Chaos on the New York piers!

[Joanandjoe]

We’ve ended three cruises at the New York Passenger Ship terminal in Manhattan. The idea was that we would be 10 miles from home, so we’d have an easy end to our cruise. It has not worked that way. Disembarkation on three different lines, ranging from basic (Regal) to mainstream (HAL) to upscale (Radisson Seven Seas) has resulted in three bad experiences: slow clearance by the feds., no porters to be found, too many people, little help from the cruise lines, difficulty connecting with transportation. We’ve tried taxis and couldn’t get one for over an hour, and tried limos twice, and had to wait over a half hour for the limos to make it from the street to the pickup area. Utter chaos.

 

Our last experience, last month on Radisson, was the worst. There were six ships in town, one of which (Oreana) got diverted to Brooklyn, which wasn’t even open officially. (It opens next March, but will only handle one ship.) The port could not handle the more than 10,000 PAX, and our ship wasn’t cleared for disembarking until 2 hours and 20 minutes after we reached the dock. It took another hour for us to wait for our color, get our luggage, shlep four suitcases without a porter, and meet our limo; so we landed at 8:30 a.m. and got home (after a less than 15 minute trip) after noon. Had we gotten off the ship (without luggage) when we landed, we could have walked home and been there by 11 a.m.

 

Before anyone asks, we’ve had one occasion when we were the only ship in port. Things were better than last month, but still not very good.

 

If anyone has suggestions for improvement, we’ll try to assemble them and send them to the passenger relations departments at some of the lines that dock in NYC, such as Radisson, NCL, Princess, HAL, and Carnival. We’re posting this inquiry on all of those boards, and the board moderators should feel free to post it elsewhere on CC. Maybe we can use CC to improve this awful situation. WE LOVE NEW YORK, and want to have it a pleasant experience cruising from the City. Nothing beats sailing past the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline; but disembarkation ruins the good impression.

[jhannah]

I understand that HAL will be using NYC as a port for the new Noordam. If these issues aren't addressed, it will really be bad. Word will get around that the closeness of the port simply isn't worth it. When you see things in other places (like Fort Lauderdale or Amsterdam) work so smoothly, you can't help but wonder why NYC can't get their act together.

[sail7seas]

We boarded once in New York and embarkation was fine.

 

Once on a Zenith roundtrip to Bermuda New York cruise, we were about the second or third person off the ship and we got one of the seven taxis at the curb. When we realized how few taxis there were, we fully appreciated how lucky we were to be first off. It had to have been the chaos you describe. As I remember it, we did have a porter but I'm not totally sure we didn't carry our own bags.

 

[kryos]

I understand that HAL will be using NYC as a port for the new Noordam. If these issues aren't addressed, it will really be bad. Word will get around that the closeness of the port simply isn't worth it. When you see things in other places (like Fort Lauderdale or Amsterdam) work so smoothly, you can't help but wonder why NYC can't get their act together.

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

I'm having a real problem flying these days and I have sort of made up my mind that after 2006, I'm gonna try to cruise from local home ports for a while. For me, this means Philadelphia or New York, maybe Baltimore. Since Philly doesn't have a whole big selection of cruise destinations to choose from (just Bermuda or Canada/New England), New York is my next best choice ... nice relaxing 1.5 hour or so train ride and I'm there. But if it's gonna wind up being a bigger hassle to cruise from New York than it would be to fly home from Fort Lauderdale, most people might just choose the Fort Lauderdale option ... where they seem to have "turning around" cruise ships down to a science.

 

Also, maybe I haven't done enough research ... but it seems like cruises leaving from New York cost a lot more than those leaving from the Florida ports, which could make it work out cheaper to pay the airfare from Florida.

 

Hopefully, with HAL and I think Princess basing a ship in New York in 2006, these problems will get worked out so that New York will be a viable cruising option for us east coasters.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sail7seas]

Read all the wonderful comments about what a good job MassPort in Boston is doing at Black Falcon Terminal. Bring the ships to Boston. :) There have been a lot of good reports of very easy embark/disembarkations in 'Bean Town'. :)

Speaking first hand I can say we had Priority Disembarkation. From the time our number was called until we had our luggage, had cleared Customs and were on the curb awaiting the arrival of our car company was about 8 minutes.

