Manhattan Cruise Port to Penn Station

[RosieRoo]

Cruising into Manhattan and want to take the Acela to Boston. I have never done the train before. Would it be reasonable to book an 11 am train?  Does that allow for enough time to get to the station?  

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, RosieRoo said:

Cruising into Manhattan and want to take the Acela to Boston. I have never done the train before. Would it be reasonable to book an 11 am train?  Does that allow for enough time to get to the station?  

Probably, but I would take it easy and book something closer to noon, and hang out in the lounge if necessary.

[RosieRoo]

10 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Probably, but I would take it easy and book something closer to noon, and hang out in the lounge if necessary.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. The next Acela is 2:10. We are in the Haven on NCL so we are usually able to disembark first if we want to.  Ships arrival is 7.  I was hoping the 11 would work. 

[rkacruiser]

24 minutes ago, RosieRoo said:

Thank you for taking the time to respond. The next Acela is 2:10. We are in the Haven on NCL so we are usually able to disembark first if we want to.  Ships arrival is 7.  I was hoping the 11 would work. 

 

I would suggest the 2:10 Acela would be a less stressful choice and a train that would could easily make.  Stay on the ship until you have to disembark after enjoying a more leisurely morning with a good breakfast.  

[Mira28]

Hi, I very recently sailed the Getaway (9/12/22-9/22/22) and took the train from NY Moynihan Station (the new Penn Station). I had an 8:00 am disembarkation time and easily made an 11:10 train. I found it easier to walk across 12th Ave. and go about a block away from the terminal and all the waiting taxis.  In the past (and I don't know if this is still the case) the taxi drivers waiting there did not want to take a passenger to Penn Station. (I guess not a high enough fare.)  But from a block away (11th Ave. & 48th St.) it was easy to get a taxi or call an Uber. 

Since you have priority disembarkation, you can get off even earlier. Of course, there can always be delays with disembarkation. But I have cruised from NYC several times and have always been able to get the train from Penn in the late morning. I hope it works out for you!

 

[njhorseman]

46 minutes ago, RosieRoo said:

Thank you for taking the time to respond. The next Acela is 2:10. We are in the Haven on NCL so we are usually able to disembark first if we want to.  Ships arrival is 7.  I was hoping the 11 would work. 

With priority disembarkation the 11 am train absolutely will work as long as the ship isn't late or something else happens that substantially delays disembarkation.

Edited October 1, 2022 by njhorseman

[navybankerteacher]

5 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

With priority disembarkation the 11 am train absolutely will work as long as the ship isn't late or something else happens that substantially delays disembarkation.

Agreed - but some times the ship is late, or something else does happen. If I have an option, I generally go for the surer thing.

[RosieRoo]

23 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Agreed - but some times the ship is late, or something else does happen. If I have an option, I generally go for the surer thing.

I always tell people that about flights, so I appreciate your opinion. 

[RosieRoo]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to answer. Much appreciated. 

[markeb]

I don't know if you're planning on booking first class on the Acela (Acela has "First" and "Business" for some reason). navybankerteacher suggested hanging out in the lounge, but the Metropolitan Lounge is only for First Class and Select Plus or Select Executive Guest Rewards members (there is now a $50/person day pass). That may or may not be worth it to you. Amtrak used to have an arrangement with United, but that's gone.

 

But, Moynihan Train Hall is MUCH nicer than Penn Station. If you get there early and can't get into the lounge or don't want to pay for it, there's Red Cap service (highly recommended; they'll walk you down before the train is announced) and you should be able to drop your big bags. (They take tips...) There are a number of nice bars and eateries if you have time to kill (fewer places to grab a quick lunch to take on the train!). If the train originates in New York (not sure on north bound Acela), the Red Cap can probably get you on the train 40 minutes before departure, and before the mass of people rush to the train. Which is kind of silly these days because ALL seats on the Acela are reserved. Car 2 is the quiet car; the ticketing system will always pick something other than Car 2, but you can change seats online or in the app.

 

It should be an easy cab to Moynihan from the cruise terminal. And with the new Moynihan Train Hall, it's a pleasant experience. Highly recommended.

[GTJ]

7 hours ago, RosieRoo said:

Cruising into Manhattan and want to take the Acela to Boston. * * * Would it be reasonable to book an 11 am train? Does that allow for enough time to get to the station?  

Ordinarily, yes. But if something happens, then change the reservation from 11:00 a.m. to a later time . . . just do so before the 11:00 a.m. train departs.

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, Mira28 said:

In the past (and I don't know if this is still the case) the taxi drivers waiting there did not want to take a passenger to Penn Station. (I guess not a high enough fare.)

First get into the taxi, then give the destination. It does not matter that the taxi driver does not want to take a passenger to Pennsylvania Station--the driver has no choice about it--and so if you're already in the taxi it will be more difficult for the taxi driver to act unlawfully. No driver wants to appear before TLC for denying transportation.

[Mira28]

4 hours ago, GTJ said:

First get into the taxi, then give the destination. It does not matter that the taxi driver does not want to take a passenger to Pennsylvania Station--the driver has no choice about it--and so if you're already in the taxi it will be more difficult for the taxi driver to act unlawfully. No driver wants to appear before TLC for denying transportation.

The drivers lined up on 12th Ave. across from the terminal would ask your destination before agreeing to take you. Again, this was my experience. Obviously one could challenge the driver and make and issue of it. I chose not to. 
My point was to tell the OP that getting to Penn was easy from about a block away, and took 15-20 minutes (at most) from that location. 

[RosieRoo]

Thanks all for your advice. Decided not to chance the 11 am train. It’s actually cheaper to fly out of La Guardia to Boston than it is to take the train. I’m assuming I should be able to make a 2pm flight  from there. 

[GTJ]

13 hours ago, RosieRoo said:

Decided not to chance the 11 am train. It’s actually cheaper to fly out of La Guardia to Boston than it is to take the train.

Not surprising, since Acela is priced so high. By choosing an Acela train, the fare between New York and Boston can be $152, whereas a regular train is only $31. The difference in travel time between an Acela train and a regular train is 16 minutes.