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I have never cruised out of NJ. I will be traveling on Amtrak from Boston. I think, but not sure, that Newark Penn Station would work best for me. Please advise of hotels near the port. Also transportation. I want to do something that works easily or me. Taxi or limo (car service?)

Thank you.

 

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I do this every year and have tried many variations.  When exactly would you be Cruising?  IMO the easiest is to go to Newark Penn Station, stay at the Newark Penn Station Hilton, and take Uber to the port.  

 

Your exact date is important.  The last two years I have stayed overnight in Manhattan and Jersey City because the hotel prices were actually cheaper in the dead of winter.  I also take PATH, light rail, and Uber/cab to the port.  I return to Boston from Newark Penn Station.  Lots of options - I try to vary my trip each year because I’ve done it so many times.

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We are staying by Newark Airport at the Hampton Inn then Ubering over to the port. You can get from Penn Station to the Newark Airport Station and the hotel will pick you up from there. However, there is no shuttle to the pier from the hotel. Breakfast is included. 

I used to live in NJ and would not suggest staying in Newark itself. Newark Airport is in Elizabeth.

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If you choose to stay at an airport hotel, your Amtrak ticket will cost about $5 more.  You will have to take the free Airtrain to the P4 Station to connect with a free hotel shuttle.  Many of the hotels which offer a free breakfast have no other food service except possibly in a nearby full service hotel.  Except for the hotels on International Blvd, the airport hotels have no nearby non hotel restaurants to walk to and there are no stores.  The Hampton Inn is one of the hotels with no additional food service and not really close to a full service hotel.

 

I've stayed in a downtown Newark hotel with no issues.  The NPS Hilton is “easy” as you requested.  Many folks stay there precruise to sightsee in NYC and are very happy with their choice.

 

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For folks sailing from the NY area Cruiseports the folks on this forum try to provide as many details as possible so that cruisers can make informed choices about what strategies might suit best.  It can be very confusing - three airports, three cruiseports, expensive hotels, car services, taxis, Uber/Lyft, trains, subways, buses, sightseeing, restaurants, etc etc.

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On 4/7/2019 at 11:32 AM, Allaboutsailingrc said:

Thanks again. You are very knowledgeable on the area.

 

As a retired Police Officer from there, I would never stay at a hotel in Newark proper and I have the ability to be armed.

Edited by dkjretired
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Hello all, we are planning our first cruise from here and it will be about 380 days from now, so I will be back here this fall to start asking a lot more questions.  But for now, we plan to stay near the port. if we get in a day early, it is easy to get to the Ground Zero/WTC location. Ferry?

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Hello Bill. Long time, no read (my fault not yours) I'm headed to ape Liberty in less than a month and usually stay in Elizabeth on International Drive. This time I'm going to try the Hampton Inn Airport. I have no need to exit the hotel until it's time to head to the ship so.  I'll keep you folks posted.

 

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2 hours ago, BillOh said:

Hello all, we are planning our first cruise from here and it will be about 380 days from now, so I will be back here this fall to start asking a lot more questions.  But for now, we plan to stay near the port. if we get in a day early, it is easy to get to the Ground Zero/WTC location. Ferry?

The closest hotels to the port are 8-11 miles away.  You’re sailing on a Thurs, so rates will be higher for the Wed night before the cruise because of business travel. IMO the only “easy” way to get to Ground Zero/WTC is to stay near the PATH train which runs from Newark Penn Station to World Trade.  https://www.panynj.gov/path/maps.html  Certain downtown Newark hotels near Newark Penn Station or Jersey City hotels near the Exchange Place, Newport, and Grove St stations would give you “easy” access.

 

A ferry from Bayonne to lower Manhattan is supposed to be in the works for the end of 2019, but this is not really helpful since there are currently no hotels that we recommend in Bayonne.  However, if you stay in Jersey City, ferry to lower Manhattan is an alternative to PATH albeit a lot more expensive.

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22 minutes ago, Allaboutsailingrc said:

Wow. Good to know. Thank you.

I would never be stupid enough to say that Newark is a peaceful vacation paradise,  but I'd like to know how long ago the police officer retired .

 

Since the Prudential Center opened in 2007 thousands and thousands of people pour into downtown Newark on a frequent basis for sporting events (NJ Devils hockey, college basketball) the circus, concerts etc. Add to that all the people who come in for performance and cultural events held at the nearby NJ Performing Arts Center and the result is that downtown Newark is a whole lot safer place than it was just a relatively few years ago. New restaurants have opened, adding to the many good Spanish and Portuguese restaurants that have been located in the adjacent Ironbound neighborhood for decades.

 

Further, if you're staying at the Newark Penn Station Hilton you never have to set foot on the streets of Newark if you don't want to if you're using the PATH train, NJ Transit or Amtrak. The hotel is connected to Newark Penn Station by a skywalk.

 

The headquarters of the company I worked for has been located in downtown Newark for well more than 100 years. Although my job was located at a suburban office I spent a significant amount of time at headquarters for meetings over the years and never encountered a problem or felt unsafe... and this was many years before Prudential Center and NJPAC opened.  Would I wonder around in an area I wasn't familiar with? Of course not, but would I be concerned about staying at the Penn Station Hilton or the Robert Treat Hotel for a night or two?  Absolutely not.

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Excellent reply!  Thank you.  I don’t have the extensive experience in Newark that you have had.  Basically I have stayed in hotels twice (the Hilton was one of them in the 80’s), commuted through Newark Penn to connect to PATH, driven in the city a number of times, and have used Amtrak several times for cruises.  For me the vibe of the city has dramatically improved for the better.  My most recent stay at the Robert Treat was terrific - an old fashioned hotel with an elegant lobby, free breakfast, free shuttle, and an unexpectedly comfortable room with free Wifi.  For one cruise a group of 5 of us drove from an airport hotel into the Ironbound district for an enjoyable dinner.

 

I am a solo female cruiser and most of my Newark experience over the years has been by myself.

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25 minutes ago, 138east said:

Excellent reply!  Thank you.  I don’t have the extensive experience in Newark that you have had.  Basically I have stayed in hotels twice (the Hilton was one of them in the 80’s), commuted through Newark Penn to connect to PATH, driven in the city a number of times, and have used Amtrak several times for cruises.  For me the vibe of the city has dramatically improved for the better.  My most recent stay at the Robert Treat was terrific - an old fashioned hotel with an elegant lobby, free breakfast, free shuttle, and an unexpectedly comfortable room with free Wifi.  For one cruise a group of 5 of us drove from an airport hotel into the Ironbound district for an enjoyable dinner.

 

I am a solo female cruiser and most of my Newark experience over the years has been by myself.

 

I have been retired for several years and also go to events in Newark, also go to NJ Historical association which is right next to Robert Treat. I would never go there unarmed and stand behind what I said. All it takes is once.

Edited by dkjretired
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On 4/9/2019 at 10:57 AM, MedicKenK said:

Hello Bill. Long time, no read (my fault not yours) I'm headed to ape Liberty in less than a month and usually stay in Elizabeth on International Drive. This time I'm going to try the Hampton Inn Airport. I have no need to exit the hotel until it's time to head to the ship so.  I'll keep you folks posted.

 

Are you on the 5/9/19 sailing? We are and staying at Hampton Inn.

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