New York Disembarkation Brooklyn Terminal

[rambler-dhaka]

Can anyone tell me whether there is a taxi rank at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, where arriving passangers can get a cab easily?

 

Thanks.

[Betsy's Mom]

Yes

B.

[Karanja]

Can anyone tell me whether there is a taxi rank at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, where arriving passangers can get a cab easily?

 

Thanks.

 

Yes, there is a taxi rank but it's a crap shoot whether there will be a sufficient number for the demand. Personally, I would not count on one if you are short on time. However, the weekend is often better than a weekday as so many New Yorkers catch a cab to work.

Ted

[Brit abroad]

We have endured a 2 hour wait for a taxi at Brooklyn Terminal with uncomfortable humidity and then torrential rain - the line was so lengthy that we were beyond the glass shelter at one point and so got absolutely drenched - so glad i had my hair done the day before! :rolleyes:

 

As a consequence we would never take this gamble again and at the time bitterly regretted taking the early self disembarkation option instead of

paying the premium of a Cunard transport option as although we may have got off the QM early, it got us precisely no where! As you can imagine it was rather tough to then watch passengers who had had a leisurely breakfast and two hours longer than us to enjoy a dry ship waltz past and board their awaiting bus!:(

 

Luckily we were spending several days in NYC but had we needed to transfer to connecting flights or had a pressing engagement we would have been sunk!

 

The taxi rank is well located just outside the main terminal exit but how many taxis verse passengers will be there at any one time is a complete gamble! In saying that, we stood next to a frequent crosser who said the lengthy delays we faced were unusual and the "worst he had ever known", so if you have nothing pressing to worry about, it is the cheepest and possibly the speediest option when the taxis are plentiful!

[smeyer418]

I have always said its best to use one of the local car services. They are about the same price as a yellow cab and yellow cabs just aren't assured to be waiting. I use Arecibo 7187836465. You call them just before you enter the customs/immigration area if you have a cell phone or at a pay phone after that area. You call they come. They just aren't good with a reservation...

[rjms74]

I was on the recent 2 May Westbound Crossing & got off QM2 at 8 am and was in a taxi by 8.20 am on my way to Midtown Manhattan they have set fees dependant on which part of Manhattan you go to & the prices I saw were $51 & $61 excluding tips.

 

I thought it was very well organised at the terminal and going through Customs was very quick indeed & much better organised than going to the old Manhattan pier - that being said the 'wow' factor & arrival to the US / NYC is not so great going into Brooklyn - much better at Manhattan Pier!

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[capnpugwash]

I was on the recent 2 May Westbound Crossing & got off QM2 at 8 am and was in a taxi by 8.20 am on my way to Midtown Manhattan they have set fees dependant on which part of Manhattan you go to & the prices I saw were $51 & $61 excluding tips.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

 

I am not sure what vehicle RJMS was in but it was not a yellow cab as they are metered, also the rates quoted are quite high. Smeyer has got it spot on, call Arecibo 718 783 6465 and they will pick you up in a town car and take you to 60th for around $30. Or get a yellow cab but they are a little rare sometimes at Brooklyn.

[smeyer418]

I was on the recent 2 May Westbound Crossing & got off QM2 at 8 am and was in a taxi by 8.20 am on my way to Midtown Manhattan they have set fees dependant on which part of Manhattan you go to & the prices I saw were $51 & $61 excluding tips.

 

I thought it was very well organised at the terminal and going through Customs was very quick indeed & much better organised than going to the old Manhattan pier - that being said the 'wow' factor & arrival to the US / NYC is not so great going into Brooklyn - much better at Manhattan Pier!

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

 

Yellow cabs to Manhattan aren't allowed to charge set fees from the Brooklyn Cruise terminal(see http://www.nyc.gov/tlc). You probably meant the limos/black cars that the cruise terminal has contracted with. They charge more than twice what a yellowed metered cab will charge on the meter for the same trip and twice what the local car services will charge. Yes its very easy but you pay for this privilege. I won't comment about the aesthetics of the Manhattan piers but the Brooklyn one in general is much better organizaned and modern.

[rjms74]

thanks smeyer418 yes my apologies it was a black limo - I thought rate was not too bad but did not realise twice as much as a yellow cab. From my 9 deck balcony when we arrived at 6 am & up until I left my room at around 7.45 am I saw now yellow cabs nor when I got off the ship & it was a Saturday.

 

I will certainly try the Arecibo option the next time.

