Question re Boston Cruise Terminal to Amtrak South Station

[Turtles06]

Our ship is scheduled to arrive back in Boston at 7am on a Friday in October after a New England/Canada cruise. (The prior port is Portland, Maine, so U.S. immigration will already have been taken care of.)

 

We’re considering an 11am Amtrak train from South Station, which I have read is about a 10-15 minute drive from the cruise terminal. Would it be reasonable for us to book this train? 

 

In terms of getting to South Station, I’ve read about Boston taxis and the general advice to take Uber or Lyft in Boston, but can we expect taxis to be lined up at the cruise terminal when a ship has arrived?

 

If we do need to use Uber at the cruise terminal, is there a good place near the terminal where we’d want to be picked up (or, even better, a designated pickup spot for these car services)?  I imagine it will be a zoo with everyone disembarking. 
 

Thanks for any info and advice! 

[JCMass.]

There are always lots of taxi's lined up outside the terminal, and there are lots of people helping in the terminal, and police directing traffic to keep things moving and they do.  It clears out fairly quickly.  We took the Canadian Cruise last year, but we live close by and were picked up.  I find Boston an easy place to board and disembark from a trip. 

[Nanatravel]

I believe you can make that 11 o’clock time. I’d take a taxi 🚖 but Uber is fine if that is something you are used to. As the day you disembark is a Friday, normally taxis won’t be too plentiful 

[1025cruise]

Should be no issue with an 11. You might consider taking the Silver Line from the dockyard area direct to South Station, or just Uber.

[navybankerteacher]

Amtrak Northeast Regional trains run pretty frequently - how much later is the next one after 11:00.  I would be inclined to build in a little more time and not have to rush/sweat.

[njhorseman]

16 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

Our ship is scheduled to arrive back in Boston at 7am on a Friday in October after a New England/Canada cruise. (The prior port is Portland, Maine, so U.S. immigration will already have been taken care of.)

 

We’re considering an 11am Amtrak train from South Station, which I have read is about a 10-15 minute drive from the cruise terminal. Would it be reasonable for us to book this train? 

 

In terms of getting to South Station, I’ve read about Boston taxis and the general advice to take Uber or Lyft in Boston, but can we expect taxis to be lined up at the cruise terminal when a ship has arrived?

 

If we do need to use Uber at the cruise terminal, is there a good place near the terminal where we’d want to be picked up (or, even better, a designated pickup spot for these car services)?  I imagine it will be a zoo with everyone disembarking. 
 

Thanks for any info and advice! 

Unless the ship were to arrive very late there's no reason to worry about making an 11 am train.

I know you've taken the train home from Penn Station in NYC after a cruise. What time were you comfortable with in NY? It shouldn't be any different in Boston. 

[marlenecook]

11 o’clock is totally doable. You have so many options to get to South Station. There will probably be a cab available. If not, Ubers are available. there is a covered waiting area with some seating just before you get to the curb. That’s the most likely place for an Uber to meet you, but if that seems like too much of a zoo, you could always walk up the street a little bit and meet them near the parking lot at the end of the building, or around to the other side of the Boston design Center, which is the huge building across the street. You could also walk to the Hampton Inn which you can see from the cruise port and is about a five minute walk.
 

And if all that fails, the silver line bus serves that area and goes directly into South Station. It pick up about a block away at the corner of Drydock Avenue and Design Center Place (across from a Dunkin’ Donuts of course!). In south Station, you would only have to go upstairs from where they drop you off to find the train terminal.

 

Lots of options and you will be able to figure out the best one once you get there.
 

Also remember that getting on a train takes very little time compared to flying. Theres one train hall and set of tracks. You just have to figure out which train you’re on and get on the train. If it’s already there it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. It’s not like New York City where navigating the station can take some effort. 

[dbrown84]

The bus takes you right to the station.  And 11:00 is more than enough time.  You'll probably be sitting at the station for an hour or two 

[billslowsky]

We took an Uber back in 2022; we had to walk a block to get picked up.   Amtrak is close by.  The bus was running regularly.  And the train station is quick to the tracks, not a maze you have to navigate.