Carnival Terminal in NYC

[Rachy817]

I have had horrible experiences at the Carnival terminal in NYC a few years ago. Two cruises in a row we were forced to wait in line for over two hours trying to get onto the ship. I think we showed up at the terminal around 12-1pm and did not get on the ship until 3!

I know that when we sail out of Canaveral and Miami it seems like we practically zip through the lines without much of a wait, and we always seem to be on the ship around 12pm with no troubles!

 

Can anyone tell me if things in NY have changed? Is it any faster? Or is there a better time for us to show up at the port??

Any help would be appreciated!

[nybumpkin]

We've cruised out of NYC on Carnival 5 times, most recently in August. We arrived around 11:15 and were aboard by 11:45 - in fact, we were aboard so early that some of the Lido buffet venues weren't opened yet. We've had pretty good luck arriving around 11-11:30. I wouldn't recommend arriving much earlier, though, because they may be disembarking pax from the previous cruise.

[Got2Cruise]

You might have had bad luck with immigration/customs. We once had this problem in Puerto Rico. They took forever to clear the ship of the previous sailing, so that is why it took so long. Perhaps two years ago Princess and Hal were still sailing from Manhattan. They have since moved to Brooklyn so it is less congested at Manhattan piers now. Plan on arriving around 11:30 a.m., and hope for the best.:)