meadowlander

Numerous posters from Pennsylvania have had good experiences with Trans Bridge. The bus arrives at Cape Liberty at 12:30. Arrival times for cruises out of Bayonne are not enforced, not looked at. If you have a pre noon arrival time you can arrive later in the day just as you can arrive at the terminal at 10 am with an afternoon arrival time and be allowed onto the ship in order of those who arrived before you and are waiting inside the terminal. You can take NJ Transit train to Newark Penn Station. PATH trains do not go to Cape Liberty, so you would Uber or taxi. Estimate $30-35. You still have to leave you car somewhere. If the hotel you stay at does not allow you to park while cruising look into the parking garage in Hamilton NJ which is adjacent to the NJ Transit train station. Another parking garage next to a NJ Transit station is in Ramsey NJ which is much cheaper. NJ Transit from Hamilton should be direct to Newark Penn. From Ramsey, you will have to transfer at Secaucus Junction. Last option, contact La Quinta on route 3 east in Clifton NJ. This is the closest location of the 3 to Bayonne. You may not feel comfortable driving, route 3 is a very busy highway. Ask if they allow you to leave your car while cruising. Uber would transport you to Cape Liberty, budget at least $40.

Trinity Reservations of Hamburg, NJ has park, sleep, cruise packages for Cape Liberty. I believe a location in Clark, NJ is one of their options.

Parsippany is a much less urban setting than the area around Cape Liberty. Numerous dining choices along US 46. You should not have trouble with Uber service to CL, assuming the hotel allows your car to be left for the duration of the cruise. If you are boarding on a weekend, there should be no traffic issues. On weekdays, if you arrive at the port at 1 pm and later, you will not incur traffic at CL or on the roads leading there.

Check Trans Bridge which has cruise transit service from the Leigh Valley Airport in PA to Cape Liberty & Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

I am on the ship before 11:30. Knowing how cars begin backing up as they approach the terminal at about 11am, I am at Cape Liberty by 10. May of 22 when arrival times were still enforced, the computers went down causing no movement in the entrance line for 90 minutes, another 60 inside the terminal to check in and delaying the ship’s departure by more than an hour. Since then I always arrive by 10.

Cape Liberty ceased looking at, much less enforcing, arrival times in the summer or fall of 2022. I still book an arrival time in the app. When arrival times were being enforced, there was a separate entrance line for suite & key cruisers. I do not think that separate line still exists as no one is outside the terminal waiting to get in. After checking in, cruisers are directed to a seating area (on the right side of the terminal near the escalators to board the ship) regardless of boarding time. These cruisers then board after suites-pinnacles-key-handicap. The area for suite guests is to the left, after checking in. I assume this waiting area is where key holders also sit. You will board earlier but you will have a longer walk to the escalators than others.😊

The most economical way will involve 2 trains and your ability to handle your luggage on them. Taxi from Cape Liberty to 34th Street station of the Hudson Bergen light rail (filled with commuters weekday mornings) $12. Light rail in direction of Hoboken to either Journal Square or Hoboken Terminal $2.75. Transfer at either station to PATH to 33rd Street in NYC $2.75 which is the closest you can get to Times Square. Would be easier to taxi/Uber to Hoboken Terminal.

Hertz at Newark Airport is open Sundays. You could then take NJ Transit to NY Penn Station or to Newark Penn Station with a transfer to PATH depending where you hotel is located. Better than driving to Queens and backtracking to Manhattan. Jersey City(close to NYC) has 3 Hertz locations but all are closed on Sunday.

$35-$40 for Uber. There were shared taxi's (vans) to EWR prior to covid, not sure about now. I know you can get a taxi (located in a parking lot) from CL to EWR.

After clearing customs exit the terminal to the left. Once outside go right to the Uber/Lyft zone. There will be hanging numbers (6 through 10) under the overhead awning for your driver to identify which zone you are in. If you use taxi, it is in a different area...in a parking lot across from zone 10 which is near the glass doors of the parking garage.

I was on Liberty's first Bayonne cruise in May and self assist was held up for at least 30 minutes for whatever reason. Once inside the terminal it was the usual quick process of luggage retrieval & facial recognition. You should be good.

Did this in 2019 and enjoyed visiting Rouen very much. I had booked the 1st train departing from Le Havre. Was able to get off the ship before official arrival time but no one was in the terminal. An NCL ship had arrived earlier & about 10 of their guests were waiting on the taxi line for their ship. The different taxi line of the ship I arrived on had only a few cruisers. Unfortunately, only 1 taxi was present & the question was, how would the order of 2 separate taxi lines work. A group of us started walking(not yet daylight) to the train station. I had a general idea where it was, still it was confusing. Luckily a taxi (van) was entering the port & it was flagged down. Those of us walking filled the van which took us to the train station. Rouen was the 4th or 5th stop. It was a short walk from the Rouen train station to the sites in town. I think there are 2 stops in Rouen & I believe it is Gare de Rouen you want to exit at. The taxi situation in Le Havre was worse in the afternoon than the morning. I found the taxi line which had about 5 people waiting. It was a holiday in France & I had no way to call for a taxi nor knew if I needed to. Walked back to the ship, which was more challenging than preferred. Perhaps it being a holiday was why so few taxi's were available, though I saw many heading to the ship on my walk back. The train that goes to Rouen is the same train that goes to Paris. If you decide to go to Paris, the train would be a better choice than a cruise line excursion as long as you remember to leave a time cushion for getting back to the ship.

