Need help for a September Cruise

[Keksie]

I am not familiar with this area at all so I need a little help.

 

My husband and I are cruising out of Cape Liberty on Sept. 8. We would like to come in on the 5th and look around New York for 2 days. We do not want to rent a car.

 

1. Where should we fly into from Texas? Newark or a New York airport?

2. Where should we stay? Jersey City, New York? I am thinking around a 200 a night rate if possible.

3. I know we want to go to Ellis Island, Statute of Liberty. How to get there, and what else to see?

4. How to get to the port the day of our cruise. We will have luggage.

 

Thank you for any help you can give. I am reading all the other threads but feel a bit confused.

[138east]

I am not familiar with this area at all so I need a little help.

 

My husband and I are cruising out of Cape Liberty on Sept. 8. We would like to come in on the 5th and look around New York for 2 days. We do not want to rent a car.

 

1. Where should we fly into from Texas? Newark or a New York airport?

2. Where should we stay? Jersey City, New York? I am thinking around a 200 a night rate if possible.

3. I know we want to go to Ellis Island, Statute of Liberty. How to get there, and what else to see?

4. How to get to the port the day of our cruise. We will have luggage.

 

Thank you for any help you can give. I am reading all the other threads but feel a bit confused.

 

1) Fly into Newark

2) $200 is a tight budget for weekday nights. Doubletree in Jersey City is $189 plus tax - less with AAA discount - also cancellable. About $60 to get to the hotel.

3). You can take a quick ride on PATH to World Trade Center to get to Battery Park for the SOL ferry. Uptown service is also available. http://www.panynj.gov/path/maps-schedules.html

4). Taxi, Car Service, or accessible surface public transit via the light rail plus cab from the Doubletree.

 

I can provide more details as you focus your plans.

[Keksie]

Thank you for the information. The Doubletree sounds like it will work (like their hotels) but if needed we can go over 200 a night. I will work on figuring out what else we want to do while in New York. It seems that with PATH it is easy to get to the World Trade Center area.

[MarlboroBell]

I am not familiar with this area at all so I need a little help.

 

My husband and I are cruising out of Cape Liberty on Sept. 8. We would like to come in on the 5th and look around New York for 2 days. We do not want to rent a car.

 

1. Where should we fly into from Texas? Newark or a New York airport?

2. Where should we stay? Jersey City, New York? I am thinking around a 200 a night rate if possible.

3. I know we want to go to Ellis Island, Statute of Liberty. How to get there, and what else to see?

4. How to get to the port the day of our cruise. We will have luggage.

 

Thank you for any help you can give. I am reading all the other threads but feel a bit confused.

 

1. Newark is a better decision in general. For sure you want to leave from Newark after the cruise.

 

2. Jersey City is a perfect location for this. Carol's suggestion of the Doubletree is very good; we've stayed at the Candlewood a couple of times, which is also good. September tends to be high season in NYC, so hotel rooms can be pretty expensive.

 

3. You can take the PATH to the WTC, but there's a potentially easier way. A quick cab/Uber will get you to Liberty State Park, where the lines to get on a ferry to the Statue of Liberty are way shorter. You can explore the Statue and Ellis Island at your pleasure, and then you can either return to NJ or continue to Manhattan at your option. (You can return from Manhattan by PATH. Don't try to take a cab across the Hudson, it's insanely expensive.) The 9/11 memorial is well worth a visit; it's unbelievably moving. The most harrowing part is inside a separate soundproof set of rooms within the museum, and it's your choice as to whether to visit it, but I would recommend it.

 

4. From Jersey City, you can take a cab or Uber directly to the port, or if you want to save a bit of money you can take the light rail (which is different from the PATH and is at ground level!) to 34th Street in Bayonne, and call a local cab to get you into the port there. Either works.

Edited December 16, 2015 by MarlboroBell

[138east]

Thank you for the information. The Doubletree sounds like it will work (like their hotels) but if needed we can go over 200 a night. I will work on figuring out what else we want to do while in New York. It seems that with PATH it is easy to get to the World Trade Center area.

