Hampton Inn, Ridgefield Park, NJ

[Oldlab]

Has anyone stayed here and used their shuttle service to the port? We sail on the Escape 5/26, 1st time on NCL, 1st time out of NYC. We have only been on one other cruise and it was out of Port Canaveral, we want to make this cruise experience as good and as smooth as our 1st one. Thank you for any help, this forum is a great tool for planning a cruise!

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, Oldlab said:

Has anyone stayed here and used their shuttle service to the port? We sail on the Escape 5/26, 1st time on NCL, 1st time out of NYC. We have only been on one other cruise and it was out of Port Canaveral, we want to make this cruise experience as good and as smooth as our 1st one. Thank you for any help, this forum is a great tool for planning a cruise!

I suggest that you post your question on the East Coast Departures Board, where this hotel as well as the Hilton Garden Inn in Ridgefield Park are frequently recommended for cruisers wanting a hotel with free parking and shuttle service to and from the port.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/317-east-coast-departures/

[roger001]

I use trip advisor for hotel search usually.  Get a lot more reviews and comparisons.  

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g46771-d98196-Reviews-Hampton_Inn_Ridgefield_Park-Ridgefield_Park_New_Jersey.html

[Oldlab]

Thank you I will do that.

[DaisyGoldberg]

I can recommend the park and cruise option at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ridgefield NJ (at least in Dec 2017). Very easy to get to off the highway.  At check-in they ask when you want to be picked up and taken to the pier.  The next morning the driver arrives, takes your bags, and away you go!  I got a towncar, but I was alone.  Not sure what kind of vehicle they'd get if they had multiple families wanting to go at once.  They also give you the return voucher with the phone 3 to call when you are ready to be picked up. I can't say how long it takes to get to the terminal because there was a huge accident on the bridge that morning and traffic was rerouted.  Looking at the map, it's not far at all if you go direct.

 

Hotel note: The room was very nice, the hotel was nice, and they advertised a small restaurant in the lobby, but it seemed haunted.  Like... nobody was there.  There were people at reception, and the lights were on in the restaurant (really a cafe) but nobody seemed to be back there cooking, or seating people... it was peculiar.  I should have asked at reception, but chose not to.

However, they were definitely serving breakfast the next morning (included with package) and it was excellent. 

 

The hotel itself is located in a large office-park off the freeway, so there really isn't anywhere to go, except there's a multiplex movie theatre within the office park.  I was too tired after my drive, but if you want to go out, that's very close.  Not a lot else seemed to be, and being alone I didn't really want to go exploring after having arrived safely after a big drive.

 

When they drop you at the pier, they tell you where they will pick you up - it's across the street from where you will exit the terminal.  I called the driver, he told me to meet him at a cross street a block away, and it worked out fine.  If there are members of your party who have difficulty walking, or a big crowd of children to keep together, I imagine this aspect could be more of an issue (though there may be handicapped accommodations I was unaware of). Of course exiting a cruise terminal is always chaotic wherever you are!

 

Biggest tip -- grab a porter as soon as you collect your bag after the cruise.  They will whisk you into a customs line with virtually no wait, and when you see 1000 people in a single line waiting for customs, it will be worth the $$ you pay him/her.  

[Oldlab]

Thank you, I appreciate the help

[Nclgetawaymenhoney]

I can recommend the Hampton inn, we used it in dec, very clean, and when you check in the give you a choice of what time to take their shuttle, probably seats around 16 people and give you number and location for pick up on return 

[tawaik]

Glad I found this post.  Very helpful for a Native New Yorker who is traveling 'home" to board the Escape to Bermuda.  Very good tips indeed!  Wish I saw this before I opted to take AmTrak in to NYC from my home in Maryland.  Ticket already purchased to arrive at 10:30 of my cruise. 

 

Driving to NJ would not had been bad for me.  Oh, well next time!

[jtheile]

We are using the park and cruise option for the first time, we usually just park at the port.  What is an appropriate tip for the driver?

[Oldlab]

I read $5.00/person, but I don't know if that is accurate