Cape Liberty, New Jersey Cruise Terminal

[fvandewouwer]

A very good day, We are cruising out Cape Liberty, New Jersey Cruise Terminal next year in April ( RCI )

and need transportation from Manhattan ( not sure yet which hotel )

I read somewhere that RCI provides a bus service to the cruise terminal from Times Square but I cannot find anything on the website of Royal so before I call them is there anyone who has used this service ?   if not

what is the best way to get from Manhattan to the New Jersey Cruise Terminal it seems that a taxi is very expensive and there is no public transportation we can use. ( I checked google )

thanks for your tips and ideas

have a great time

[Alex618]

4 hours ago, fvandewouwer said:

A very good day, We are cruising out Cape Liberty, New Jersey Cruise Terminal next year in April ( RCI )

and need transportation from Manhattan ( not sure yet which hotel )

I read somewhere that RCI provides a bus service to the cruise terminal from Times Square but I cannot find anything on the website of Royal so before I call them is there anyone who has used this service ?   if not

what is the best way to get from Manhattan to the New Jersey Cruise Terminal it seems that a taxi is very expensive and there is no public transportation we can use. ( I checked google )

thanks for your tips and ideas

have a great time

You might want to consider staying in Jersey City and taking the train into the city..  Another alternative, hire a car service.  This will also not be inexpensive.  RCI might offer transportation closer to sailing.  

[Mick B]

You are lucky in a way, that is you are going to the cruise terminal and not coming from it (I hope) as waiting for a taxi is crazy there.

 

Sadly, I have had the wonderful experience of having to cruise out of this terminal many times due to the cruises and ships I want to sail on.

The port is basically built for US citizens with their own cars that can be parked and there is little to no help for anyone who is coming from New York.

 

I have witnessed many customers purchase RCI transfers only for them to be withdrawn on the day with no reason given.

 

So if you feel fit, and the weather is with you (depending on the time of year) then there are a couple of interesting options.

 

Firstly, taxi's don't like going interstate and also those routes include tolls and sometime you may not have a toll going but the driver wants paying for one he has to take on his way back so $$$ is the bill. OK if there are 4 of you with reasonable size cases.

 

A cheap but painstaking option is to take the metro down to Whitehall and drag yourself and your cases onto the Staten Island ferry (which is free BTW) and then take a taxi from St Georges over the Bayonne Bridge and into the cruise port. You may get change out of $50 for that (and whilst on the ferry you can practically reach for the ship, but the roads take longer than you think!). I have done this in the past, but some of the drivers on Staten island actually don't know where to go and had to be directed by me (who is from the UK!).

 

Now for the best option.

Get yourself to Herald Square metro station by whatever means, which is located near Macys on Broadway, 6th and 34th St. Take the PATH train to Hoboken (for a few dollars), walk around the station to the far end and get on the New Jersey Light Railroad (for a few dollars more) and get off at 34th St station in Bayonne. From there you are less than 2 miles from the ship.

DO NOT try to walk it, the road is in bad repair and with cases in tow, you will be knackered before long! So use the local taxi firm Archies Cabs to take you to the ship. It costs roughly $20 and I did just last October.

Furthermore, If you get the timetable for the Path Train and allow say 15 minutes to walk around Hoboken station and get the NJLR which takes about 30 minutes (again check the timetable) then you should be able to say leave NYC at 1000am and be at Bayonne for 1100am (depending on your boarding time of course!). BTW there is plenty room on the NJLR so having cases isn't a big problem. The PATH train can get very busy though!)

This means you can call Archies from your Hotel the day before and book your taxi to collect you when you get off the NJLR (and they have not let me down yet). In fact, they are the local taxi firm and deal with this issue all the time since it is unlikely that anything like an extension of the NJLR into the port will happen anytime soon because as I said originally, the port is modelled on US citizens parking their own cars at the port. 

It's a shame that better infrastructure cannot be built at this port or for RCI to move to a Manhattan cruise terminal like others do.