 

If you're at all interested in the Doubletree, book it now since it's cancellable.

 

Taxi or Uber to Liberty State Park works fine too, but is more than the $2.75/pp PATH fare.

 

Light Rail to Bayonne is $2.10/pp plus a $10-12 cab fare. Cab/car service to Bayonne will be $55-65 from Jersey City to Bayonne.

 

PATH will also take you to midtown at 34th & 6th Herald Square/Macy's with stops along 6th Ave in Greewich Village.

 

Bayonne City Yellow Cab

201-339-5000

 

Archie’s Cab & Van Service

201-858-8800

 

Campbell Taxi

201-339-8300

[Keksie]

Wow. Thank you for all the information it is really helping me get an idea of what to do and how to do it.

I think the first day we will go to the SOL via Liberty State Park, return via the ferry to Battery Park and see the 9/11 Memorial. We will return via PATH to Newark.

 

The second day take PATH to Journal Square and transfer to the one that goes to 33rd street. We would visit the Empire State Building, Times Square and Central Park.

 

Is there time the first day to do more in the World Trade Center area?

 

Is there more we should see the second day?

[138east]

Wow. Thank you for all the information it is really helping me get an idea of what to do and how to do it.

I think the first day we will go to the SOL via Liberty State Park, return via the ferry to Battery Park and see the 9/11 Memorial. We will return via PATH to Newark.

 

The second day take PATH to Journal Square and transfer to the one that goes to 33rd street. We would visit the Empire State Building, Times Square and Central Park.

 

Is there time the first day to do more in the World Trade Center area?

 

Is there more we should see the second day?

 

If you stay at the Doubletree, you will be staying in Jersey City, not Newark. Be sure to book the Jersey City Doubletree, not the Newark Airport Doubletree. You will have to pay for a taxi from Newark Airport to Jersey City, but it is well worth it for a 3 day stay. The closest PATH station is Newport/Pavonia, which has service to both midtown AND downtown on weekdays. You will have quick access to Manhattan for $2.75/pp.

 

If you were to stay at the airport, it would take you at least an hour each way to go into NYC and would cost $13/pp each way by NJ Transit train to midtown or $11.25/pp each way by NJ Transit and PATH to downtown NYC. That's an extra $40/day for two people plus a lot of travel/transfer time. IMO the Newport area of Jersey City is much much nicer than any airport hotel area. You will have access to nice restaurants, services, and shopping plus a spectacular view of NY from the boardwalk on the Hudson.

[Keksie]

Thank you. I will make sure to book the Jersey City Doubletree. Do you know about how long it takes to get to the port from there?

[MarlboroBell]

Thank you. I will make sure to book the Jersey City Doubletree. Do you know about how long it takes to get to the port from there?

 

About 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic. It's about eight and a half miles.

[TruckerDave]

What airline do you plan on flying? To just say Newark could cost them more and leave them with less choices and desirable flight times.

[Keksie]

I am not sure yet. I still have to get my flights. Whatever works out at a good fare for a good schedule. Last time I looked United had both.

[138east]

I am not sure yet. I still have to get my flights. Whatever works out at a good fare for a good schedule. Last time I looked United had both.

 

For what you want to do, Newark is the best choice. Getting from LGA or JFK to NJ will add a lot of cost and time to your trip. Before you fly to another airport, check back for the estimated price for a car service, which is the only way to go between the NY airports and NJ unless you opt for the public transit adventure.

[RSLeesburg]

For what you want to do, Newark is the best choice. Getting from LGA or JFK to NJ will add a lot of cost and time to your trip. Before you fly to another airport, check back for the estimated price for a car service, which is the only way to go between the NY airports and NJ unless you opt for the public transit adventure.

