Disembark Norwegian Escape - Manhattan Terminal + Wheelchair

[familymanpeoria]

I'm new to cruising and am looking for some information.

 

I am scheduled on the Escape to arrive on Sunday, September 8 at 7am, cruising with my children and parents.  My father is marked for wheelchair help from Norwegian as he needs help boarding and unboarding (but can use his walker around the ship).  I purchased flights at 11:50 on Sunday leaving from Newark.  Before booking, I called Norwegian help line to ask if they thought it would be okay, and was assured that it would be (They advised 5 hours online, but though the 10 minutes wouldn't make a difference).  I planned to grab an Uber at the terminal and head directly to Newark airport.

 

Now I'm reading these forums and some people are reporting that it takes a really long time disembark at Manhattan Cruise Terminal, especially for big ships.  And when I download my eDocs it says don't schedule flights less than 6 hours after ship arrival.  I called back back to Norwegian help line and asked why the change in recommend flight times and they revealed...that they don't really know much at all.  (Is this typical?).  NCL just advised me to talk to the Escape staff after boarding to handle any concerns.

 

So a few questions:

1.  I will need to disembark with a passenger needing wheel chair assistance.  I have seen people advise carrying your own bags to disembark quickly, but that isn't going to be an option with small children.  How quickly does disembarking go with wheel chairs?

2.  I heard the Manhattan cruise terminal is a long pier.  How far does Norwegian take the wheel chair?  How far will my father have to walk?

3.  Can a porter push the wheel chair and help with luggage?

4.  Advice?

 

Appreciate insight for experienced cruisers appreciated.

[BirdTravels]

Put your bags out the door with an early disembarkation color. 

 

Wheelchair passengers are typically staged in the Skyline bar (get specific direction on the ship). The halls on Deck 7 will get very, very crowded and it will be hard to get to the skyline bar, but get there. 

 

The escorts will take you around the very, long line of passengers trying to get off, directly to security, down the gangway and into the baggage hall without standing in any lines. 

 

If you can push bags from there, fine. If you need help, call a porter.  Between the escort and porter, you can get through the disembarkation process very quickly. Don't let your escort go until you are where you want to be.

 

If you are catching a cab, the normal pickup is across the street. DO NOT GO THERE. Take the elevator from the baggage hall up one level to the departure level where people are being dropped off. There is a taxi stand up there. Make the escort and porter come with you. Tip both well. 

[mjkacmom]

How many are you and how old are the children? NJ car seat law is 8/80. The max you can get into an uber xl is 5 with minimal luggage, and they don’t have car seats. I used car service once from home to Newark airport and the driver made me bring boosters for my almost 5 year olds.

[familymanpeoria]

My children are 12, 9, 6, and 4.   (8 people in total, 6 suitcases)

 

Thanks for the heads up about 8/80.  I was going to bring an inflatable booster seat for the 4 year old, but it sounds like I need two of them.  (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQYZCXK?th=1)

 

I am planning on getting two Ubers to account for the group size.

[mjkacmom]

34 minutes ago, familymanpeoria said:

My children are 12, 9, 6, and 4.   (8 people in total, 6 suitcases)

 

Thanks for the heads up about 8/80.  I was going to bring an inflatable booster seat for the 4 year old, but it sounds like I need two of them.  (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQYZCXK?th=1)

 

I am planning on getting two Ubers to account for the group size.

I’d get 2 uber xl’s. For a trip to the airport, if asked, I’d say she was 8 (all 5 of mine were in boosters until at least 8, some 10).

[mking8288]

OP, the Escape has been trending on early arrival (this past Sunday, docked at 2:30 am & began Express/Self-Assist by 7:30 am) for the last several Bermuda runs and should be good for a smooth disembarkation in the morning, unless ...  Just one (1) ship at the MCT, nobody else docking there on that Sunday.  

 

Talk to the onboard coordinator for Special Needs early on (forgot her name, she also does Special Events & responsible for clearing the ship ... hence, good idea to check the Roll Call to see if there is a Meet & Greet/Mingle organized, attend & get to know names/faces, etc.) ... she is usually near the gangways on that morning oversee the vessel clearing & disembarkation.  Get luggage tags in the best color for early walkoff, as guests with special events begin to be taken to/off the gangway around the same time as Latitude Platinum/+ and those with NCL Airport transfers/tours, once the self assist are off the gangway & on the pier. 

 

The Escape team has gotten their disembarkation routines down to a science, using both Fwd & Aft gangways (Aft are sometimes used for those in wheelchairs & crew members assigned will be pushing them) ... the bottleneck is the one & only elevator inside the terminal, nearest to AFT.  One of you should stay with the dad & the rest can take 1 of the 2 "down" escalators into the luggage, and meet there & find your luggage, sorted by color codes.  Timing-wise, expect to start heading for the gangway by 8:30 from wherever your meeting/waiting location is going to be ... but, get there early enough to sit & wait.  Deck 6 and Deck 7 is going to be crowded with folks, many of them eager to rush off the ship - elevators will be jammed full.  If you need to go AFT to FWD, avoid cutting thru 6 or 7, use Deck 8 or Deck 5 with its wide & straight corridors.  