 

Another thing to bear in mind, is using a taxi from NYC means either going through either the Lincoln or Holland tunnels which can have long tailbacks at peak times, or going on the I278 over the narrows and that will also cost $$$. OK if you have the cash and have and want to get a good view (although photography is actually banned on the bridge). Yes, I have even done this in the past too!

 

Hope this helps.

Mick.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Mick B

[fvandewouwer]

I thank you both for your reply especially Mick B for this amazing explanation

luckily we only need a one way transportation to Jersey as we do a TA from there 😀

I am trying to figure out what a taxi will charge and I found the website Carmel ( Taxi / Limmo service )

If I calculate the price from somewhere around the Empire State building to the cruise terminal for 2 people and 3 x luggage ( 2 big and one small ) I get 52 dollars which is not that bad

but I see the toll is not incuded so I wonder : how much do I need to add for toll

tried to find it but it is not clear to me.

Could you give me an idea about what to add ( toll and tip )

 

thanks again

all the best from Belgium

 

[Alex618]

2 minutes ago, fvandewouwer said:

I thank you both for your reply especially Mick B for this amazing explanation

luckily we only need a one way transportation to Jersey as we do a TA from there 😀

I am trying to figure out what a taxi will charge and I found the website Carmel ( Taxi / Limmo service )

If I calculate the price from somewhere around the Empire State building to the cruise terminal for 2 people and 3 x luggage ( 2 big and one small ) I get 52 dollars which is not that bad

but I see the toll is not incuded so I wonder : how much do I need to add for toll

tried to find it but it is not clear to me.

Could you give me an idea about what to add ( toll and tip )

 

thanks again

all the best from Belgium

 

I would definitely investigate, this sound way to low!  That what the fare was when I traveled often from Newark to city in the 80’s.

[meadowlander]

15 hours ago, fvandewouwer said:

A very good day, We are cruising out Cape Liberty, New Jersey Cruise Terminal next year in April ( RCI ) and need transportation from Manhattan

Reads as if you have done research for your cruise. Do not rely on taxi from NYC to Cape Liberty.  Carmel Limo and Dial 7 are car services that would transport you from NY to CL. Surprised they did not give you a price including tolls. $17 is the fee for using Holland or Lincoln Tunnels to NJ, not sure the fee for traveling through Staten Island.

 

Mick listed the public transit option. PATH trains not NYC subway would get you from Manhattan to either Hoboken or PATH stations in Jersey City such as 'Exchange Place' or 'Journal Square'. which are closer than Hoboken to CL.

 

It would be easiest to use Uber/Lyft or taxi from Jersey City directly to Cape Liberty as you will still need a ride to CL if you use the Hudson Bergen light rail from Hoboken or Jersey City. Estimate $20-25 for Uber from Jersey City to CL.

 

Another transit option, though requiring more time, would be NJ Transit trains(not Amtrak) from NY Penn Station to Newark Penn Station then Uber/taxi to CL.

 

Tipping is expected, minimum of 15% of the charge (not including any tax imposed). 20% of the charge is what is likely expected. The Uber driver is more likely to give better service (help with bags) than the taxi driver.

 

If possible, arrive at Cape Liberty before 10:30 am. This will keep you from waiting 20-30 minutes in the car as you approach the terminal. Traffic will significantly accumulate on the terminal entrance road(only 2 lanes but paved since Mick was last there) by 11 am.

 

Boarding times for cruise ships are no longer being enforced at Cape Liberty. You can enter the terminal when you arrive. If it is past the time cruisers have begun boarding you will check in and board. If the boarding process has not begun (anywhere from 10:20 am & later) you will wait in an area with chairs & boarding will start with the first row.

 

Wifi is spotty inside the terminal. Better to bring printed copies of your boarding pass. For Anthem it is best to reserve seats for Spectra's Cabaret in the cruise planner, anywhere between 45-30 days prior to sail date. It is the only show at present that can be reserved. Not a requirement but without a reservation you would have to wait on a standby queue with no guarantee (though likely) you will be allowed in for the performance.