 

 

 

 

[Maryandi]

Good old unions at it again - see Carnival board. We were there as a port stop for the day and no problem - the using NYC as a em-or de-barkation seems like they are fighting over the luggage and taxi line :rolleyes: . What a place !!

[obriendan]

My experience agrees with Sail's comment. We disembarked at NYC from the QE2 in '04 and it was quite a hassle, especially trying to get a taxi. The Boston disembarkation this past August was one of the quickest we've ever had.

[Joanandjoe]

Our two NYC embarkations were fine, our disembarkations terrible. Can anyone suggest ways the port can improve?

 

We got a good price for our SA suite for an 11 day Noordam cruise on 11/25/06 - cheaper than a good balcony cabin on the Volendam for a similar date, if you include the airfare to FL. It depends on the demand for a particular cruise. LOL.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have sailed and disembarked several times out of Manhatten - guess we were lucky - no problems - several times for Bermuda, once for Canada/New England cruise, a couple of Trans-Atlantic cruises.

From what I read in an e-mail I got a couple of weeks, HAL along with other cruise lines will be using the new terminal in Brooklyn in the fall of 2006.

The old terminal is SUPPOSED to be rebuilt to attrack cruise ships back there in 2009.

Now - I don't know if the Noordam will be using that terminal. It is closer to the airports which many people will like.

[ldog]

My 80+ YO aunt and uncle were on a Princess trans Atlantic last fall. Her scooter was damaged by British Airways on the way over. There was no time to get it fixed in Copenhagen. She managed through their 20+ day cruise but when it was time to disembark there were no wheelchairs for hours. When they finally found one the Princess crew took them to customs and turfed her out of her chair.

 

My poor uncle had to push the broken scooter twenty feet and then go back twenty feet and schlepp their luggage and then push her again all the way through the terminal. All of the porters had moved to the other side to work the incoming passengers.

 

They missed their flight to Toronto and had to wait for another.

 

This is a couple that have over 50 cruises with Princess! They have been all over the world with this cruise line. They have been cruising at least twice a year since they retired - often taking huge family groups with them.

 

It was appalling. I know that when they got home my uncle wrote a letter of complaint. I don't know what, if anything, Princess did.

 

Don't think I'd use New York though.

 

j

[SDHALFAN]

Hi Idog,

 

I wasn't even going to bother to reply here as I live in San Diego and, since I hate flying, tend to cruise from here whenever possible. However, your story is truly appalling - no matter which port is in question.

 

I don't really see that the Port of New York is the problem but that Princess Cruise Lines bears all the blame. I do hope that your uncle got some satisfaction from Princess - even if it was only a letter of abject apology, at the very least - and that your uncle and aunt continued to enjoy cruising (although I'm not sure how after that experience).

 

Embarking and disembarking are not yet that great here in San Diego but we're just getting started. It has only been in the last 5 years or so that the major cruise lines have "discovered" San Diego. Before that they, like so many others, seemed to think that California ended in Los Angeles! It's not that bad here - certainly nothing like some of the horror stories I have read in answer to this post - and we are getting better every day. And, incidentally, I'm noticing many days a month now when we have two, or even three, ships in port.

 

I do know, for a fact that the passengers and the ships' crews love San Diego because once you are here you are within walking distance of some of our major attractions, unlike Los Angeles where you would have at least a 30 minute bus ride ahead of you before you even got to see any of the fabled sites in that area.

 

Again, I'm so sorry to hear about the horrendous experience your poor aunt and uncle suffered. Sometimes other people's insensitivity just boggles the mind.

 

Valerie

[ESLO]

Dear JoanandJoe,

 

Reading your report about your experiences with so many ships at one time at the NYC Terminal, You do have our sympathy!

 

When we went on the Rotterdam for the first time three years ago, we had three other ships in (QE2, Zenith and another one) on a rainy day with horrific traffic that backed up the West Side of NYC for 20-30 blocks. We did get to the ship, but not as early as we would have wished. And the city wanted to add a Gaint stadium within ten blocks of the terminal, which did die due to budget cuts. Image that!

