CAPE LIBERTY 411 - Version 3!

[rayteacher17]

We are cruising on the Explorer out of Cape Liberty on Dec. 13th. My tentative plan is to arrive at EWR the day before and use the hotel shuttle to get to Country Inn then arrange for transportation to the pier the following morning.

 

Questions:

What is the best shuttle or car service to get from Country Inn to the port? There will be two of us with 3 bags.

 

The flight I would like to take gets to EWR very early. Any ideas of what we can do with luggage until check-in? We were thinking we might like to check out the mall until our room is ready.

 

If our return flight is scheduled around 12:30 will that give us enough time to get from the port to the airport?

 

Thanks!

[138east]

How did you book Country Inns and what are you paying for it? Is it cancellable? What time are you arriving at EWR? Where are you flying in from? You should be able to leave your luggage at the hotel even if you can't check in.

 

I'd contact CI directly to see if you can buy their shuttle transfer at $35/pp rt. you should be able to make a 12:30 flight easily on your return.

 

If you get in very early, have you considered going into NYC for the day?

[luvscruising2007]

We booked with Country Inn using Stay123. It worked out with 1 night stay, parking and shuttle to be less than $20 more than just parking at the pier for a 10 night cruise. Looking forward to it.

[rayteacher17]

How did you book Country Inns and what are you paying for it? Is it cancellable? What time are you arriving at EWR? Where are you flying in from? You should be able to leave your luggage at the hotel even if you can't check in.

 

I'd contact CI directly to see if you can buy their shuttle transfer at $35/pp rt. you should be able to make a 12:30 flight easily on your return.

 

If you get in very early, have you considered going into NYC for the day?

 

Thank you for the information and ideas.

 

We actually haven't booked anything yet, except for the cruise. We had originally intended to make a road trip out of it, coming in from Detroit. But we've given up that idea in favor of flying:)

 

We're definitely open to other ideas for hotels or things to do. I would like to take the earliest flight from Detroit to allow for any delays or weather. That flight would get us to EWR at 9 am.

Edited August 28, 2012 by rayteacher17

[jesrestin]

Traveling from NH, flying out of Boston

 

Wondering if our ideal flights are resonable, using a car service to Cape Liberty.

 

JetBlue

Landing 10/6 at 10:54 am (earlier flight lands at 7:30)

 

Leaving 10/20 at 11:29 am (next flight is after 5 pm)

 

Thanks in advance

[megr1125]

Traveling from NH, flying out of Boston

 

Wondering if our ideal flights are resonable, using a car service to Cape Liberty.

 

JetBlue

Landing 10/6 at 10:54 am (earlier flight lands at 7:30)

 

Leaving 10/20 at 11:29 am (next flight is after 5 pm)

 

Thanks in advance

 

Fine if you're landing in EWR....

 

I would probably do express walk off....just in case....

 

you have a couple hours wiggle room with the 1st one...though coming in on the day of the cruise, my bottom would be on the crack of civilization flight....if anything happens with your flight, you are SOL.

 

I once sat on a flight on jetBlue that "left" on time, then sat on the tarmac for over an hour or more....(luckily they let us use the lav, and gave us water...pilot said 'when i say sit, take the CLOSEST seat cause we will nOT have a big window to take off...even if it isn't your seat. ; he said SIT, people did, and off we went..)

 

point being, you could be in a mess......but you should be OK

[Loyal Royals NY]

I got my TA involved with the transportation from LGA to Cape Liberty. She had made reservations with ETS Shuttle for us weeks ago. Then I told her about Carmel Limo, and she checked them out and found some bad reviews and told us not to reserve with them. So, she told us when she and her travel agents went to NYC and needed a car service, they used Air Brook Limousine, Inc. She called them and they quoted her $73 for the both of us includes tolls, no gratuities. What a price that is...ETS was $165 with tolls. They have good reviews and vehicles. so we are good on that front. I got a notification from AirTran that they changed our flight home. It leaves SJU at 11:45. Tom is freaking out tht we won't get to the airport in time. I just called RCCL and they said we are good. The first flight allowed to leave from the ship is at 11am. so we are good there as well. I'm finally getting all my ducks in a row. Now, I'm going to hae a glass of wine and think of blue waters and palm tree.

Judy

Edited August 28, 2012 by tryan7

[138east]

Traveling from NH, flying out of Boston

 

Wondering if our ideal flights are resonable, using a car service to Cape Liberty.

 

JetBlue

Landing 10/6 at 10:54 am (earlier flight lands at 7:30)

 

Leaving 10/20 at 11:29 am (next flight is after 5 pm)

 

Thanks in advance

 

I'm not even going to ask why you've decided to drive from NH to Logan, mess with the airport, fly to NJ, mess with a car service, and repeat the process on the way back.

