Pre Cruise Hotels Newark, New Jersey

[chloe kitty]

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.

Thank you. I thought that might be the case, but I don't know the area. Some people have mentioned Staten Island. Would that be better for us?

 

Thanks again

[njhorseman]

Thank you. I thought that might be the case, but I don't know the area. Some people have mentioned Staten Island. Would that be better for us?

 

Thanks again

 

Staying in Staten Island would also present some travel inconvenience for getting to the 9/11 memorial. It would require either a hotel shuttle (if available) or a taxi ride to get to the ferry terminal in Staten Island. You can then take the (free) ferry ride to Manhattan. If you're fit you can walk from the ferry terminal in Manhattan to the site, or take a short subway ride.

[GW248]

Carol or njhorseman - would you recommend a car service from ERW Marriot or just a taxi? Date would be this coming Tuesday 11/18.

[njhorseman]

Carol or njhorseman - would you recommend a car service from ERW Marriot or just a taxi? Date would be this coming Tuesday 11/18.

 

A taxi should be OK.

[138east]

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

 

Taxi from the airport should be about $46 plus tip and tolls, if any. I'd prearrange a car service to the port - look at Dial7 or Carmellimo or call the hotel and ask who they recommend.

 

Path runs 7x24 and is safe. Weekdays it's about 15 minutes to 33rd& 6th and about 7 minutes to World Trade. On weekends the midtown train goes via Hoboken which adds 5 minutes. http://www.panynj.gov/path/. Effectively it's about the same amount of time as staying in a lower Manhattan hotel.

 

I've never heard of excursions being offered on turnaround days. One option would be to take a cab to Liberty State Park and the ferry out to Ellis Island and/or the Statue of Liberty. You would have to book a cab to pick you up on return.

[138east]

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

 

I'd look at the Jersey City hotels which you can book now that are cancellable. For your dates Candlewood Suites is showing at $149 plus tax, the Doubletree at $179 plus tax, and the Courtyard at $229 plus tax. All are located within walking distance of a Path station and are minutes from the World Trade Center area. You will spend $46 plus tip and tolls (if any) to get to these hotels and will pay a similar amount for a car service to Cape Liberty. However, instead of paying $11-12.50/ pp each way to NYC, you will pay $2.65/pp on Path. Overall it may cost a little more, but your travel time and stress level will be much less. The World Trade Center is a 7 minute ride from the Newport Path Station and you will be in a nice upscale urban area on the Hudson River Waterfront with restaurants and services. If you can roll your luggage, there is also a public transit light rail option close to these hotels to get to Bayonne for $2.10 plus a local cab into the port for $10-12.

 

http://www.panynj.gov/path/

[chloe kitty]

I'd look at the Jersey City hotels which you can book now that are cancellable. For your dates Candlewood Suites is showing at $149 plus tax, the Doubletree at $179 plus tax, and the Courtyard at $229 plus tax. All are located within walking distance of a Path station and are minutes from the World Trade Center area. You will spend $46 plus tip and tolls (if any) to get to these hotels and will pay a similar amount for a car service to Cape Liberty. However, instead of paying $11-12.50/ pp each way to NYC, you will pay $2.65/pp on Path. Overall it may cost a little more, but your travel time and stress level will be much less. The World Trade Center is a 7 minute ride from the Newport Path Station and you will be in a nice upscale urban area on the Hudson River Waterfront with restaurants and services. If you can roll your luggage, there is also a public transit light rail option close to these hotels to get to Bayonne for $2.10 plus a local cab into the port for $10-12.

 

http://www.panynj.gov/path/

 

Thank you, Carol. Appreciate all the info. Hope you enjoyed your cruise.

We can easily wheel our luggage, but is there any limit as we will probably have 3 or 4 pieces, including our carry on bags. Is there anything similar to that to go from Newark to Jersey City? Just out of curiosity, what do you think of the Spring Hill Suites at Newark?

 

Thank you!

Edited November 16, 2014 by chloe kitty

[138east]

The repo cruise was wonderful despite the ship getting hit by a rogue wave the first night.