 

I am glad in one way that Bayonne and the potential Brooklyn site would take over some of the load. Unfortuately, the days of Medium size ships are no more with the development of the Mega ships. The size of the QM2 is an example due to it's size overflowing out of the pier into the shipping lanes.

 

Granted living two blocks away from the Verrazano Narrow Bridge with the view of the bridge, we year round have the thrill of seeing the ship traffic passing especially in the summertime.

 

But we still like cruising and coming thru Manhattan on the the trip day and looking forward to the site of the ship in the distance. Yes, the trip is only minutes away.

 

The old days are passed......................................

[bepsf]

...our ship wasn’t cleared for disembarking until 2 hours and 20 minutes after we reached the dock. It took another hour for us to wait for our color, get our luggage, shlep four suitcases without a porter, and meet our limo; so we landed at 8:30 a.m. and got home (after a less than 15 minute trip) after noon. Had we gotten off the ship (without luggage) when we landed, we could have walked home and been there by 11 a.m.

 

Forgive me, but maybe I'm missing something here...

If the ship tied up at the pier at 8.30 and it took 2 1/2 hours to be cleared for disembarcation, that puts you at 11 am. A longish time to be cleared? Certainly, but not completely unreasonable given the number of ships in port that day since NYC is no longer a major ship destination (like Miami or Ft Lauderdale where 6 ships is typical).

Then it takes an hour for your color to be called - that puts you at Noon. Again, this is not unreasonable given that your disembarcation was a low priority since you didn't have a flight to catch. This is in no way a negative reflection on the port or the line.

I assume that it took you probably an hour at most to get a car, load the luggage and make it across town to your home - so you arrived home around 1pm at the latest.

I'm sure that Radisson fed you a nice breakfast that morning and didn't force you out of your stateroom to languish in a hot stuffy lounge all morning...

 

So I'm missing the issue - What could Radisson or the port have done differently?

[LizB1]

The biggest problem with NYC disembarkation is the lack of taxis at the pier when one disembarks...unless you are in a Suite and have #1 to get off. We have had problems the last few times trying to get a taxi, but also find this is a problem anywhere in NYC.

 

For us the most direct way to travel to NYC from the Cape is by bus. The last two times we have sailed from NY we have gone down a day early. Upon arrival at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NY we have had to wait up to 3-hours to get a taxi just to get to our hotel.

 

We will try NY again in the spring when we sail on the new Noordam, but this may be the last time we sail from there because of the inconveniences.

[Budget Queen]

Bottom line, NYC is a big very congested city. It pays to pack light and then not need a porter. Taxis are also plentiful on 11th Ave, easy to walk to if no mobility limitations. It will take longer to get transportation and disembarked here. I in fact walk with my quality rolling bag to 8th Ave, hit my favorite deli then the subway to Grand Central. :) I find NYC easy to get in and out of.

[Joanandjoe]

Bepsf, the problems are lack of porters, incredibly overcrowded conditions, awful traffic flow that makes it hard for a limo to get onto the piers, not enough cabs, and no assistance with people who are having difficulty handling luggage. We're looking for suggestions as to how things could be improved.

 

Carnival seems to be waffling on the question of which facility will be used by the Noordam. First they said Brooklyn, but we received yesterday an email from a cruise newsletter indicating that the ship will dock in Manhattan.

[carol louise]

Besides the fact that traffic in Manhattan is so often a challenge, there is the layout of the terminal to be considered. In Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the ships tie up alongside the dock end to end, while in NYC the piers and ships are perpendicular to the roadway. So you just have more people from more ships trying to use the same roadway space.

And when there are six ships in port, I wonder if there are really six times as many porters available???

So I don’t see any solutions besides patience until more of the ships use the Bayonne, Brooklyn, or any other future terminals that may be built. Traveling as light as you can is helpful, too.

Happy sailing, from wherever.

