Cape Liberty parkers beware!!!

[Jerrudy]

I'm not sure if your problem is exactly the same as mine, we also had this overspray on our pick-up truck in June, we were parked there during our cruise on May 29. The body shop we took our vehicle to used a product called Zebra clay. It looked like silly putty and you take a small piece of it and stick it on and pull it off, it then removes the speckles on the truck leaving the finish untouched. It is very time consuming to do this to the whole vehicle, which then entails a large bill for labor charges.

[car-nuts]

I called RCCL about the parking issues @ the Bayonne docks and was informed that they now provide shuttle service from a number of regional transportation hubs DC, Baltimore, Phila.....

My cost for a "shuttle" from DC and back $0.00.

No tolls, no parking fees, no damaged vehicles, no gas shortages, no road rage, no question..............I'll Ride.

It's free:) :) :)

[dopey1956]

I am also concerned about the parking problem.WE are parking on 9/23 but we have no choice then to drive. so what we are gonna do is go to home depot and buy a plastic tarp for under $10.00 big enough for our car and take bungee cords and tie the tarp down over the car. that will solve that problem and we will have peace of mind on our cruise.

just an idea for anyone who is interested!

[Mark]

You might be better off shopping in an auto store like Pep Boys or Strauss and purchasing a car cover...I don't know what you drive, but it may be hard getting a tarp to conform to the size and shape of your car? My idea was that RCCL should issue car covers for the week...they can put that nice Crown and Anchor logo on them for free advertising.

[rundogrun]

Does anybody have the fax number to send the estimate to? I sent an email to request it, but have not heard back as of yet.

 

Thanks!

[dad son team]

Does anybody have the fax number to send the estimate to? I sent an email to request it, but have not heard back as of yet.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Ken Peterson - Dry Dock Manager - 201-823-9296

Fax 201-823-9298

Gloria is his admin and she was really nice and helpful.

 

Gloria advised that Ken might not be able to get back to me right away as there are alot of claims coming in so I should just go ahead and get 2 estimates and fax them in. If you live local to Bayonne, I guess they are trying to negotiate with someplace to get a group rate. I do not live local so I did not think to get the name.

[DPurcell58]

I spoke to Gloria too, she said Ken P. would call back. Didn't mention anything about estimates, but since I live in Staten Island I think there might be two places they're going to use local to me so I'll wait to hear back from her.

[dad son team]

I spoke to Gloria too, she said Ken P. would call back. Didn't mention anything about estimates, but since I live in Staten Island I think there might be two places they're going to use local to me so I'll wait to hear back from her.

 

Well I just got my first estimate during lunch today and it came in at $2,141 to clean it and replace the weather stripping, and he said that was IF it could be cleaned. Painting would go higher. I asked about something I read on here about using Zabra Clay and he said that it was good for a small area but is very labor intensive to do an entire car.

[JasonH]

My fiancee and I are leaving from Bayonne on Friday. I'm driving my car (a 2005 Scion tC) and I'm very concerned about the paint everybody has been getting on their cars. I only came up with two solutions: 1) Drive my fiancee's car, which would be less confortable and a lot less room for our luggage or 2) Buy a cheap car cover to use at the port.

 

I decided to go with the car cover. Can anybody think of a flaw in this plan? It was only $20 and covers all the paint on my car (leaving only the bottom edge of the wheels exposed, which I'm not too concerned about.) If anybody would like to try the same thing, Pep Boys have car covers on sale right now for $20 for most size cars.

[ladylikes2cruise]

am doing the park/sleep/cruise package at best western by EWR

only $135- up to 10 days parking free-

free shuttle to the port and back (every 1/2 hr.)

overnite accomadations/ night before

free breakfast

slightly more than the $108 parking, but i feel its better than take a chance with possible paint spray upon my return

 

 

have tranfers for the shuttle, but my pick-up time isn't till 12 noon with an arrival time at the port 2ish

 

hope to well be aboard and check in before that( with a coco-loco in my hand)

 

see some of you onboard for the VOS cruise 9/23/05 9 niter:cool:

[MikeKool]

I called Ken's office on Tuesday morning and the woman who answered the phone took down my name and number (sounded like she had done it a thousand times before) and told me Ken would call me back. When I asked if she knew what is was in reference she said "car damage". She said something about overspray on a NAVY ship. I asked if I should go out and get an estimate....she said don't do anything until I hear from Ken. He did not call back Tuesday or Wednesday. I guess I'll call again. I can imagine how many calls he's getting.

Someone in a previous post mentioned something about using a plastic tarp tied with bungee cords. I would only use a lined "car cover". Believe it on not....the rubbing of plastic from the wind can cause damage to the car's paint.

[g0gert]

Thank goodness for CC. We were on the Zenith last week & Sun I decided to wash my "dusty" car. I scrubbed & scrubbed then I realized my car was spray painted all over . My son's brand new Sequoia also had gray spexks all over.

Went to post on the Celebrity board & someone said this thread was up & running and offered the needed info. Thank you, thank you!!

