Explorer of the Seas - Bayonne Parking, Private lots?

[JimInBuffalo]

We are sailing out of the Bayonne (Cape Liberty) pier on the Explorer of the Seas on 11/3/13.

 

I see that we can park in the lot at the pier and that there are private lots that are about $40% cheaper per day.

 

One of the reviews that I have read on this site have mentioned that the "free" shuttle from the private parking lots is slow both on the delivery to the pier and for pick-up from the ship (2 hour wait for the one I read).

 

I would like to save some money on the 11 days that we are gone but I don't want to wait for the shuttle that long.

 

Questions:

<>Is this a typical experience or is it a fluke?

<>Can we get a cab instead (either way) and what would the approx. cost be for the cab?

<>Is the wait time determined by the time of arrival at the lot? (I.E. if we arrive in the morning are we more likely to have a shorter wait that later in the day when more people are arriving?)

<>Can you provide specific names of parking lots that you would recommend based on your experience.

 

Thanks,

-jim

[Seaworthy01]

I have heard that you leave your car keys with the porter at the private lot, don't know how true it is, but Would you trust that? We will be parking in the lot next to the terminal. A lot less stress coming and going.

Edited August 31, 2013 by Seaworthy01

[Mom.to.2]

Head over the East Coast Departures board, there is a thread there about Cape Liberty that has a wealth of information. There are also several frequent posters on that board who can answer your questions in detail.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1693577

[LovesCruising]

We have parked at the pier on at least 4 occasions. Safe and convenient. What you would save by parking off site would probably be lost on a Taxi

[cruzinlady1947]

We parked at premier parking 4 or 5 times and never had any trouble. And we did not have to leave our car keys with them. I am using them again in Dec. and have earned 4 free days of parking. They also have discounts from time to time. And they have a free shuttle to and from the port.

 

Gwen :)

Edited August 31, 2013 by cruzinlady1947

[teddie]

We park at Bayonne with no problem at all and, no, you don't have to leave your keys. Best advice is to arrive on the early side (10:30-11:00 AM) to beat the congestion that builds up. When you first approach the area it seems a bit chaotic, but it all works out.

 

I am on that cruise, too :)

 

Teddie

[Seaworthy01]

We parked at premier parking 4 or 5 times and never had any trouble. And we did not have to leave our car keys with them. I am using them again in Dec. and have earned 4 free days of parking. They also have discounts from time to time. And they have a free shuttle to and from the port.

 

Gwen :)

 

 

I'm glad to hear that the key information was wrong. That is what turned me away. Now I may have to reconsider. How long did you have to wait for the shuttle?

[cruzinlady1947]

I'm glad to hear that the key information was wrong. That is what turned me away. Now I may have to reconsider. How long did you have to wait for the shuttle?

If you get there around 9:30 to 10 am, you should be good. First come, first serve. They take people over and then bring people back. I know the last time (March), they had several vans. In March we didn't even make it to our parking space and they started loading our luggage into the van, then our friend parked the car and we were off. Getting back, we were one of the first off the ship and waited about 5-10 minutes for the shuttle. We are D+, so we get off the ship early. Might make a difference the later you get off the ship. I know a lot of people won't recommend this parking, but, truthfully, we have never had any trouble. They had a rough start when they first opened, but they have gotten better. JMO....don't hold it against me if it doesn't work out for you. I hate to recommend anything to people, because it might turn out bad for them, then I feel bad. :(

 

Anyway, good luck, no matter what you decide.

 

Happy sailing.....

Gwen :)

[Seaworthy01]

If you get there around 9:30 to 10 am, you should be good. First come, first serve. They take people over and then bring people back. I know the last time (March), they had several vans. In March we didn't even make it to our parking space and they started loading our luggage into the van, then our friend parked the car and we were off. Getting back, we were one of the first off the ship and waited about 5-10 minutes for the shuttle. We are D+, so we get off the ship early. Might make a difference the later you get off the ship. I know a lot of people won't recommend this parking, but, truthfully, we have never had any trouble. They had a rough start when they first opened, but they have gotten better. JMO....don't hold it against me if it doesn't work out for you. I hate to recommend anything to people, because it might turn out bad for them, then I feel bad. :(

 

Anyway, good luck, no matter what you decide.

 

Happy sailing.....

Gwen :)

 

 

Where exzctly is this lot?

[njhorseman]

Do as you wish, but I'm reasonably certain the people complaining about Premier Parking weren't making the stories up.

 

At best this seems to be a very sketchy operation. There no way I would park at their lot just to save a few dollars a night. ( And remember...their advertised price doesn't include sales tax, a "processing fee" and "port access fee", so you're not saving as much as their price would lead you to believe. For a one week cruise the bottom line price is about $14 more than the advertised daily rate times 7...so the real daily rate is $2 higher than they advertise it to be.)

