Manhattan debarkation

[TikiThunderPirates]

One thing I've heard is that the first stop back in the US (or at a new port) can take longer to clear. All those cast members that joined the ship while in Europe have to be cleared/go through customs/do whatever it is they do to let people into the US for the first time.

This was our experience post TA. DCL was fine and didn't cause any delays, but customs and immigration took a long while. Probably close to an hour to make it through the entire process. Lots of people, not a lot of staff at the time. NYC was our first US port.

 

[Dug720]

Something else to be aware of when planning flights and such home...

The time the ship is allowed in can be dependent on tidal swells and commercial traffic in the harbor. I'm currently on the Celebrity Summit coming in from Bermuda tomorrow morning. Granted, we're into Bayonne, but the channel into the general harbor is only so wide. Our arrival is now currently scheduled at 8:30 because there's a large cargo ship using the same channel and they need the full width so we have to wait for it to go in and we'll follow. We just got the 8:30 arrival announcement this morning - so I saw a lot of people activating their free internet if they're of a status to have some free time to try and change flights, trains, or contact drivers. So definitely not a port you want to push for the earliest flight you can get unless you're going to be flexible if you miss it.

 

[nvr2old]

Cost was $133 (prepaid on our reservation) plus gratuity. We tipped the driver ($30) in cash. Booking was confirmed to our cruise reservation on August 5th for sailing on September 18th, so about 6 weeks out. I had not priced private car services, since booking through DCL meant we would be met as we exited the customs/immigration check with our luggage and be taken directly to our waiting vehicle. This was the final stop after b2b2b sailings that started 26 days earlier, so the cost was a small price relative to the total cost of the month-long trip (including 4 nights in London prior to the first cruise).

We elected to do private transfers after our experience at the end of the WBTA in 2016. We had to move our luggage from the port across the street to a very crowded taxi line where we waited about 75 minutes for an available taxi. This time, we planned for an extra suitcase which we would purchase onboard, knowing we would be able to check it on SW for the flight home from LGA. Too much trouble to manage all the luggage at the end of the long trip.

We got an email yesterday, the price has gone up significantly from last year. We were quoted $210 for two people in a town car.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We got an email yesterday, the price has gone up significantly from last year. We were quoted $210 for two people in a town car.

That would have me looking for a third-party provider rather than booking through DCL.