TOCruisers

On 7/29/2019 at 1:46 PM, cruiseliz44 said:

First time to Saint John's.   Coming in for the day off the Anthem of the Seas in October.    I really would like to see Hopewill Rocks but I have told it is a 2 hour drive there and back.

I still would like to see the caves (in St. Martins, I believe) and the reversing rapids and the covered bridges...... I want to see it ALL!    I guess the best way to do this is to rent a car?

Has anyone know the best place to rent a car that is closest to where we dock?   Is it walking distance. 

OR, does can anyone recommend a different way to see it ALL?

Just back from Canada/New England cruise.  I also wanted to do it all or the worst Hopewell Rocks but the tide did not co-operate.  Check the tide schedule someone posted and see if possible.  

We rented a car and went to the Reversing Falls first, spent some time.  Then we went to St. Martins, but the tide was not low enough so we had something to eat at a restaurant and waited.  Then I went into the Caves.  We then went back to Reversing Falls to see the difference.  Easy drive and parking.  If the tide schedule works out, I will do Hopewell Rocks through the cruise tour.  Or come back by land tour to do it all as it takes time to enjoy the changes happening.  We rented a car from Enterprises at 10 Crown as Avid and Budget near the port had nothing available.  Enterprises picked us up and dropped us at the port.

If I have seen the post below before our cruise, I may have considered doing what they did so that we can do the Hopewell Rocks, St Martins and St. Andrews and Peggy's Cove all at once.  Oh well, the next time.

On 9/7/2019 at 10:34 PM, toras said:

What we did last time was we rented a car from Saint John and made our own way to Halifax to catch the ship next day, so we can see things along the way at leisure, including Peggy's Cove. Stayed one night in a motel in Truro NS.

We're Canadian so there were no issues and we were cleared by the ship.

On 9/12/2019 at 8:36 AM, karen03529 said:

Hi. Did you have to call them in advance or the same day at the port?

Just back from the Canada/New England cruise and rented a car from Enterprise at 10 Crown.  I called them first and was told to just call when we disembark at the port.  We were told to wait at the parking lot across from the port and got picked up quickly.  It was very easy.  They also drop us off at the port when we returned the car.  The other location was, we were told, trucks only.  We tried Avis and Budget but both were fully booked.   So book early.

22 hours ago, jewel_beth said:

We are actually planning on doing the same thing the following week!  Our tide schedule will be slightly different, but not too much.  TOCruiser, I would love to see what you come up with for your drive itinerary when you figure it out... 

Well, as it stands now, we have to play (or drive?) by ear although we continue further researching.  We are in Saint John on Sept 10th, how about you?

11 hours ago, shadowmeboy said:

 

We wore normal shoes as the tide was working its way in when we were there. So it had dried out a lot in the time it was out.

Good to hear.  I have no room for pairs of boots in my luggage.  We stopped taking one each of luggage long time ago to save a few bucks.

12 hours ago, shadowmeboy said:

We rented a car through enterprise in Saint John and went out to St. Martins. It was awesome having the car.

 

here is my vlog from Saint John and it has a bunch of what you are considering in it.

 

Thank you for the great video.  I am very surprised by the empty road!    What did you wear on the bed at St Martins?  I am still not sure our timing works out or not at St. Martins, but we will try.  Since it did not look too crowded, you did not have problems parking?  kmerlin14 above mentioned where I can go to park.  

On 8/12/2019 at 10:15 PM, kmerlin14 said:

I go to Hopewell Rocks quite often, so I think I only wandered out on the beach at St. Martin's once, and I'm not sure how long before and after the lowest tide you can access the caves. You'd probably want some type of footwear that can handle the mud even at low tide. Usually I do some hikes along the Fundy trail when I go to that area. The scenery can be quite spectacular. 

Here's the link to the Fundy Trail website.

http://fundytrailparkway.com/

Thank you for the link.  It certainly looks spectacular.  If the low tide at St Martins does not work out for us, this maybe a very nice drive part way.

