New York (Brooklyn) Embarkation

What is the expected tip for the longshoremen at Red Hook in 2014. We do not wish to under-tip.

Maybe Cunard needs what their sister line (I still can't fathom it) Carnival has, and that is "Faster To The Fun". For $50 per cabin you get expedited boarding, luggage delivery, tender boarding, etc.

However, in Cunard's case you call it "Faster to the Caviar"! :D

What is there to see / visit / do within walking distance of the cruise terminal in Red Hook? I have never seen anything except warehouses, etc.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/dining/eating-and-drinking-red-hook-brooklyn.html

I know of Baked but I'm not familiar with most of the others.

nfcu, I've embarked on QM2 twelve times from the Red Hook Pier, and disembarked there 11 times. The number of longshoremen/women is not always plentiful in my experince, but of course you are free to ingore my information - but to deem it 'mis-information' is incorrect.

 

BTW, I have also had at least one experience where disembarkation was delayed due to an insufficient number of longshoremen/women to assist in removing luggage from the pick-up area in a timely manner.

 

Obviously, experiences vary. If passengers wish to arrive early, that is their choice. But at least they can make an informed decision based on a variety of experiences that past passengers have encountered.

 

Salacia

We have sailed into/out of Red Hook 8 times on QM2 and 6 times on Princess. We always arrived before 10AM and there always were plenty of longshoremen available to assist with our luggage. So I stand by my statement of "mis-information" that longshoremen will not take arriving passenger's luggage until disembarkation is complete.

We have sailed into/out of Red Hook 8 times on QM2 and 6 times on Princess. We always arrived before 10AM and there always were plenty of longshoremen available to assist with our luggage. So I stand by my statement of "mis-information" that longshoremen will not take arriving passenger's luggage until disembarkation is complete.

nfcu, it is your continued use of the word "mis-information" to categorize posts relating to experiences that differ from your experiences that I take issue with...

Here is the definition of misinformation, according to the Oxford Dictionary:

"False or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive" - quoted from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/misinformation

While I freely accept that your experience is that as you stated: "always arrived before 10AM and there always were plenty of longshoremen available to assist with our luggage", perhaps you can accept that experiences differ, and when relating the difference, it is best not to imply that there was a deliberate intent to deceive by using the word misinformation.

BTW, when you arrive before 10 a.m. as you wrote that you always do, when is your luggage loaded on to the ship? Does it sit in trundles, trolleys (racks on wheels, whatever you want to call them), piled high by the "plenty of available longshoremen? Will those trundles packed high with luggage (pity the suitcases on the bottom) remain outside the Terminal until the all clear is given to start loading luggage, or is it loaded on the ship in soon after you drop it off, regardless of the status of off loading luggage from the previous voyage?

Regards,

Salacia

Everything you need to know about the NY Water Taxi: NY Water Taxi

Hi BlueRiband. Yes, thanks, I did check that site prior to posting. I had hopes that there was a new itinerary that went directly from Red Hook to the West Side where the Intrepid is moored - knowing that sometimes websites aren't always kept current.

Am I missing something? Seems to me that from Red Hook, the Water Taxi goes to South Street, where you can catch a water taxi to the West Side. Sounds very pleasant, but if time were of the essence, and I really wanted to explore the Sea, Air and Space Museum, I'd take a regular old Yellow Cab from the Red Hook Terminal to the Intrepid. After which, if there was ample time to meet the Water Taxi schedule back to the ship, I'd go that as a return route.

PARTIAL QUOTE

 

There is a water taxi that goes from Red Hook to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum? I didn't know that...sounds great. Could you please share where the water taxi boards and docks? I tend to rely on taxi cabs, but I'm happy to learn there is an alternative. Details appreciated. Thanks. -Salacia

It looks as if there is a route via Fairway Dock, Van Brunt Street, to Pier 11, Slip A , 25 minute ride on the Ikea Ferry

Pier 11, Slip A to Pier 79, W39th St 40 minutes, that lets off near the Lincoln Tunnel, just south of the museum.

The A train would make a pretty direct route that might be faster than the second leg by water.

The ferry from the Fairway Market dock only operates on weekends, starting at 11:20 a.m.

Ferry service between the Ikea dock and Manhattan (Pier 11) operates on weekdays and weekends, but doesn't start running (from Ikea) until 11:20 a.m.

It's just over a half mile from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to the Fairway Market dock, and just under a mile to the Ikea dock. Both routes are walkable; or take the B-61 bus from the corner of Van Brunt and King Streets.

Thanks so much for that info Post Captain!

The walk is about what I thought but I had missed the Fairway dock only having service on the weekends.