TransAtlantic Ending in New York

[Kartgv]

We've booked a September TA from UK, ending in New York (itinerary just says Brooklyn or Manhattan), but with our first US port being a stop in Boston. Will we clear customs in Boston or New York?

 

Our concern is timing of getting off the ship in New York and getting to Newark for a flight home. Princess says LaGuardia is the preferred airport and we know it's much closer, but we can use United points for a direct flight to LAX from EWR. Flights out of LaGuardia are all connecting flights with short connection times. Any comments or advice?

[fishywood]

There will be an immigration inspection of your passports when you arrive in Boston. May be on the ship where you will not be cleared to go ashore (unless on a ship's tour) until everyone is checked, or it may be in the terminal. You will not have to turn in your Customs form until you disembark in NYC.

 

The Princess Flight Guidelines for disembarking in New York are very conservative, as they are on all lines, due to the unpredictability of traffic and the speed (or lack thereof) in claiming you luggage and finding ground transportation relative to other US turnaround ports:

 

Disembarking Passengers

For voyages arriving in New York City at 5:00 and/or 7:15 am, the earliest flight departures are as follows:

 

LaGuardia: 1:15 pm for international flights, 12:15 pm for domestic flights

John F. Kennedy: 2:15 pm for international flights, 1:15 pm for domestic flights

Newark: 2:15 pm for international flights, 1:15 pm for domestic flights

 

For passengers participating in a post-cruise shore excursion the earliest flight departures from LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark are as follows:

Domestic departures 4:30 pm.

International departures 5:30 pm.

Edited November 9, 2015 by fishywood

[satxdiver]

We were just in NYC post cruise and staying in a hotel one block from Penn Station. It took our hotel arranged limo 25 minutes to get to LGA. Traffic on Manhatten is almost grid lock.

[satxdiver]

There will be an immigration inspection of your passports when you arrive in Boston. May be on the ship where you will not be cleared to go ashore (unless on a ship's tour) until everyone is checked, or it may be in the terminal. You will not have to turn in your Customs form until you disembark in NYC.

 

It has been our experience when returning to a USA port before final disembarkation at another USA port, the immigration officers came aboard the ship and checked everyone's passport. We were sent to a MDR in groups to be checked. After claiming luggage at the final port, we had to turn in the custom's form.

 

We will be on the CB for the TA from UK to USA. We have a very active thread going on for that cruise. Come join us.

[Kartgv]

It has been our experience when returning to a USA port before final disembarkation at another USA port, the immigration officers came aboard the ship and checked everyone's passport. We were sent to a MDR in groups to be checked. After claiming luggage at the final port, we had to turn in the custom's form.

 

We will be on the CB for the TA from UK to USA. We have a very active thread going on for that cruise. Come join us.

 

Thanks for your input - it looks like we'll be pretty safe with a 2:50pm flight out of EWR. It also sounds like we shouldn't count on a lot of free time in Boston - maybe just a quick trip to Faneuil Hall for a lobster roll!

 

We'll probably hire a car to get us to EWR - more money (though our flight will be 'free') but probably less worry in the long run. We're already on the roll call - haven't been too active as we're mostly focused on our January Celebrity cruise around AU/NZ.

[Hlitner]

You might want to consider that Princess is now usually using Red Hook (Brooklyn) for their cruises. Going to EWR from that port will not be inexpensive. While we do not know the exact cost...one would expect a taxi or black car to charge $75 - $100.

 

Hank

[caribill]

It also sounds like we shouldn't count on a lot of free time in Boston - maybe just a quick trip to Faneuil Hall for a lobster roll!

 

 

Depending how it is done, the passport inspection should be pretty quick even with a full ship.

 

If done on the ship, the main question is will they let anyone off the ship once inspected or will they wait until everyone has had their passport checked. The actual inspection when we have had this done on a ship goes quickly. There were several agents checking passport and for USA passports it took just a glance, less than 10 second per person. Non-USA passport holders did have to go to a different room and I expect took longer than the USA inspections did.