22 hours ago, kmerlin14 said:

There is parking at both places. I suggest you go onto google maps and try and do a street view of where you are going if you can. The parking for the Reversing falls is a left hand turn just after you go over the bridge over the falls. That will take you into a large parking lot which also serves the restaurant. 

 

The Fundy trail near st. Martins has parking and lookoffs along the trail. (There is a fee to go onto that parkway). I can't remember if the caves are before or after the entrance to the parkway, but there was a big parking lot near there as well and I like the fish and chips in the restaurant.

 

If you are driving yourself , keep in mind that Saint John has a lot of one-way streets, so it will really help to have a navigator in the car with you. I usually get lost several times when I visit. Allow extra time to get places and especially to get back to the ship.

Thank you for the detailed info and tips.  I will be the navigator.   Do you have any idea/guess when is the best timing to see the cave with the above tide schedule?l 

We (2) are considering renting a car and visit the caves in St. Martins  then Reversing Falls (Rapids) or vise versa.  The tide schedule for Sept 10 is as follows and we will be there 7:30 am -6:30 pm. 

1.  Since it takes 40+ mins  each way, is it correct to understand we will not be able to visit the bed of river and caves that day?  Also if the lowest tide is 1.9 m,  can you actually walk around the river bed/caves at the lowest tide?  I prefer not to take two pairs of long rain boots if possible.

2.  What will be the best route to maximize the tide schedule on Sept 10. 

3. Is there enough parking space near the caves area in St Martins and Reversing Falls viewing area in Saint John? 

Any advice or tips are appreciated. 

On 7/6/2019 at 5:54 AM, 138east said:

Doubletree Hilton Penn Station is right at the beginning of the World Trade Center PATH Line.  It would be a good choice.  Hotwire is offering a 4* hotel in the Jersey City area right now for $97.  Can’t figure out what hotel it is, but it would be a good hotel and close to transportation, so check it out right now before it disappears.

Hi 138east,

Thank you so much for this find.  Although when I got there, it had already disappeared, so I kept checking.  It appeared again last night and after checking a few photos (because I wanted to make sure it was on PATH), I found it to be the Westin Jersey City Newport.  Sure enough after US$127.54 ($97 plus tax and $5 insurance-not sure about it) later, we are booked into Westin Jersey City Newport on PATH.  Apparently  no free WifI and free breakfast, but with over $100 saving, I can buy a lot of breakfast and wifi.  Thank you again.  

Any recommendation for a modest priced restaurant (dinner)?

On 7/7/2019 at 10:38 AM, 138east said:

Candlewood Suites is fine.  It’s about halfway between Newport and Exchange Place and has the Harborside light rail station right behind the hotel.

....

The reason I recommended the Courtyard Marriott is that you would be traveling in the February cold with small children.  My guess is that midtown Manhattan would be much more of interest. You can walk up Broadway from 33rd & 6th to Times Square.  The Empire State is right there.  The Newport Station is literally next door to the Courtyard.  There would be no construction issues on the 33rd St PATH line.

 

If you like Candlewood Suites that could be another option - self catering options are always good when traveling with small children.  On a weekend you can walk to Newport for PATH or right from the hotel area take the light rail to Hoboken(great ride for small kids)  and PATH to 33rd.  

Hi 123east,

When I read the sticky post above re PATH with the illustration, I now understand  what you meant.  Thank you.  I must have missed $97 Hotwire , but that is an another place I should check occasionally.  Haven't look at Hotwire/Priceline for a several years now.  I will keep eye on Courtyard Marriott Newport as well.    Thank you again.

15 hours ago, 138east said:

 Doubletree Hilton Penn Station is right at the beginning of the World Trade Center PATH Line.  It would be a good choice.  Hotwire is offering a 4* hotel in the Jersey City area right now for $97.  Can’t figure out what hotel it is, but it would be a good hotel and close to transportation, so check it out right now before it disappears.

