Pre Cruise Hotels Newark, New Jersey

[djo53]

We just completed the Summit NE/Canada cruise in late September of this year. Thanks to advice from the people, including 138East who posted here, on the Eastern Departures board, we stayed at the Elizabeth City Country Inn and Suites. It is next door to a Ruby Tuesdays and there are other hotels/places to eat within walking distance. It was just fine, although an older property. However, due to the coming of the Quantum to Bayonne, it is now in renovations, so should be in very nice shape for next fall.

 

Because we did not want to deal with traipsing with luggage across the airport and awaiting a hotel shuttle (one way free) , we made arrangements with Independent Driver at 888-816-0973 (Abdul) to get to the hotel, to ship the next day and to airport after the cruise. Each way was $45. I would do that again for sure. Again he was recommended by 138 East and others on the departure board.

 

So you do have options.

 

This is really helpful. Thank you!

[138east]

It's a 4* hotel in downtown Newark. The quoted rate on Sep 5 is $218 tax included, so paying $266 is not a deal.

 

Sept 5 is in the middle of Labor Day weekend, so hotel prices in this area should be rock bottom - no business travel going on and as I said, Newark is not a vacation destination.

 

If you are committed to taking what Celebrity has to offer, I'd suck it up and stay at the Doubletree. When I stayed there, I really liked the whole layout of the property with the pool in the main lobby surrounded by plants. They are a full service hotel.

 

If you are looking for an interesting area to eat, spend the money and take a cab to the Ironbound District in Newark - http://www.goironbound.com/ibidsite/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=36&Itemid=34

 

If you're looking for more of a pub style, you can walk next door to Teddy's in the Ramada.

[djo53]

No, that's at the train station that goes into New York. I have no idea how "nice" it is. You take a similar air train to get there, I believe it's attached right to the station.

 

Will they still give you free transfers to Bayonne the next day?

 

We didn't get that far but I would hope so. It would need checking if we decide to go that way, but I don't see us paying extra for this hotel unless someone tells us it's great.

[djo53]

It's a 4* hotel in downtown Newark. The quoted rate on Sep 5 is $218 tax included, so paying $266 is not a deal.

 

Sept 5 is in the middle of Labor Day weekend, so hotel prices in this area should be rock bottom - no business travel going on and as I said, Newark is not a vacation destination.

 

If you are committed to taking what Celebrity has to offer, I'd suck it up and stay at the Doubletree. When I stayed there, I really liked the whole layout of the property with the pool in the main lobby surrounded by plants. They are a full service hotel.

 

If you are looking for an interesting area to eat, spend the money and take a cab to the Ironbound District in Newark - http://www.goironbound.com/ibidsite/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=36&Itemid=34

 

If you're looking for more of a pub style, you can walk next door to Teddy's in the Ramada.

 

Is the 4* property you're talking about the Hilton Penn Station?

[138east]

Yes, I was talking about the Newark Hilton Penn Station.

 

If you like the Hilton brand hotels, I'd seriously consider the DoubleTree In Jersey City which is showing for $201 tax included for Sep 5. It would be worth paying the $46 plus tip to get there. There are lots of restaurants within walking distance and the views of NY are spectacular. I think the Westin and/or the Hyatt have bars or restaurants on a high floor for an even better view of Manhattan.

[djo53]

Yes, I was talking about the Newark Hilton Penn Station.

 

If you like the Hilton brand hotels, I'd seriously consider the DoubleTree In Jersey City which is showing for $201 tax included for Sep 5. It would be worth paying the $46 plus tip to get there. There are lots of restaurants within walking distance and the views of NY are spectacular. I think the Westin and/or the Hyatt have bars or restaurants on a high floor for an even better view of Manhattan.

 

Once again, many thanks. You have given me lots of options and plenty of food for thought. Thankfully we have plenty of time to decide what to do.

 

Do you happen to know where Cunard and Princess ships sail from in the New York area? and are there any advantages from a departure port perspective?