Now the disturbing part. While it is commendable of Ken Peterson to acknowledge fault, he is also renegeing on full reimbursement. This is not acceptable. I took my car to a very reputable auto body shop which right away advised the clay procedure for paint removal. However, they did stress that the paint may not come off some off the molding necessitating replacing the parts. Mr Peterson stated in his letter that they would not replace parts. Whoa! I am not happy with that. My son drove down from Mass. to park in that lot, so he has to go to a local shop in Mass. He is also an attorney so beleive me, we will push to get "full" reimbursement for what it takes to get our cars back to pre Cape Liberty parking. I have also filed a claim with my insurance company who will I'm sure press the issue even stronger for full reimbursement.

Also, the body shop said they could not issue an estimate since removal of the paint is bascially "time & labor". How much time & labor to remove all theat paint? Don't know yet. Has Mr Peterson heard the words 'Class action suit"? Some cars may have only a light spray, some are huge SUV's. Time and labor varies on each vehicle. Wonder if they took all that into consideration.

I'm fuming mostly because this has been going on for some months and yet we weren't warned about parking there.

And that's my $.02 and a rant & rave plus.

Gert

[Mark]

I hope that all of you folks with this problem are sending letters or at least EMails to RCCL along with phone calls. The only way that this problem will be addressed and fixed for future cruisers in Bayonne is for Royal Caribbean to step in and make sure the problem is corrected. Sooner or later the management of the dry dock facility is going to stop returning calls or paying bills and then any of us with this problem will have to go to court in Bayonne to sue the Dry Dock, the Parking Company and the Port of Bayonne which would be a real hassle for most of us.:mad:

 

I live in Brooklyn and the cost of using a taxi to sail out of Bayonne is far more than the parking fee and public transit is not an option. As a result I will have to make the decision about parking in Bayonne and hope the problem is fixed before next summer.

[SantanaTto]

We are leaving out of Bayonne on 10/2... We had planned to drive there and leave our car in the lot. Now I am serioulsy rethinking my travel plans! Since we only live 40 minutes from the port, I might have to use a car service instead. Would be much cheaper in the long run!

 

I do not want to have to deal with what all of you are going through right now!

[dad son team]

Thank goodness for CC. We were on the Zenith last week & Sun I decided to wash my "dusty" car. I scrubbed & scrubbed then I realized my car was spray painted all over . My son's brand new Sequoia also had gray spexks all over.

Went to post on the Celebrity board & someone said this thread was up & running and offered the needed info. Thank you, thank you!!

Now the disturbing part. While it is commendable of Ken Peterson to acknowledge fault, he is also renegeing on full reimbursement. This is not acceptable. I took my car to a very reputable auto body shop which right away advised the clay procedure for paint removal. However, they did stress that the paint may not come off some off the molding necessitating replacing the parts. Mr Peterson stated in his letter that they would not replace parts. Whoa! I am not happy with that. My son drove down from Mass. to park in that lot, so he has to go to a local shop in Mass. He is also an attorney so beleive me, we will push to get "full" reimbursement for what it takes to get our cars back to pre Cape Liberty parking. I have also filed a claim with my insurance company who will I'm sure press the issue even stronger for full reimbursement.

Also, the body shop said they could not issue an estimate since removal of the paint is bascially "time & labor". How much time & labor to remove all theat paint? Don't know yet. Has Mr Peterson heard the words 'Class action suit"? Some cars may have only a light spray, some are huge SUV's. Time and labor varies on each vehicle. Wonder if they took all that into consideration.

I'm fuming mostly because this has been going on for some months and yet we weren't warned about parking there.

And that's my $.02 and a rant & rave plus.

Gert

 

I too am concerned about the wording in his letter. When I took my car for an estimate yesterday, the guy said that the headlights and rubberstripping around the doors need to be replaced. this alone is running $700 od my $2,141 estimate. I hope he is prepared for a fight because he has alot of ticked off NY'ers on his hands.

[TonyaJune]

We are leaving on Sept. 23, and we were planning on driving our car to the port, but now I'm not sure what to do. Does RCCL list the shuttle departure pickups on their website, and also is there a place to leave your car and the pickup locations?

[ck53]

Hi All!

 

We also were on 8/26 VOS and came home to a car full of speckled paint. Our car is a Tahoe and has metallic paint finish.The right side (passenger) of the truck is heavily covered, more so then the left. The way it was explained to me (from 2 Detailers & 2 Auto Body shops) is that the only way is to get the car restored would be to repaint the whole car.You can't compound one side & paint the other. The one side definately needs more work. This is very expensive($3700 lowest bid) and could take up to 10 days. I will need a rental car!

 

I spoke w/ Gloria on Wednesday and I am wondering how Ken Peterson's response time is? Has anyone been called back?

 

My other gripe is that I do live in Jersey so if I were to take my car back to Bayonne to be painted, I would have to find someone to give me a ride them and back up again when finished.I know it is a minor point, it is just the aggravation. I not even sure how trustworthy the places Mr. Peterson mentioned are. Has anyone used them or heard about them?

