Airport advice for NCL Gem sailing

Sailing on the NCL Gem in October so we need to finalize our flights. Originally we were going to fly into LGA because we are staying in Times Square. But after reading of the transportation nightmare at LGA we are unsure. Considering we are not going until this October shouldn't some of the traffic problems have been fixed by then? Would like to hear advice from people familiar with LGA recent problems. If not flying into LGA, then suggestions on the best airport to fly into with transportation cost to Times Square. Flight costs to JFK & EWR are about the same.

LGA traffic problems will never be fixed. Newark is closest and easiest. Was about a 20 minute ride today from the Newark airport area, although I was just driving by. (Add time to get out of the airport.). At worst, take a cab to Penn Station and then a NJ Transit train to the airport.

Really? Newark is more expensive by public transportation. But I have not done it. Only priced out.

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LGA has never been good. It will be worse over the next few years as the make major changes. One important note. Issues that impact one terminal might not be the same at the other. They will all be bad, but could be very bad at certain ones.

Poster above talked going TO the airport and I think you are talking about getting FROM the airport. Though I would guess you will have to do that on your return anyways.

Some of the best & most useful advice can be searched & found in the East Coast destination forum here on CC ... are you doing 7 days or 10 days? Any accessible issues - can you manage luggage on mass/public transit, flight time coming into NYC and post-cruise as well. There is no easy or simple, generic answers - highway/road congestion, traffic & weather issues, etc. all can affect.

Buzz word is to allow plenty of time between disembarkation & at the airport - lately, both the Breakaway & Gem homeport in NYC has issues with ship coming in late, rush turnaround & folks "complaining" that they're not the first 250 off the ship and thru CBP, need to "drag" luggage across 12th Avenue & up 1/2 block. Preference & choice for using metered NYC taxi vs. car services vs. airporter bus or train/subway transfer (and, we have issues with Amtrak & tracks ... only going to get worst this summer & fall season)

A car service between LGA or JFK and Manhattan w. tolls & tips, about $55 to $75 at most for a sedan, good for 3 + luggage. Between EWR and Manhattan is at least $85 out to EWR but $20 to $25+ more due to one-way toll crossing on the Hudson. Some folks go for Uber but keep in mind, surge pricing can be a big surprise.

Travel with a 22" rollerboard and a backpack, we can go from Queens (NW of LGA) via a simple bus & subway transfer on weekend/off-peak to MCT pier for $2.75 p/p each if we do a 1/2 mile walk from nearest 8th Avenue @ W. 50th Street underground E line station.

Will take NCL transfer from ship to LGA after cruise to catch flight home. Just concerned about airport to hotel prior to cruise.

Will take NCL transfer from ship to LGA after cruise to catch flight home. Just concerned about airport to hotel prior to cruise.

We caught a shuttle from LGA to times sq today. It was about 45-60 minutes. But it had nothing to do with the airport construction. The construction really had limited impact. Today it was traffic on the bridges. And it is fleet week, so the cross town traffic was pretty horrid.

And according to news, NY is a top Memorial Day weekend vacation spot.

I, too, am trying to decide which airport for our cruise on the Gem in September. I have a friend traveling to NY LaGuardia on Wednesday and I am waiting to see what she has to say about her experience. If she tells me it was awful, I will make our reservations into Newark instead.

Will take NCL transfer from ship to LGA after cruise to catch flight home. Just concerned about airport to hotel prior to cruise.

Pre-cruise, airport to hotel in Times Square area, LGA has airporter bus that pickup in front of terminal @ arrival - it will be slower than taxi, but at a fixed & low price to midtown Manhattan. Some of the bus shuttle stopped on East Side @ Grand Central Terminal, with a free shuttle to Times Square - others continued to TS or nearby Port Authority Bus Terminal.

As you are in no rush to make embarkation cutoff, just pack along something extra, called "patience" and you will be fine, figure an extra 15 to 30 minutes, worst case 45 minutes delay.

What BT mentioned is the other ongoing issues with East River crossing, both weekdays & weekends - lanes closure, reconstruction & scheduled maintenance - I recently drove from Queens into midtown on a weekend via these routes, just to see how things go - took 45 minutes to go 1.5 mile on the L.I. Expressway (I-495 West) to Queens Midtown Tunnel, which is now all cash-less EZ-Pass toll crossing only, on both directions ... problem, one tube closed and only one tube open - one lane traffic each direction.

Airport authorities are well aware of their impact as the contractor won't be finished until 2020 to 2021, relocating airport's interior roadway, new parking structures and new terminals ... moving existing ones further away & closer to the highway, not just your simple roadway repaving project. Arriving pax, for now, can join the taxi lines at 1 of 4 terminals ... it is metered fare to/from Manhattan (unlike JFK with a flat rate) so that extra 45 minutes is extra $$ (50 cents per minute in traffic, not moving or 50 cents every 1/5 mile ... 45 minutes @ $22.50 extra fares due)

Until further notice, FHV (licensed For Hire Vehicles, including car services like Dial 7 & Carmel, Uber & Lyft) must pickup or meet their passengers at a nearby designated parking lot, reached via the free Green shuttle route (luggage "friendly") - and that's been a source of complaint lately but improving.

For lightly packed travelers with manageable luggage, Q70-SBS is a limited stop bus service to nearby subway stations for the E,F and #7 subway lines and LIRR train for transfer & connection into the city ... when the city is hit by massive gridlock, this is often the fastest & best way to get to/from town, 60 to 75 minutes curbside to curbside. Absolutely avoid Super Shuttle, big "Blue" vans.

