Disembarkation time in NYC?

[isabelle315]

We're going on the August 18 cruise to Bermuda on Insignia, and plan to take the train home to DC.  What time do you all think is a safe time to book our train for on the morning we disembark?  Penn Station isn't too far from the port, and on a Sunday morning traffic won't be horrendous.  I know opting for a time cushion is smart, but we also want to get back home as early in the day as we can, because the kids start school the next morning (they're not coming with us, we just want to have time to be with them and get everything ready for the start of their new school year).

 

Thank you!

 

Julie

[njhorseman]

That depends on your ship's scheduled arrival time. I'd plan on a minimum of arrival time plus 2 1/2 hours. However sometimes disembarkation can be delayed or move very slowly so you my want to build a little cushion beyond that. You have a 4,000+ passenger ship, Norwegian Escape, disembarking the same morning so getting through the CBP check and getting a taxi could take some time.

[babysteps]

How "safe" lol?

 

We arrived in NYC twice this year on O, and both times we were late thanks to weather (once 4 hrs late, once 1 hr late).  Obviously ymmv.  And you should know (or be able to rough calculate) the day before that you are likely to be late, which is plenty of time to change your Amtrak reservation.

 

*IF* on time, what njhorseman said should be enough.

 

Thought: if you really want to get on your way as soon as you can, and if the traffic wouldn't be too awful by the time you got to wherever you are headed by DC that Sunday afternoon, you might consider renting a car NYC to DC.  There are a couple of rental car offices walking distance from the port - we did this earlier this month, I stayed with the luggage at the curb across the street and a couple blocks up from the port, the spouse walked over, picked up the car, and then picked up me.  This way you *know* you would get going as soon as possible, but the traffic (especially on Sunday afternoon at the end of your trip) might make this an unattractive option.  The beginning-of-trip traffic would indeed likely be minimal.

[CintiPam]

It’s only three hours on the train, no city traffic on a Sunday morning in August, plenty of Uber in NYC, just over a two-mile ride from terminal to train station, so just depends on  how much time you want to sit at the train station v worry about making the train.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2019 by CintiPam

[isabelle315]

Thanks, all! Bought train tickets for 11am, which will give us plenty of time (barring any major delays). And if we debark right at 8 we’ll have time to grab some NY bagels enroute to the train station 😉

[sammiedawg]

You will have plenty of time to make 11am train.  We’ve had no difficulty at the NYC terminal.  Immigration was a wave through and we were in an Uber well before 8:30. 

[AuditNet]

On 4/23/2019 at 2:31 PM, isabelle315 said:

We're going on the August 18 cruise to Bermuda on Insignia, and plan to take the train home to DC.  What time do you all think is a safe time to book our train for on the morning we disembark?  Penn Station isn't too far from the port, and on a Sunday morning traffic won't be horrendous.  I know opting for a time cushion is smart, but we also want to get back home as early in the day as we can, because the kids start school the next morning (they're not coming with us, we just want to have time to be with them and get everything ready for the start of their new school year).

 

Thank you!

 

Julie

Hi Isabelle and Julie,

 

We will be taking the train from DC to Penn Station as well. Also the return after the cruise. We are going up on the 17th and staying close to the cruise terminal. Coming back on the 11:02 AM train to DC. Should  have plenty of time after disembarkation to get to Penn Station, get lunch and pick up bagels. 

 

We are in Vienna, VA