Edited August 24, 2023 by meadowlander

[GTJ]

20 hours ago, fvandewouwer said:

We are cruising out Cape Liberty, New Jersey Cruise Terminal next year in April ( RCI ) and need transportation from Manhattan ( not sure yet which hotel ) I read somewhere that RCI provides a bus service to the cruise terminal from Times Square but I cannot find anything on the website of Royal so before I call them is there anyone who has used this service ?   if not what is the best way to get from Manhattan to the New Jersey Cruise Terminal it seems that a taxi is very expensive and there is no public transportation we can use.

Although Royal Caribbean International might in some cases arrange for transportation by bus (it cannot provide such transportation itself, because it is not a motor carrier), such is not the case in New York City. However, there exists a bus service from the Times Square area to Bayonne, New Jersey, the city in which Cape Liberty Cruise Port is located. One block from Times Square, on Eighth Avenue between 40th Street and 42nd Street, is the Port Authority Bus Terminal. From that terminal one can travel with New Jersey Transit, bus route 119, direct to Bayonne, New Jersey. The bus operates every 20-to-40 minutes, the trip takes about 70 minutes, and the fare is $6.00 (children, seniors, and disabled pay $2.70). The timetable is attached below. Once you arrive in Bayonne you will likely want to use a taxi to get to the port itself. It would be a nearly 3-mile walk, and with sub-par pedestrian facilities. You will want to alight from the bus, and have a taxi meet you, in front of Stephen R. Gregg Park, on John F. Kennedy Boulevard at Dillon Drive. From this location it is a fairly direct taxi trip along 40th Street to the port.

 

Another post describes travel to the port using various trains. That alternative--using New York City subway to Herald Square, then PATH train to Hoboken, then New Jersey Transit light rail train--also works well, but it is a more convoluted path, likely has a longer travel time, requires multiple tickets and is more expensive ($2.90 for subway, $2.75 for PATH, $2.25 for light rail), and also leaves you off at a location in Bayonne from which taxi service to the port is required.

 

 

T0119.pdf

Edited August 25, 2023 by GTJ

[Mick B]

Hi,

Never knew about the bus from Port Authority to Bayonne.

However, will they allow you onboard with lots of heavy bulky cases as cruise passengers normally have? Looking at the journey time, there is not a lot of difference in it.

This is why I have taken the PATH and NJLR. By getting out of NYC as early as possible, around 10am you miss the early morning commute and minimise the chance of being stuck in packed carriages with loads of people cramming in.

Also, I was told some time back that AmTrak do not like people using some of their trains to go from NYC to Newark Penn as you take up seats that could be sold for more to someone going to Phili or Washington so the price may be higher than normal for some of those trains!

 

Glad to know there is now a path along the roadside. However it is still one heck of a trek by foot to the port and sometimes the weather is not that good! Best to get a taxi!

 

BTW The good taxi drivers know about the build up of cars at the port and will take you around to an area close to the terminal that avoids the long queues. It is only a few minutes walk then from there and this also saves time and money. Again, if you can, get to the port as early as possible.

 

Mick.

[fvandewouwer]

14 hours ago, Alex618 said:

I would definitely investigate, this sound way to low!  That what the fare was when I traveled often from Newark to city in the 80’s.

[fvandewouwer]

note to my previous post it does say tolls and tips are not included but the price does not seem to be that bad ......thoughts ??

[mjkacmom]

3 hours ago, fvandewouwer said:

note to my previous post it does say tolls and tips are not included but the price does not seem to be that bad ......thoughts ??

That’s a fantastic price, I’d go that route even with tolls and tip.

[meadowlander]

5 hours ago, Mick B said:

 

Also, I was told some time back that AmTrak do not like people using some of their trains to go from NYC to Newark Penn as you take up seats that could be sold for more to someone going to Phili or Washington so the price may be higher than normal for some of those trains!