[JimInBuffalo]

Head over the East Coast Departures board, there is a thread there about Cape Liberty that has a wealth of information. There are also several frequent posters on that board who can answer your questions in detail.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1693577

 

Thanks for the information. I did review the thread from the previous board. Most of the info is dated however. I would like to hear from some recent experiences.

 

Once again, I appreciate the info from everyone.

 

-Jim

[JimInBuffalo]

After reviewing our options, we decided to drive down the night before the cruise from Buffalo and stay about 1 hour away from the pier.

 

We are then going to arrive at premier parking early so that we can get over to the ship before the rush of others arriving.

 

Please note: I went into the reservation page on Premier Parking's website. I was going to fill in the info and make the reservation online until I saw that they had an option to insert a discount "code". I then called the reservation phone number and asked what the code would be. The operator said that she could not give me the code but that if I made the reservation on the phone with her, she would give me a 10% discount.

 

Our cost for the 11-day cruise for parking including daily parking fees plus tax and other fees, minus the 10% discount is $125.43.

 

When we return, I will let you know what our experience was with this company to hopefully help out future cruisers from this port.

 

-Jim in Buffalo

[gc]

We parked at premier parking 4 or 5 times and never had any trouble. And we did not have to leave our car keys with them. I am using them again in Dec. and have earned 4 free days of parking. They also have discounts from time to time. And they have a free shuttle to and from the port.

 

Gwen :)

 

Hello Gwen

 

How long did you have to wait for their shuttle to bring you back to your vehicle.

 

Thanks

gc

[kassimer1]

I'm glad to hear that the key information was wrong. That is what turned me away. Now I may have to reconsider. How long did you have to wait for the shuttle?

 

we used premier and also didnt have to leave the keys. but we were the ones that had 2 wait 2 hours . apparently they rent the vans on the days the ship is in port.i heard they dont actually own them. so if you were in an accident in the van you might be screwed. dont know ifr this is true. also the lot is not secure because you park behind a storage facility so any one with a key to the storage area can access your car

[138east]

Experience with Premier parking is mixed - either wonderful or horrible.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1579572&page=2

[JimInBuffalo]

we used premier and also didnt have to leave the keys. but we were the ones that had 2 wait 2 hours . apparently they rent the vans on the days the ship is in port.i heard they dont actually own them. so if you were in an accident in the van you might be screwed. dont know ifr this is true. also the lot is not secure because you park behind a storage facility so any one with a key to the storage area can access your car

 

Was the two hour wait on the embarkation or on your return? If it was on the return, I am thinking that if I have to wait and the line is long, I am just going to grab a taxi back to the parking lot. Does that sound like it would work or am I better off waiting at the pier for the next available shuttle?

 

-Jim

[gc]

https://www.google.ca/maps/preview?hl=en#!q=69+New+Hook+Rd+Bayonne%2C+NJ+07002&data=!1m4!1m3!1d3540!2d-74.10102!3d40.6624129!2m1!1e3!4m10!1m9!4m8!1m3!1d474089!2d-79.9331491!3d43.2608104!3m2!1i1920!2i979!4f13.1&fid=7

 

Is it just me or do these parking spots look a little tight??

 

I really would like to try this for a change but I don't want to see damage when we return.

[greatam]

Do what you want but I wouldn't park my car there if YOU paid for my parking.

 

To give you an idea how this REALLY works-there is NO company called PREMIER PARKING that actually owns any lots or vehicles to transport people. It is a BOOKING agency/website that has gone out and found people to set up cruise parking, and "rent" an unused lot. Whoever is managing/running a location rents their vans from the local rental agencies around the airport or from wherever they can get them. The booking agent/website takes a fee and passes the rest on to the one operating the lot. The drivers are whoever signs up to drive during a cruise period. Everyone of those warehouses in that area has signs on bulletin boards posted looking for "part time" drivers. Show up, drive the van. No qualifications, no training.

 

NOW the REAL BIGGIE is who has liability if something happens to you or your car? It would be NO DIFFERENT than you going to the local plumbing store that is closed on the weekend and "renting" their parking lot for your own private event on Saturday. Do you REALLY think the plumbing store is liable if you or one of your guests backs into someone's car? NO And that is the situation here.

 

The lot is sublet on a very temporary basis from possibly the owner but even more likely, the tenant who leases warehouse space on a permanent or semi permanent basis from the owner. Does that tenant even have the authority to rent temporary space for parking? Whose insurance is going to cover an accident on private property or a stolen/vandalized car? These are questions NO ONE can answer.