15 hours ago, 138east said:

For Feb 22 Marriott is offering several hotels in Jersey City for under $200/night.  Courtyard Marriott would be good with small children - it has a pool and is right next to the Newport PATH Station, but the Westin would be fine too.  Remember, PATH to World Trade has weekend construction that requires you to take a ferry from Exchange Place to downtown Manhattan, but uptown service operates as normal, so being near the ?Newport or Grove St Station will be more convenient than Exchange Place.

 

Even if you are unsure about the cruise, I would be booking a refundable placeholder reservation now.  These are great prices.  Winter weekends are always cheaper months ahead and that is the time to book.  I usually sail in Feb and I’m always booked a year out.

HI 138east

Thank you for the responses.  For Sept 5,  we booked yesterday a refundable res at Candlewood Suites Jersey City Harborside @US199 plus taxes before I saw your response.  This should be near Newport.  Being from Toronto, this will be approx C$300 but it seems everything is much higher than last year and wanted not to miss a reasonable one.  Hotwire choice sounds too good to be true but will definitely check.  I will also look into Doubletree Hilton Penn Station, especially if we don't book earlier morning flights, i.e. not enough time to go to New York.

For Feb., I will definitely follow your advice and book a refundable res now.  It seems that Feb prices are much cheaper at the moment.

Please kindly clarify re weekend construction.  This applies to the weekend only so not applicable to Sept trip?  Also If I book a hotel with the access to Newport, Grove or Newark Pen Station, will we have to change to Ferry at Exchange Place to Manhattan?

Thank you again for your responses.

Hi 138east,

Our first time visit to New Jersey last October, by your recommendation, we stayed at the Resident Inn Jersey City thru the Last Minutes  and it was great. The location was so convenient to go to "downtown" New York and the Statue of Liberty.  We PATHed, lyfted (used it the first time 2) and had a great time.  Thank you for the great suggestion.  

Now for 138east and others,

Q1. We are going again on Sept 5th for one night but Resident Inn Jersey City does not show up in the Last Minutes site and  $279 at an other site.  Do you have any other suggestion?   We paid US$200 incl. taxes last year  for 2 of us and prefer to keep it under that price.  The convenience (closed to PATH) and safety are other preferences.  Is Doubletree by Hilton Newark Penn Station on PATH?

Q2.  We are also thinking to go on Anthem on Feb 23, 2020 with our son's family (2 adults and 2 kids, 6 and 4).  Will you have a different recommendation for family with kids?

Thank you in advance.

Our stop at Bonaire was cancelled last minutes and we had to cancel Woodwind (we have done them once before).  Now I am looking for an another snorkelling tour from boat as my spouse wants to take a tour rather than shore snorkelling that we have done few times at Aruba, Curacao and St. Thomas in the past.

We are not drinkers and I don't care for lunch etc.  but best snorkelling experience as well as  a washroom facility will be nice.  Any recommendation/suggestion are appreciated.  We are leaving in a few days and  finding far more time to find anything with this new format.

Thank you Mandream and Lovcrusn. Somehow I guessed the answer =:( But good to know for future bookings that you cannot get the top category such C1.

You do not get cappuccino as an Elite benefit except at the Elite breakfast. You can get them (and other specialty coffees with your Classic or Premium beverage package. There is a wine tasting event for Elites. You will also get a 30% discount on unlimited WIFI purchase or 90 free minutes per Elite member (not per cabin). You will have the Elite breakfast and cocktail hour (5-7 except on embarkation day and evening of the senior officers party). There is a bag of free laundry (wash and fold only), dry cleaning of one item and pressing of 2 items. Here's a link with the benefits.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/captains-club/tiers-and-benefits

Thank you for the link. Also the first Celebrity cruiser and I have a couple of questions on the benefits.