 

Glad to know there is now a path along the roadside. However it is still one heck of a trek by foot to the port and sometimes the weather is not that good! Best to get a taxi!

 

BTW The good taxi drivers know about the build up of cars at the port and will take you around to an area close to the terminal that avoids the long queues. It is only a few minutes walk then from there and this also saves time and money. Again, if you can, get to the port as early as possible.

It is not logical to use Amtrak from NYPS to Newark Penn Station. NJ Transit is a commuter train with more frequent trains than Amtrak offers and cheaper. 

 

After my first cruise I  took a bus back to NJ. from NYC. Only had a carry on. I was much younger, stronger and had better walking capabilities than at present. I would never board a bus with a large suitcase much less multiple ones.

 

I have twice seen people walking to the HBLR from Cape Liberty in the past year. Do not understand why they would walk 2 miles with luggage to the HBLR station at 34th street. While the road leading to the terminal has been paved smoothly, the area in close proximity to the terminal is how you remember it.

 

On my last trip in May, there was a buildup of vehicles in front of the terminal. I was aware of the left turn (that would avoid the traffic) just prior to where the road first curves before the terminal. The taxi driver wanted me to allow him to take that shortcut. After waiting 2 minutes, I told him it was okay. Where he dropped me off was no more than 50 yards from the terminal entrance. There is no other close drop off area. If you were dropped off minutes  walking distance from the terminal, you were dropped far from the terminal. Since Archie's taxi charges a flat rate you had no reason to get out where you did and walk the distance you did other than not waiting in queue. 

 

 

[meadowlander]

4 hours ago, fvandewouwer said:

note to my previous post it does say tolls and tips are not included but the price does not seem to be that bad ......thoughts ??

I provided the cost of the tunnel and the tip percentage in my other reply. If you email/call Carmel I am sure they will give you a price excluding tip.

 

With 3 bags, as mjmom said go with the car service for convenience. Boarding a commuter bus with 3 bags is ludicrous!

Edited August 25, 2023 by meadowlander

[fvandewouwer]

Wow you are all so informative thank you so much for your replies and time to get my this great advice.

I just got a message back about the car pricing : "Tolls would be $23.2 while tip is discretionary" 

so this the total price would be 75.20 adding a tip of 20 % that would be 90 / 100 usd ... where I live that would be extremely expensive but this is not NY😄

[GTJ]

16 hours ago, Mick B said:

Never knew about the bus from Port Authority to Bayonne. However, will they allow you onboard with lots of heavy bulky cases as cruise passengers normally have? Looking at the journey time, there is not a lot of difference in it. This is why I have taken the PATH and NJLR. By getting out of NYC as early as possible, around 10am you miss the early morning commute and minimise the chance of being stuck in packed carriages with loads of people cramming in. Also, I was told some time back that Amtrak do not like people using some of their trains to go from NYC to Newark Penn as you take up seats that could be sold for more to someone going to Phili or Washington so the price may be higher than normal for some of those trains!

Generally, New Jersey Transit assigns its NABI buses with a transit interior seating configuration buses to this route between New York and Bayonne, so while there's no underfloor luggage bays, there's a fair amount of space available inside the coaches. A typical NJT NABI bus interior is below; more information is available at http://www.vtransitcenter.com/new-jersey-transit/nabi-416-features. The bus is not the most speedy, but if one is coming from Times Square it is the most direct public transportation service. Because I don't live near Times Square, and I have to ride the subway anyway, going to Bayonne I typically ride the subway to Herald Square, then PATH train to Hoboken, then NJT light rail train to Bayonne, then taxi/Uber to port.