 

And I GUARANTEE there is no MANDATORY FMCSA liability insurance in the amount of $5,000,000 for passenger transport. The vans are rented from local car rental agencies on a daily basis. NO ONE has produced either authority to act as a passenger transportation agent NOR have they produced an insurance certificate with the mandatory $5,000,000 limit for passenger transport. The rented vans would most likely pass any DOT safety inspection in any state. BUT underneath, the driver's licenses, authority to transport and insurance available are very, very suspect.

 

Do what you want. Just hope it is not your car that gets banged up, stolen, vandalized or the van has an accident and someone is hurt. Then all h*** is going to break loose and you will find out very rapidly that there will be a lot of finger pointing in all directions. JMHO but not a particularly smart way to save a very few dollars, especially the person who stated they would take a taxi back to the lot if the line was long for van transport. You would break even at best IF you could get a taxi in a short period of time. The devil is in the details and the details are NOT forthcoming from this company.

[138east]

Hi Gina. I was wondering if we we going to hear from you on this yet one more more Premier Parking thread. Where in the world are you today?

 

For those of you who are trying to save some money and found Gina's comments disturbing (which IMO you should have), look at Snap Parking in Newark which offers discounted parking and shuttle service to Cape Liberty. This parking service regularly shuttles folks to and from the airport and from the feedback we have received, they run a legitimate insured business. Folks have been very happy with this parking.

[greatam]

Hi Gina. I was wondering if we we going to hear from you on this yet one more more Premier Parking thread. Where in the world are you today?

 

For those of you who are trying to save some money and found Gina's comments disturbing (which IMO you should have), look at Snap Parking in Newark which offers discounted parking and shuttle service to Cape Liberty. This parking service regularly shuttles folks to and from the airport and from the feedback we have received, they run a legitimate insured business. Folks have been very happy with this parking.

 

 

Hi Carol,

 

Am actually back in my office in Az. Just left NYC Monday morning-those early morning (5:25AM) flights are KILLING this old lady.

 

Been to Kuwait, Afghanistan, Alaska, NYC and now back in AZ for a little while (MAYBE for 6 weeks until the fruit starts moving from South America-I need a trip to a peaceful, quiet place now like Chile). The Middle East is quieting down-BUMMER-I LOVED those business class flights where I could sleep all the way, be treated like royalty and rack up mile after mile on the FF plan.

 

As I have posted before, we as a company tried to make this work a few years ago LEGALLY. Rent a lot, rent, lease or buy the vans to transport passengers to and from cruise ships, get the REQUIRED insurance to carry passengers. NO WAY in hell could we make it pencil and we do this stuff for a living. We would have lost our butts.

 

ONE OF THESE DAYS, someone is going to get a car stolen, vandalized ((I am really surprised a truck at the port hasn't sideswiped a car or none have been reported as vandalized) or there is going to be an accident with one the "rental" vans and someone gets hurt. As I posted, the finger pointing will start-you should have done this, you did that, etc. etc. NO WAY in hell is the insurance from the rental agencies, even the BEST coverage they offer, going to cover more than the bare minimum for a COMMERCIAL enterprise. Someone is going to eat a LOT and it won't be PREMIER PARKING (a website/booking service).

 

Some people will do ANYTHING to save $20.00. My Dad always said the cliche-"you get what you pay for". In this case, there is no truer statement. I drove by SNAP parking the other day. Looks like a fine, reputable place-a REAL building, a REAL business. If I was going on a cruise out of Bayonne, the pier parking or SNAP would be the ONLY places I would park. PREMIER-you are REALLY taking your chances for what????-your deductible is a whole lot more than you will ever save (unless you have 0 deductible, which is not widely used). AND NJ is NO FAULT STATE so YOUR insurance will pay and you will suffer in the long run. JMHO

Edited September 25, 2013 by greatam

[JimInBuffalo]

Well, I started this thread and in preparation for the upcoming cruise, I am re-thinking my decision to go with Premier Parking based on the info that the good members at CC have provided.

 

I have made reservations with Snap Parking in Newark.

 

Next question: We can get to Newark early in the morning. Would it be advisable to drive to the port first and unload our bags (we have a lot of stuff / 4 bags) and then go to Snap and park the car OR should we just go to Snap and haul the bags with us on the shuttle.

 

My thinking is that by dropping off the bags first, they can get them to the cabin faster and it will save us having to schlepp (spelling?) on the shuttle.

 

I assume that the pier will let us pull in and drop off the bags with the porters. Is that correct? Also, my DW could stay at the terminal if needed while I go to the parking gargage and take the shuttle back to the pier. No use for both of us to do this.

 

What are the thoughts of the experienced travelers through this port?

 

thanks,

 

-Jim

[WifesChef]

We park at the port.... It is a little more expensive, but when you get off the ship, you tote your bags to your car, get in and you're on your way home.. No double lifting.