"One category upgrade applicable through Aqua Class*** (based on availability at time of booking"

Currently booked C2. Can I go up to Aqua Class? Not familiar with the category.

"Captain's Club Coffee House and Captain's Club Cocktail Lounge"

Where is the CC Coffee House and do they serve specialty coffee (hoping as I do not drink alcohol)?

If you want a hot breakfast there are options for room service or you can hit the buffet or whatever dining room you're assigned. The Elite breakfast is a pastry/fruit and perhaps some salmon for a bagel deal served in Tuscan Grill on the ships I've been on. I'm not a coffee drinker, but the available tea is the ship's basic and on the couple of occasions i've dropped in (I'll take breakfast in bed over "elite" anything most any day!) I've only seen regular brewed coffee served. Elite Plus scores espressos "tea forte" brand tea etc in cafe al bacio.

If you want a cappuccino they have that at the Elite breakfast but there's no hot food there.

 

So there is no place for a Elite to get a hot breakfast and a specialty coffee.

 

There is no take-out from the Elite breakfast.

Thank you for the responses. The speciality coffee is the only Diamond benefit I can enjoy as I cannot drink Alcohol. I have to wait till my next RCCL cruise.

First Celebrity cruise.

Could you please provide more detail about Elite breakfast and drinks? For example, do they still provide the freshly squeeze orange juice?

RCCL has the Diamond lounge and if it is not broken, D members can make a cup of speciality coffee any time of the day from the special coffee machine. You can also request a free cup of speciality coffee at MDR and buffet during breakfast period.

If we want a hot breakfast and a cup of free speciality coffee where do Elites go? Can we "take out" a cup of speciality coffee from the Elite breakfast ?

138East,

Thank you for additional info. Also thank you for the reminder about Opentable. I do use the opentable app so I could look into the restaurants before we leave. Did not think of that.

I already booked Resident Inn Jersey City last night as other sites including the own hotel home site charge much more than the site you mentioned. Close to EWR, the Bayonne, Liberty Park and Path (in case we don't make 1 o'clock cruise) with good breakfast and reviews, this hotel seem to be the best choice for us this time.

mjkacmom,

Quote

You can be late for your time, we were over an hour late, they don’t care.

Unquote

You are referring to your allocated time for the cruise and entrance to the SOL? Good to know except in October, 1:00 o'clock is the last appointment due to the off season?

Now I have to figure out the fight.

Thank you mjkacmom and 138east for the reply.

Yes I was thinking from NJ not from NY. My NY reference may have confused you but I thought we could get off the NJ cruise at Battery Park, which was not the case.

Residence Inn seems to be a good choice although no airport shuttle. Do you know if there are reasonable and safe distance restaurants around it? If we can get an early flight, we may go to a hotel from EWR, dropped off the luggage then proceed to the NJ Liberty State Park. Because the schedule is tight we would not be able to use the free shuttle to the hotel any way.

We have never used the Uber but may try it in town to practice. Thank you again.

Thank you for all the information that kind posters are providing. Very helpful.

First timer in Newark, Bayonne and Celebrity so decided to go a day early as I had an extremely loooooong and frustrated wait at YYZ Toronto airport for immigration in Feb 2018 (cruise out of FLL), almost missed a flight (actually missed the departure time but the airplane was waiting for other passengers as well and made it on the flight - never happened before but...... )

Only place we (2 seniors) are thinking to go this time is the Statue of Liberty. Crown tickets are all gone but Pedestal tickets are still available. By reading this board, I narrowed down to Embassy Hotel/(Country Inn - good price at the moment) or Hilton Pen Station. We have not booked a flight but are thinking about early arrival, say 10:30 am from YTD (but need to clear Customs in EWR :().

1. Assuming that we go to the SOL on 20th right after leaving the luggage at a hotel, is this doable? The last available ticket for Pedestal is 1:00.

