CAPE LIBERTY (and NYC) 411-VERSION 5!!!

[njhorseman]

51 minutes ago, johnlcruise said:

Question. What's the best way to get from Cape Liberty port to the LGA LaGuardia?

We have a 12:15pm flight. Is it better to get a Lyft, Taxi or use a private car service.

Thanks

Uber/Lyft or a car service such as Carmel Limo.

[Got2Cruise]

16 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Uber/Lyft or a car service such as Carmel Limo.

Uber/Lyft has been less reliable since COVID. I would go with the car service. Carmel or Dial7.com is another reliable one. 

[mjkacmom]

19 hours ago, johnlcruise said:

Question. What's the best way to get from Cape Liberty port to the LGA LaGuardia?

We have a 12:15pm flight. Is it better to get a Lyft, Taxi or use a private car service.

Thanks

I’d do car service, it can easily take an hour to get to LaGuardia so I’d disembark early.

[ICANTWAITTOCRUISE]

Any recommendations for a hotel to stay in for two nights near cape Liberty? Arriving on a Celebrity transatlantic and then board two days later the same ship-southern Caribbean. Will have lots of luggage and if things stand we’ll have to find another Covid test😡. 
Thanks!  We will probably venture out a bit but feel our best bet would be to stay closest to Cape Liberty. 

[mjkacmom]

17 minutes ago, ICANTWAITTOCRUISE said:

Any recommendations for a hotel to stay in for two nights near cape Liberty? Arriving on a Celebrity transatlantic and then board two days later the same ship-southern Caribbean. Will have lots of luggage and if things stand we’ll have to find another Covid test😡. 
Thanks!  We will probably venture out a bit but feel our best bet would be to stay closest to Cape Liberty. 

Check our hotels in the Jersey city waterfront area, east access to Manhattan, plus shops and restaurants. 

[njhorseman]

24 minutes ago, ICANTWAITTOCRUISE said:

Any recommendations for a hotel to stay in for two nights near cape Liberty? Arriving on a Celebrity transatlantic and then board two days later the same ship-southern Caribbean. Will have lots of luggage and if things stand we’ll have to find another Covid test😡. 
Thanks!  We will probably venture out a bit but feel our best bet would be to stay closest to Cape Liberty. 

I agree with @mjkacmom. A hotel on the waterfront  in Jersey City gives you the option of any easy, quick trip into Manhattan while still being close to Cape Liberty.

[leen50]

1 hour ago, ICANTWAITTOCRUISE said:

Any recommendations for a hotel to stay in for two nights near cape Liberty? Arriving on a Celebrity transatlantic and then board two days later the same ship-southern Caribbean. Will have lots of luggage and if things stand we’ll have to find another Covid test😡. 
Thanks!  We will probably venture out a bit but feel our best bet would be to stay closest to Cape Liberty. 

Re: COVID test, Celebrity should be able to test you for a side by side. Check their site & call as well.

[meadowlander]

10 hours ago, ICANTWAITTOCRUISE said:

Any recommendations for a hotel to stay in for two nights near cape Liberty? 

Another vote for Jersey City hotels. Ease of transit into NYC and spectacular views of lower Manhattan from the waterfront in Jersey City.

 

On the 2 b2b cruises i have done, the cruise line provided testing on the ship on the next to last day both times. CVS pharmacy does rapid antigen tests. Appointments open for booking online 14 days prior, should the cruise line not offer the test.

[Beachlover1989]

Does the Cape Liberty cruise port have a separate entrance for The Retreat like there is in Ft. Lauderdale?

[GTJ]

On 3/8/2022 at 10:20 AM, Got2Cruise said:

Uber/Lyft has been less reliable since COVID. I would go with the car service.

We sailed into Bayonne last month, and we had no reliability issues in having used an Uber-arranged car.

 

We used the Uber service to transport the two of us from the passenger terminal to the nearby light rail station at 34th Street. We had not made any arrangements whatsoever until we had cleared immigration and customs and were standing on the sidewalk outside the passenger terminal. We entered the passenger terminal's street address, 4 Port Terminal Boulevard, and the vehicle arrived within ten minutes, no delays or other inconveniences. It was the same experience we had on our previous arrival into Bayonne: no need to make any arrangements until ready to travel.

