Amtrak from Delaware to NY Cruise Port on Embarkation Day?

[Bluehens12]

4 hours ago, Corby114 said:

Take Amtrak one day before embarkation and stay in a midtown Manhattan for one night. Check in at the hotel, drop off your bags and take a walk and find someplace to have dinner. Have a good nights sleep and wake up refreshed and ready for your cruise.

This was our original plan, but hotel rooms in the area are $$$!

[dbrown84]

3 hours ago, Bluehens12 said:

This was our original plan, but hotel rooms in the area are $$$!

same here.  and besides, I'm going to get a much better night's sleep at home

[ColdCruise]

Absolutely take Amtrak.

Your taxes help underwrite it.(over the years…) It works. You don’t have the frustration of driving in heavy traffic. It’s cheaper than flying+airport transfer, or driving+parking.

 We use it from Baltimore (well BWI, technically) to/from Penn for cruises and once to Newark for a direct flight to Europe that we couldn’t get out of the DC airports (and for less than DC area flights with a layover).

love Amtrak…esp now they have the super cheap early bird fares (as low as $15 each way). Plan $ buy early!

[mjkacmom]

17 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

…

Any drive on I-95 between any two points between Boston, MA and Richmond, VA is best avoided.  I happen to live within a couple of miles of two CT I-95 exits.  It really pays to get a grasp of the local roads - generally doubling the distance by using local roads will save half the time (and a whole lot of frustration).

My daughter just drove from NJ to SC back to college, avoids I95 like the plague, heads west and then south. Her sister will take Amtrak back to BU next week.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

My daughter just drove from NJ to SC back to college, avoids I95 like the plague, heads west and then south. Her sister will take Amtrak back to BU next week.

Our drive from CT to FL was west through NJ and PA then down the Shenandoah Valley - before heading east to join I 95 near Charleston SC - it totaled about 100 miles longer distance  than I 95 but an hour shorter time.

[markeb]

35 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Our drive from CT to FL was west through NJ and PA then down the Shenandoah Valley - before heading east to join I 95 near Charleston SC - it totaled about 100 miles longer distance  than I 95 but an hour shorter time.

I 81 can become just as much a parking lot as I 95 these days…

[dbrown84]

22 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

Absolutely take Amtrak.

Your taxes help underwrite it.(over the years…) It works. You don’t have the frustration of driving in heavy traffic. It’s cheaper than flying+airport transfer, or driving+parking.

 We use it from Baltimore (well BWI, technically) to/from Penn for cruises and once to Newark for a direct flight to Europe that we couldn’t get out of the DC airports (and for less than DC area flights with a layover).

love Amtrak…esp now they have the super cheap early bird fares (as low as $15 each way). Plan $ buy early!

the early bird tickets are great.  I'm cruising out of NY next week, taking Amtrak from/to DC.  $46 round trip.  can't beat that

[navybankerteacher]

I hope people coming to New York from the south today on Amtrak for a cruise have a workable “plan B” - service still suspended.

[cruiseny4life]

5 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

I hope people coming to New York from the south today on Amtrak for a cruise have a workable “plan B” - service still suspended.

Looks like it is up and running again. Maybe? 

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Looks like it is up and running again. Maybe? 

It is. It sounded worse than it was-- trains were only held for a short time. Ones that had already departed NYP or PHL were allowed to proceed, just more slowly than normal. 

[wheezedr]

From recent personal experience.  In Oct we sailed out of Red Hook (Princess), so a longer trip from Penn Station.  We boarded, same day, an Amtrak from the BWI station.  Trip was a breeze and much simpler for us than flying from BWI to LGA.  Should definitely work well from Delaware.  I use Uber a lot but for this trip just grabbed the first cab as I came out of the station 

[Cruisernewbie44]

I-95 between Delaware and NYC is much more unpredictable than AMTRAK.  For 5 years I had to take my DH to Memorial Sloan Kettering from Wilmington several times a month.  We drove, took NJ Transit and Amtrak.  Amtrak was by far the easiest and most predictable.

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, Cruisernewbie44 said:

I-95 between Delaware and NYC is much more unpredictable than AMTRAK.  For 5 years I had to take my DH to Memorial Sloan Kettering from Wilmington several times a month.  We drove, took NJ Transit and Amtrak.  Amtrak was by far the easiest and most predictable.

You get what you pay for — and a lot of drivers do not figure the real total cost of driving.

[2Long2NxtCrz]

I know this topic is from Delaware to NYC, but we're looking at the opposite direction: going from NYC to Boston on the day our cruise leaves.

 

I can get an Acela for $60/person and arrive in Boston South by 11:30am when our cruise departs at 3pm. It seems pretty safe, but I would never take a flight the same day.

 

Our daughter lives in NYC so we'll be spending a few days with her before and this saves us lots of money on a Boston hotel (plus flights are cheaper to NYC than BOS).

 

Since y'all seem to be seasoned Amtrak riders, what do you think? Is this too risky?

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

I know this topic is from Delaware to NYC, but we're looking at the opposite direction: going from NYC to Boston on the day our cruise leaves.

 

I can get an Acela for $60/person and arrive in Boston South by 11:30am when our cruise departs at 3pm. It seems pretty safe, but I would never take a flight the same day.

 

Our daughter lives in NYC so we'll be spending a few days with her before and this saves us lots of money on a Boston hotel (plus flights are cheaper to NYC than BOS).

 

Since y'all seem to be seasoned Amtrak riders, what do you think? Is this too risky?