 

Why are there not many yellow cabs that service the Brooklyn terminal then?

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[capnpugwash]

I think the drivers are used to Manhattan and get enough work there without the need to go to Red Hook, You would think they would look up when a ship is arriving and be there, but they don't like waiting and then getting a $25 fare. Can't really blame them can you.

[The Real PM]

I think the drivers are used to Manhattan and get enough work there without the need to go to Red Hook, You would think they would look up when a ship is arriving and be there, but they don't like waiting and then getting a $25 fare. Can't really blame them can you.

Cap'n, I can't believe that a NYC cabby ever gets a $25 fare!

[smeyer418]

 

Why are there not many yellow cabs that service the Brooklyn terminal then?

 

 

...

 

 

RJMS74

 

 

Simply because as Cap says there is more work in Manhattan. Yellow cabs are licensed for street hails(or cab lines) only they aren't allowed to prearrange trips. That is what the medallion on the cabs are for. The number of these is strictly limited(to about 13,000 I think) and are very valuable. The last auction of these they were sold for about $450,000 each and is about what is paid when they are privately transferred. So they go where the work is to keep them busy-which means mostly Manhattan- yes if you get into one the must take you to the outerboros including the Brooklyn cruise terminal- all three airports etc(they are NOT required to take you to the Bayonne Cruise terminal) but they won't be happy...

[smeyer418]

Cap'n, I can't believe that a NYC cabby ever gets a $25 fare!

The average cab ride is under $15.00 In Manhattan the cabs make the most money by fast turn over....

 

ps many moons ago when I was in College I drove a yellow cab and my father owned one...

[AstroExeter]

We caught a yellow cab from the Brooklyn terminal on 14th April 2009. It cost $40 dollars to upper west side. There were plenty of yellow cabs and loads of private Town cars at the ranks. We stayed in NY for 3 days then got a Town car to La Guardia for our flight to Florida. That cost $35. Not too bad all in all.

[Laconia]

I was on the recent 2 May Westbound Crossing & got off QM2 at 8 am and was in a taxi by 8.20 am on my way to Midtown Manhattan they have set fees dependant on which part of Manhattan you go to & the prices I saw were $51 & $61 excluding tips.

 

You have money to burn. My car to JFK from Downtown was $40......

 

And the limo from Red Hook to Manhattan was even cheaper......

[rjms74]

Whether I have money to burn is my own personal business - I got the first available transport to go to my hotel & I was at my hotel very quickly & my room was ready! Had there been a yellow cab I would have taken it!

 

Yes I took got a $45 yellow cab - fixed rate from my Hotel to JFK when I left the city a few days ago.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[smeyer418]

You have money to burn. My car to JFK from Downtown was $40......

 

And the limo from Red Hook to Manhattan was even cheaper......

actually for many people the fact that they don't have to call and its a limo is worth the extra dollars. You are of course entitled to a different opinion but that doesn't mean that they have money to burn. It was somewhat more but not an arm and a leg. the guy who paid $225 from Penn Station to the Brooklyn Cruise terminal unfortunately was ripped off. But the fixed amounts that the cruise terminal has negotiated are not out of line when you consider that the cruise lines do the same thing when they mark up for shore excursions.

[Laconia]

actually for many people the fact that they don't have to call and its a limo is worth the extra dollars.

 

 

Of course. Tongue was in cheek.

[garigoun]

The last time we were at Red Hook, May 2008, we self disembarked. There was a line for yellow cabs but not too long. There were two NYPD guys acting as unofficial despatchers one a Latin American and the other an Italian American. It was pure NYC standup. A fantastic welcome to my favourite city. And really, unless you get totally ripped off like the guy in the earlier post what we are talking about is a difference of what? 10-15 dollars depending on what kind of transport you take. Don't sweat the small stuff, it ruins holidays.

Gari

[rjms74]

Gari,

 

Totally ripped off! I will repeat there were no yellow cabs when I got off QM2 at 8.15 am - so I took at the time what I assumed was the only available option - I had two large suitcases & hand luggage I was not going to wait around on my own!

 

Having travelled previously on 2 x QE2 & 1 x QM2 crossing they all docked at Manhattan and I'd always used to arrange transfers with Cunard but on this occasion Brooklyn was a new port to me so in fairness I did not really know the score so to speak but will know next time - if there are any yellow cabs around then of course!

 

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[cruisemate2308]

Thanks for posting this information. Very useful. Can you tell me how much Cunard were charging for their transfer to Manhattan?