 

Thanks!

[cruisinfanatic]

I have a feeling that they will take an average of the estimates and cut checks for that amount.

Don't think so. People with low estimates would end up getting more than asked for.

[oakbluffscontracting]

Just to let everyone know, I was in touch with NJ Consumers Affairs, and they are very interested in this case. The woman handling this case said Royal Caribbean is negligent in that they knew about this problem and did not take action. When I have more information, I will notify all on this board.

 

Ina

[imsulin2]

Wow! After reading this thread, I guess I'm glad that all I ever get is bird poop (and LOTS of it!) on my car after leaving it at the motel I always stay at in Atlanta the night before my flight to my cruise embarkation city! I'm tellin' ya...nothing like pounds of bird poop all over your car after sitting under trees for 7-10 days! (I use this motel because they have a shuttle service to the airport, and free parking). Try finding a car wash in that area that's open on a Sunday morning before you drive home! It's also a lot of fun to make that hour and a half drive home in the rain!!

[Leona1]

We are leaving on Sept. 23, and we were planning on driving our car to the port, but now I'm not sure what to do. Does RCCL list the shuttle departure pickups on their website, and also is there a place to leave your car and the pickup locations?

 

Call your TA,she or he can give you the bus information. The closest stop for you would be either Wilmington or Westhmpton (near Exit 5 of NJ Tpk)

[MikeKool]

I think Mark might be right. Three days now and this "Ken" has not returned my call. It's not right they make me "sit around" with my damaged car waiting for a phone call. (Ken's assistant told me to wait until he calls) Anyone who has to park at Bayonne......I'd suggest a "car cover". Had I known I would have bought one. My car is a 1997 Avalon...but it had no damage and was always garaged. I was planning on selling the Avalon soon....so this is delaying my plans for another car. I'm just glad I saw a nail in the tire of our other car after I started loading the luggage. I would have been really mad if I found this grey paint on our red car. The Avalon looks fine (it's champagne colored) but feels like sandpaper. So I'll be back on the phone today.

[TonyaJune]

Call your TA,she or he can give you the bus information. The closest stop for you would be either Wilmington or Westhmpton (near Exit 5 of NJ Tpk)

 

 

Thanks Leona1 for your help. I think we are going to look into purchasing a cover for our car because this will make it so much easier than taking the shuttle.

[g0gert]

A very bad situation that left a lot of people unawares.

Ina: Which Comsumer affairs dept did you call, local or state? I would like to do the same. Also, I have notified NJ12News. Will be calling Celebrity cruiselines also (I was on the Zenith 8/27)

The following is letter I am sending to Mr Peterson (whom I have not yet heard from):

 

Kenneth Peterson, Safety Director

Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair Corp

 

Dear Mr. Peterson:

 

 

My car was one of the many cars in the Cape Liberty parking lot the week of 8/27-9/3/05.Also my son, who drove down from Massachusetts, parked his SUV next to me. Both vehicles were totally covered with a grey spray paint.

 

 

I have read the your letter of apology posted on the Cruise Critic web site. While it is commendable of you and your corporation to take responsibility for this fiasco, I am not very happy with your resolution.

 

 

I own an Oldsmobile Intrigue, my son has a Sequoia SUV. Both vehicles will need extensive cleaning for the paint removal. My local (and very reputable body shop) could not issue me an estimate because paint removal involves time & labor. These are unknown factors at this point. I might also like to point out that the time/labor factors will vary considerably between my midsize car & my son’s huge SUV.

 

To further this dilemma, the body shop advised me that some parts may have to be replaced because the paint may not come off the rubber molding, gaskets and window stripping. This will necessitate parts replacement. In your letter you stated that your corporation would only reimburse for the cleaning and not any parts. This is not acceptable nor reasonable. You should be held responsible to get our cars back to pre-parking lot condition.

 

 

I parked in the Cape Liberty lot on 8/27/05 with a green car and returned on 9/3/05 to a grey car. Since my return, I have also learned that this is not the first incidence of this kind. It has been happening since last year.

 

 

I would like to have my car restored to its “pre-parking lot” condition. Your organization is not even taking into consideration our personal inconveniences as a result of this mishap. We are losing the use of our cars for 1-2 days and some may have to shell out $$$$ for car rentals.

 

 

Though you and Bayonne Dry Dock have acknowledged culpability for this situation, you have not offered full reimbursement nor have you taken in the aggravation factor forced on us.

 

 

I have put a claim in to my insurance company (I’m out the deductible). I have notified Celebrity Cruise Lines, NJ Dept of Consumer Affairs and NJ12 News.

 

 

Hoping you can resolve this in a more amicable way.

[waverunner]

Based on RCCL and Central Parking's non-recognition of this ongoing problem and Ken Peterson's lack of respone, I think it behooves us to band together and get an attorney involved on behalf of all fo us. If anyone is interested or if any of you are or have an attorney that wants to represent the group, please advise. RCCL, Central Parking and Bayonne Dry Dock all have culpability.