New York New York

[Millieloulou]

Hi Everybody

Could you help with a question?
This year we are on the Christmas/New Year cruise with QM2 to the Caribbean.We know that she docks quite early,but roughly what time would we have to disembark? I’m sure I have read somewhere it’s about 8 am. We fly back to the UK at 18.30 Is there any opportunity to see anything of New York or do we have to be bused to the airport for a very long wait.
Many thanks and we always enjoy all the comments from our fellow Cunarders.
 

 

 

 

[LB_NJ]

Which airport?

[Millieloulou]

Sorry JFK

[Bell Boy]

2 hours ago, Millieloulou said:

Hi Everybody

Could you help with a question?
This year we are on the Christmas/New Year cruise with QM2 to the Caribbean.We know that she docks quite early,but roughly what time would we have to disembark? I’m sure I have read somewhere it’s about 8 am. We fly back to the UK at 18.30 Is there any opportunity to see anything of New York or do we have to be bused to the airport for a very long wait.
Many thanks and we always enjoy all the comments from our fellow Cunarders.
 

 

 

 

If your booking arrangements  are with a 'Cunard  Fly cruise'  this will include a slightly later time of disembarkation with transfers to JKF.    En route you will be dropped off somewhere in Manhattan usually it has been Macy's department store - or nearby for a couple of hours before arrival at JFK for check-in . 

I've  had experience of this many times .  Check with the tours office what the arrangements are during your voyage .  

[Millieloulou]

2 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

If your booking arrangements  are with a 'Cunard  Fly cruise'  this will include a slightly later time of disembarkation with transfers to JKF.    En route you will be dropped off somewhere in Manhattan usually it has been Macy's department store - or nearby for a couple of hours before arrival at JFK for check-in . 

I've  had experience of this many times .  Check with the tours office what the arrangements are during your voyage .  

 

[Millieloulou]

Thankyou for your reply. Has given us a great peace of mind.The thought of leaving the ship early and then sitting around the airport for hours is no way to end hopefully a memorable holiday.

[buchanan101]

17 hours ago, Millieloulou said:

Hi Everybody

Could you help with a question?
This year we are on the Christmas/New Year cruise with QM2 to the Caribbean.We know that she docks quite early,but roughly what time would we have to disembark? I’m sure I have read somewhere it’s about 8 am. We fly back to the UK at 18.30 Is there any opportunity to see anything of New York or do we have to be bused to the airport for a very long wait.
Many thanks and we always enjoy all the comments from our fellow Cunarders.
 

 

 

 

We docked at about 5am...unable to see anything because of the fog.

 

You should be able to self disembark from 7am. Timed disembarkation is from 8am. I assume Cunard airport buses run from the ferry terminal

[Red Ray]

We did this cruise at Christmas 2022. We disembarked at Red Hook about 8.30 am but our flight back to Manchester wasn't until 6.25 pm. However the airport transfer bus, although a bit disorganised at first, gave us a tour of NYC with a stop at Ground Zero followed by about 2 hours free time. The bus parked near Macy's and we were glad to go in and then have some lunch in a typical NY deli as it was raining quite heavily - as it seems to do every time we are in NYC! We had a very droll lady guide who used to be a stand up comedienne - she was very entertaining, and we ended up being dropped off at JFK about 3 pm.

[Millieloulou]

Thank you so much for your replies.We were on the  Christmas Caribbean cruise in 2021.Unfortunately we caught covid and had to sail back to Southampton instead of seeing New York.( infact we didn’t see very much except the sea )So we are delighted that as well as visiting the islands we will have the opportunity to see New York.Hope it doesn’t snow.

[navybankerteacher]

We were on the 2019/2020 Christmas/New Year’s cruise. We got back in at about 5:30AM - and folks were getting off a bit past 7:00.  A couple of our table mates (from the UK) had mentioned looking forward to taking the Cunard-organized bus from the cruise terminal out to JFK - which gave them several hours in Manhattan on the way.

 

One of the best parts of that itinerary - leaving New York in the extreme cold of a late afternoon - is finding yourself in the 70F waters of the Gulf Stream the next afternoon.  We’ve done that several times also on HAL before they gave up sailing from New York.