 

You can take public transit to Jersey City by going on the Airtrain to the Newark Airport train station and taking NJ Transit one stop to Newark Penn Station for a hefty $8.25 and then crossing the platform to Path and paying $2.65 to go to Exchange Place. Luggage should not be a problem since you're getting on at the first stop. IMO this is not much worse than taking Airtrain to P4 and getting your luggage outside to find a hotel shuttle - it just takes more time.

 

If you're serious about doing this, post back for more details about exactly how to get to your particular hotel. The Courtyard is literally next door to the Newport Station, so coming from Newark Penn Station you have to transfer to the 33rd St train across the platform at Journal Square. Candlewood Suites is in the middle between Newport and Exchange Place, but for $2.10 you can take the surface light rail from Exchange Place to across the street from that hotel. I'd have to check the Doubletree - I believe it is between the Candlewood and the Courtyard and I'm not sure if the Newport Path Station or the light rail is closer.

 

All this stuff is accessible. The light rail runs in the middle of the street and the platforms are raised about 18 inches with ramps so that your access to the "tram" is level.

 

[chloe kitty]

The repo cruise was wonderful despite the ship getting hit by a rogue wave the first night.

 

You can take public transit to Jersey City by going on the Airtrain to the Newark Airport train station and taking NJ Transit one stop to Newark Penn Station for a hefty $8.25 and then crossing the platform to Path and paying $2.65 to go to Exchange Place. Luggage should not be a problem since you're getting on at the first stop. IMO this is not much worse than taking Airtrain to P4 and getting your luggage outside to find a hotel shuttle - it just takes more time.

 

If you're serious about doing this, post back for more details about exactly how to get to your particular hotel. The Courtyard is literally next door to the Newport Station, so coming from Newark Penn Station you have to transfer to the 33rd St train across the platform at Journal Square. Candlewood Suites is in the middle between Newport and Exchange Place, but for $2.10 you can take the surface light rail from Exchange Place to across the street from that hotel. I'd have to check the Doubletree - I believe it is between the Candlewood and the Courtyard and I'm not sure if the Newport Path Station or the light rail is closer.

 

All this stuff is accessible. The light rail runs in the middle of the street and the platforms are raised about 18 inches with ramps so that your access to the "tram" is level.

 

 

Hi Carol,

Glad you had a good time, but a rogue wave, WOW. I hope nobody was injured when it hit.

We still haven't decided what we are going to do. If we stay near Newark Airport at the Springhill Suites, is there still light rail to Bayone? Would it be difficult to go into NYC, 9/11 Museum? We are still weighing our options. My mother was from Jersey City, 80 years ago, so I wouldn't mind seeing the city.

Thank you.

Edited November 17, 2014 by chloe kitty

[chloe kitty]

Hi Carol,

I'll start by saying that I don't know the area at all. I looked at the light rail maps, and came up with this possible route. Please tell me if it possible, and safe. This is assuming that we stay near Newark airport.

Take the train from EWR to Penn Station. Transfer to Path and possibly transfer again to go to 45th Ave (if that is the correct station). Then take a cab to Cape Liberty. We are both in our early to mid 60's, so I guess senior rates apply.

If we stay in Elizabeth, I guess the train route would be somewhat similar but excluding the EWR portion.

Thanks again.

Edited November 17, 2014 by chloe kitty

[chloe kitty]

Hi Carol,

I don't want to be a pest, but I noticed that some of the Path trains don't operate to some stations on Sat and Sun. We will be going to the ship on a Sat. Does that now make a difference?

 

Thanks again

[138east]

Hi Carol,

Glad you had a good time, but a rogue wave, WOW. I hope nobody was injured when it hit.

We still haven't decided what we are going to do. If we stay near Newark Airport at the Springhill Suites, is there still light rail to Bayone? Would it be difficult to go into NYC, 9/11 Museum? We are still weighing our options. My mother was from Jersey City, 80 years ago, so I wouldn't mind seeing the city.

Thank you.

 

If I don't cover all your questions, please ask.

 

Path between Exchange Place and World Trade is currently under construction on weekends. This work is scheduled to be completed by Feb if not sooner, so there should be weekend Path Service in May.

