Question about NYC debark checked luggage bag pickup

[marktwothousand]

Can anyone describe the luggage pickup situation when a ship is arriving in NYC? Assuming I get priority (yellow) luggage tags and that things go smoothly, should the luggage be waiting for me if I am first-off? I am going to be rushing to catch a car. Debark is slated for 10 and we need to be in a car by 11:15. (It’s booked for 11 to be safe)

 

I know much CCers are big proponents of luggage walkoff, But, in my past experience at other ports, luggage unloading has always gone smoothly and I found it much easier to get down the stairs and to the debark line when I’m unencumbered.

 

I do NOT travel lightly and my suitcase is often in the 40 pound range, so carrying it down the stairs is a risky option. I’ve always found elevator walk off with luggage to take very long because of all the stops and crowding, I would much rather leave my bag for unloading overnight, if ppl here think it would be unloaded on time.

 

also, I have AirTags, so I should be able to find my suitcase very quickly in the pile. 
 

WDY think? I’ve never been to the manhattan port so I’m going entirely on the experience I hear from others 

[zqvol]

Good luck. If the ship docks at 10 you will be lucky to be off before noon. To be off by 11 the ship will need to dock around 9. 

[phillygwm]

I've sailed out of MCT 4-5 times but we've always docked early in the morning.  I'm usually off no later than 8:00.  In my experience, the posted disembark time has been a bit conservative so you MAY be off sooner than 10.  I'd try to find others who did the itinerary recently and ask them.

 

While I do generally walk off with my luggage, when I've needed to tag it (also priority) it's always been there by the time I get off the ship, regardless of port.  Sometimes it's been easier to locate my bag than others but the priority pile tends to be smaller so it shouldn't be quite as challenging.  Obviously, YMMV.

Edited April 13 by phillygwm

[Baron Barracuda]

Depends on whether they define "arrives at 10" to mean when ship will dock vs when ship is cleared and passengers are able to debark.  It will take some time to unload luggage and sort it by group in terminal.  Everyone will also have to clear CBP which can be either a breeze or a hassle depending on how many lines are open.  NY now has facial recognition which should speed things up. (Anyone know if NY has Global Entry line?)

[BirdTravels]

For a scheduled 7:00 am arrival, here's an example disembarkation schedule on a closed loop trip. If you are on a TA or non-closed loop trip, there may be delays in immigrations and customs. 

 

[BirdTravels]

Also, carefully coordinate the pick-up point with your car service. They can pick-up on the departure level (which will be very crowded with people arriving... especially for a late departure).

 

If they pick-up on the arrival level (street level), you usually have to haul your bag out of the terminal and across the street to the taxi/uber/limo stand which is a hike. 

 

We had a car service last October and we were not coordinated 😞

Edited April 13 by BirdTravels

[Turtles06]

I have disembarked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal when no one with baggage to be retrieved was allowed to proceed into the baggage claim area (including guests with “priority”) until *all* of the baggage had been taken off the ship and placed in their respective color-coded areas.  

[JGmf]

Sorry I can't help you with how likely your bag will be waiting for you if you try to disembark on the early side.  I've always done walk-off with our bags.

 

If your schedule is tight, then you should really eliminate those variables that may snag you, like getting your bag in a timely fashion.

 

I've sailed out/in of NYC a lot of times.  When we walk-off, from the moment we line-up on the ship, to the moment we are at street level, it's only about a half hour, maximum.  Usually it's less.  We have a free hand and use the escalators; and don't queue for the elevator.....which is a giant time sink.

 

Note that a good part of the time it takes to disembark is the looooong walk from the escalator/elevator at the pier, down to your luggage and customs, and then through the ground level part of the pier to the street.  Add more time crossing the west side highway to where you are likely meeting your scheduled car.

Edited April 13 by JGmf
typs

[Laszlo]

9 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

Can anyone describe the luggage pickup situation when a ship is arriving in NYC? Assuming I get priority (yellow) luggage tags and that things go smoothly, should the luggage be waiting for me if I am first-off? I am going to be rushing to catch a car. Debark is slated for 10 and we need to be in a car by 11:15. (It’s booked for 11 to be safe)

 

I know much CCers are big proponents of luggage walkoff, But, in my past experience at other ports, luggage unloading has always gone smoothly and I found it much easier to get down the stairs and to the debark line when I’m unencumbered.

 

I do NOT travel lightly and my suitcase is often in the 40 pound range, so carrying it down the stairs is a risky option. I’ve always found elevator walk off with luggage to take very long because of all the stops and crowding, I would much rather leave my bag for unloading overnight, if ppl here think it would be unloaded on time.

 

also, I have AirTags, so I should be able to find my suitcase very quickly in the pile. 
 

WDY think? I’ve never been to the manhattan port so I’m going entirely on the experience I hear from others 

Personally I would do easy walk off. Get it line early and the elevator should go quick. It can get pretty crazy and yes having an AirTag will help. I had to use it in this mess

 

 

 

[MCMC100]

26 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

I have disembarked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal when no one with baggage to be retrieved was allowed to proceed into the baggage claim area (including guests with “priority”) until *all* of the baggage had been taken off the ship and placed in their respective color-coded areas.  

