On Explorer still in port late- delayed

[Zigggypup]

As a Long Islander I can assure you that Bayonne beats leaving from Brooklyn or Manhattan any day. The Belt Parkway can be a nightmare but I'll take it over driving into the city or (even worse) lugging my bags onto the railroad. :D

 

Also being a Long Islander, I've never had any traffic issues. The last time I got off a ship in Manhattan, it was a Sunday morning. I made it from the West Side piers to Franklin Square in 35 minutes. Nobody was on the road at 9 AM on a Sunday. It was kind of eerie, but it worked for me..........lol.

[asylum575]

That's EXACTLY why I think Bayonne is a horrible port. When Quantum arrives, they'll have even more issues. It holds 1000 more passengers, which is 2000 more people each sailing (1000 more arriving and 1000 more departing). Royal needs to move Quantum out of Bayonne ASAP.....

 

I agree that Bayonne doesn't run as smoothly as other ports we have sailed from.

However, the choice of choosing Bayonne for Quantum's home port was done by RCCL after careful consideration.

 

Quantum will be the newest ship with a big bill. Return on investment is very important. Here's a couple of reasons they did it

1. RCCL can charge more per day for a cruise out of Bayonne

2. Cruises out of Bayonne provide more sea days which is where RCCL makes money on their captive audience

3. Explorer normally sails pretty full, so filling Quantum isn't much of a stretch

4. HAL and Princess pulled out of Brooklyn about a year or two ago, less competition. Celebrity does Bermuda May-Oct. The winter completion is CCL Splendor and NCL's Breakaway and Gem

[rutgersgirl27]

The way people talk about the bus to Bayonne you would think the ride was 30 minutes long. It's a 2 minute shuttle to port. Not worth complaining over IMHO.

 

Every port has delays from time to time. Not a reason to move a ship.

[leaveitallbehind]

The way people talk about the bus to Bayonne you would think the ride was 30 minutes long. It's a 2 minute shuttle to port. Not worth complaining over IMHO.

 

Every port has delays from time to time. Not a reason to move a ship.

 

Agree. And in comparing ports, in our experience the worst port was Miami (back when it was the primary RCI port) in terms of delays both on and particularly off the ship. The comments from others about the hands out for tips was worse there as well.

[PattyG12]

I'd much rather sail out of Bayonne than out of San Juan ... what a mess THAT was.

[ERIE 13]

After six cruises out of Bayonne and a seventh coming up in Oct. we have never had a problem with Cape Liberty. Baggage handlers have always been helpful and friendly. Getting on the ship has always been stress free. Getting luggage at the end of the cruise is always chaotic but is normal in most ports. My only complaint is that parking at the pier is to expensive. It is convienent though which is a plus. Its still a lot cheaper then N.Y.

[edjny]

Quantum will be the newest ship with a big bill. Return on investment is very important. Here's a couple of reasons they did it

1. RCCL can charge more per day for a cruise out of Bayonne

 

The Grandeur out of Baltimore and Explorer out of Bayonne run almost the same cruises. At just about every time period, the Explorer is quite a bit less expensive for the same cruise and cabin class as the Grandeur. I really do not know why, but both ports are convenient to me and I compare both when we are looking to go to sea....

[RoyalDiamond]

We certainly won't AVOID Bayonne, but it's not our first choice. For those who are local, I know you have an attachment to your home port...it's convenient for you to drive to your cruise instead of fly. But, not being local, I'd much rather fly anywhere else for a cruise. As an airline crewmember, I know the hassle/delays of flying to EWR or LGA are some of the worst in the country. Then there's the Cape Liberty port itself....

 

1. The worst is that ONE access road. The traffic BACKS UP down that one road, and you sit there and sit there waiting for it to move. If you're in a cab with the meter running, you're in trouble. Be sure to take a flat-rate car service! Especially once Quantum brings in 1000 more passengers and departs with 1000 more passengers per sailing....that's 2000 more people sitting in traffic.

 

2. Our last Explorer cruise was the ONLY time that we carried our luggage onto the ship ourselves. The baggage handlers, while reminding everyone about their tips, were literally throwing luggage into puddles on the ground. We did not want wet luggage arriving at our cabin.