 

In the opposite direction, go to the passenger terminal in Bayonne, we have had some confusion from Uber-affiliated drivers as to finding the location within the 34th Street light rail station complex. There are two possible rendezvous points: the parking lot, bus stop, and passenger pick-up/drop-off area on the east side of the railroad tracks, and the sidewalk along Avenue E on the west side of the railroad tracks. The former area was designed for pick-up and drop-off, but requires using multiple elevators to cross the railroad tracks, has no street address, and has proven to be difficult for Uber-affiliated drivers to find; while the latter area requires only an easy level crossing of the railroad tracks, does not have a comfortable area for pick-up and drop-off, but does have a street address for the adjacent business (534 Avenue E) making it easy for Uber-affiliated drivers to find.

 

Given the choice, I prefer the convenience of not having to make advance arrangements with a particular car service, and to instead relying on the convenience of a making arrangements with Uber or Lyft only at the time service has been desired. Reliability has not been an issue for us.

[megsterl]

Hi All,

 

I have been trying to do some research and I am a little clueless when it comes to trains and such.  We are coming form RI and thinking about taking the train from RI to either Newark Penn Station or Newark airport.   We want to arrive the day before and stay at a hotel but not sure which location would be better.   It will be two families.  One with 2 kids 8 & 12 the other with 3 kids 8, 5, 2.   I have read the area around Newark Penn Station isnt the greatest.  Does anyone have any first hand experience of what it is like to arrive into the train station at the airport.  How does one then get to the area for hotel shuttles.  Is it walking, another train/tram etc. 

 

If you were in the same scenario would you choose to stay near the airport or go closer to the terminal for the cruise? We are trying to stay at a Marriot because we have free night and points to use.  If picking a hotel near the cruise terminal seems like a better choice would taking the train to the airport or Penn station still be the smartest spot or is there another train station I am missing. 

 

Finally do you need to provide the cruise with the train information for the day the cruise returns like you would a plane ticket or would it be like someone who drove to the terminal. It has been a good 10 years since we have cruised and I know so much has changed. 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, megsterl said:

Hi All,

 

I have been trying to do some research and I am a little clueless when it comes to trains and such.  We are coming form RI and thinking about taking the train from RI to either Newark Penn Station or Newark airport.   We want to arrive the day before and stay at a hotel but not sure which location would be better.   It will be two families.  One with 2 kids 8 & 12 the other with 3 kids 8, 5, 2.   I have read the area around Newark Penn Station isnt the greatest.  Does anyone have any first hand experience of what it is like to arrive into the train station at the airport.  How does one then get to the area for hotel shuttles.  Is it walking, another train/tram etc. 

 

If you were in the same scenario would you choose to stay near the airport or go closer to the terminal for the cruise? We are trying to stay at a Marriot because we have free night and points to use.  If picking a hotel near the cruise terminal seems like a better choice would taking the train to the airport or Penn station still be the smartest spot or is there another train station I am missing. 

 

Finally do you need to provide the cruise with the train information for the day the cruise returns like you would a plane ticket or would it be like someone who drove to the terminal. It has been a good 10 years since we have cruised and I know so much has changed. 

Here's what I recommend. There are two Marriott properties, a Courtyard and a Residence Inn that are part of a cluster of hotels on International Blvd. in Elizabeth.  They are adjacent to The Mills at Jersey Gardens outlet mall, which has two chain restaurants on its property near the hotels, a Ruby Tuesday and an IHOP. Given the age of the children those hotels and restaurants may be very appropriate.

To get to either hotel take the Amtrak train  to the Newark Airport station. Then transfer to the Newark Airport AirTrain and take it to the first stop, P4, which is the pick up point for hotel courtesy shuttles. Note: call the hotel before you make your trip to ensure that they are picking up at P4 and to ask if they have a courtesy phone there or if you have to call them from your own phone to make the pick up.

You'll have to make some arrangement for transportation from your hotel to the cruise port. With 9 people you may need to get a van or a couple of UBER XLs or Uber Black SUVs,  or perhaps get a van through a car service such as Carmel Limo.

 

For the return trip you should board your Amtrak train at Newark Penn Station because the Newark Airport station is not accessible to ground transportation as it only serves as a connection point for the AirTrain that takes passengers to and from the airport. Obviously you'll also need transportation from the cruise terminal to the train station for the return trip. Alternatively I guess you could buy transfers from the cruise line to Newark Airport and then take the AirTrain to the Newark Airport station and board your Amtrak train there rather than Newark Penn Station.

