Tips for boarding at Bayonne, NJ with 12-month twins in the winter?

[renton]

My wife and I will be going on a 12-day cruise on the Explorer of the Seas (RCCL) with our 13-month old twins in a few weeks (winter time!). This will be our first cruise ever and we just can't wait!

 

To make our trip more enjoyable, our cabin will have a balcony and it will connect to our friend's cabin next door (and their 3 year old daughter).

 

We will be boarding at Bayonne, NJ to where we will drive. Since we're coming from a distance, we'll actually get there the previous day and stay in a nearby hotel (along with our friends).

 

I have read about the boarding process, the traffic jams, the snow, waiting in a cold tent for a cab after getting off, etc. So I am wondering; what should we do to make the whole boarding process as quick and painless as possible?

 

About going to and coming back from the port; our hotel offers us a good deal to leave the car parked there but that implies taking the child seats (2!) along for the cab ride... and the cruise. Not a great option!

 

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

[Seraphine]

My wife and I will be going on a 12-day cruise on the Explorer of the Seas (RCCL) with our 13-month old twins in a few weeks (winter time!). This will be our first cruise ever and we just can't wait!

 

To make our trip more enjoyable, our cabin will have a balcony and it will connect to our friend's cabin next door (and their 3 year old daughter).

 

We will be boarding at Bayonne, NJ to where we will drive. Since we're coming from a distance, we'll actually get there the previous day and stay in a nearby hotel (along with our friends).

 

I have read about the boarding process, the traffic jams, the snow, waiting in a cold tent for a cab after getting off, etc. So I am wondering; what should we do to make the whole boarding process as quick and painless as possible?

 

About going to and coming back from the port; our hotel offers us a good deal to leave the car parked there but that implies taking the child seats (2!) along for the cab ride... and the cruise. Not a great option!

 

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

 

We did this same cruise last November (2010) with a 5 year old and an 18 month old, and I hear you about the carseats! The port in Bayonne is in the middle of nowhere, and it's not like you can easily take public transit, especially with two wee ones!

 

To be honest, the hotel/parking deal sounds really good. I would just bring the carseats and store them in the closet for the duration. At 13 months, the carseats my kids were using were fairly lightweight and weren't heavy to carry.

 

You can always use them for the cab ride, and bring a bag to stash them in when you get there (something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Car-Seat-Travel/dp/B00005YXVW and yes, you can fit two carseats in there... we've done it!) Then check the bag when you get in and you don't have to deal with them til your luggage gets to your room.

 

We did this and it was fine. We put one carseat in our closet, and my parents took one of the into their closet to give us more space. Then you have them ready and available for the return trip to the hotel after the cruise.

 

(our booked taxi didn't show up and we had to wrangle seats on a shuttle at the last minute upon debarkation - not fun!) But we had the seats with us so we were flexible.

 

You'll have a fantastic time - when we did this cruise, there were only about 40 kids on board (although the cruise the following week was going to have 800 kids on it!) and our kids were treated like royalty.

 

I hope we can all help with your planning - it's tricky with kids, but once you get the hang of it, you'll have the run of the ship!

 

Have fun!

[Julienatul]

Call the hotel and get the name of the shuttle company and call them. Many times they will provie car seats for you. We have pre-arranged them twice on hotel shuttles in Ft Lauderdale for our cruises. Its really nice not to have to lug the big seats for a short ride to and from the port.

[Seraphine]

Call the hotel and get the name of the shuttle company and call them. Many times they will provie car seats for you. We have pre-arranged them twice on hotel shuttles in Ft Lauderdale for our cruises. Its really nice not to have to lug the big seats for a short ride to and from the port.

 

We had thought of this too, but as the return taxi never showed up, we would have been stuck for hours if we didn't have our seats.

[tracaline]

I am not sure how far your hotel is from the port, but could one of you drive, drop off your spouse, kids and luggage- then have 1 parent stay with the kids and the other drive the car back to park and take a cab to the port by yourself? Maybe not ideal in the winter, but it might be easier with the car seat situation, plus you don't have to lug the bags too (I am not familiar with that port, but I would think there is someplace to wait that is inside or at least covred). Then when you return, one of you get the car from the hotel, and one wait with the bags/kids.

 

Just a thought.

[Kerry's Girls]

My twins were 13 months on our first cruise together too, and we got hooked. My advice echoes the previous poster: If you don't need the car seats during the cruise, drive to the port, drop all the luggage and passengers and one person drive the car back to park and take a cab or shuttle to the pier. But I have also kept two car seats in the closet or corner of a regular sized cabin with no trouble.

 

Lots of snacks and new little toy distractions kept my girls happy during waits - plus all of the activity is engrossing to them as well.

 

Have a great time!

 

Best,

Mia

[renton]

Thank you all for the replies.

 

You'll have a fantastic time - when we did this cruise, there were only about 40 kids on board (although the cruise the following week was going to have 800 kids on it!) and our kids were treated like royalty.

 

I certainly hope that we are as lucky as you!

 

To be honest, the hotel/parking deal sounds really good. I would just bring the carseats and store them in the closet for the duration. At 13 months, the carseats my kids were using were fairly lightweight and weren't heavy to carry.

 

You can always use them for the cab ride, and bring a bag to stash them in when you get there.

