Manhattan Cruise Terminal-car service

[nmuller328]

Traveling out of NY first time on Getaway in March. Just wondering where do you get dropped off by car (family or car service) and where do you get picked up when disembarking? Hubby has mobility issues- just want to make sure we set things up correctly. Any advice is appreciated. 

 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, nmuller328 said:

Traveling out of NY first time on Getaway in March. Just wondering where do you get dropped off by car (family or car service) and where do you get picked up when disembarking? Hubby has mobility issues- just want to make sure we set things up correctly. Any advice is appreciated. 

 

You could get dropped off at the door to the terminal. Your driver just needs to tell the police directing traffic that you have a mobility challenged passenger that needs to be close to the door (otherwise they will drop you somewhere on the walkway in front of the terminal). 

 

I am not sure if a car service can pick up at the same location since the next group of passengers will be arriving. There is a taxi stand right there in the terminal. 

 

The normal taxi and uber pick up is down a long walk outside the terminal and across the street. 

[phillygwm]

@BirdTravelsis correct.  The drop-off is relatively easy:  You pull up to the baggage drop and it's a short walk into the terminal.  The issue is that the terminal itself is pretty long so someone mobility challenged might have an issue once inside.  If you're using a wheelchair it won't be a problem.  A friend managed, with some difficulty, to walk to check-in then went to a handicapped waiting area.  Staff then put him in a wheelchair and accompanied him up the gangway.

 

The return is a bigger challenge.  My friend came off by wheelchair, just the reverse of above.  I didn't notice the taxi stand in the terminal so we did the walk through what I'd call a gauntlet of private car services.  Ignore them; we found them wildly overpriced.  Cross 12th Avenue (you'll be at 50th St, I believe?) and grab an Uber there.  Or if you have someone picking you up, that's a good meeting point.  

Edited February 22, 2023 by phillygwm

[BirdTravels]

To clarify my earlier post. There is a taxi stand at the entrance to the terminal where you get dropped off on the departure level. It is pain to get to since I have only found one elevator that is veerrrryyy slow just outside of customs (arrival level) to get you up one floor to the departure level. And because there will be a mass of people getting off your ship and an equal mass of people getting dropped off for the next cruise. If you have a wheel chair pusher, they may have a trick to get you upstairs. 

 

[goldmom]

Agree, the dropping off is easy.  It's the pick up that is hard.  We've tried several times to get picked up in the terminal at the same place as the drop off.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

DH gets the wheelchair assist and we get a porter for luggage.  They have taken us upstairs by elevator to wait for our kids to pick us up.  There have been a few times where the officers wouldn't let the kids in to pick us up and another time the road got closed for a bike race (that was awful!).  At that point we had to then get ourselves and our luggage across the street without the help of a wheelchair or porter.  Not fun!

And, even if you opt to go across the street to start with it can be difficult as the NCL employee said they are not allowed to cross the street with the wheelchair.

Our next trip, we're going to try again to get picked up in front of the terminal and see how it goes.  I wish they would be more consistent and actually have the procedure spelled out for mobility challenged passengers.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, goldmom said:

Agree, the dropping off is easy.  It's the pick up that is hard.  We've tried several times to get picked up in the terminal at the same place as the drop off.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

DH gets the wheelchair assist and we get a porter for luggage.  They have taken us upstairs by elevator to wait for our kids to pick us up.  There have been a few times where the officers wouldn't let the kids in to pick us up and another time the road got closed for a bike race (that was awful!).  At that point we had to then get ourselves and our luggage across the street without the help of a wheelchair or porter.  Not fun!

And, even if you opt to go across the street to start with it can be difficult as the NCL employee said they are not allowed to cross the street with the wheelchair.

Our next trip, we're going to try again to get picked up in front of the terminal and see how it goes.  I wish they would be more consistent and actually have the procedure spelled out for mobility challenged passengers.

It is unfortunate that there seems to have not been any effective thought given to picking up debarking passengers at MCT.  Given the space limitations, it might require simply not permitting boarding passengers to arrive before 11:00 AM or so- to dedicate the limited lanes to handling debarking passengers in a reasonable way.

[lenquixote66]

Crossing 12th.Ave. If you are disabled is a mess

[princeton123211]

4 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

It is unfortunate that there seems to have not been any effective thought given to picking up debarking passengers at MCT.  Given the space limitations, it might require simply not permitting boarding passengers to arrive before 11:00 AM or so- to dedicate the limited lanes to handling debarking passengers in a reasonable way.

Whats worse is that its so inconsistent-- it would be better if there were just hard and fast protocols you could plan for. I've found its mostly based on the size of ship and number of ships on any given day. Have disembarked Oceania Insignia numerous times and never an issue getting an Uber to come right up the ramp and get us curbside. Throw in a big ship and all the passengers that entails and that all goes out the window. 

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, princeton123211 said:

Whats worse is that its so inconsistent-- it would be better if there were just hard and fast protocols you could plan for. I've found its mostly based on the size of ship and number of ships on any given day. Have disembarked Oceania Insignia numerous times and never an issue getting an Uber to come right up the ramp and get us curbside. Throw in a big ship and all the passengers that entails and that all goes out the window. 

You hit the nail on the head - we are on Insignia to Bermuda Sept. 13-20.

When we return on the 20th we’ll be sharing the terminal with close to 4,000 people debarking Norwegian Joy - from Quebec.  We will plan for our pick-up to meet us a block or so away, to get past the debarkers — as well as to avoid meshing with the thousands trying to board Joy early for her trip to Bermuda.

 

[cementhands]

Trinity reservations for park sleep cruise! Package we booked included dedicated driver in Cadillac suv. Dropped us off right near entrance. Picked up right outside same entrance exit. No mobility issues here but this was super easy.

So if you need parking hotel and transportation highly recommended them. Used em several times in Baltimore Bayonne and New York City too!

Last time January 2023 was $423.00 total for 12 nights cruise 

[njhorseman]

54 minutes ago, cementhands said:

Trinity reservations for park sleep cruise! Package we booked included dedicated driver in Cadillac suv. Dropped us off right near entrance. Picked up right outside same entrance exit. No mobility issues here but this was super easy.

So if you need parking hotel and transportation highly recommended them. Used em several times in Baltimore Bayonne and New York City too!

Last time January 2023 was $423.00 total for 12 nights cruise 

This isn't relevant for this thread. The OP lives in the NY city metropolitan area probably no more than a 90 minute drive from the port and has no need for a hotel much less a sleep/park/cruise package. They can easily drive or be driven to the port on the day of the cruise.