[Twickenham]

Do you happen to know where Cunard and Princess ships sail from in the New York area? and are there any advantages from a departure port perspective?

 

Usually both depart from Brooklyn; if both lines have a ship in at the same time, one will usually leave from Manhattan.

The Manhattan departure was by far the most spectacular sailaway I have experienced in 6 cruises.

[138east]

Folks complain about Bayonne - it's definitely not a scenic location. But it is close to Newark airport, there is a ton of transportation in the area, and there is a wide selection of hotels at a reasonable price at the airport, in Secaucus, and in Jersey City. IMO The location of the Brooklyn port is even tougher. Manhattan and many of the Brooklyn hotels are more expensive. The park/sleeps are at LGA and only one hotel offers any kind of port shuttle. LGA has some OK hotels, but generally we don't recommend the JFK hotels at all. The Newark hotels look good by comparison (at least they don't seem to use them for emergency DSS housing like JFK).

[seaworthy1]

Warmwinds had good comments about the Newark airport hotels. You have to understand that Newark is not a vacation destination and the hotels reflect that.

 

I also stayed at this hotel a number of years ago when it was a Sheraton. It was fine for its purpose at that time, but I can certainly understand that it is now more run down if it has not been updated. I know this is no consolation, but there are many less desirable properties at the airport.

 

What is the exact date you would be staying? If you have the opportunity to get rid of this hotel and don't mind spending more money, you might want to look at the hotels in the Jersey City Newport area - Courtyard, Candlewood Suites, Doubletree, Westin, and Hyatt. These hotels can be more expensive, but often have good weekend deals or appear on Hotwire as a 4* Jersey City hotel. It will cost you an extra cab fare of $46 plus tip to get to these hotels, but the area is more upscale with shopping at real stores (Macy's, Penneys, etc) in the Newport Mall and restaurants. It would be a similar cab fare to go to the port, but there is also an easy public transit option from this area.

 

I recently spent three nights at the Courtyard in Jersey City with my family and would recommend it without hesitation. It was across the street from the mall and next door to the Newport Path station for easy quick access to midtown or downtown NYC. We were close to the Hudson River and had a partial view of the Freedom tower (with a parking garage in the foreground). Even if you don't want to go into NYC, you can enjoy the Manhattan skyline from the promenade/boardwalks along the waterfront.

 

Carol,

 

If we were to book one of the Jersey City hotels you mentioned, how would be the best way to get to the port, from the hotel? I see where you said it would be $46 from EWR to the hotel by taxi.

 

Thanks

Edited October 22, 2014 by seaworthy1

[138east]

It should be about the same amount of money. But keep in mind that the fares could vary and you will have to shop around. You should call local cab companies to book a cab and agree on a price.

 

There is also a very easy public transit/cab option from Jersey City if you can roll your luggage a bit. The Hudson-Bergen light rail runs in the street and there are four accessible stations near the Jersey City hotels at Newport, Harsimus Cove, Harborside, and Exchange Place. You take the Bayonne train to 34th St in Bayonne for $2.10/pp. when you get to Bayonne, you call Bayonne taxi and they will swing by to take you into the port for about $10-12.

[skiiergirl]

I apologize if this has already been asked and answered....

 

what is the estimated timing by car service on the following ?

 

1. EWR airport to Elizabeth hotels (Embassy Suite area)

2. EWR airport to Jersey City hotels (Doubletree area)

3. Elizabeth hotels to RC Bayonne pier

4. Jersey City hotels to RC Bayonne pier

 

Thanks so very much for all of the great information!!!!!

[138east]

I apologize if this has already been asked and answered....

 

what is the estimated timing by car service on the following ?

 

1. EWR airport to Elizabeth hotels (Embassy Suite area)

2. EWR airport to Jersey City hotels (Doubletree area)

3. Elizabeth hotels to RC Bayonne pier

4. Jersey City hotels to RC Bayonne pier

 

Thanks so very much for all of the great information!!!!!