 

Going from New York to Bayonne, the is typically not much passenger traffic in the morning: peak travel is in the opposite direction, going into New York. In the old days the Pennsylvania Railroad generally had the same fares on all their trains, and it did not matter which train one used between New York and Newark. Since then Amtrak operates longer distance trains, while NJT operates shorter distance trains, but both transport passengers between New York and Newark (and other points in New Jersey). Daily riders can use their monthly passes on both NJT and some Amtrak trains, but for single fare passengers the Amtrak fares are almost always higher than the corresponding NJT fares. I would not say that Amtrak dislikes shorter distance passengers, but Amtrak does charge higher fares while also provider a slightly higher level of comfort.

 

[fvandewouwer]

just checked uber it calculates me the price +/- 80 usd 

 

From what I have learned now is that there is no easy way to use public transportation between Manhattan and the Jersey Cruise Terminal, we always have to take a taxi or uber for the last part of the journey, right ?

 

I have seen so many solutions, thank you for that : what would be the best possibility with the least hassle

we do have 2 suitcases and one carry on and we are used to walk with them so we do not mind

covering a "short" distance 

I do not have booked our hotel yet because I need to know in which area we should stay to avoid a difficult transfer to the Jersey cruise terminal

 

I wonder if Royal Car. does not provide a shuttle service between the cruise terminal and Manhattan, they must have tons of people arriving from a cruise trying to get into Manhattan

I need to give them a call

 

have a wonderful weekend

 

 

 

[GTJ]

8 hours ago, fvandewouwer said:

From what I have learned now is that there is no easy way to use public transportation between Manhattan and the Jersey Cruise Terminal, we always have to take a taxi or uber for the last part of the journey, right ?

Absent a bit of a hike from the closest public transportation stop in Bayonne, you are correct. As the area surrounding the port continues to develop, some sort of public transportation may eventually become available, but nothing for the time being.

 

8 hours ago, fvandewouwer said:

I have seen so many solutions, thank you for that : what would be the best possibility with the least hassle

 

we do have 2 suitcases and one carry on and we are used to walk with them so we do not mind

covering a "short" distance

 

I do not have booked our hotel yet because I need to know in which area we should stay to avoid a difficult transfer to the Jersey cruise terminal

Both the bus and the train from Manhattan to Bayonne are good . . . not great, but good. The bus is slightly less of a "hassle" because there is no transfer required, and with only two suitcases you should not have much problem on the bus (I usually place any baggage I have under the fold-up seats on a bus). On the other hand, some people like the greater security of using rail stations compared to the informality of a bus stop sign on a city street. I view it as a toss-up, though some people will be more vociferous of one route or the other.

 

It might be best to choose a hotel location that is proximate to any of the Manhattan terminal based on hotel price and/or neighborhood, and then use the transportation best for that Manhattan terminal. If you were to use this method, then you should seek a hotel that is proximate to any of the following.

 

1. Times Square, near the intersection of Eighth Avenue and West 41st Street. Use the bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal to Bayonne.

 

2. Herald Square, near the intersection of Sixth Avenue and West 32nd Street. (Alternatively, other locations along Sixth Avenue near West 23rd Street, West 14th Street, or West 9th Street.) Use the PATH train from 33rd Street station to Hoboken, then NJT light rail to Bayonne.

 

3. Lower Manhattan, near the intersection of Greenwich Street and Fulton Street. Use the PATH train from World Trade Center station to Jersey City-Exchange Place, then NJT light rail to Bayonne.

 

4. Greenwich Village: near Greenwich Street and Christopher Street. Use the PATH train from Christopher Street station to Hoboken, then NJT light rail to Bayonne.

 

Hotels in any of the foregoing locations would have reasonably good transportation to Bayonne.

[fvandewouwer]

At this moment we find the service of carmel very tempting, price is really not that bad compared to a combination of bus train and taxi and we do not have any worries if we prepay this up front.

So I am going to concentrate now on finding a hotel for 2 nights.

Also in our case a difficult search, it should have soundproof windows and clean those are our top priorities.

 

Thank you all for your amazing tips ideas and time to write it down, I wish you all a great Sunday !