Day 5 - Disembarkation in NYC
/We left our stateroom at 7:50 and were off the ship by 8:15. As we are only traveling with carry-on luggage, we skipped the long lines at the elevators and carried our luggage down to Deck 3 from Deck 7 (our stateroom deck). That probably saved us at least 30 minutes of waiting for an elevator.
The line to disembark on Deck 3 was long, but moved relatively fast. Once inside the cruise terminal, we breezed past the US Customs thanks to the new facial recognition systems in place. No need to have your passports in hand.
Once outside of the terminal, things get a little more interesting. Basically, chaos. Carnival does offer airport transfers to LaGuardia for $40 per person (I think). But, for about the same price we can get a private Uber/Lyft, to take us to the airport, which we prefer.
Once you step outside of the terminal (Pier 88) there is no taxi or Uber/Lyft pickup spot unless you cross a busy street (12th Ave.). First you have to cross a very busy bicycle lane, then two lanes of car traffic.
Crossing 12th Ave in NYC
As you walk from the terminal to the opposite side of the street, which is were you can obtain an Uber/Lyft or taxi, you will be inundated with gypsy cab drivers holding Uber signs and offering you an “Uber” ride to the airport. We advise against accepting these offers because, in most cases, these are NOT Uber drivers.
Uber and Lyft drivers are only allowed to accept pre-arranged rides and they do not accept “hail” rides. So, either these ARE Uber drivers who are breaking Uber’s rules, or they are gypsy drivers using an Uber sign to attract riders. It is not like you would necessarily be in any danger with these drivers, but you would not have the Uber app to tell you in advance what the cost of the ride is to the airport. Another little tip we learned from our Lyft driver is that all taxis/Uber/Lyft vehicles will have a license plate on the front of the vehicle that begins with TLC (Taxi Limousine Commission). A gypsy cab vehicle will most likely not have this license plate.
Once we made it to the other side of the street, we used the Lyft app to order our ride and were quoted $62 for the drive to LaGuardia. Even after the tip, our total cost of $74.36 was less than the ship’s motor coach transfer. Of course, Uber/Lyft ride costs will vary from one day to the next, or even different times of the day.
By the way, when you get to the other side of the street, look for the building below to stand in front of for your ride.
Uber/Lyft Pickup Spot across the street from Pier 88
It only took about 5 minutes for our Lyft driver to arrive in a late model Mitsubishi Outlander SUV. We enjoyed a very nice, comfortable ride to LaGuardia with our Lyft driver and arrived in plenty of time for our 12:39 flight. In fact, we had a couple of hours to check out the beautiful Admirals Club at LaGuardia before heading to our gate.
Our Flight Home To DFW
Our flight home was on time and uneventful, which is a good thing. We once again scored exit row seats and had plenty of legroom.
Check out our Instagram (@cruisereport) and Facebook for additional photos and coverage of our cruise aboard Carnival Venezia, and subscribe to our YouTube channel (https://YouTube.com/cruisereport). Watch for our upcoming video review of Carnival Venezia.
Video Review
Our review of Carnival Venezia