 

3. Waiting to take that SILLY bus for the 1-minute trip to/from the ship is just ridiculous. Especially at the end of the cruise, when all of a sudden, everyone is able to carry their luggage off the ship and cram it onto that bus! Seriously, I could walk the trip, but they won't let you since it's a "working pier."

 

4. Boarding the ship on deck 1 is very UNimpressive. I like boarding into the centrum or royal promenade. Boarding through the basement of the ship doesn't have the "royal WOW." LOL

 

So, no, Bayonne isn't our favorite. But, we will use it since we have 2 Explorer Bermuda cruises booked next year, and 5 Quantum bookings right now. But, I just wish they'd build a new terminal (like the Oasis/Allure) terminal to accommodate the operation. It makes financial sense for RCCL to operate from there, and bring Quantum there. But, for those who are not within driving distance, ANY other port is better.

 

Peter

[abridalmaven]

Really? 440 and the Bayonne Bridge have the least travelled roads that I know of in this area. While we could go to PA many ways, we use that road for that reason when picking up my Mom from Staten Island. It is a decent two lanes HWY with very few lights. Now other airports in the area are way more congested. And the piers in manhattan can really be a nightmare.

 

 

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[happycruiser90]

Just off Explorer and the captain talk about how they will be fixing up Cape Liberty and eliminating the bus.

[harleymouse]

Sorry you had a hard time. but I will sail from my home town any day . have sailed 4 time and never had a problem. My parents have sailed from bayonne over 20 time never a problem.

There is no comparison between Bayonne and a well run port like PC or Port Everglades. Checking in and waiting for a bus? That's convenient. Dealing with NJ longshoremen? No thanks. Heck I will even take San Juan over Bayonne.

 

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[lovetocruiserccl]

I love leaving from Bayonne its wonderful. Our luggage has always made it to the ship. We check in board the bus no waiting and on the ship in less than 30 minutes. For some unknown reason individuals from other areas hate the fact that we are able to cruise from NJ. We do not have the luxury of having several ports to leave from in warm weather and cheaper prices. We pay premium price for leaving from NJ. We are not afforded the cheaper rates because of our Northeast location. As far as the terminal its clean, fast and efficient. The staff is always helpful and friendly. I'm sure Royal will make accommodations for Quantum when she comes. Long live Bayonne :)

 

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[lovetocruiserccl]

Just off Explorer and the captain talk about how they will be fixing up Cape Liberty and eliminating the bus.

 

How did he say they would eliminate ths bus? Would they have boarding ramps to the ship? They would have to dock further up to make that possible. Whatever works as long as we are on the ship.

 

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[pasto5]

Our first and only cruise so far on Explorer was last year as we headed out into SANDY..... The clown taking our luggage kindly reminded us with his hand held out that he worked for tips..... In short, pay up or your luggage might not make it on the ship.... He was much more forward about the tips than any other port. But, we handed him the same as we do for all our other ports and the luggage showed up at the cabin.... :cool: That is part of the NY charm.... :D

 

We had our luggage tags torn off our luggage in Miami because my husband didn't tip enough. There were signs all over the port saying that tipping was optional. We didn't get out suitcases until late that night and we had to go down and identify which ones were ours. There were about a dozen others there that were also missing tags. This was a Princess sail but I am sure it has happened on other lines.

[BND]

We certainly won't AVOID Bayonne, but it's not our first choice. For those who are local, I know you have an attachment to your home port...it's convenient for you to drive to your cruise instead of fly. But, not being local, I'd much rather fly anywhere else for a cruise. As an airline crewmember, I know the hassle/delays of flying to EWR or LGA are some of the worst in the country. Then there's the Cape Liberty port itself....

 

1. The worst is that ONE access road. The traffic BACKS UP down that one road, and you sit there and sit there waiting for it to move. If you're in a cab with the meter running, you're in trouble. Be sure to take a flat-rate car service! Especially once Quantum brings in 1000 more passengers and departs with 1000 more passengers per sailing....that's 2000 more people sitting in traffic.