 

Candlewood Suites is competitively priced to Springhill Suites. Springhill Suites is a popular hotel at the airport, but it is in an isolated enclave with the Newark Courtyard and Fairfield Inn. It offers breakfast, but has no other food service. You must order take out or walk over to the Courtyard for a restaurant. There is absolutely no place to walk from this hotel other than the neighboring hotels. The Jersey Gardens Mall area offers some outlet shopping and limited restaurants, but no other services like a drug store, liquor store, or grocery.

 

It's a schlep from any airport hotel to NYC by public transit - hotel to the P4 Airtrain station, Airtrain to the Airport train station, train to Newark, and Path to NYC. Figure at least an hour. Add another half hour to go to the 34th St. Station in Bayonne, which is the Cruiseport station.

 

My thinking is that given what you want to do, Jersey City is competitive price wise (even the Doubletree) and you only have to do the trip once with luggage through the airport. Look on YouTube for videos of the Newport area and the named hotels in Jersey City and you will get a feel for the area with its hotels, office buildings, shopping (Newport Mall), restaurants, apartments, waterfront boardwalk, and views of Manhattan. I felt very safe in this area. My company has a big office there and my coworkers like the area and also feel very safe.

 

You don't get a lot of breaks on the transportation being seniors. There is a surcharge on trips from the EWR train station, so the fare one stop to Newark Penn Station is $6.75. Path is still $2.65 unless you apply for a senior card, which takes about 2-3 months to get. The light rail is the only deal at $1.05, which means you can splurge and take it one or two stops in Jersey City if you like. So going from the airport to World Trade is going to cost each of you $9.40 each way.

[Rocketlady]

can anyone tell me if they have stayed at the Embassy Suites at the Newark

Airport? It is a new hotel. My concern is Newark was named the 2ed to the

top murder capital in the U.S. Detroit got the honor for first.

 

Guess we only will stay in our hotel once we get there and not venture out.

Being it is in Jan. it probably will be too cold any way.

[138east]

We always urge folks to be selective about hotels at the airport. No one has recently reported any serious issues - most of the airport hotels are relatively isolated and have folks coming and going 7x24. Embassy Suites is the newest hotel in the nicest airport area next to Jersey Gardens Mall. It does offer free breakfast, but it has no restaurant so you have to order takeout or walk to the Courtyard next door or a little further to Ruby Tuesdays or IHOP. Jersey Gardens Mall has an Appleby's and a food court.

 

If you really want to stay in the hotel and have full food service, I would look at the Elizabeth Courtyard.

[chloe kitty]

Carol,

Thank you for all your info. We will talk it over and decide within the next few weeks. We aren't too concerned about a restaurant for dinner, as we arrive late the first night, and the second night we will probably have dinner in a deli in NYC before coming back to the hotel. We love the deli's in NYC. Would you suggest one in particular?

We are slightly concerned about it being a schlep, so we will have to see.

 

Thanks again.

Edited November 19, 2014 by chloe kitty

[138east]

Schlep is a good word. IMO it is a schlep from EWR into Manhattan - at least an hour by the time you do all the legs of the trip and wait for connections.

 

My husband and I lived in Jersey City for 5 years a long time ago and found it super convenient for running in and out of NYC on PATH. Recently our whole family stayed for a weekend at the Courtyard to attend wedding festivities in NYC. I met folks in the hotel who were basically going into the city during the day, coming back for a pit stop at the hotel in the late afternoon, and then popping back into the city again for the evening. That is much less of an option if you are staying at EWR.

 

Personally I like Katz's on the Lower East Side. It's not cheap, but to me it's a real deli.

[chloe kitty]

Schlep is a good word. IMO it is a schlep from EWR into Manhattan - at least an hour by the time you do all the legs of the trip and wait for connections.

 

My husband and I lived in Jersey City for 5 years a long time ago and found it super convenient for running in and out of NYC on PATH. Recently our whole family stayed for a weekend at the Courtyard to attend wedding festivities in NYC. I met folks in the hotel who were basically going into the city during the day, coming back for a pit stop at the hotel in the late afternoon, and then popping back into the city again for the evening. That is much less of an option if you are staying at EWR.

 

Personally I like Katz's on the Lower East Side. It's not cheap, but to me it's a real deli.