Regardless of how you slice this you're going to be laying out a significant amount for ground transportation to and from the cruise terminal.

 

Perhaps you might want to drive instead of taking the train.

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by njhorseman

[megsterl]

9 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Here's what I recommend. There are two Marriott properties, a Courtyard and a Residence Inn that are part of a cluster of hotels on International Blvd. in Elizabeth.  They are adjacent to The Mills at Jersey Gardens outlet mall, which has two chain restaurants on its property near the hotels, a Ruby Tuesday and an IHOP. Given the age of the children those hotels and restaurants may be very appropriate.

To get to either hotel take the Amtrak train  to the Newark Airport station. Then transfer to the Newark Airport AirTrain and take it to the first stop, P4, which is the pick up point for hotel courtesy shuttles. Note: call the hotel before you make your trip to ensure that they are picking up at P4 and to ask if they have a courtesy phone there or if you have to call them from your own phone to make the pick up.

You'll have to make some arrangement for transportation from your hotel to the cruise port. With 9 people you may need to get a van or a couple of UBER XLs or Uber Black SUVs,  or perhaps get a van through a car service such as Carmel Limo.

 

For the return trip you should board your Amtrak train at Newark Penn Station because the Newark Airport station is not accessible to ground transportation as it only serves as a connection point for the AirTrain that takes passengers to and from the airport. Obviously you'll also need transportation from the cruise terminal to the train station for the return trip. Alternatively I guess you could buy transfers from the cruise line to Newark Airport and then take the AirTrain to the Newark Airport station and board your Amtrak train there rather than Newark Penn Station.

Regardless of how you slice this you're going to be laying out a significant amount for ground transportation to and from the cruise terminal.

 

Perhaps you might want to drive instead of taking the train.

 

Thanks. This is basically what I had interpreted. I said to my husband last night the convenience of having the car might be worth it in the end.  I really appreciate your response. Thank you. 

[megsterl]

9 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Here's what I recommend. There are two Marriott properties, a Courtyard and a Residence Inn that are part of a cluster of hotels on International Blvd. in Elizabeth.  They are adjacent to The Mills at Jersey Gardens outlet mall, which has two chain restaurants on its property near the hotels, a Ruby Tuesday and an IHOP. Given the age of the children those hotels and restaurants may be very appropriate.

To get to either hotel take the Amtrak train  to the Newark Airport station. Then transfer to the Newark Airport AirTrain and take it to the first stop, P4, which is the pick up point for hotel courtesy shuttles. Note: call the hotel before you make your trip to ensure that they are picking up at P4 and to ask if they have a courtesy phone there or if you have to call them from your own phone to make the pick up.

You'll have to make some arrangement for transportation from your hotel to the cruise port. With 9 people you may need to get a van or a couple of UBER XLs or Uber Black SUVs,  or perhaps get a van through a car service such as Carmel Limo.

 

For the return trip you should board your Amtrak train at Newark Penn Station because the Newark Airport station is not accessible to ground transportation as it only serves as a connection point for the AirTrain that takes passengers to and from the airport. Obviously you'll also need transportation from the cruise terminal to the train station for the return trip. Alternatively I guess you could buy transfers from the cruise line to Newark Airport and then take the AirTrain to the Newark Airport station and board your Amtrak train there rather than Newark Penn Station.

Regardless of how you slice this you're going to be laying out a significant amount for ground transportation to and from the cruise terminal.

 

Perhaps you might want to drive instead of taking the train.

 

Thanks. This is basically what I had interpreted. I said to my husband last night the convenience of having the car might be worth it in the end.  I really appreciate your response. Thank you. 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, megsterl said:

Thanks. This is basically what I had interpreted. I said to my husband last night the convenience of having the car might be worth it in the end.  I really appreciate your response. Thank you. 

If you do drive down the day before your cruise the two Marriott properties I mentioned would still be good choices. They're as close to the cruise terminal as any hotels in the area.

[GTJ]

19 hours ago, megsterl said:

 I have read the area around Newark Penn Station isnt the greatest. Does anyone have any first hand experience of what it is like to arrive into the train station at the airport. How does one then get to the area for hotel shuttles. Is it walking, another train/tram etc.