 

Generally, it takes at least 45 to 60 minutes for the express crowds to be off the ship, from 7:30 to 8:30 am would be my best guess - then, it should be your turn & expect 20 to 30 minutes for the slow trip down to the luggage hall.   Once there, someone watch the children while another go find a porter - sometimes, there is a line to queue up for the next available porter with the big cart.  Wheelchair person will stay with you and follow the porter, as they have an express/exclusive lane down the middle ... saving you easily 20 to 30 minutes vs. the regular lines. 

 

Once you get past the CBP secured area & head for the 12th Avenue street level exit for ground transportation or parking, you can use your Uber App to book/request your rides - do NOT, I repeat do NOT accept rides from anyone claiming to be an authorized "Uber" dispatcher with their vehicles nearby ... ignore them & keep walking.  If everything is smoothly flowing, you should be ready to be picked up by 9:15 to 9:30 am for that 30+ minutes ride out to EWR.

 

Tell the porter that you are using Uber to the airport, and he will know what is the best pickup spot allowed that day - sometimes, it can be downstairs next to where the buses are, not always upstairs with the taxi stand; or, across the street on the north side of 12th Avenue with the "official" yellow taxi stand & a dispatcher on duty.  

 

Pix #2 below - show the street level bus parking & vehicle pickup/dropoff area at Pier 88, there're at least 3 Uber/Lyft vehicles there & porter dropping off luggage. 

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by mking8288

[familymanpeoria]

Thanks everyone for the comments.  This is all really helpful for me.

 

It looks like the 11:50 flight time isn't ideal, it sounds like I shouldn't have too many problems if I make the proper arrangements.  (But I am at risk if the boat is late for some reason or customs backs up).  Does that sound about right?

[mjkacmom]

4 minutes ago, familymanpeoria said:

Thanks everyone for the comments.  This is all really helpful for me.

 

It looks like the 11:50 flight time isn't ideal, it sounds like I shouldn't have too many problems if I make the proper arrangements.  (But I am at risk if the boat is late for some reason or customs backs up).  Does that sound about right?

Yes. We had a customs issue one Sunday and didn’t get out to our car service until 10:45 (after lining up at 7 for self disembark), but you still would’ve been ahead of us, and we didn’t know the porter trick at the time. We are usually unpacking at 8:30.

[UFMOM]

Yes definitely get a porter for your bags and tip very well. They can really help you get where you need to be in the fastest time. They know all the ins and outs. At least that has been our experience. We even had one use his own car to give us a lift from one pier to the next in Southampton when we were going right from the Queen Mary over to the Eclipse docked nearby. We usually give a tip to the wheelchair pushers at the airports and from the ship, too.

 

Mary Ann

 

 

[familymanpeoria]

Mary Ann, anyone,

 

What would be considered a good tip for a porter?  What about the wheel chair pusher?

 

[mjkacmom]

I’d tip the porter $30 - $40 to get through customs and the bags to a pick up location.

[familymanpeoria]

BirdTravels, mjkacmom, mking8288, UFMOM,

 

Thank you all for your help.  It is very appreciated.

[kayhil3]

On 8/21/2019 at 10:57 AM, familymanpeoria said:

I'm new to cruising and am looking for some information.

 

I am scheduled on the Escape to arrive on Sunday, September 8 at 7am, cruising with my children and parents.  My father is marked for wheelchair help from Norwegian as he needs help boarding and unboarding (but can use his walker around the ship).  I purchased flights at 11:50 on Sunday leaving from Newark.  Before booking, I called Norwegian help line to ask if they thought it would be okay, and was assured that it would be (They advised 5 hours online, but though the 10 minutes wouldn't make a difference).  I planned to grab an Uber at the terminal and head directly to Newark airport.

 

Now I'm reading these forums and some people are reporting that it takes a really long time disembark at Manhattan Cruise Terminal, especially for big ships.  And when I download my eDocs it says don't schedule flights less than 6 hours after ship arrival.  I called back back to Norwegian help line and asked why the change in recommend flight times and they revealed...that they don't really know much at all.  (Is this typical?).  NCL just advised me to talk to the Escape staff after boarding to handle any concerns.

 

So a few questions:

1.  I will need to disembark with a passenger needing wheel chair assistance.  I have seen people advise carrying your own bags to disembark quickly, but that isn't going to be an option with small children.  How quickly does disembarking go with wheel chairs?

2.  I heard the Manhattan cruise terminal is a long pier.  How far does Norwegian take the wheel chair?  How far will my father have to walk?

3.  Can a porter push the wheel chair and help with luggage?

4.  Advice?

 

Appreciate insight for experienced cruisers appreciated.

When I used this service in March the wheel chairs only went as far as the baggage area,. We then had to get a porter for our bags and I had to push my 88 year old mother in her walker the rest of the way.  I was told this was the way they would do this from now on. I was not very happy.

[familymanpeoria]

kayhil3,

 

How far was it from the baggage area to the street?