Disembarkation/debarkation from Legend NY

[benevempress]

Hi everyone-- I hope you can help me. I'm trying to plan transportation to LaGuardia airport and flights home after our cruise. We have cruised 6 times before, but never on Carnival and never out of New York.

 

We're booked on the Legend on June 5, 2006 and I need information about your experiences with debarkation/disembarkation. The ship is scheduled to "arrive" at 9am after her 8 day Eastern Carribean itinerary.

 

1) Was the 9am "arrival" time the time the ship docked, or the time passengers were being allowed off the ship?

 

2) Have you done the self-assist debarkation, and if so, what time were you off of the ship?

 

3) Do you recall how long after "arrival" that the colored groups started getting called?

 

4) How long would you suggest I allow after "arrival" for everyone to be off of the ship?

 

5) Did you take a pre-arranged shuttle, and if so, what is the best way to estimate your pick-up time since you don't know in advance what time you'll get off or get through immigration?

 

6) If we take a taxi, is there likely to be one that isn't just a regular car? We have three people and a fair amount of baggage, and I'm concerned that the trunk of a car taxi won't be big enough.

 

7) If you took a taxi, did you have to wait in line for a long time to get one? What was the approximate fare?

 

Thanks!

[MrPete]

1) Was the 9am "arrival" time the time the ship docked, or the time passengers were being allowed off the ship?

 

Arrival time was 6ish. Debark time is usually 9ish.

 

2) Have you done the self-assist debarkation, and if so, what time were you off of the ship?

 

One time 8, another time 9:30. There are more people doing it now, so it all depends when you queue up.

 

3) Do you recall how long after "arrival" that the colored groups started getting called?

 

Never stayed that long, always did self assist and drove ourselves.

[benevempress]

Thanks MrPete. I'm still interested in anyone else's experiences too!

[serene56]

Being one of the last off we are off by 10:15 at the latest.

Most cruises are empty by 10:30- Unless the ship had problems clearing

[ChiChi227]

We were off by 10 am and were the third group to go. The worst part was getting a cab to take us back to LaGuardi. There were tons of Gypsy cab drivers walking around asking how much you would pay them to take you to LaGuardia. ONLY TAKE THE YELLOW TAXIS! I have heard horror stories of people who get into Gypsy cabs and had issues.

 

There were people there from NYC who handed you a ticket and they called out the last three numbers as the taxis arrived. It cost us about $43.50 and there were three of us who split it so it wasn't too bad. It took us about 1 hour to actually get the cab, but I think that was because the NCL Dawn was debarking at the same time. Imagine 4000 people trying to get a cab at the same time. It was nuts!

 

My suggestion is, take the AirLink from Laguardia to the Pier and back. It cost us $13 each and the ride was just fine. The do pack the van pretty well but $13 vs the $37 that Carnival was charging - definitely worth it. You can call them when you arrive at the pier if you have a cellphone. They get there very quickly and they will pick you up downstairs, not upstairs like the taxis.

 

Good Luck and have a great cruise!

Christie :)

[benevempress]

Christie-- Thanks so much for the tip about the shuttle. I was looking at the SuperShuttle website and they make you pick a 15 minute window for pickup... and of course I don't know FOR SURE when I'll be off of the ship. Having the option to call for pickup that day would be great. I'll check it out. We'll have our 9 month-old daughter with us, and standing outside waiting for a taxi for an hour (in addition to all of the other standing around waiting that is necessary to debark) doesn't sound appealing at all!

[benevempress]

Well, I checked the Airlink website, and it appears that they require a 24-hour advance reservation, and will only transport one piece of luggage (large) per adult, and since we'll have at least one per person (including the baby) plus her stroller, we may be out of luck. I'll have to call them tomorrow during business hours to see if maybe they'll allow us extra luggage for an additional fee, and if they're open to picking us up "on call" instead of us reserving a time in advance.

[janetz]

Our cruise in September, we are the only ship in port so it should not be to crazy? We have someone driving us in. What time should we ask him to come? We will not do self assit. Thanks ahead. :)

[benevempress]

Someone recommended a limo service, and it looks like that is going to work out perfectly for us. It is more expensive than a shuttle, but it offers much more flexibility in the pickup time and we can get a minivan to hold all of our gear. For anyone else in a similar situation, the two least expensive companies I found were:

 

www.lincolnlimousine.com (with a reservation they'll wait up to 45 minutes after your designated pick up time for no charge, then it's $35 per hour to wait)

 

and

 

carmellimo.com (you can make a reservation for a specific time, but they'll only wait 10 minutes past that time. But the thing that will work best for us is that YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL THAT MORNING TO CALL FOR PICKUP AS YOU'RE DEBARKING THE SHIP! You need a cell phone number so they can reach you and they need to know what pier you're docked at, but it's the same price as if you had a reservation.)

 

Oh, and for anyone interested in the Airlink option with more than one bag per adult, I called and they said they can put each additional bag in a seat (to Laguardia) and the price is $18 per bag/seat! The limo service minivan for $50 plus toll/tip is much cheaper for those of us with lots of luggage.

[ChiChi227]

I never called ahead for the AirLink. What happened with us is a different story. We called our TA before leaving for our cruise who advised us that the Carnival Shuttle would be waiting at baggage claim and they would take us from their and bill to our Sign and Sail Cards. When we got to baggage, there was no one there. We went to the transportation desk and she suggested AirLink. There were three of us with two bags each and it was only $13 per person. Maybe they just tell you that when you call for a reservation.

[amy2313]

We are also wondering what time to request our pick-up from the NYC pier once we return. We have hired a limo service and will not be doing self-assist. We're not in any rush to get off the ship. FOr those that have sailed on the legend, pLease let us know what time would be best to request pick-up for.

[serene56]

that is where a cell phone will come in handy. Limo companies should know that a basic time is almost not good for when it comes to a pick up after a cruise. (be careful your company dont charge waiting time)

 

if you take your cell phone-- when you color is called you call the company- it shoul dbe within 30 minutes after your color is called.

 

We have always been one of the last ones off--by choice and off and out by 10:30.

[bbiggar]

Can you purchase a Carnival transfer after you get off the ship if you didn't buy one ahead of time? We like just taking taxis, but the taxi idea is starting to sound like a headache and a long wait when there are two ships disembarking the same morning. Wanted to know if buying a Carnival transfer at the bus last second is an option to LGA.