Thanks Carol,

We will take everything you said into consideration and then make a decision. Thanks for the deli recommendation.

[Langley Cruisers]

Adding to this thread, our recent stay was at the aforementioned Country Inns and Suites (October 30-31, 2014). It was absolutely fine for what we needed. They are currently undergoing renovations so I expect it will look wonderful after that's completed.

 

A tip if you stay there - our advice for transportation to the pier in the morning is to have the front desk staff call a car service for you the day or two before. Oh my goodness, we are still shaking our heads and high-fiving at one of the best decisions we made on our trip! :D The morning of embarkation, the lobby was filled to capacity with guests waiting for their shuttle buses. I mean, we couldn't even move. Our driver showed up in a beautiful, clean black sedan (he was early, can you believe it?), loaded our bags into the trunk, and drove away, much to the chagrin of those waiting, I'm sure. So stress-free. It was great.

 

My concern is Newark was named the 2ed to the top murder capital in the U.S. Detroit got the honor for first. Guess we only will stay in our hotel once we get there and not venture out. Being it is in Jan. it probably will be too cold any way.

 

Well, I don't want to minimize your concerns, but we have never had any problems there. We have stayed at airport hotels three times now with no incidents. This last time, I worked out in the gym at my hotel in the morning and then continued walking outside for half an hour. No one bothered me. Obviously, we keep our wits about us, walk fast and with purpose, and do not go out after dark. Try not to concentrate on the negatives.

 

.

[Desert Cruizers]

Carol, thank you, you just answered my question regarding how to get over to the Hotel Shuttle location via the Air Train and Luggage area.:). We have our Reservations in Newark already. Booked our flights this evening on United for Oct 16th.

 

Gay

[Glendakayself]

Adding to this thread, our recent stay was at the aforementioned Country Inns and Suites (October 30-31, 2014). It was absolutely fine for what we needed. They are currently undergoing renovations so I expect it will look wonderful after that's completed.

 

A tip if you stay there - our advice for transportation to the pier in the morning is to have the front desk staff call a car service for you the day or two before. Oh my goodness, we are still shaking our heads and high-fiving at one of the best decisions we made on our trip! :D The morning of embarkation, the lobby was filled to capacity with guests waiting for their shuttle buses. I mean, we couldn't even move. Our driver showed up in a beautiful, clean black sedan (he was early, can you believe it?), loaded our bags into the trunk, and drove away, much to the chagrin of those waiting, I'm sure. So stress-free. It was great.

 

.

 

Thanks for posting. We have a reservation with Country Inn for next September for one night pre-cruise. I was going to call and ask if we could reserve and pay for their shuttle one way, but your post has convinced me to reserve a car service before we go. Thanks again.

[Langley Cruisers]

...but your post has convinced me to reserve a car service before we go. Thanks again.

 

Sounds good. We had planned with him for 10:15 am, but our driver showed up at 9:50, we paid the hotel bill, loaded up, and left. We were well on our way to the port just after 10 am. Awesomeness. :D

[Desert Cruizers]

We are presently booked at the Hampton Suites next to the Renaissance and 5 min or less from the Airport, if our friends decide to fly direct to Quebec would you recommend we change hotels. We plan on going into NYC the following morning, Oct 17th, 2015 to visit the 9/11 Museum and Memorial as well as see other points of interest before flying to Quebec on the 18th.

[138east]

If I recall correctly, you spent a lot of time and effort selecting the Hampton Inn which is connected to the Renaissance. What are you paying for the room?

[Desert Cruizers]

Carol, for the 3 of us, for two nights, $304.44, Oct 16th departing the 18th. Have flights to Quebec booked also. ( $129 /night + $46.44 TX ) We will now use the path to go in.

 

Gay

Edited November 22, 2014 by Desert Cruizers

[138east]

That's a good price and you can get queen beds. No reason to change.

 

The only thing I would consider doing to make the trip easier is for the three of you to take a cab to and from Newark Penn Station. The cost will be very competitive with the $8.25/pp you would pay to take the train one stop from the EWR train station to Newark Penn Station. You would cut out having to get on the hotel shuttle to P4, riding the Airtrain to the train station, and making a connection to ride one stop to Newark Penn Station.