I arrived April 29 aboard QM 2 in Brooklyn....there were no taxis and it turns out the major NYC taxi and limo companies won't go to Red Hook.
Here's a good Brooklyn-based company that will pick up and deliver you to Red Hook. They charged me $42 for a 30 minute ride from Red Hook to mid-town Manhattan.
We must have been lucky. My partner and I caught a cab outside our hotel at 53rd. and 6th. for Brooklyn Cruise Terminal for the Transatlantic prior to yours. No problems getting there, although I had to give him directions (and I'm from the UK!). Took about 30 minutes as well, but only cost $25. He was a lunatic driver, though!!
...most taxi drivers here are lunatics. You can find a taxi to take you from Manhattan to Red Hook, although very few will know where it's located. I'd go that route if I were going to Brooklyn. But there were no taxis at the Red Hook terminal when I arrived there.
A friend arrived in Brookly this Saturday aboard Princess and reports there were taxis and car services at the pier. Lots of them, in fact. This is only a week after my arrival, when there were none. So, it's obviously improved.
I am sure that services will be in place as the new port progresses. Can you comment on how long it took to board & disembark. Was it well organized--better than the way it is in NYC? We have a mini cruise set for Labor Day weekend & have never been on such a large ship.
My wife and I boarded the QM2 in Brooklyn on 4/29. We took Cunard's shuttle to the terminal from JFK, which went smoothly, and arrived around noon. Our assigned check-in time was 1:30 and they were ostensibly checking in only grille-class passengers when we arrived, but the place was practically empty--maybe those crazy taxi drivers were still afraid to approach Red Hook. After standing around for half an hour we just decided to go on in. We checked in through security and got photographed and were given ID cards. Still no lines, and no one seemed to care which dining room we were eating in. We were assigned to Group 1 and sent to a large and mostly empty waiting area (comfortable seats, candy/soft drink vending machines, clean bathrooms, loud wide-screen TVs showing some pop music singer performing on a previous QM2 voyage). Our group was called for boarding around 1:00 and after a 5-minute trip up an escalator, past the ship's photographer, and down the gangway, there we were. Cinchy! Things got a lot busier in the next couple of hours, but I heard no one complain of chaos in the terminal.
On QM 2 I took advantage of the "Self Help Disembarkation" (I know, it sounds like another 12 program). With this, you disembark first and take your own luggage with you. I was off in five minutes!!
It was so much easier than spending time finding my bags among the thousands on the pier. Of course, with bags on wheels even the largest suitcase isn't much of a problem.
hi
took my friends to QM2 this morning, was very easy
got off BQE, signs all over the place got off exit 26 BQE and we were all at terminal within minutes, LOTS of police all over the place, felt good
as soon as I pulled up to terminal porter took bags and that was that
very easy, I was back home 90 min., hopfuly they are now having a great time
con's- nothing is around there
good luck
We sailed from Brooklyn on 9/2, and I must say that I have never seen such a disorganize boarding proceedure. It took over an hour and 20 minutes to get through the check in process and we were standing the entire time. The last 4 times we have cruised, Celebrity & Royal Caribbean, the check in was very smooth, about 15 minutes from arrival to buffet. Considering that we had filled out all the pre-baord documents before hand and faxed them to Cunard weeks ahead of time, I was very disappointed with Cunards proceedure.
My wife and I were on the 9/2 4-day sailing of the QM2. We were lucky since it was my wife's 8th Cunard trip and we now have priority embarkation. That was really a long line we were able to avoid.
The only real problem was getting out of the parking lot. Some people did not get their tickets paid at the little kiosk before they got in line to get out of the parking lot and had to use the machine at the gate. It took forever waiting for these people.
I boarded the QM2 in Brooklyn on Sept. 6. I used a Cunard transfer from JFK to the pier. When the van arrived at the pier we were greeted with big smiles and a big welcome to Brooklyn. The bags were out of the van and onto trollies and we were ushered into the terminal by Cunard staff at approx. 11:20.
There was only about a 2 min. wait to check-in and then I was directed to the lounge with a check-in number.
The lounge has lots of seating, it's clean, bright with some vending machines and washrooms.
Boarding starting about 12:05 and I was on board by 12:20.
I heard there were delays later on due to the volume of arrivals.
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Sun Princess (2 times), Mississippi Queen, Dawn Princess, Coral Princess (2 times), Regal Princess, Grand Princess, Diamond Princess, Maasdam, QM2 (11 times)
My experience last year with the QM2 in Siuthampton and New York were very good. All was well organised and although there were lot's of people it all went very smooth we were on board in no time. Only waiting I did was on the return trip from NY. The familie in front of me had to decide who's credit card they were going to use for on board and had a discussion about that which took some time.
Also the disembarkation and going through custom's etc in New York went real fast.
Penny
Thanks for all the great info. I am travelling on QM II Dec 20, 2007 for 14 days. I am considering staying in Brooklyn as opposed to Manhatten.
I arrive Dec 18th and will do two overnights but I am concerned about hotels in Brooklyn as well as getting to the pier. Anyone stayed in Brooklyn as opposed to Manhatten?
What would the trip from Manhatten to Brooklyn be like? So would it make more sense to stay in a hotel in Brooklyn?
I fly in from Canada to JFK.
On the return I am doing one overhight and may just do it at a hotel at JFK. Has anyone done this and would you have any advice?
Arriving, leaving from Brooklyn
...most taxi drivers here are lunatics. You can find a taxi to take you from Manhattan to Red Hook, although very few will know where it's located. I'd go that route if I were going to Brooklyn. But there were no taxis at the Red Hook terminal when I arrived there. 
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