 

2. Our last Explorer cruise was the ONLY time that we carried our luggage onto the ship ourselves. The baggage handlers, while reminding everyone about their tips, were literally throwing luggage into puddles on the ground. We did not want wet luggage arriving at our cabin.

 

3. Waiting to take that SILLY bus for the 1-minute trip to/from the ship is just ridiculous. Especially at the end of the cruise, when all of a sudden, everyone is able to carry their luggage off the ship and cram it onto that bus! Seriously, I could walk the trip, but they won't let you since it's a "working pier."

 

4. Boarding the ship on deck 1 is very UNimpressive. I like boarding into the centrum or royal promenade. Boarding through the basement of the ship doesn't have the "royal WOW." LOL

 

So, no, Bayonne isn't our favorite. But, we will use it since we have 2 Explorer Bermuda cruises booked next year, and 5 Quantum bookings right now. But, I just wish they'd build a new terminal (like the Oasis/Allure) terminal to accommodate the operation. It makes financial sense for RCCL to operate from there, and bring Quantum there. But, for those who are not within driving distance, ANY other port is better.

 

Peter

 

Throwing luggage into puddles? The luggage is carried under the tent and put onto the racks. They stack it under the tent out of the weather before putting it onto the racks.

 

Boarding on deck 1 is "umimpressive"? I don't cruise for the boarding experience.

 

We've found Bayonne to be a good experience and if you arrive at the peak time you will have a little back up, but that's why we are there by 11, just like we are in every port.

 

The "silly" bus isn't RCI's choice. It's the port. It's a working port and they really don't want anyone hurt while stuff is being moved around by the port, not RCI.

 

So, don't cruise out of Bayonne, because you obviously see these very minor issues as non-starters.

[DEL67]

I cannot tell you what the Bayonne cruise port is like in general, but I can say that it was a mess on Thursday.

 

My sister, nephew and his family were sailing. My nephew's original plan was to drop off the luggage and everyone else, return his rental car to Newark airport and take a taxi back to the pier. I had heard that taxis could be expensive so I offered to drop off my sister and the children and as much luggage as my car would fit at the pier, then pick up my nephew, his wife and any remaining luggage at the airport and take them to the pier.

 

My first trip to the pier was around 10:30. It took over 45 minutes to drop off the luggage. Passengers were still disembarking so there were only about 10 slots for luggage drop off. After making it through most of the line I was told to look for a man with an orange vest and gray cap who would tell me where to go. I never saw him. If I did not realize that we were at the end of the terminal and pull in, we would have had to go around again. Once we pulled in, there was no one to take the luggage. My sister and I took the luggage out of the car and set it next to the luggage carriers. Then I noticed a man (longshoreman?) standing with his back to us on the other side of the luggage carriers. I asked him if he could take the luggage and he did move it onto the carrier, obviously expecting a tip for doing so.

 

It took about 25 minutes to pick up my nephew and his wife at the airport and return to the pier so it must have been shortly before noon when I returned. The line was at least 4 times as long as it had been earlier. We sat for about 25 minutes, moving maybe 100 feet. During that time I noticed only about 5 cars exit from the street that goes from the luggage drop off area back to the main road. At that point, since my nephew and his wife had only the one bag that had not fit in my car earlier so I suggested that I drop them off at the corner and they walk the block to the drop off area. They did so and I left; therefore I do not know how long it would have taken if I stayed in line. I suspect at least 2 hours.

 

My sister called that evening, she said that the captain announced that they were delayed while the remaining luggage was loaded onto the ship. He also said that there had been some sort of strike. On the plus side, she also said luggage drop off delay had meant that check-in was a breeze.

 

I know that others have posted that they have had no issue with Bayonne. And I know that RCCL has no control over the luggage handlers, but to me, this was the worst port experience I have had in over 30 cruises and I would think twice before sailing from Bayonne.

 

I only hope whatever the issue was, that it is resolved before their return as my daughter and I are picking them up in 2 cars to take them to visit the Status of Liberty before taking them to LGA for their return flight. I made an 11 AM reservation to visit the base of the statue and am now concerned that we will not make it on time since they have too much luggage to carry it off themselves.