The above Turtles06 scenario is the possible hiccup. I have shared that experience (as recently as Sep on Joy).  I have also used my Platinum yellow tags and grabbed my bags in luggage hall by 9:00am. (Getaway in March).
 

You do not control your departure if you are waiting on baggage pickup. You have a very tight window already.  If your itinerary says disembark at 10:00am that means you are scheduled to arrive at 10, you won’t be getting off until the ship is cleared and luggage is removed.  They tend to be conservative with this time, but I would operate under the premise they are accurate. I would walk off, it is your best chance at making your 11am car service. 

[mking8288]

As I mentioned on your roll call, it's best to do the express self walk off with luggage - aside from ship's gangway, sometimes steeper due to river tide, no stairs and just follow ahead to the 2 down escalators, bypass the luggage hall.  If you are caught with a long line at CBP, use porter services.  On our Prima TA last year disembarking in NY, CBP only opened 4 to 5 booths using facial recognition. That's one less bottleneck to insure a quicker way to your car service across on 12th Ave for EWR. 

The line was fairly short, porter with our bags in his cart headed straight ahead down the middle, express lane.

 

Use the AFT gangway if you can, much fewer steps or walking with luggage into the building for the escalators. We've cut the chase to 25 minutes from ship security & gangway to 12th Ave, ready for our car services ... that took another 10 minutes with congestion around that area. 

 

At the AFT gangway with the entrance into the terminal almost right there.

 

Port traffic congestion - there is going to be early birds showing up at 9 and 10 AM, let alone 11 with the subsequent arrival time moved back by 2 hours to noon.  

 

 

[reeinaz]

Yes your luggage will be there if you disembark when your tag is called. 

Edited April 13 by reeinaz

[The Traveling Man]

16 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

Can anyone describe the luggage pickup situation when a ship is arriving in NYC? Assuming I get priority (yellow) luggage tags and that things go smoothly, should the luggage be waiting for me if I am first-off? I am going to be rushing to catch a car. Debark is slated for 10 and we need to be in a car by 11:15. (It’s booked for 11 to be safe)

 

I know much CCers are big proponents of luggage walkoff, But, in my past experience at other ports, luggage unloading has always gone smoothly and I found it much easier to get down the stairs and to the debark line when I’m unencumbered.

 

I do NOT travel lightly and my suitcase is often in the 40 pound range, so carrying it down the stairs is a risky option. I’ve always found elevator walk off with luggage to take very long because of all the stops and crowding, I would much rather leave my bag for unloading overnight, if ppl here think it would be unloaded on time.

 

also, I have AirTags, so I should be able to find my suitcase very quickly in the pile. 
 

WDY think? I’ve never been to the manhattan port so I’m going entirely on the experience I hear from others 

My personal preference is for East Walk Off.  You don't have to conform to a set departure time, so you can set your own schedule.  Unless we have a close connection, as you do for this trip, we usually enjoy a leisurely breakfast, go back to our room to wash up and gather our things, then stroll off the ship among the stragglers.  Our primary luggage has wheels, we try to pack light (although my wife's bag usually tops 40 pounds), and our backpacks / camera bags / her purse are fairly light.  We don't like to leave our bags in the hallway the night before departure, so we finish packing after breakfast on departure day.  Just our preference, YMMV.  The baggage claim area in Manhattan is huge and not well lit.  It could be an issue finding your bags.  Not saying that it will be a problem, just that it could be.  The cruise terminal has both escalators and elevators, so you should not have any trouble hauling your bag up or down stairs.  Assuming your ship arrives on the advertised schedule and there are no snags clearing Customs, you should have no trouble making it to the curb by 11:00.  Bon voyage.

[Candy Apple 12]

17 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

also, I have AirTags, so I should be able to find my suitcase very quickly in the pile. 
 

The first time I used AirTags for a cruise was our Bermuda trip on the Breakaway in fall 2021. We couldn’t find our bags in the MCT so I took out my phone to use the Find My app and was quickly chastised by a port employee that I couldn’t use a cell phone in that part of the terminal. When I tried to explain what I was doing, she didn’t care. Luckily we spotted the bags shortly after that. 

[Baron Barracuda]

We're also on this Prima sailing and will be picked up by dd coming south on the West Side Hwy.  Given the late arrival should I direct her to Arrivals or have her go past the terminal make a u turn on 12th ave and find a place to wait on the north bound side?  Are cars picking up at Arrivals allowed to sit and wait or do police force them to keep moving?

[njhorseman]

45 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

We're also on this Prima sailing and will be picked up by dd coming south on the West Side Hwy.  Given the late arrival should I direct her to Arrivals or have her go past the terminal make a u turn on 12th ave and find a place to wait on the north bound side?  Are cars picking up at Arrivals allowed to sit and wait or do police force them to keep moving?

She can't wait anywhere within the cruise terminal complex. She'll need to find a spot on a side street.