taxi or limo

[pongo]

Hi ,

What Would Be The Best We Are Traveling With Total 2 We Are Wondering What Would Be The Best From Red Hock To Hotel In New York . I Thought A Limo Would Be 25 % More Than A Taxi Does It Depend On The Amount Of People Or Is It Per Taxi Or Limo

[smeyer418]

For yellow cabs its per cab. Limos which are privately owned are not price regulated except that the Red Hook terminal signed an agreement with some Limo companies to provide service for a fee. Unfortunately I don;t know if that is per person or per limo. Whatever it is you can agree with the liimo driver and if he agrees that is what you should pay make sure its not per person! Limos are much more notorious for this rip off than cab drivers. The medallion for a yellow cab cost $300,000 or more and they don't want it suspended, which HAS happened. The TLC fines them big time for ripping off passengers. The Limo drivers are also licensed but they are less strictly regulated. The medallion is that strange shape thing on the hood and which gives them the right to pick up people on the street. Black cars(limos-car service) are only supposed to do this by pre-arrangement i.e. phone call.

[davyjones]

Last year we crossed to NY on the QM2 and were planning to get a limo to take us to the airport. When we enquired on the QM2 we were told that they would only accept one piece of luggage per passenger and a maximum of two passengers. We thus had to get the coach. They don't seem to mention this restriction in the brochure.

[NorthernNeighbour]

There is another thread on this site where Maria from Brooklyn referred passengers to a limo service not far from Red Hook:

 

Promenade Car Service

(718) 858-6666 132 Montague St

Brooklyn, NY

 

I spoke to the manager there this morning who was most helpful. You just have to contact them (phone is best) explain what you need and how much luggage you have. Since they are located NOT FAR from Red Hook, they are accustomed to transferring CUNARD passengers.

 

We are using them for the dis-embarkation on Sunday, 4 June. Of course, the problem is you do NOT know exactly what time you will dis-embark. But the manager there told me that for a SUNDAY MORNING dis-embarkation, he has plenty of limos on hand -- we just need to call him from the ship (which I will do using my cell phone) and the limo will be there approximately 15 to 20 minutes later.

 

I also read somewhere else on this site of a lady who had tons of luggage -- no problem, she called a transfer service in New York and they sent a mini-van (which she said was most comfortable) and piled all her luggage into it for the transfer to the airport.

 

The limo is more expensive than a taxi -- but they can work with you if you have lots of luggage whereas a taxi may or may not.

 

I agree, make sure when you call the limo company that they quote the price for a car (not per passenger, which is NOT the normal way to do limo business) -- if you pay for the car, you should be allowed to put in as many people as the car will safely hold. However, as you can appreciate, some limo companies would not want to put 20 pieces of luggage into even a stretch limo (since it could bounce about and damage their expensive equipment).

 

[heywood]

We are using them for the dis-embarkation on Sunday, 4 June. Of course, the problem is you do NOT know exactly what time you will dis-embark. But the manager there told me that for a SUNDAY MORNING dis-embarkation, he has plenty of limos on hand -- we just need to call him from the ship (which I will do using my cell phone) and the limo will be there approximately 15 to 20 minutes later.

 

May I ask a couple of questions please?

If we want to make our own way to NY hotel - is that 'self-disembark' and do we choose a time or are we still allocated a time?

 

I'm just thinking that we would have to clear customs, which I hear can be a lengthy process, so presumably we would phone the limo service after that and just wait around. Do you think that would be the case?

 

Thanks

Heywood

[imacruizer]

Heywood, "self debarkation" means that you carry ALL of your luggage off the ship. If you are in a hurry to debark and can easily handle all your luggage, it is a good option. On the QM2, usually the self debarkation passengers are allowed to get off the ship first. If you are not in a hurry or have more luggage than you want to carry, just use the luggage tags you are issued and get off the ship when your tag color is called. When you get off the ship, collect your luggage, clear customs, and then look for your transportation.

 

Perhaps others who have debarked in Red Hook will share how long it took to exit the ship, collect luggage, and clear customs. That will help you in deciding when to call the limo company.

 

Enjoy the QM2. She is a wonderful ship.

[NorthernNeighbour]

If you call the Promenade Car Service on a Sunday, the manager said they would be there in 15 minutes. So not a long wait after you clear customs.

 

I've been told that there is also now an area at the terminal where unbooked limos wait looking to transfer passengers who have no prior arrangements.

 

If it were I who were self-disembarking, I would take a chance on the queue for the unbooked and, if no limos or the queue is long, then phone the Promenade Car Service to see if they can be there in 15 minutes or so to collect you specifically by name.

 

Their offices are only 1 mile or so (1.6 kilometers) from the Red Hook Terminal.

[heywood]

Thanks for your help. I think we'll go with the colour tags, then as we go in August (and hopefully by then there willl be some sort of routine) we will clear customs and then decide - unbooked or phone the company.

[NorthernNeighbour]

Since I'm dis-embarking on 4 June and will try to call the Promenade Service from the pier myself, I'll do my best to post a comment here about my experience.

 

If I do not and you want to prompt me (via a posting here asking me to report back in), please do so. I get the e-mail notification of all postings to this thread and will respond.

[heywood]

that's kind, thank you.