 

If we have to pay for a cab (or cabs; would the 4 of us and our luggage fit in one car incl. the babies in their seats?) between the hotel and the port (both ways), wouldn't it about the same than to drive and park at the port? I don't know what the cab fair would be but our hotel is next to Newark's airport and they offer us to pay 50$ to leave the car parked there. The port's parking would be 230$.

 

Call the hotel and get the name of the shuttle company and call them. Many times they will provie car seats for you. We have pre-arranged them twice on hotel shuttles in Ft Lauderdale for our cruises. Its really nice not to have to lug the big seats for a short ride to and from the port.

 

Good idea! Will ask our hotel.

 

I am not sure how far your hotel is from the port, but could one of you drive, drop off your spouse, kids and luggage- then have 1 parent stay with the kids and the other drive the car back to park and take a cab to the port by yourself? Maybe not ideal in the winter, but it might be easier with the car seat situation, plus you don't have to lug the bags too (I am not familiar with that port, but I would think there is someplace to wait that is inside or at least covred). Then when you return, one of you get the car from the hotel, and one wait with the bags/kids.

 

If you don't need the car seats during the cruise' date=' drive to the port, drop all the luggage and passengers and one person drive the car back to park and take a cab or shuttle to the pier. [/quote']

 

That was our original tought but after reading that we could be stuck in traffic for as long as 45 min arriving at the port I am not so sure about doing it twice in a row...

[Kerry's Girls]

Thank you all for the replies.

 

The port's parking would be 230$.

 

...

 

Then I probably would just bite the bullet and pay for the parking at the port. I'm really a penny-pincher, but sometimes spending extra money is worth it to me to make travel with twins easier. I wouldn't want to be stressed about getting back and forth to the port.

 

Best,

Mia

[patseacruiser]

You can get free shuttle and leave your car but you have to bring the car seats? Take the car seats and have luggage tags on them so when you get out of the shuttle they can go on for luggage. Put them in your closet. Perhaps one of your excursions may require car seats? Have you checked? Also, check if you need them to ride the shuttle to the ship as you have to take a shuttle from the terminal to the ship - you can not walk. While it is probably walkable - they will not allow it. Extra cabs, extra trips, parking at the pier - you sound like you are really stressing yourself out. Enjoy your vacation.

[Essiesmom]

I know you probably already have you hotel booked and paid for...But there are two hotels on Staten Island, Hampton Suites and Hilton Garden Inn (owned by same man and share parking lot) that provide free shuttle to port. You could leave the car at the hotel and take the shuttle...no carseats needed. when you return, call the hotel to send the shuttle (it will be bringing more passengers anyway). EM

[Seraphine]

I am not sure how far your hotel is from the port, but could one of you drive, drop off your spouse, kids and luggage- then have 1 parent stay with the kids and the other drive the car back to park and take a cab to the port by yourself? Maybe not ideal in the winter, but it might be easier with the car seat situation, plus you don't have to lug the bags too (I am not familiar with that port, but I would think there is someplace to wait that is inside or at least covred). Then when you return, one of you get the car from the hotel, and one wait with the bags/kids.

 

Just a thought.

 

 

This was our original intention. My husband was going to use our rental van and take myself, 2 kids and my parents to the port, drive back, return the rental car, and get a taxi back to the port. The taxi journey was quoted as $50.

 

Then we found out from our hotel that a cab for 4 adults and 2 children was going to cost us $60 from our hotel to the port. For that extra $10, we could stay together as a group, which was the whole point of a "family" holiday. The trip was long and New Jersey roads are confusing as heck, and I would have been having a heart attack waiting for my husband to come back in case he was late in getting back to the ship.

 

So my husband and I returned our rental car to the airport that morning and caught the hotel shuttle back to the hotel. We travelled as a group to the port (with the kids in their carseats) and it was fine.

 

We really tried to do the right thing - we had arrived a day early and had even done a trek out to the port the day before so we could get a lay of the land and plan a route. But there wasn't an easy way of doing this. It was a crazy journey, to tell you the truth!

[mjkacmom]

Check on the east coast departures board - I think there is a better hotel option than the airport, closer to the pier. Newark makes a lot of sense if you are flying in, but I believe there are better options if you are driving. I believe there is a hotel that allows you to park for free, and would be close enough to drive your family, and return the car to your hotel. And if you decide to park at the pier, there are many options besides Newark airport (that area is the ugliest area of the state, IMHO).

[boulders]

We just took Explorer of the Seas in December. We took a taxi from our Newark airport hotel. Cost was $110 or so. The port is not an easy dropoff. It took 45 minutes from the time we got in line at the port, until we got to the place to drop off. It was even worse when we got off the ship. It took 2 hours to get in a shuttle. No taxis were available.

 

I would take whichever option allows you to stay together as a group.

 

If I had to do it again, I would park at the port.

[renton]

Thank you all for the help and sorry for not replying sooner. I am travelling for business right now... dreaming about our vacation more than ever.

 

Our hotel has been booked by our travel agency and there's no turning back at this point even if it could have been better. Also, they don't offer a shuttle service.

 

It seems pretty obvious now that the best option is to drive our own car to the port and park it there. No fuss, no trouble and the whole family togheter. Even if it ends up being a bit more expensive, it's not worth the trouble and additional stress.

 

Thanks again.