 

The last time we arrived back at Port Liberty, we were off the ship at 9:30 and in our car heading home by 9:50.

 

My wife and I have talked about using other lots... but, the convenience of have your car right there, to us is worth the extra.

 

We will be parking there again in a little over two weeks.

[JimInBuffalo]

Well, I started this thread so I wanted to let you know what happened when I got back home from our cruise yesterday.

 

Our experience with PREMIER PARKING was excellent.

The lot is large and fenced-in. It is located behind a large office building.

 

We arrived early on departure day (9:15) and I did have to wait until the previous passengers were brought to their cars and empty out the lot. During that time I observed three vans (not marked) that were used to shuttle pax from the ship. The vans moved quickly and were back to the lot within 10-15 minutes.

 

I parked my car at 10 am and went back to the ship to board. I had dropped off our bags and my DW prior to going to the lot. About the time that we returned, the driver noted that the traffic was picking up in the dock area and that causes delays later in the day. ADVICE: Get off the ship as fast as you can.

 

On our return we did the express de-embarkation and were off the ship at 8:15 am. We were loaded on the van (a brand new Nissan 12 pax) and were back to our car by 8:30 am. The car was in the lot and no damage, etc. Within 10 minutes we were on our way back to Buffalo.

 

I almost cancelled our reservation based on some of the comments in this thread. I am glad that I didn't. Of course, a lot of the transfer issues never came up for us because we arrived early on departure day and we got off the ship very quickly.

 

I can see where being late either way could cause issues beyond anyone's control, especially Premier's.

 

Just my opinion and my experience.

 

Jim

[manovrbrd]

We just used Premier Parking for our Nov. 3 cruise out of Bayonne, and we'll never do that again. We arrived about 10:30 AM on embarkation day and it took 1.5 hours to get a shuttle from the parking lot to the dock. It started raining and the temp was in the 40's. No roof over our heads, and the shuttles were running slowly. They said the port changed something for security reasons and all traffic was running in 1 instead of 2 lanes, hence the delay. Whatever. Thankfully we had umbrellas in the car so we didn't get soaked while we waited. Eventually one of the 3 vans they had managed to get us to the dock.

 

Upon returning from the cruise, the ship had some delay and we weren't able to get off until 11:30 in the morning -- much later than we anticipated. The dock was jammed with traffic and the Premier Vans were running slowly. There were 50-60 people ahead of us in line for the Premier Shuttles. Granted, the traffic wasn't Premier's fault, but they only had 3 vans running that could carry like 6-8 people with luggage. It was taking forever for the line to go down. Finally, after TWO HOURS waiting for a Premier Shuttle, another company came over and said they had 2 twelve passenger shuttle vans and would take us to the Premier lot for $3 per person. HOOORAY!!! TAKE MY MONEY PLEASE!!! Hopped on the 3rd party shuttle and was at my car in 10 minutes. Finally, close to 2:00 PM we were on our way home -- no thanks to Premier. Saving the $70 seemed like a great idea at the time, but now I'd much rather spend the extra money and have 3 more hours of my life back. Getting to the lot early and getting off the ship early would probably have resulted in a much better experience for us using Premier, but as it was, it was a huge waste of our time. Never again.

[JimInBuffalo]

Wow, it is amazing what a difference there can be for two travelers on the same trip.

 

I don't see anything wrong with Premier's physical location or security.

 

The difference in most of the info on this thread seems to come down to the timing of arrival and return.

 

Our driver also noted that the traffic patterns due to security concerns is constricting traffic as the day progresses.

Take-away: get to the parking lot as close to 10 am as possible to avoid incoming traffic tie-ups at the pier.

 

On return, it is imperative to use the express dis-embarkation. You have to get off the ship quickly to avoid the traffic tie-ups after the bulk of pax have exited the ship.

Take-away: If you cannot utilize the express method, use the Pier lot or take a cab to the lot since there will be delays in getting back to Premier. It is not a matter of the number of vans at Premier. The vans can go from the pier to the lot and return in 15 minutes as long as the traffic is not a factor. After the traffic builds, all bets are off.

 

Our experience was excellent and from reading the other positive postings here, it appears that timing is everything.

 

As far as using other satellite parking venues like Snap, I would think that they would have the same issues as Premier when it comes to the traffic. I.E.: even if you have 10 vans going to pick up people at the pier, they can't move the traffic any faster through the tie-ups no matter who you are.

 

The real issue at Bayonne is traffic patterns and control coupled with a shipfull of people all wanting to get out of the pier vacinity all at once.

 

Bottom line: If you want to save money, use the sattelite lots knowing that there is a great potential for delays. Getting off the ship fast will make a big difference.

 

-Jim