To respond to your question as to Newark Pennsylvania Station: the train station is on the edge of downtown Newark, and is also adjacent to the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark. It is a high-density urban area, and the center for all of Newark. It is a busy commercial area, with office towers, government buildings, Seton Hall Law School, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. It is a very busy area with many people of all backgrounds. On the negative side, the commercial activity generally aims for lower-valued goods (the flagship location for the department store Bamberger's closed several years ago), and much activity ceases at the end of the business day. On the other side of the station, the Ironbound district is a wonderful Portuguese neighborhood, with some of the finest restaurants.

 

The DoubleTreee by Hilton hotel is immediately adjacent to the train station, and connected with an overhead enclosed walkway. It is the most conveniently located hotel you could possibly find (at least with respect to Amtrak access). The Courtyard by Marriott is several blocks distant, just over one-half mile away. An fairly easy walk, but if ladened with baggage or easily disoriented in unfamiliar surroundings then the taxi ride is short and inexpensive. Ironically, the Courtyard is immediately adjacent to the Newark station of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey, but those trains stopped running years ago and the railroad yard has since been demolished and redeveloped as the Prudential Center entertainment arena.

 

The decision as to staying at Newark Pennsylvania Station is whether one would like to stay in downtown within an urban environment. If so, it is a very good choice. If not, then elsewhere would be better. The suggestion given previously as to International Blvd. in Elizabeth is substantially different. That is an industrial neighborhood at a corner of the airport, into which several big box retailers and an outlet mall were constructed. There's much less--virtually non-existent--pedestrian traffic, is auto-centric, modern and sterile, and a bit isolated; the areas immediately surrounding the hotels more controlled compared to downtown Newark. For someone not wanting to stay downtown, this part of Elizabeth could be a good choice.

 

Additionally, if you do elect to both drive and stay in Elizabeth, then here is a dining suggestion. One of the best pizzas you will ever find is at Santillo's Brick Oven Pizza, 639 South Broad Street in Elizabeth, about 3 miles from the hotel area (short drive, but difficult if using public transportation). Check the review here: https://youtu.be/gwuiW5V4zc4. No dining room, so either take back to the hotel or eat at the nearby establishment that Santillo's has arranged for its customers to use. Worth the trip to Elizabeth even without a cruise departing from Bayonne.

 

[njhorseman]

39 minutes ago, GTJ said:

(the flagship location for the department store Bamberger's closed several years ago)

If you want to call 1992 "several years ago" . 😉

 

Of course it wasn't even a Bamberger's by then...it had been renamed Macy's a few years earlier. Macy's had owned Bamberger's since the late 1920's.

[GTJ]

13 hours ago, njhorseman said:

If you want to call 1992 "several years ago" . 😉

 

Of course it wasn't even a Bamberger's by then...it had been renamed Macy's a few years earlier. Macy's had owned Bamberger's since the late 1920's.

It has been that long?! It seems so much more recent, but I suppose time passes by more quickly as we all age. 😉

 

The larger point remains true, though. Retailing in downtown Newark is no longer a substantial attraction. McCrory's, S. Klein, Kresge . . . all gone as well, their successors now thriving in the middle of suburban malls with huge parking lots. In their place are 99-cent stores, cheap jewelry, and sneakers. It does not have to be that way: the retail environment had been similar to that of downtown Brooklyn for many years, but as new offices and hotels were built in Brooklyn the retail has improved and A&S (now also Macy's) stayed . . . could still improve further, but Brooklyn retail did better than Newark, despite having started at much the same place. Cruise passengers might want to stay in midtown Manhattan at least in part because of the shopping opportunities that exist there, but quality shopping is no longer a reason to stay in downtown Newark. It remains a vibrant urban center--I love going into downtown Newark even if I do not shop there--and for cruise passengers who prefer city centers, urban environments, history, civics, entertainment, it is a good choice to consider. But those who prefer suburban locales will not do well here.

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, GTJ said:

It has been that long?! It seems so much more recent, but I suppose time passes by more quickly as we all age. 😉

 

The larger point remains true, though. Retailing in downtown Newark is no longer a substantial attraction. McCrory's, S. Klein, Kresge . . . all gone as well, their successors now thriving in the middle of suburban malls with huge parking lots. In their place are 99-cent stores, cheap jewelry, and sneakers. It does not have to be that way: the retail environment had been similar to that of downtown Brooklyn for many years, but as new offices and hotels were built in Brooklyn the retail has improved and A&S (now also Macy's) stayed . . . could still improve further, but Brooklyn retail did better than Newark, despite having started at much the same place. Cruise passengers might want to stay in midtown Manhattan at least in part because of the shopping opportunities that exist there, but quality shopping is no longer a reason to stay in downtown Newark. It remains a vibrant urban center--I love going into downtown Newark even if I do not shop there--and for cruise passengers who prefer city centers, urban environments, history, civics, entertainment, it is a good choice to consider. But those who prefer suburban locales will not do well here.