[Motorman23]

I got my TA involved with the transportation from LGA to Cape Liberty. She had made reservations with ETS Shuttle for us weeks ago. Then I told her about Carmel Limo, and she checked them out and found some bad reviews and told us not to reserve with them. So, she told us when she and her travel agents went to NYC and needed a car service, they used Air Brook Limousine, Inc. She called them and they quoted her $73 for the both of us includes tolls, no gratuities. What a price that is...ETS was $165 with tolls. They have good reviews and vehicles. so we are good on that front. I got a notification from AirTran that they changed our flight home. It leaves SJU at 11:45. Tom is freaking out tht we won't get to the airport in time. I just called RCCL and they said we are good. The first flight allowed to leave from the ship is at 11am. so we are good there as well. I'm finally getting all my ducks in a row. Now, I'm going to hae a glass of wine and think of blue waters and palm tree.

Judy

 

Enjoy your cruise, We are also from Greece NY, we live near Park Ridge Hospital. We are driving to Bayonne for our Dec 3 cruise, if the weather looks bad we will go down a day early.

 

Mike

[megr1125]

I got my TA involved with the transportation from LGA to Cape Liberty. She had made reservations with ETS Shuttle for us weeks ago. Then I told her about Carmel Limo, and she checked them out and found some bad reviews and told us not to reserve with them. So, she told us when she and her travel agents went to NYC and needed a car service, they used Air Brook Limousine, Inc. She called them and they quoted her $73 for the both of us includes tolls, no gratuities. What a price that is...ETS was $165 with tolls. They have good reviews and vehicles. so we are good on that front. I got a notification from AirTran that they changed our flight home. It leaves SJU at 11:45. Tom is freaking out tht we won't get to the airport in time. I just called RCCL and they said we are good. The first flight allowed to leave from the ship is at 11am. so we are good there as well. I'm finally getting all my ducks in a row. Now, I'm going to hae a glass of wine and think of blue waters and palm tree.

Judy

 

 

well..to each their own....but i think you'd be fine.....air brook is less...so if you are happy then you are all set.......

[njhorseman]

well..to each their own....but i think you'd be fine.....air brook is less...so if you are happy then you are all set.......

 

Typical of what an out of town travel agent who doesn't know the area would do...book a service that advertises themselves as being "nationwide". The same agent who booked ETS for them...and you know how good that recommendation was. If the agent bothered to check they would have seen that Air Brook's reviews are every bit as bad if not worse than Carmel's or Dial 7's. I doubt anyone bothers to write a review of a limo service unless they were dissatisfied.

 

As you said, to each their own.

Edited August 28, 2012 by njhorseman

[njhorseman]

...and I'm skeptical that the $73 quote includes tolls...tolls on that trip are too high. $73 is about right excluding tolls.

[jesrestin]

I'm not even going to ask why you've decided to drive from NH to Logan, mess with the airport, fly to NJ, mess with a car service, and repeat the process on the way back.

 

The thought of driving 8 hours going through NY City around 4pm on a Friday didn't seem too appealing.

 

But now you're making me think!

 

Thanks

Edited August 29, 2012 by jesrestin

[fungirl76]

Hello! My BFF and I will be on the 09/16 cruise to Bermuda out of Cape Liberty. We live on the Left Coast, so we're flying in the night before to EWR. Looking for a hotel that we can get shuttled to from the airport, but will be closer to the pier so that we can save a few bucks on the morning taxi.

 

We're hoping to find something in the ~$100/night range.

 

Any suggestions/ideas? Usually I'm on top of this months in advance, so I'm freaking out a bit that its still in limbo. :eek:

 

Thanks for your input!

 

Come join our roll call for this sailing!!!!

[138east]

The thought of driving 8 hours going through NY City around 4pm on a Friday didn't seem too appealing.

 

But now you're making me think!

 

Thanks

 

Where are you coming from in NH that is 8 hours from Bayonne? That means that you are at least 4 hours from Logan. No need to go all the way on a Friday night. You can get an inexpensive Hotwire hotel in CT and finish the trip easily on Sat morning. I've done the Fri night trip to NJ a lot - I usually leave at 4:00 to get to central NJ beyond Bayonne by 8:30.

[Loyal Royals NY]

My TA has used Air Brook car service when she was in NYC and surrounding areas. I guess we will find out when we get there. I have to agree that people mainly review because they were not satisfied. Carmel didn't have anything available for us that day, unless we wanted to take one of those shuttle buses for $200, and that was more than ETS. I will let you know when we get home if we had to pay tolls.Even if we do, we are still way ahead of the 165 quoted by ETS. I just hope the car isn't a rust bucket with bald tires....lol.

