Question about Self Assist Disembark on Celebrity

[KiRiMi]

Would like advice or information about experience using Self Assist Disembark on Celebrity cruises.

 

We are booked on the Summit for a cruise to Bermuda in July. We are not familiar with that the Cape Liberty port and have never used Self Assist Disembark before. We would like to fly home from the Newark airport on a flight at 12:40 pm but our travel agent said the earliest are flight could depart is 1pm if we use the Celebrity transportation from the cruise port to EWR.

 

We have read that there are shared shuttles we can use instead for $16 p.p. or a taxi but we don't know what time we will be assigned to get off the ship.

 

The Self Assist Disembark seems like a good option since we can leave when we want. Does Celebrity make Self Assist east for those that need to catch a flight? Has anyone done this at the Liberty cruise port? What is the usual wait time for one of the shared shuttles or a taxi? I tried checking the cruise port website but they do not have any transportation options listed there, just directions for getting to the cruise port. I assume this means that the shared shuttles are not operated by them.

[cruisestitch]

Self disembarkation is a good option if you can move all your luggage by yourself, possibly even down a flight of stairs, and on/off the port shuttle. It's not a good option if you have any mobility problems or will have lots of luggage. Those who choose to Self Disembark will be first off the ship.

[snowmc]

We have done self-assist on 3 cruise lines. We wait until the time is convenient for us....we are NEVER the first off the ship. Have never had a problem using the elevators with our luggage. We also tend to travel with just one suitcase and one carryon per person. If you can manage your luggage by yourself, give it a try.

[Lsimon]

It's been years since we disembarked at Cape Liberty, but based on the two times we did you'd have no issues at all catching a 12:40PM flight without any need to do the self disembark or even get a real early disembark time. Unless things have changed dramatically in recent years I don't think that time is a problem.

 

But since it has been a long time I'd recommend you double check the recommended times direct with Celebrity, or ask specifically about flight times on this forum or the East Coast Departures forum. I think your TA has the earliest time wrong.

 

One other thought - as I recall you have to take a shuttle bus from the gangway to the cruise terminal which might make self embark more difficult at Cape Liberty than at other ports. Can anyone with more recent experience confirm that?

Edited April 28, 2014 by Lsimon

[cruisead]

We made an 11:40 flight out of EWR after a Summit cruise. It's a real pain to have to carry all your stuff off the ship, board one of those shuttles to the terminal and then lug it all through Customs and Immigration.

[Iamthesea]

So is it better to have Celebrity handle the luggage for that port?

 

How far is the terminal from EWR? Is EWR the best airport to fly out of if one is doing a pre-cruise couple of days in NYC? How far is the port from NYC?