[My2Kitties]

We were just on Explorer May 30th and it was the first time we had a long wait to get around the building but we it kept moving and we were onboard in no time...

We have left from Bayonne numerous times and never had a major problem. slow getting around to drop off luggage and park is better than flying and taking a RC transfer...

[DragonOfTheSeas]

For those of you that live in or near NYC getting to Bayonne is a piece of cake. I live south of Washington DC so I can drive in miserable rush hour traffic--but, do not like it.

 

Driving into Bayonne was pretty "hairy" the day we took the Explorer to Bermuda. There was a disaster drill that closed the Bayonne bridge for half the morning and the NY Giants were playing football at 1pm. Everyone was coming into the port from the same direction.

 

We arrived at 11:30 [would have been sooner without the traffic] and the baggage handling was a "train wreck." There were still people getting their luggage and leaving while a crush of people were trying to drop off luggage. I agree that the baggage handlers were busy and did not ask for a tip. It seemed like chaos to me. Riding the bus made no sense. We parked not far from the ship. Then we walked back to the terminal and took a bus to the ship.

 

We really liked the Explorer, but, the port in Bayonne has held us back from booking another cruise from there.

 

But, we know why Royal has put the Quantum there. As soon as we boarded we saw that New Yorkers were ready to have a good time. they ordered drinks early and often. We ordered them, too. but, just nor as often.:p

 

At the pool one day I was talking to a lady that mentioned that drinks on the ship were a good buy.:confused: She said they were less than she pays in bars in NYC. So I see why royal makes good revenue from these cruises.

[alinnj]

I thought the luggage handlers were very rude. They did hold out their hands and ask for tips. "We work for tips, please be generous." I thought that was uncalled for.

 

I think the traffic in and out is a nightmare. I also think that having drop off and pick up at the same location is a recipe for disaster.

 

Once inside, the port is fantastically organized and speedy. Same for getting off the ship. We breezed through customs and finding our luggage in the groups according to number was very easy.

 

That's STRANGE ??? The past 4 cruises out of Bayonne the baggage handlers were perfect on return ! They took our 10+ bags across the street to our two cars ! PERFECT service with a well deserved tip $20....:D

[Beachin2]

Is that why they always leave you???

 

Congratulations! You are now the second rude & boorish person on my ignore list!

[MPOG923]

Does a Giants football game greatly change traffic coming into the port? We are driving in from NE Ohio in October.

[teddie]

Does a Giants football game greatly change traffic coming into the port? We are driving in from NE Ohio in October.

 

If you are using the NJ Turnpike, definitely. Check out kick off time; however, we always arrive at Cape Liberty by 10:30-11:00AM to beat even the "normal" traffic. It makes a huge difference, and we've sailed out of Bayonne eight times.

 

Teddie

[DragonOfTheSeas]

As I mentioned they had closed one of the Bayonne bridges for the disaster drill. So, the NJ Turnpike was my only option. [i am sure locals knew better ways to get there--but, not me]:(

[teddie]

As I mentioned they had closed one of the Bayonne bridges for the disaster drill. So, the NJ Turnpike was my only option. [i am sure locals knew better ways to get there--but, not me]:(

 

That is a crummy scenario for sure. Other option: 78 to Route 1&9 over Pulaski Skyway. Take 1&9 south, then 440 to Bayonne. It's a bit of a gritty alternative, but it will get you there. :(

 

(I am a former visiting nurse for Jersey City)

 

Teddie

[KMagz]

We had our luggage tags torn off our luggage in Miami because my husband didn't tip enough. There were signs all over the port saying that tipping was optional. We didn't get out suitcases until late that night and we had to go down and identify which ones were ours. There were about a dozen others there that were also missing tags. This was a Princess sail but I am sure it has happened on other lines.

 

^^^ This. Miami porters were the WORST. As we stood there with our suitcases near the porters a very large and imposing porter says, "This is the last time you'll see your suitcases before they're delivered to your stateroom. Would you care to leave a tip?" << dead silence >>

 

The porters in Bayonne were like Mr. Rogers in comparison.