 

 

^THIS. I had a business trip up to the area, and booked hotel at Jersey City Doubletree - great hotel and great location! But I booked my flights into LGA because it was much cheaper flight. First, had a very difficult time finding a shuttle that would go to Jersey City. And second, when I did, the driver refused to stop in Jersey City - he took me to Newark Airport and told me to take a cab. I spoke to the shuttle company desk in EWR, and he said even though I had a ticket to Jersey City, they would not honor it, so I ended up taking a cab to get to my hotel - it was almost $140 total to get to my hotel. Third, when I had to leave, I booked a private car to drive me back to LGA, and was scared that I would not make it because of all the traffic you need to get through to get to airport. If you are sailing out of Bayonne, book your flights through to EWR and save yourself a lot of hassle.

[138east]

^THIS. I had a business trip up to the area, and booked hotel at Jersey City Doubletree - great hotel and great location! But I booked my flights into LGA because it was much cheaper flight. First, had a very difficult time finding a shuttle that would go to Jersey City. And second, when I did, the driver refused to stop in Jersey City - he took me to Newark Airport and told me to take a cab. I spoke to the shuttle company desk in EWR, and he said even though I had a ticket to Jersey City, they would not honor it, so I ended up taking a cab to get to my hotel - it was almost $140 total to get to my hotel. Third, when I had to leave, I booked a private car to drive me back to LGA, and was scared that I would not make it because of all the traffic you need to get through to get to airport. If you are sailing out of Bayonne, book your flights through to EWR and save yourself a lot of hassle.

 

Sorry you had such a bad experience, but thanks for sharing it with us for others to read. We've had more than one person post on this forum who booked JFK or LGA flights for Cape Liberty and then went into sticker shock at the transfer cost.

[RSLeesburg]

Sorry you had such a bad experience, but thanks for sharing it with us for others to read. We've had more than one person post on this forum who booked JFK or LGA flights for Cape Liberty and then went into sticker shock at the transfer cost.

 

 

Luckily my company picked up the cost, but it is very easy to just look at airline costs. If you look at map, LGA does not look like it's that far from Jersey City, so very easy to think, oh how bad could the transfer costs be [emoji3]. They can be very bad...lol

[Post Captain]

Keksie ~

 

Just to add my two cents' worth to the excellent advice already provided by Carol (138east) and others...

 

For a quick orientation re. the immediate area around the DoubleTree, take a look at Google Maps:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7248559,-74.0354311,17z

 

The DoubleTree is near the bottom center of the page, on the left-hand side of Washington Boulevard. The Newport PATH station is near the top center of the page, on the right-hand side of Washington Blvd. It's only a five or ten minutes' walk between the two, so you will have quick & easy access for traveling into Manhattan & back.

 

If you have a manageable amount of luggage and want to take the Light Rail most of the way to Cape Liberty (as suggested above by MarlboroBell), the Harsimus Cove Light Rail station is literally just around the corner from the DoubleTree. From here, it's just a 20-minute trip to 34th Street in Bayonne, and the fare is just $2.25 for adults, $1.10 for children/seniors (62+)/disabled. The trains run at very frequent intervals, so there's no need to worry about specific timetables. For what it's worth, DW and I always use the light rail to get to Bayonne and then catch a cab for the final two miles to the cruise terminal itself.

 

Incidentally, if you need any last-minute sundries or just want to go on a shopping spree before your cruise, the Newport Centre Mall has more than 100 stores, from department stores such as Macy's and Kohl's to smaller specialty shops (as well as a CVS). The mall is just a five minutes' walk from the DoubleTree.

 

And for terrific views of the Hudson River and Manhattan, don't forget to take a walk along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.

[Keksie]

Thank you for the map and advice. The map really helps.

[TornWonder]

Also, you can get from the Newark airport to Jersey City using public transportation as well. NJTransit has a rail stop at the airport, fare is $8.50 to Newark Penn Station, then hop on PATH at Newark Penn Station into Jersey City. Cab fare to Newark Penn Station might only be $15-$20 as well.

 

If you end up flying into LGA or JFK, you can take a shuttle service such as NYC Airporter, that will charge $26 round trip and drop you off at NY Penn Station. You can walk a block from NY Penn Station to the PATH station for the train to Jersey City.