 

There can be lots of variables due to time of day, day of the week, and traffic so it's hard to give precise times.

 

1. Very close - I'd take a cab. Low traffic impact. About 10 minutes tops.

2. About 20-30 minutes via turnpike and local streets. I did this recently, but at 6 am on a Saturday, so it was very quick.

3. About 20-30 minutes to the port entrance. Time to the actual pier will depend on whether the new terminal resolves the current traffic backup issues. Potential backup issues between exits 14 and 14A with poor local street options.

4. This will tend to be faster than #3 because you are closer, there are usually no issues on the turnpike between exits 14C and 14A, and there are local street options in case there are problems on the turnpike.

[Glendakayself]

Hello Carol

 

Thanks for getting back to me

 

We will be needing a hotel for the night of September 5/6 2015. According to Celebrity's itinerary we will be arriving at the hotel at 15.00 and departing at 11.00 the next day. Cost is not an issue (within reason) but we would want to have a nice meal on the evening of Sept 5 either in the hotel or somewhere easily accessible close by. We would be able to manage our luggage to the shuttle pick up. What would our options be for getting to Port Liberty the following day?

 

Thanks once again

 

David

 

We would love to have you post and continue this discussion on the roll call for this cruise. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2038808

 

We are on the same cruise and found this post while researching hotels this morning. Thanks for posting. The responses have been very helpful to us as well.

:D Now if we could only decide on flights after the cruise.

[skiiergirl]

There can be lots of variables due to time of day, day of the week, and traffic so it's hard to give precise times.

 

1. Very close - I'd take a cab. Low traffic impact. About 10 minutes tops.

2. About 20-30 minutes via turnpike and local streets. I did this recently, but at 6 am on a Saturday, so it was very quick.

3. About 20-30 minutes to the port entrance. Time to the actual pier will depend on whether the new terminal resolves the current traffic backup issues. Potential backup issues between exits 14 and 14A with poor local street options.

4. This will tend to be faster than #3 because you are closer, there are usually no issues on the turnpike between exits 14C and 14A, and there are local street options in case there are problems on the turnpike.

 

Thanks so much!!!

[138east]

Kay and James,

 

The problem with sailing from Cape Liberty is that there are all sorts of decisions to be made and tons of choices. What I try to do on this board is to get as much specific information about how a poster envisions their pre cruise stay in the area so I can make more customized suggestions to address their expectations. Newark is a highly industrialized urban area and is not a vacation destination - most of us on this forum feel that you should be as selective as possible about where you choose to stay. The cheapest hotels at Newark Airport are just that - cheap hotels.

 

These are some of the things I like to know and why:

 

1). If you're driving, do you want to pay to park at the pier or are you looking for a park/sleep. Reason - precruise hotel rates are cheaper about an hour away and no need to deal with Newark if you're parking at the pier. For a park/sleep you should be selective about where you ditch your car in Newark while you cruise.

2). If you're flying, what airport you are coming into. Reason: it's expensive to get from LGA or JFK to Bayonne plus hotels at those airports are generally not as nice as Newark.

3). Exact dates - Reason: certain hotels are a lot cheaper on weekends. Weekday vs Weekend transportation considerations including closures and construction.

4). Number of people - Reason :rooms are much harder to find for 5 people

5) sightseeing plans in NYC. Reason: Manhattan hotels can be super expensive, but it can be time consuming and costly to get into Manhattan from Newark airport, so you need to seek a balance between time, money and stress.

6). Transportation - Reason: getting to Cape Liberty can be expensive. Cape Liberty is 8-11 miles from the closest hotels. Public transit options are limited. Hotels offering shuttle services are limited and often in fringe areas. Car services are recommended, particularly between NY and NJ because taxi fares are not regulated. The wide variety of services that folks have experienced sailing from Florida ports simply don't exist for Bayonne

7). Budget - Reason: this tends to be the overall deal breaker. Folks need to consider the total cost of precruise hotels, food, transportation, and sightseeing.