Carol Louise

[Joanandjoe]

Carol Louise, you may be right. I'm not sure that Bayonne and Brooklyn will help much. FYI, we've just found out that the Zenith was in Bayonne, so there were 7 ships in the harbor: 5 in Manhattan, 1 in Brooklyn, 1 in Bayonne. Insane! Maybe the Port of New York Authority has to convince the cruise lines to stagger the ships a bit more: say, some on Friday and some on Sunday, instead of 7 on Saturday.

[carol louise]

Joan and Joe,

Giving the cruise lines some incentive to stagger their dates and not all come in on Sunday sounds like an interesting idea. One of the Carnival ships was doing 8-day cruises last summer, I believe, which means it was not here every Saturday or Sunday.

Carol Louise

[Rotterdam]

One of the problems we have here in NYC is the hightened security all teh time - whenever there is a security problem or Bush is in town - the island just locks down, Last week they shut down Madison Square Garden - for teh 3rd time - complete evacuation - inclusive of the Long Island Rail Road & Amtrak!

 

A 10 minute cab ride can tiurn into an hour of sitting going no-where.

 

The second issue is the cruise lines themselves - After 30 years of sailing in & out of NYC on various lines - its at an all time low. The lines blame the security etc - but they(the lines) are doing nothing to assist passengers! It is appalling - HAL should have something set up prior to the arrival of teh Noordam this winter. Perhaps have chairs setup for the wait - on either end!

[M.S JAZO]

I being a fellow New Yorker always fend for New York. This season has been a very busy season. For Miami or FLL its no big deal to have 8 or 9 ships in port, But for NYC, it is when u really only have space for 5 big ships in old run down buildings. September 24 was only one of the very busy ship days this Season.

 

September 24

-Golden Princess

-Sea Princess

-Carnival Triumph

-SS Navigator

-Oriana [ In Brooklyn]

-Norwegian Crown

-Zenith [in NJ]

 

September 18

-Norwegian Crown

-Norwegian Dawn

-Norwegian Jewel [The first time 3 NCL ships in NYC at once]

-Carnival Legend

-Seabourn Pride

-Voyager of the Seas [ In NJ]

 

October 8

-Queen Mary 2

-Carnival Triumph

-Golden Princess

-SS Navigotor

-Zenith [ In NJ]

 

The last major gathering of ships in NYC for the season is

October 30 with 4 ships.

-Norwegian Dawn

-The World

-Sea Princess

-Voyager of the Seas [in NJ]

 

NYC signed a 17 year, Yes a 17 year deal with Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Corporation which includes all lines owned by them so that for the next 17 years, Both lines have to sail from here as much as possible to pay for the Brooklyn Terminal because CCL and NCL are paying the $150 million of the $200 Million to remodel the West Side piers and build the Brooklyn piers.

 

For those HAL Noordam Sailors in the winter. Relax, Its not high season for cruises from NYC.

All sailings on Noordam will sail alone from NYC and you guys will have the port to yourselfs, only 1 as of today has a ship

Feb 22, 2006 - Noordam only ship in NYC

Mar 4, 2006 Noordam only ship in NYC

Mar 15, 2006 Noordam only ship in NYC

Mar 25, 2006 Noordam only ship in NYC

Apr 5, 2006 Noordam only ship in NYC

Apr 15, 2006 The Noordam and the Queen Mary 2 sail from NYC

 

P.S I was board and had nothing to do so I felt like typing alot of info.

[calm_seas]

It seems that part of the problem with the lack of porters in the NYC terminal is that they actually share with Bayonne. When we disembarked the QM2, our porter told us that he works at BOTH terminals, depending upon where the union sends him, since there is not full time traffic at either terminal. Therefore, when BOTH ports are busy, there is even more of a lack of porters.

 

Also, I just received notice from a cruise subscription magazine that HAL, including the Noordam, plans to continue to dock at the Manhattan piers, even when Brooklyn is ready. This means that HAL passengers will probably have to be working through all the construction and rennovation problems while the Manhattan piers are rebuilt. Hopefuly, HAL is planning ahead for this one. Perhaps they will have to reconsider moving to the new facilities in Brooklyn --- even as a temporary measure --- until Manhattan is complete.