 

If done in the terminal, the main problem will be that almost everyone will want to get off the ship ASAP and the lines to do so can be horrendous.

[Mackenzie1]

On our past fall foliage cruise from Quebec to New York, our first U.S. port was Bar Harbor, Maine, which was a tender port. During the cruise, we received information that customs would come aboard to clear us at Bar Harbor, and that we were to go to different areas of the ship at different times to be cleared. Princess arranged our time to go through customs to accommodate our Princess tours. Unfortunately, we had to miss Bar Harbor because of high waves and weather, so we went through customs at Bayonne, New Jersey, where our ship, the Caribbean Princess, disembarked. Since Boston is not a tender port, you most likely won't miss the port because of bad weather, and will go through customs in Boston. By the way, we were originally going to disembark in Manhattan, but the terminal was changed to Bayonne, New Jersey because of congestion at the Manhattan port.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Mackenzie1

[mjldvlks]

On our past fall foliage cruise from Quebec to New York, our first U.S. port was Bar Harbor, Maine, which was a tender port. During the cruise, we received information that customs would come aboard to clear us at Bar Harbor, and that we were to go to different areas of the ship at different times to be cleared. Princess arranged our time to go through customs to accommodate our Princess tours. . . .

 

Just got off an RCI cruise from Quebec to Ft Lauderdale where Bar Harbor was our first US port. We actually went through what Mackenzie describes. Everyone was assigned a time to appear for the passport check and, while you could depart after the check without waiting for the process to finish, you could not get a tender ticket before being checked. It was indeed about a 10 second check, after which you received a sticker on your Sea Pass card to show you had been checked. Those with early excursions received priority to meet their tours. Very quick and painless. We then had to complete the standard customs declaration form on arrival in Ft Lauderdale.

 

OP -- if I read your post and the Princess website correctly, you are scheduled to to be in Boston from 8 am until 7 pm. I suspect you will actually dock before 8 am. I would not expect the passport check to interfere significantly with your time. Admittedly there is so much to see/do in Boston you can't do it all in one day, but what's new. It sounds like you have been to Boston before so I won't bore you with suggestions. Looks like a fantastic itinerary -- have a great cruise.

[skynight]

I don't usually recommend the Princess transfers, but for Newark Airport I think this is probably a very good option from Red Hook.

[Northender]

I don't usually recommend the Princess transfers, but for Newark Airport I think this is probably a very good option from Red Hook.

 

I quite agree. Traffic can be a nightmare. Also, is EZ Check is available, use it and once you get to the airport you can head to security. At JFK you need extra time always. I don't know anything about Newark airport at all.

 

Just asking for my own use, why can't you use LGA?

[Kartgv]

.....Just asking for my own use, why can't you use LGA?

 

We could, but we plan on using United points for our flight and United's only non-stop flights to LAX are from EWR. If we use LGA, we'd have to change planes at least once, with less connection time than we're comfortable with.

 

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. Does anyone know for certain if Princess has transfers to EWR?

[iteachny]

Just an interesting point about LGA, flights longer than 1500 miles are not allowed, except on Saturdays or flights to Denver (grandfathered in). That's why you only see connecting flights to the west coast from LGA. United recently moved all of their service out of JFK and over to EWR, which is why you're stuck with the long and expensive ride over to Newark if you want to use your United miles.

[MrMan]

Thanks for your input - it looks like we'll be pretty safe with a 2:50pm flight out of EWR. It also sounds like we shouldn't count on a lot of free time in Boston - maybe just a quick trip to Faneuil Hall for a lobster roll!

 

We'll probably hire a car to get us to EWR - more money (though our flight will be 'free') but probably less worry in the long run. We're already on the roll call - haven't been too active as we're mostly focused on our January Celebrity cruise around AU/NZ.

 

It may be easier to grab a cab in NY. Cab stand just outside terminal

[SiBreeze]

I have used the Princess transfer to go from Red Hook to EWR. That is the way to go. It was quick and easy. Taxi's and car services are cost prohibitive.

[bcnvcanada]

We completed a t/a ending the red hook this year. C and I had huge lines.

There were as many in Non US as U