[skiiergirl]

There can be lots of variables due to time of day, day of the week, and traffic so it's hard to give precise times.

 

1. Very close - I'd take a cab. Low traffic impact. About 10 minutes tops.

2. About 20-30 minutes via turnpike and local streets. I did this recently, but at 6 am on a Saturday, so it was very quick.

3. About 20-30 minutes to the port entrance. Time to the actual pier will depend on whether the new terminal resolves the current traffic backup issues. Potential backup issues between exits 14 and 14A with poor local street options.

4. This will tend to be faster than #3 because you are closer, there are usually no issues on the turnpike between exits 14C and 14A, and there are local street options in case there are problems on the turnpike.

 

I think I will switch us from ES in Elizabeth to Doubletree in JC. Sounds like a nicer area. We won't get in until late afternoon / early evening on a SAt and will go to the pier on a Sunday morning. Need to be there about 11:00. What time should we request car service to pick us up? Is there a restaurant you would recommend near the Doubletree? Price is no concern but don't want to dress up.

[138east]

Are you going on the Quantum? Nobody knows yet if the traffic congestion will be alleviated by the new terminal, so I'd hold that question right now. It shouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes from your hotel to the port entrance. Please check back after we get feedback on the Quantum.

 

I stayed recently in Jersey City, but didn't eat dinner there. Lots of choices - google jersey city newport restaurants Check out the Westin Hotel as well - I think there is a top floor restaurant with views of Manhattan where you can just go for a drink if you want to eat someplace more interesting than a hotel restaurant.

 

Post Captain has taken some excellent videos of the Newport area in Jersey City.

 

 

PostCaptain

 

Here's a brief video showing a glimpse of of the Westin, which is located right across the street from a pleasant marina. (And there's a fancy restaurant on the marina property.)

 

 

And here's the Hyatt Regency and environs:

 

 

 

Another view of the Hyatt--as seen from the Hudson, starting at about 2:45 into this video:

 

[mjkacmom]

I think I will switch us from ES in Elizabeth to Doubletree in JC. Sounds like a nicer area. We won't get in until late afternoon / early evening on a SAt and will go to the pier on a Sunday morning. Need to be there about 11:00. What time should we request car service to pick us up? Is there a restaurant you would recommend near the Doubletree? Price is no concern but don't want to dress up.

 

I haven't been here since it switched names (and maybe owners), but it was completely flooded by Sandy, rebuilt, and it was really nice, with gorgeous views. The menu looks good.

 

http://www.battellojc.com/#/food

[Glendakayself]

Kay and James,

Carol, Thanks for the gracious and detailed response.

These are some of the things I like to know and why:

 

1). If you're driving, do you want to pay to park at the pier or are you looking for a park/sleep. Reason - precruise hotel rates are cheaper about an hour away and no need to deal with Newark if you're parking at the pier. For a park/sleep you should be selective about where you ditch your car in Newark while you cruise. We are scheduled to fly into EWR at 6 PM on Saturday, 9/5/2015 and cruise out of Bayonne Sunday 9/6/2915,

2). If you're flying, what airport you are coming into. Reason: it's expensive to get from LGA or JFK to Bayonne plus hotels at those airports are generally not as nice as Newark. Newark

3). Exact dates - Reason: certain hotels are a lot cheaper on weekends. Weekday vs Weekend transportation considerations including closures and construction. Arrive pre-cruise 9/05/2015. Depart post-cruise 9/20/2015

4). Number of people - Reason :rooms are much harder to find for 5 people 2

5) sightseeing plans in NYC. Reason: Manhattan hotels can be super expensive, but it can be time consuming and costly to get into Manhattan from Newark airport, so you need to seek a balance between time, money and stress. No sightseeing plans

6). Transportation - Reason: getting to Cape Liberty can be expensive. Cape Liberty is 8-11 miles from the closest hotels. Public transit options are limited. Hotels offering shuttle services are limited and often in fringe areas. Car services are recommended, particularly between NY and NJ because taxi fares are not regulated. The wide variety of services that folks have experienced sailing from Florida ports simply don't exist for Bayonne Having read your and others' posts in the past, we are planning on a car service.