2. Are the costs of taxi to the Bayonne and to the SOL about the same (25 mins +-)? Both cases do we need to pay toll charges? If so roughly how much ? I recalled something about $15-$17 but was that to the NYC downtown?

3. Are there reasonable restaurants near by for these areas? I have read so many threads and cannot remember.

4. If No. 1 is too tight, can we go to downtown on PATH from Embassy Hotel/Country Inn in case SOL plan does not work out? I know we could go back to EWR Airport by the shuttle then take the train, but that sounds like too much work.

5. The first ticket on 21st is 9:00. I think this will be tighter than No. 1 unless we can drop off the luggage at the port early.

6. Is Oct 20th the last weekend of transit closure? In case we want to come back from New York side.

Any other tips and suggestion are greatly appreciated.

The Belgian Chocolate Box Shop at port was open for business on Sunday February 18, 2018 - we bought chocolate there. I am not sure about the shop in town. I have heard that the Old Street location was hit hard by Irma and no longer there - but that the shop is open at a new location in town - but I do not know where.

We were in St. Maarten on Feb 16th, knowing that they reopened at the new location near the old location. Unfortunately I forgot to take the map of the new location and could not find it. Too bad I wanted to take our grandkids to buy some chocolate.

"It is a little further to the East along Front Street. Opposite Guavaberry Emporium there is a side street and it is half way down there. There is a large jeweller called Goldfinger on the corner with Front Street."

The road to Emerald Beach is flat, and it's not too far from cruise docks.

We docked at Crown Bay for the first time on Adventure of Seas last week. The taxi to Emerald Beach was $4 per person one way and only 5 mins or so through a hill. Because small kids were with us, we did not want to go far. We visited many other beaches in St. Thomas, but his was our first visit to this beach. There were washrooms, a bar/restaurant and chairs and umbrellas for rent. We all enjoyed the beach time.

If you dock at Heavensight, and kids are not small, you may walk to Paradise Point. You could either take the skyride to the top or walk up the road to the top (and come down on foot). We did both in the past. Apparently the ride opens last week (could not check as we docked at the Crown Bay.)

No swiping of cards anymore, you use your folio number name and birth year to validate yourself, choose a VOOM plan, and then choose a username and password. If you purchase pre-cruise, you will get an access code with your Seapass card.

Thank you Bob and others. I will try it next time.

This is what I should have clarified before I left last week.

It sounds rather silly to ask this now but in the past we have used Diamond Internet benefits only using their PC by sliding our seapass card in the attached reader. We usually use my first 24 hours the second day of the cruise by both of us. Then use my spouse's 24 hours on the last day to check the email and print the boarding passes.

Now how does the wifi access work? Do I have to get an access code or something? After I access using my iPhone then log off, can my husband access using his phone on the same day? And repeat the same on the last day to print the boarding passes (I know I know, I prefer to paper passes).

It was the short cruise (5-days) last week and never had time to go to the Internet Cafe so did not use the free internet perk this time.

Just back from St. Maarten. It's very easy walk for adults. Most of the palm trees outside of the ports were cut down so could be hot. Since we were with son & DIL with two small kids, we took, for the first time, a water taxi to the end of board walk at $7.00 returns, $5.00 one way. We were planning to go to Marigot just ourselves, we only paid for one way.

We played at the Great Bay beach, the first time, and the son's family took the water taxi back. We waited for maybe 15-20 mins for the water taxi then we walked back without going to Marigot. It took 10 mins to the port gate and a free shuttle was waiting inside so we took that . We were ahead of my son's family because they went to the town centre to pick up more passengers. But you can tell it is easier/faster to walk.

The lazy lizard was open and a lot of rebuilding was going on. Although I read the chocolate shop has moved and are open, I could not find it. St Martin/Maaten is my favourite place and we always visited the French side, but due to the time restrain, I could not go to Marigot this time. We did see a lot of new van taxis for locals up and running. We were told that regular taxi to Marigot from the port for two was $20.