I have a lot of personal history associated with both both Brooklyn and Newark, from childhood memories of shopping in downtown Brooklyn with my mother, in particular at A&S, to living in Brooklyn in my early married years and buying a beautiful oak with teak accents dining room set at A&S that we still have today, 50 years later, to being employed for many years by a corporation whose headquarters were and still are in Newark. Although I was based in suburban offices I spent many a day in meetings and conferences at the Newark headquarters.

 

Your recitation of history ignores the devastating effects that the 1967 riots had on Newark, which magnified and greatly accelerated the decline of that city, something that had been underway for years. While there certainly were riots in Brooklyn in 1967 and 1968 they were not on the order of magnitude of the 1967  Newark riot and did not have the "final nail in the coffin" impact that the Newark riots had.

 

So...no...Brooklyn and Newark did not "start at much the same place'.

[torpeedo]

We’re booked in the Embassy Suites International Blvd.  We’ve stayed there several times in their park n go plan. Transportation was provided to and from the cruiseport.  Does anyone know if they’re still providing the port transportation?  It always worked well.

[njhorseman]

42 minutes ago, torpeedo said:

We’re booked in the Embassy Suites International Blvd.  We’ve stayed there several times in their park n go plan. Transportation was provided to and from the cruiseport.  Does anyone know if they’re still providing the port transportation?  It always worked well.

Your best bet is to call the hotel directly, not the central Embassy Suites reservation number, and ask.

 Only the airport shuttle is included in their current advertised room rates. If they provided a cruise port shuttle in the past then you either paid an additional per person fee for it or it was packaged into a higher room rate that included it as a hidden surcharge.

[torpeedo]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

Your best bet is to call the hotel directly, not the central Embassy Suites reservation number, and ask.

 Only the airport shuttle is included in their current advertised room rates. If they provided a cruise port shuttle in the past then you either paid an additional per person fee for it or it was packaged into a higher room rate that included it as a hidden surcharge.

It is a higher charge.  I guess I will call them but it’s always difficult to speak to the correct person there and I was hoping someone on this thread had been there recently. If/when I find out I’ll post it here.

[leen50]

We stayed at the Embassy Suites Elizabeth NJ in January. Did not want to take the crowded shuttle. Found another couple on our FB site for our cruise & split an Uber XL. Actually cost less than the shuttle. Worked great!

[philpcruiser]

On 3/20/2022 at 6:55 PM, Beachlover1989 said:

Does the Cape Liberty cruise port have a separate entrance for The Retreat like there is in Ft. Lauderdale?

No. Just an area off to the side with cushier chairs.  No coffee or snacks.  Then again, you don't wait that long to board.

[j1d1]

My family of 5 are going on Oasis leaving 5/29.  This is our first trip to the area.  We will be spending 2.5 days or so before the cruise leaves.  We are booked in the Hyatt House Jersey City.

 

Current plans are the following:

Arrive LGA on Thursday, 5/26 mid-afternoon.  Plan on booking car service for trip to Hyatt House.  Seems like Dial7 or Carmel get the most mentions and seem to have similar price points.

Friday: Take ferry from Paulus Hook to Midtown.  Take complimentary bus to location for a bus tour of NYC.  Any suggestions for bus tours would be appreciated.  Currently plan on booking the top ranked on other travel site for $99/person.  Tour is 6 hours.  Take bus back to ferry for trip from Midtown back to Paulus Hook.

Saturday: Plan to check out Ellis Island and SoL.  Likely use local rail +/- ferry for this.

Sunday: UberXL or car service from Hyatt House to Port.  Is it worth booking a car service for this or are rideshare services readily available?  Looks like car service base fare would be about $85.

Following Sunday: Cruise returns.  Plan to again book car service for trip from port to LGA.  Our flight isn't until 4pm, so we have plenty of time.

 

Any thoughts or feedback from those more experienced would be greatly appreciated.  The only things set in stone are the cruise, the flights, and the hotel (not entirely set in stone but seems like the best option and booked at reasonable price).

 

Thanks