7). Budget - Reason: this tends to be the overall deal breaker. Folks need to consider the total cost of precruise hotels, food, transportation, and sightseeing.

We like to be as econimical as possible, but we want to be safe and comfortable. We will be in the hotel only to rest over night and eliminate the stress of trying to fly in the day of the cruise.

 

That said, we have placed a hold on a 1:40 PM American flight from LGA to DFW the day we disembark in Bayonne. The cruiseline offers the same flight, so I am hoping that it will not be a rush/rush situation. We try to book flights with award miles which gives us fewer choices. Our other choice was a 7:40 PM flight from EWR, but we opted for the 1:40 PM flight to avoid a late arrival to DFW.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Glendakayself

[138east]

You're going to be staying the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend. As the date gets closer, there are likely to be better hotel deals than what's out there now.

 

My advice would be to book a cancellable reservation and monitor prices. Right now on kayak I'm seeing Springhill Suites for $115 plus tax and the Courtyard Elizabeth for $111 plus tax. Springhill offers free breakfast, but has no restaurant, so you have to walk over to the Courtyard or order takeout.

 

The other hotels to look at are Country Inns, Courtyard Elizabeth, Embassy Suites, and Residence Inn - all on Glimcher Realty Way in Elizabeth. These are the hotels next to Jersey Gardens Mall. There is a Ruby Tuesdays and IHOP next to the hotels and an Appleby's and food court at the mall.

 

All the hotels have free shuttles. You have to take your luggage upstairs from baggage claim on elevators or escalators and take the free Airtrain to the P4 station for the shuttle pickup.

[Glendakayself]

Thanks again, Carol, for taking the time to recommend hotels. We really appreciate the information. Great idea to book now and watch for holiday sales.

 

And Bon Voyage on your Explorer cruise! I hope you have a wonderful trip!

[seaworthy1]

You're going to be staying the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend. As the date gets closer, there are likely to be better hotel deals than what's out there now.

 

My advice would be to book a cancellable reservation and monitor prices. Right now on kayak I'm seeing Springhill Suites for $115 plus tax and the Courtyard Elizabeth for $111 plus tax. Springhill offers free breakfast, but has no restaurant, so you have to walk over to the Courtyard or order takeout.

 

The other hotels to look at are Country Inns, Courtyard Elizabeth, Embassy Suites, and Residence Inn - all on Glimcher Realty Way in Elizabeth. These are the hotels next to Jersey Gardens Mall. There is a Ruby Tuesdays and IHOP next to the hotels and an Appleby's and food court at the mall.

 

All the hotels have free shuttles. You have to take your luggage upstairs from baggage claim on elevators or escalators and take the free Airtrain to the P4 station for the shuttle pickup.

 

Carol

 

We will be flying into EWR on Oct 1, 2015 arriving at 2:30 pm. We are sailing on the Celebrity Summit on Oct 4 at 4:00 pm.

 

As you see we will have three nights and two full days pre-cruise. After some research and reading a lot of your (very valuable) posts, we are leaning toward the Courtyard in Jersey City.

 

Taking a taxi from airport to hotel, and a taxi from hotel to Port. Or, would it be better to pre-arrange car service with Independant Driver?

 

Another question, how safe and how much hassle is it to take the PATH into NYC?

 

We will return to Cape Liberty on the 18th, and we are continuing on to San Juan on a 6 day cruise aboard the Summit, do you know what kind of excursion Celebrity offers for that day in Bayonne?