As you and many others have noted, choices in WJ get increasingly less each cruise, certainly on the cruises I have been on. It began with desserts but now the reduction in choices apply to entrees and more. I recall the location of the Indian food options being only at the first serving station on the right side because I was able to bypass that station and its line and go directly to the rear stations and sitting area.

The first stop the tram makes will be at South Beach. It is at the right end of SB. There is a waiting area with benches. All services at SB will be to your left when you exit the tram. Snack Shack is a short walk, maybe 40 yards. There are 2 trams at Coco Cay. The 1st tram, which seats about 12, travels from the ship to the transportation center where transfer is made to trams seating about 40 that do a loop of the island. There is usually a line for the 1st tram but it is helpful for those with mobility issues. If you ride the 1st tram back to the ship rather than walk the driver will stop well before the ship where all riders must show their sea pass card then the tram proceeds to the ship. Guest services provided Coco Cay maps in the past. Would not be surprised if eliminated as a cutback.

Food at Chill Grill & Snack Shack is included in your cruise fare. Food at Captain Jack's is at a charge. Beverages will be same as on ship, water, fruit juices,lemonade are free. Soda and alcohol will be a charge. The food served at Snack Shack is different than at Chill Grill. Snack Shack is at South Beach (only food choice at South Beach) and their other location is between Oasis Lagoon and Chill Island.

I was on Liberty's first sailing from Bayonne in May. Every night in the WJ was a themed night and the station serving Indian food nightly was only at the first station upon entering WJ to the right. I spoke to one of the chefs who said the WJ menu is now the same fleet wide as is the new menu for the MDR.

If you are not aware, boarding times for Royal cruises departing from Bayonne are not being enforced, not even looked at. After checking in you will be directed to a seating area. Once boarding begins, suites, key, pinnacles, handicap go first then those that are seated proceed in order of the row they are sitting in, regardless of their scheduled boarding time.

Aside from those listed by njhorseman, Fairfield Inn in North Bergen NJ has a MCT package.

Would work with M & M's since they don't melt in your hand. For other chocolate bars/candy, go with Sacagawea & Susan B. Anthony dollar coins, much easier to wipe clean.

Wrongly assumed you were driving. As mjkacmom stated, the views of lower Manhattan from Jersey City are spectacular. Downtown Newark hotels, not area airport hotels in Newark or Elizabeth, will provide outstanding dining choices in the Ironbound section, known for its Brazilian, Portugese and Spanish cuisine.

Were the responses you received when you posted this on the East Coast board not worthwhile?

Hotels in Jersey City will be more expensive and probably charge for parking. It is not necessary to stay 20-30 minutes from Cape Liberty. Look at Morristown, NJ hotels, a city that will have the ambience you seek. Parsippany,NJ is much more rural than the area around Bayonne and will have dining choices but lacking in ambience.

I mentioned the Broadway Diner at 1075 Broadway in Bayonne. It is 3 miles from the terminal at Cape Liberty. There are 3 laundromats in walking distance to the diner. Tony's Laundromat (95 cents pound for wash & fold) & Joy Laundromat ($1 per pound for wash & fold) only accept cash. Triple Clean Laundromat is in Jersey City (2 Garfield Ave) but in walking distance of the diner. They charge $1.75 pound for wash & fold and accept credit/debit cards & cash. TC website lists $1.99 washes (20 lb washers only) Monday through Thursday. Should you reconsider TB/Laundry Express. Domino's & Papa John's pizza are near these 3 laundromats, if that is extra incentive.😆

I sailed consecutive cruises on Anthem in December 2021, not long after the restart. I sailed consecutive cruises again on Anthem in December 2022 and it was my pleasure to see 2 female workers at La Patisserie that I had met in 2021 still there in 2022. I remembered their names, I did not expect them to remember mine. 1 of the 2 did. She also remembered the type of coffee I ordered in 2021 (I had no clue what I had ordered). She also told me that something I gave her in 2021, she still had in use in her cabin. I brought some Christmas decorations with me in 2022, knowing they would have to be tossed likely on December 26. Still, I hoped it brightened their being away from home and family and from the reaction of the one who remembered me, I know it did. I am hoping they and others are on Anthem when I sail again later this year.

I dialed TB phone number listed online. Never before have I had to give my name and hit the # key (their screening process) to reach voice mail. Asked them to call back, I doubt they will. I did notice when I reached actual voice mail, Laundry Express (not TB) was the name of the business given. Should they call, I will post. Laundry detergent at the Shop Rite across the street will be much cheaper than if sold at TB, if you care to save a few dollars.