[exlondoner]

9 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

We were on the 2019/2020 Christmas/New Year’s cruise. We got back in at about 5:30AM - and folks were getting off a bit past 7:00.  A couple of our table mates (from the UK) had mentioned looking forward to taking the Cunard-organized bus from the cruise terminal out to JFK - which gave them several hours in Manhattan on the way.

 

One of the best parts of that itinerary - leaving New York in the extreme cold of a late afternoon - is finding yourself in the 70F waters of the Gulf Stream the next afternoon.  We’ve done that several times also on HAL before they gave up sailing from New York.

But presumably returning to the freeze is the worst part.

[alc13]

If you don't mind paying somewhat expensive cab fares you can catch one from the terminal into Manhattan, store your luggage, have the better part of a day for sightseeing, and then take another cab to JFK.  

[Millieloulou]

Thankyou everyone for all your comments.We did consider staying in New York for a few days at the end of the cruise, but was worried at what weather we could get caught up in.Knowing our luck we would get snowed in!! , we both hate the cold.

[buchanan101]

20 hours ago, Millieloulou said:

Thankyou everyone for all your comments.We did consider staying in New York for a few days at the end of the cruise, but was worried at what weather we could get caught up in.Knowing our luck we would get snowed in!! , we both hate the cold.

The underground is always warm...

 

...so warm in one spot under Times Square that the sudden wall of heat (a tiny area with a bank of ticket machines) triggered my Atrial Fibrillation and I spent the next day at Mount Sinai ER... I'll be sending in the OH as reconnaissance next time

 

You've gone all that way - you should stay in NY for a few days! It's great (though have only ever been in spring or autumn)

 

[Millieloulou]

That’s exactly what we will plan to do.Sail from Southampton and have a few days in New York .I spent a few months in Ohio many ,many years ago and remember how beautiful the American Fall is. Nothing is worst than being taken ill in a foreign country.Husband was taken ill in Egypt with a heart attack.Not the best place.but the  hospital was fabulous.

ps. Had my first ever birthday wishes today from Cunard 

[buchanan101]

14 hours ago, Millieloulou said:

That’s exactly what we will plan to do.Sail from Southampton and have a few days in New York .I spent a few months in Ohio many ,many years ago and remember how beautiful the American Fall is. Nothing is worst than being taken ill in a foreign country.Husband was taken ill in Egypt with a heart attack.Not the best place.but the  hospital was fabulous.

ps. Had my first ever birthday wishes today from Cunard 

Fall 2016 was fantastic in New York - Central Park was beautiful with the autumn colours and I was wearing shorts in November

 

Then it started raining the day Trump was elected.

 

This below was October 29th last year after our crossing and my day in ER (which was fine actually - all i wanted was some blood thinners until I got home but they gave me the full check up)

 

Those buildings (at least 2 or them) were not there in 2016!

 

[buchanan101]

14 hours ago, Millieloulou said:

ps. Had my first ever birthday wishes today from Cunard 

My birthday as well today...but no birthday wishes from Cunard 😞

[exlondoner]

52 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

My birthday as well today...but no birthday wishes from Cunard 😞

Mine arrived about lunch time, so don’t give up hope.

[BklynBoy8]

5 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

Fall 2016 was fantastic in New York - Central Park was beautiful with the autumn colours and I was wearing shorts in November

 

Then it started raining the day Trump was elected.

 

This below was October 29th last year after our crossing and my day in ER (which was fine actually - all i wanted was some blood thinners until I got home but they gave me the full check up)

 

Those buildings (at least 2 or them) were not there in 2016!

 

 

You should see what NYC looks like today and also Lower Brooklyn.

 

Lower  Brooklyn known as Downtown or South Brooklyn for it's 4 story buildings now looks like a skyline of thin sticks in the air..

 

As of yesterday going for an appointment we could only see buildings and those being built and very little sky anymore.

 

The Skyline is really changing.

[Millieloulou]

Thank you to everyone for all your helpful comments. I’m sure before December I will have some more questions and I certainly know where to come for all the answers.Has been great to hear from all you lovely people.Take care.