Given your description, there's no reason to stay away and avoid using LGA ... If you come into EWR on a weekday & get caught with commuter traffic jams, you can spend an hour looking at the tunnel crossing and barely moving (avoid NJ taxi into NYC - fares is doubled metered rates + surcharges + tolls + tips).

Otherwise, you can fly into JFK and fly out LGA, as JFK has AirTrain and easy subway/LIRR commuter train connection to midtown Manhattan, and travel time is quite predictable @ 60 to 75 minutes.

We are also sailing on the NCL Gem in October. How much time should we allow to get from LGA to the ship and the following Sat from the Gem back to LGA? Our flight arrives at LGA at 10:35AM and the Gem does not depart until 4:00PM. Upon return the ship is scheduled to get to port at 8AM and our flight home is booked at 2:10PM. Our flights are booked Southwest so we can make changes if necessary. We really don't want to spend the night before but would consider making changes if what we have now is too risky. Please advise.

We are also sailing on the NCL Gem in October. How much time should we allow to get from LGA to the ship and the following Sat from the Gem back to LGA? Our flight arrives at LGA at 10:35AM and the Gem does not depart until 4:00PM. Upon return the ship is scheduled to get to port at 8AM and our flight home is booked at 2:10PM. Our flights are booked Southwest so we can make changes if necessary. We really don't want to spend the night before but would consider making changes if what we have now is too risky. Please advise.

How are you getting from the airport to the port?

Your all aboard time is 2 pm.

We arrived at LGA at 11:00 am today and using a shared ride shuttle, didn't get to midtown until 2:15.

Did they let you on? We get there 30 minutes earlier. We are wondering how long it takes to get luggage. We are planning on using shared ride shuttle. Allowing 30 minutes to get luggage, and 2 hours for travel and delays that should put us there at around one o'clock. What happens if you do run late and arrive around 2:30 or 3 PM?

We would never arrive in NYC the day of the cruise. This might be 3rd or 4th cruise out of NYC. We always come in at least one day before to enjoy the city - and not worry about flights.

To those of you that do arrive day of cruise what happens if you get to port after 2PM but before 4PM?

To those of you that do arrive day of cruise what happens if you get to port after 2PM but before 4PM?

BirdTravels, I think, is sailing on the Breakaway today - the Gem sailed yesterday and the travel time on a shared shuttle from LGA to Manhattan on a weekend should not be a surprise to anyone, as it does and will make multiple stops, at least 3 terminals at LGA alone, maybe the 4th @ Marine Air or Terminal A.

NCL recommends arriving 2 hours prior to sailing to get thru security and do the pier check-in. NCL also stated on its website that 1 hour before embarkation as local security regulations might prohibit entrance (ship must, like airlines, prepare a passenger manifest to submit to CBP for clearance) - see their website.

https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/prepare-for-your-cruise/departure-day

Your date of arrival's flight landing at 10:35 AM is tight, it's "usually" 10-15 minutes to the gate, another 10-15 minutes to walk out to luggage & wait, pickup bags & out to ground transportation - taxi or (nowadays) shuttle to designated lot for car service/Uber pickup location (+10 to 15 minutes) ... getting into the ride around 11:30 AM and allow 45 to 75 minutes to get to MCT.

All goes well, you get there around 1 PM and the long lines usually gone & quick boarding - but, flight is cancelled or delayed, arrived late, traffic tie-ups and bridge/tunnel closure or detours, and other unknown "monkey wrenches" thrown and you hit the "panic" buttons.

Taxi is fine but a traffic jam will result in higher fares, could cost $15 or $20 or more, extra. Car services are flat rate & works better - take a little longer to meet these days at LGA, but it's reliable and we used it all the times (Carmel) - 30 minutes each way from Queens (we are further away from LGA) to MCT.

Also, flights & delays at LGA are generally not bad on weekends with few aircrafts scheduled to land & takeoff - weekends can be a mess, especially for afternoons ... mornings usually, usually not a big challenge - unless it's weather !

Do you have trip/travel insurance ??

Thank you Mking. Sounds doable but I should check with my wife and see if we have trip/travel insurance. One of the reasons we booked the flight the day of was the price was much better. thank you for the detail you went into as this is exactly the type of information we need to make our decision. So are you saying that if we get to the boat by 3PM we should be okay?

I'm sure I have posted this before, but here is one opinion on why you may want to reconsider same day arrival. Family cruise on the Spirit out of NYC, 2006. Friend and I arrive 2 days early to play in the city. We are surprising his parents for their 50th anniversary, big family deal. The siblings and families book same day flights from Boston to JFK. What can go wrong? Both airports were absolutely socked in with fog and it was pouring rain. We're hanging out in a deli to stay dry when the first call arrives - flight delayed. To make a long story shorter, we waited for them on the pier until the boarding photo backdrops were dismantled. We found an officer and told him 8 passengers had "just landed" at JFK. Muster was going on as we boarded. I was not missing the ship for them! Many phone calls later, with guest services on one phone and family on the other, they held the ship for 20 minutes. Oldest brother tipped van driver $100 to run red lights, drive on sidewalks, whatever it took. Last niece had one foot still on the gangway as we started to move. And yes, we all had to go to the muster of shame at 9am the next day. Very surprised parents enjoyed watching muster and taunting us.

Thank you Mking. Sounds doable but I should check with my wife and see if we have trip/travel insurance. ...

I know this is obvious, but Travel Insurance does not mean you will still make it in time. It has no bearing on getting to the ship in time. The best policy will not fix missing the boat.

It only helps to pay some dollar issues.