Your 3 pm departure means you need to be at the cruise terminal by 1 pm. I wouldn't be comfortable taking a train that is scheduled to arrive at 11:30 am . It leaves too little margin for delays.

[2Long2NxtCrz]

12 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Your 3 pm departure means you need to be at the cruise terminal by 1 pm. I wouldn't be comfortable taking a train that is scheduled to arrive at 11:30 am . It leaves too little margin for delays.

I was wondering about that. And, like I said, I'd never do that if I was flying in. Thanks!

[princeton123211]

26 minutes ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

I was wondering about that. And, like I said, I'd never do that if I was flying in. Thanks!

Agree with horseman. Personally I would take an Acela departing in the 6am hour (it will be a little different if its a weekday or weekend from Boston as the schedules are a tiny bit different). This puts you into New York just before 10am, gives you the ability to take the next train (if yours is cancelled or delayed), and also gives you the ability to call a quick audible and drive or fly in the extremely unlikely event there's a systemic issue with Amtrak. 

 

Pro tip taking the train from Boston-- if you are staying near Copley or Back Bay, the Back Bay train station can save you a cab/Uber ride to South Station. Now that the Acelas have assigned seating there's not the need, as there used to be, to go to South Station to be the first to board. 

[mjkacmom]

13 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

Agree with horseman. Personally I would take an Acela departing in the 6am hour (it will be a little different if its a weekday or weekend from Boston as the schedules are a tiny bit different). This puts you into New York just before 10am, gives you the ability to take the next train (if yours is cancelled or delayed), and also gives you the ability to call a quick audible and drive or fly in the extremely unlikely event there's a systemic issue with Amtrak. 

 

Pro tip taking the train from Boston-- if you are staying near Copley or Back Bay, the Back Bay train station can save you a cab/Uber ride to South Station. Now that the Acelas have assigned seating there's not the need, as there used to be, to go to South Station to be the first to board. 

I think that poster is going from nyc to Boston.

[princeton123211]

Just now, mjkacmom said:

I think that poster is going from nyc to Boston.

Same advice on train timing-- just ignore what I said about Back Bay!

[2Long2NxtCrz]

Thank you all so much! There's a 5am train that arrives at 9am. It's very early, but my daughter assures me that there won't be a problem getting an Uber at 3am or so. It's just weird for us Plains' state dwellers who aren't used to things being open at that hour, but I don't want to make her take us at.

 

And since it's a Tuesday, I think the earlier departure just makes sense to avoid NYC traffic. I'm sure hubby won't have any trouble sleeping on the train. I hope the same for myself, but anxiety might not allow me to rest. (I have travel anxiety until I'm to my destination.)

[princeton123211]

7 minutes ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

There's a 5am train that arrives at 9am. It's very early, but my daughter assures me that there won't be a problem getting an Uber at 3am or so. It's just weird for us Plains' state dwellers who aren't used to things being open at that hour, but I don't want to make her take us at.

Where in NYC is your daughter? 3am seems pretty early even for a 5am train from New York Penn. The station itself is pretty easy to navigate and there is no airport like security so don't build in a ton of extra time at that hour. There will be zero traffic. 

 

Just off of the main train hall there is an H&H Bagel which is one of NYC's better bagels and I would highly recommend bringing along for the train ride. 

9 minutes ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

I'm sure hubby won't have any trouble sleeping on the train. I hope the same for myself, but anxiety might not allow me to rest. (I have travel anxiety until I'm to my destination.)

Once you book your train tickets keep in mind that the Acela comes with assigned seating, much like an airplane. You will be automatically assigned seats once you purchase them. Take a look and make adjustments as needed. The Acelas have two seats together as well as tables for four with two seats forward and two seats facing backwards. If you want to sleep, book two seats by themselves-- the tables will have people getting up and down a lot. 

[princeton123211]

 .

Edited January 18 by princeton123211
dupe

[cruiseny4life]

Also...Sullivan St. Bakery in Hell's Kitchen (broken record, I know), but So. Freaking. Good!

 

Drop your bags with the porter, then wander over to 47th St. It's literally five minutes, if that from the port. 

 

You'll need some coffee if catching a 5 AM train anyway. Why not get some yummy baked goods too!

[2Long2NxtCrz]

3 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

Where in NYC is your daughter? 3am seems pretty early even for a 5am train from New York Penn. The station itself is pretty easy to navigate and there is no airport like security so don't build in a ton of extra time at that hour. There will be zero traffic. 

She's up north, around 193rd & Broadway. I honestly have no clue how long it would take. NYC is still confusing to me as it seems so much larger in person than on a map. I'll just schedule an Uber to make sure we arrive by 4am.

3 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

Just off of the main train hall there is an H&H Bagel which is one of NYC's better bagels and I would highly recommend bringing along for the train ride. 

 

Bagels and coffee sound like a great plan. We'll just drop off the luggage and then do that. I know I'll need the coffee just to be upright at that time of day (especially as it'll feel an hour earlier to my Central time body).

 

Because I am a planner I did book the tickets and we got exactly what you suggest: 2 together facing direction of travel without a table and right before the Cafe car. That part I might reconsider, though, because I don't want to be disturbed by lots of folks heading to the Cafe car.

 

Thanks again!

[2Long2NxtCrz]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Also...Sullivan St. Bakery in Hell's Kitchen (broken record, I know), but So. Freaking. Good!

 

Drop your bags with the porter, then wander over to 47th St. It's literally five minutes, if that from the port. 

 

You'll need some coffee if catching a 5 AM train anyway. Why not get some yummy baked goods too!

We'll need a coffee for sure and yummy baked goods for the trip sound amazing as well.

 

Thanks!