lookingforagoodlaugh

Carol,

I want to thank you so very much for the advice you gave me so many months ago. We just got home this afternoon from our cruise. We chose to stay in Cranbury at the Renaissance Inn and out of pure convenience we had dinner at Zinna's Bistro right next door. The hotel was clean and quiet. Dinner at Zinna's Bistro was very good. We enjoyed it and got a good night's rest.

The directions to the terminal were spot on. Of course, there we many crazy and inconsiderate drivers to contend with but it was a Thursday morning and so lots of local work traffic in motion. Today as we left the area it was much faster driving from the terminal back to the NJ Turnpike. We were all so happy to have stayed south of the city.

Safe travels on your journeys.

I so appreciate all of your input about the dining options. We aren't high maintenance. So, the diner at a reasonable price for dinner is just fine as long as the food is good :) I enjoy going where the locals go to dine. Without a recommendation from someone familiar with the area and the restaurants I'd probably end up at Panera with a salad for dinner :)

You both have made this process so much easier for me. THANK YOU!

Thank you so much for the assistance and the recommendation. We can't wait to try the diner.

Of course I would love to have your recommendation for the diner.

I will look at these hotels and talk it over with my brother.

I wouldn't have even thought to look here as it appears it is quite a distance from the port. Living near Washington DC and Baltimore has made me very cautious when it comes to planning especially when I am unfamiliar with the traffic.

Thank you again.

Thank you for the quick response.

I've looked at all of the hotels identified as Newark Airport, also the Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island, Robert Treat Best Western, and The Kenilworth.

Is Exit 8 at Trenton? I know I did not look that far south.

My brother and I will be sailing on the Liberty of the Seas leaving from Cape Liberty cruise port on 8 October 2015 for 9 nights.

We live in Maryland and plan to drive to New Jersey and stay in a hotel for one night- 1 day prior to sailing.

I've read so many posts I am now confused.

I have a couple of concerns and would love to get some advice.

I have not planned on doing a stay/park/cruise package because on the back end of this trip we will want to get on the road as quickly as possible. I might be wrong, but, waiting for a shuttle to return to a hotel where the car is parked may cause significant delays. I understand the fee to park at the pier will be $19 per day.

I am also concerned about traffic to the cruise port on the day of the cruise.

I've read some posts and other reviews on the internet indicating traffic in the Newark - Bayonne area can be very bad.

I guess I would like to keep the cost of the pre-cruise one night stay at $200 or less. I know many of the hotels I've looked at are this cost and more. The $200 may not be a firm cost based on our criteria. We would like a clean hotel. We are both seniors so we don't need entertainment. We will have the car so we can go out for dinner and/or breakfast if there isn't something available in the hotel. We are trying to keep this "nice" and "easy".

Every time I think I have a hotel picked out I find something horrendous written about it. Now I'm scared to make the decision without seeking advice.

We appreciate all information you can share.