Another Newark Question

We will be flying out of EWR on Friday, July 6, aboard Delta. This will be following disembarkation at Port Liberty from Adventure of the Seas. I am ready to buy our airline tickets. Our choices are 12:30 or 2:30. People have said that EWR is a difficult place to get to and then to get through security. How bad is it normally? I realize that anything can happen but if we leave the ship by 8:30, is the 12:30 flight iffy? I would hate to end up sitting in the airport for 4 hours with 2 little children, as I hear the Delta terminal is "lacking" in ambiance. Any advice/information is welcome. Thank you.

We will be flying out of EWR on Friday, July 6, aboard Delta. This will be following disembarkation at Port Liberty from Adventure of the Seas. I am ready to buy our airline tickets. Our choices are 12:30 or 2:30. People have said that EWR is a difficult place to get to and then to get through security. How bad is it normally? I realize that anything can happen but if we leave the ship by 8:30, is the 12:30 flight iffy? I would hate to end up sitting in the airport for 4 hours with 2 little children, as I hear the Delta terminal is "lacking" in ambiance. Any advice/information is welcome. Thank you.

We just recently had the DL 12:30pm flight from EWR after getting off our Anthem cruise in Port Liberty. I was so concerned about this particular port and transportation but everything worked so quickly and easily for us. Book this flight time no reason not to.

People have said that EWR is a difficult place to get to and then to get through security. How bad is it normally?

The airport experience varies wildly....If you're a United Global Services member travelling on a first class ticket it's going to be way different to someone flying Spirit who has never stopped foot in an airport in their life.

I don't know who "people" are but there is no such thing as "normal". Whether you have TSA Pre-Check, have elite frequent flyer status, which airline you're on and whether you have a premium cabin ticket is going to make a big difference.

I'm not sure how someone can say an airport that is adjacent to two interstates, an express rail and commuter rail and is a 9 mile journey from your origin point can be considered "hard to get to".

I think "people" be dumb.

Pretty much all of EWR is "lacking" in ambiance ;)

12:30 may be realistic if your ship is on time, and they usually (but not always) are. Getting to EWR can take a while, but shouldn't take two hours by any means! I would probably go ahead and book the 12:30 as long as you're sure you can get off the ship on the early side.

Newark is a pretty crummy airport, but its primary deficiencies are for arriving passengers. Hotel shuttles are tedious, and the process for getting to them can be awful at peak times. Cab lines can be bad. Baggage delivery can be rotten. The facilities are not great in some of the areas, elevators out of order, etc. Friendliness and helpfulness of airline staff is on the lower end of the spectrum -- it's a generalization and there are great and poor staff everywhere but you're more likely to get a ticked off gate agent or an annoyed check in counter employee or lounge agent in Newark than other places. But it's sort of that northeastern brusque -- short, ill tempered, annoyed, but without any real malice. Almost endearing once you're used to its rhythms.

All that said, for a passenger flying out, Newark really is not much different from any other major airport. You'll be dropped at curbside near the ticket counters and security, and it works like every other airport. You don't have to deal with the skytrain and shuttle as arriving passengers do if they have hotel shuttles or rental cars. They deal with volume every day and you'll be fine. Once through security, it's just an airport concourse like everywhere else. Four hours is more than enough, and there's absolutely no reason to be in Newark any longer than that!

Ii wll be flying UA from Barcelona to EWR in mid afternoon on April 12. I have a 5 hr layover before my UA connection to MSP.

After going through immigration and custom , I want to have a decent dinner and a nice glass of wine some where in the airport. I will be returning to empty cupbards at home.

Any suggestion?

EWR is not that hard to get to . Port Liberty is (as the crow flies) not that far really. It pretty much just due east of the airpot..cross the NJPT, over Newark bay and on the east side of Bayonne.

The airport itself..once you get past security. Which can be hit or miss (even with pre check and/or elite status like I have) it is not that bad. I should preface by saying I have only flown UA in/out of here so the terminals where DL or AA flies out of might not be as "great". Also, keep in mind that EWR is one of UA's main hubs so the number of flights DL or AA has per day is no where near what UA is running so the DL or AA areas won't be nearly as "nice" as the UA areas. (much like Atlanta or DFW would be for UA fliers)

Pretty much all of EWR is "lacking" in ambiance ;)

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as someone who used to frequent EWR when I flew UA often, this description made me chuckle. :')

Ii wll be flying UA from Barcelona to EWR in mid afternoon on April 12. I have a 5 hr layover before my UA connection to MSP.

After going through immigration and custom , I want to have a decent dinner and a nice glass of wine some where in the airport. I will be returning to empty cupbards at home.

Any suggestion?

The big question is which terminal is your EWR to MSP flight? If it is a United Express regional jet you are likely leaving from Terminal A and there is very little in the way of dining in A. If you are on a United mainline flight there are a lot of options in Terminal C. While we fly out of C often we never stop for a meal etc so I can't suggest any place special and they are always adding and subtracting venues there. Arriving on an international fight you will have to exit the secure area and clear TSA security again. I would suggest that you do that in Terminal C where you will likely arrive, enjoy your dinner and then take the United shuttle bus to Terminal A. The shuttle leaves from near gate 71 and it is well marked and it saves you dealing with TSA a second time in Newark.

as someone who used to frequent EWR when I flew UA often, this description made me chuckle. :')

I'm an AA flyer who has, on occassion, flown UA in to EWR (as recently as about six weeks ago). As mediocre as the UA terminal is (at least in my experience), the AA terminal is just downright cruel and unusual punishment.

The big question is which terminal is your EWR to MSP flight? If it is a United Express regional jet you are likely leaving from Terminal A and there is very little in the way of dining in A. If you are on a United mainline flight there are a lot of options in Terminal C. While we fly out of C often we never stop for a meal etc so I can't suggest any place special and they are always adding and subtracting venues there. Arriving on an international fight you will have to exit the secure area and clear TSA security again. I would suggest that you do that in Terminal C where you will likely arrive, enjoy your dinner and then take the United shuttle bus to Terminal A. The shuttle leaves from near gate 71 and it is well marked and it saves you dealing with TSA a second time in Newark.

Thank you kindly for the suggestions.

Will eat in terminal C and take the shuttle to Terminal A.

Yes, I will be on a UA Express regional jet for the final leg to MSP.

Thank you kindly for the suggestions.

Will eat in terminal C and take the shuttle to Terminal A.

Yes, I will be on a UA Express regional jet for the final leg to MSP.

an RJ from EWR to MSP......:o now that is punishment.

an RJ from EWR to MSP......:o now that is punishment.

LOL, hopefully ,I will be so tired I will sleep or just order a couple glasses of wine...

I will have been traveling since Barcelona ,time zones will be not be my friend. I knew what I was getting into by booking with Viking Air , good price but not the best flights and times.

My travel docs are in the mail and I am doing my happy dance in anticipation of my first transatlantic on the beautiful Viking Sea from San Juan to Barcelona in March/April.