 

Looking for your thoughts and advice....Thanks, Mike & Pam

[138east]

Will answer when I get back from cruising

[chloe kitty]

Kay and James,

 

The problem with sailing from Cape Liberty is that there are all sorts of decisions to be made and tons of choices. What I try to do on this board is to get as much specific information about how a poster envisions their pre cruise stay in the area so I can make more customized suggestions to address their expectations. Newark is a highly industrialized urban area and is not a vacation destination - most of us on this forum feel that you should be as selective as possible about where you choose to stay. The cheapest hotels at Newark Airport are just that - cheap hotels.

 

These are some of the things I like to know and why:

 

1). If you're driving, do you want to pay to park at the pier or are you looking for a park/sleep. Reason - precruise hotel rates are cheaper about an hour away and no need to deal with Newark if you're parking at the pier. For a park/sleep you should be selective about where you ditch your car in Newark while you cruise.

2). If you're flying, what airport you are coming into. Reason: it's expensive to get from LGA or JFK to Bayonne plus hotels at those airports are generally not as nice as Newark.

3). Exact dates - Reason: certain hotels are a lot cheaper on weekends. Weekday vs Weekend transportation considerations including closures and construction.

4). Number of people - Reason :rooms are much harder to find for 5 people

5) sightseeing plans in NYC. Reason: Manhattan hotels can be super expensive, but it can be time consuming and costly to get into Manhattan from Newark airport, so you need to seek a balance between time, money and stress.

6). Transportation - Reason: getting to Cape Liberty can be expensive. Cape Liberty is 8-11 miles from the closest hotels. Public transit options are limited. Hotels offering shuttle services are limited and often in fringe areas. Car services are recommended, particularly between NY and NJ because taxi fares are not regulated. The wide variety of services that folks have experienced sailing from Florida ports simply don't exist for Bayonne

7). Budget - Reason: this tends to be the overall deal breaker. Folks need to consider the total cost of precruise hotels, food, transportation, and sightseeing.

 

All of your information has been very helpful. I hope you can give us some advise.

We will be on the Quantum next May. We plan on coming in 2 days early to go to the new 911 museum. We would like to stay in a safe, but moderately priced area. We prefer newer type hotels, but that is open. We will be flying into EWR, and would prefer staying on the NJ side and just using public transportation into NYC for the day. Any suggestions?? The hotels in the Jersey Garden Mall area look interesting.

Hotels with shuttle service from the airport and/or to the dock would be preferred, but not necessary. It would be great if easy transportation to NYC would be available. Are we asking too much??

 

Thank you

Edited November 11, 2014 by chloe kitty

[njhorseman]

All of your information has been very helpful. I hope you can give us some advise.

We will be on the Quantum next May. We plan on coming in 2 days early to go to the new 911 museum. We would like to stay in a safe, but moderately priced area. We prefer newer type hotels, but that is open. We will be flying into EWR, and would prefer staying on the NJ side and just using public transportation into NYC for the day. Any suggestions?? The hotels in the Jersey Garden Mall area look interesting.

Hotels with shuttle service from the airport and/or to the dock would be preferred, but not necessary. It would be great if easy transportation to NYC would be available. Are we asking too much??

 

Thank you

 

Carol (138east) is cruising at the present time, but let me give you some basic information, without full details, that you can start thinking about.

 

You're going to have to compromise.

 

While virtually all hotels in the Newark Airport/Newark/Elizabeth area provide complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport, none that I'm aware (except for one that I do not recommend) provide complimentary shuttle service to the port.

 

The hotels near the Jersey Gardens Mall are generally good, but they are not an area with convenient transportation to take you into Manhattan to the 9/11 memorial/museum.

 

The hotel in Newark with the most convenient transportation available into downtown Manhattan is the Newark Penn Station Hilton, but while the hotel is OK, it's located in gritty, inner-city Newark.

 

Other hotels with convenient transportation into Manhattan are located in Jersey City. The downside there is that they do not provide courtesy transportation from the airport, so you'll have to shell out about $50 for a taxi from the airport to Jersey City, and about the same from Jersey City to Cape Liberty.

 

So, you're going to have to decide what's most important to you.