[njhorseman]

My TA has used Air Brook car service when she was in NYC and surrounding areas. I guess we will find out when we get there. I have to agree that people mainly review because they were not satisfied. Carmel didn't have anything available for us that day, unless we wanted to take one of those shuttle buses for $200, and that was more than ETS. I will let you know when we get home if we had to pay tolls.Even if we do, we are still way ahead of the 165 quoted by ETS. I just hope the car isn't a rust bucket with bald tires....lol.

 

I don't believe that either...you're traveling on 11/2, two months from now. They have a huge fleet...and if anything it's earlier than they normally take reservations. We normally book whatever car service we're using no more than two weeks in advance...usually you can get something two hours or less in advance if an emergency arose...sometimes people just call from the airport and can get picked up within a short time.

 

I'd love to be a fly on the wall and listen in to the conversations your TA has been having with these services. I guess I shouldn't care, it's no skin off my back, but as someone who has lived in NY City and its suburbs for his entire life, and who owned and operated a travel agency for a number of years, what your TA is saying and doing just sticks in my craw.

 

I guess I'll just keep my mouth shut about it from here on in. Enjoy your cruise.

Edited August 29, 2012 by njhorseman

[Loyal Royals NY]

We live up Long Pond near the lake. Nice to see someone from our area. Enjoy your cruise.

[Spender Nui]

Any recent reports of paint overspray at the Bayonne parking lot?

[greatam]

I don't believe that either...you're traveling on 11/2, two months from now. They have a huge fleet...and if anything it's earlier than they normally take reservations. We normally book whatever car service we're using no more than two weeks in advance...usually you can get something two hours or less in advance if an emergency arose...sometimes people just call from the airport and can get picked up within a short time.

 

I'd love to be a fly on the wall and listen in to the conversations your TA has been having with these services. I guess I shouldn't care, it's no skin off my back, but as someone who has lived in NY City and its suburbs for his entire life, and who owned and operated a travel agency for a number of years, what your TA is saying and doing just sticks in my craw.

 

I guess I'll just keep my mouth shut about it from here on in. Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

I agree. You just have to wonder if the two TA recommended services aren't ones that give commission or vouchers to the TA for future discounts.

 

Looking at AirBrook's website, SHUTTLE service from Northen NEW JERSEY to EWR is $29.00pp cheapest. And that route can be driven with NO tolls.

 

I am going to guess that the TOTAL cost will be in excess of $100. Every time I have taken car service from LGA to NJ (the port area where I do business), it has cost at least $100.00 + tip.

 

Yelp reviews for AirBrook are as bad if not worse than Super Shuttle. A one star rating from people who actually live in the area and use the service. Not showing up and not answering the phone seems to be a big problem.

 

Carmel out of cars two months from now-a JOKE!!!!

 

Someone's TA doesn't know very much about car services in NYC.

[138east]

Any recent reports of paint overspray at the Bayonne parking lot?

 

No - the last problem was some sort of soot - cars were dirty.

[H2OH!]

I have a few questions:

* post-cruise, what is the best way to get from cape liberty terminal to newark airport?

* are taxi's readily available when departing liberty state park? We are taking a tour of ellis island and statue of liberty.

 

 

thanks!

Edited August 29, 2012 by H2OH!

[megr1125]

cab or the $17/PP shuttle...cab will be around 45-50 plus tip. The shuttle may be cheaper if you don't have a lot of people but you will have to wait for it to fill up.

 

Exit the building, cabs to the left, shuttles to the right...('here i am, stuck in the middle with you..." sorry, couldn't resist...):D:p

[megr1125]

My TA has used Air Brook car service when she was in NYC and surrounding areas. I guess we will find out when we get there. I have to agree that people mainly review because they were not satisfied. Carmel didn't have anything available for us that day, unless we wanted to take one of those shuttle buses for $200, and that was more than ETS. I will let you know when we get home if we had to pay tolls.Even if we do, we are still way ahead of the 165 quoted by ETS. I just hope the car isn't a rust bucket with bald tires....lol.

 

Carmel has plenty of vehicles available...i just checked...

 

so your agent is getting paid by airbrook and not carmel.

 

I must say....getting paid is a great thing, but i wouldn't tell my clients that place A was booked just because place B sent me a check for a few dollars...then again, that's just me..

 

sorry...i have seen enough businesses-including but not limited to travel agents, that give the good ones a bad name....:rolleyes:

[Spender Nui]

No - the last problem was some sort of soot - cars were dirty.

 

Thanks for the info. How event was this and was the soot very bad?