board.  

 

Whether it's Pier 88 or 90, the terminal has a maximum legal occupancy limit and when that's reach ... backup, panic & tempers built - with lines out the doors onto the outside (In the heat, rain, cold, wind, storm, etc. etc.) - no if's and but's about it, the best planning & "optimal" time to arrive & breeze right thru, isn't going to work.  

 

Boarding late is fine if you are okay in skipping lunch in the MDR (recommend doing that instead of the buffet) since staterooms are often not ready until 1 to 1:30 pm - even if you are packing light, you can walk around with your EDC/daypack ... easier to do that in the MDR vs. the crowded buffet.  

 

Once the staterooms are ready, the crowd begin to thin out in the buffet, except it's then, a nightmare using the elevators - whereas, the MDR (for the Encore) that's open ... Taste & Savor - will be on Deck 6, and you typically embark on Deck 7, just 1 deck to walk down to (before they close for lunch service @ 1:30 pm)  If the ship is scheduled to sail at 3 pm, the buffet will close down by 2:30 pm (usually a little earlier) for food/services - if you board late, best to hurry - before the mandatory muster/safety drills are held at 2:30 - followed by the sailaway party, before the ship get under way.   Then, the buffet & Local (formerly known as O'Sheehan's) will re-open for food/services.  

 

One of our younger nephew & his wife recently sailed the Escape, similar class/size like the Encore, and didn't take them more than 1 hour to get onto the ship, arriving in the morning ... didn't have the PA option.  They took the #7 line from Main Street, Flushing & transfer to the E line, walked 5 city blocks over from W. 50th Street station. 

 

IMHO, it's a waste of money - cancel and save that money, use that to do shorex, specialty dining and/or enjoy a nice lunch on the island.  Bermuda is beautiful, lovely and easy do it yourself.  Take advantage of the free NCL ferry to go across to St. George, ride the public bus back to Dockyard, etc.