Cape Liberty in NJ--parking there this season

[mizLORInj]

HI all.  With 2 Royal ships and Celebrity using this port right now, are parking areas full?   I would think the deck remains full--I know there is an overflow lot across from the deck, but I would think this is filling up too with 3 ships using the port.

What has been your experience?

We are trying to decide whether to drive and park, or just Uber/Lyft instead (we have done both ways in the past).

TIA!

[djvcr]

Sailed in May on a Saturday on Liberty and the garage was full but they had us park in surface lot. It is a bit of a walk, especially on way home because you have luggage with you. It was between some warehouses to the right of the garage. You walked through the tented parking which is for employees and at the end of that they had a gated in area for surface parking between two warehouse buildings. Same price as garage and you paid when you parked instead of paying when exiting the garage. With the slow elevators in the garage, it was a wash time wise. There is also a shuttle bus between the "lot" and the front of the terminal but majority of people just walked it.

[elizabethbp]

During the summer, can handicapped still park in the garage?

[mets123]

11 minutes ago, elizabethbp said:

During the summer, can handicapped still park in the garage?

In the summer, it's usually exclusive for handicapped.

[happytocruiseginny]

38 minutes ago, djvcr said:

Sailed in May on a Saturday on Liberty and the garage was full but they had us park in surface lot. It is a bit of a walk, especially on way home because you have luggage with you. It was between some warehouses to the right of the garage. You walked through the tented parking which is for employees and at the end of that they had a gated in area for surface parking between two warehouse buildings. Same price as garage and you paid when you parked instead of paying when exiting the garage. With the slow elevators in the garage, it was a wash time wise. There is also a shuttle bus between the "lot" and the front of the terminal but majority of people just walked it.

We have done the surface lot & it’s fine if you are able to handle all of your luggage.

[yogimax]

There are actually more than one surface lot.  Some will have shuttle buses (a hassle).

 

For the price charged, RCCL should do better.

[Pratique]

By the time you arrive one of the lots will have been vacated by the guests getting off of the ship. It seems that they dedicate different lots for different sailings. For Symphony they are using the lot across the street from the terminal and the adjacent alley between two of the old warehouses. For other ships such as Liberty they seem to be using the lot beyond the garage structure and employee parking.

 

I think there will be enough parking but I would suggest showing up before 1:00 pm just to make sure. At $210 a week it's not a good deal considering that I always find my car covered with bird droppings so weigh that against Uber.

 

EDIT FWIW Royal Caribbean says "No reservations are necessary and parking is guaranteed." 

Edited June 24 by Pratique

[reallyitsmema]

1 hour ago, happytocruiseginny said:

We have done the surface lot & it’s fine if you are able to handle all of your luggage.

 

The surface lot across from the parking garage is not too bad to get to with all of your luggage and the porters will actually take you and your luggage to that lot.  The lot that Liberty is using is much farther away and you have to pull luggage over cobblestone and very uneven pavement.  Going through the employee tent parking for part of it does make it easier but we chose to leave me at the curb with the luggage and had my DH go get the car after the cruise.  Pulling just our carryons before the cruise was doable but all of our luggage was more than we were willing to pull after the cruise and porters would not go that far.

[The Fun Researcher]

We sailed the first week of June and yes, the garage was full. However, they do allow handicap vehicles to enter the garage still. Everyone else is pushed over to the surface lots. You would think they would offer a discount on the price when you are parked outdoors in the elements rather than in a parking garage but nope. $30 per day

[Oceansaway17]

and the lots that Liberty uses has more junk and potholes and perhaps nails too.  I remember last year within a week of coming home I had a nail in my tire.  I feel certain it was from that crudy lot.  RCI needs to tell the parking authority to clean up a bit.

Makes me not want to go to NJ to sail anymore except when only 1 ship is in port so I can get the parking garage.

[The Fun Researcher]

11 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

and the lots that Liberty uses has more junk and potholes and perhaps nails too.  I remember last year within a week of coming home I had a nail in my tire.  I feel certain it was from that crudy lot.  RCI needs to tell the parking authority to clean up a bit.

Makes me not want to go to NJ to sail anymore except when only 1 ship is in port so I can get the parking garage.

Yeah, I get it.  That sucks, and the surface lots are a bit of a walk.

 

On the grand scale of cruise ports I do like Bayonne.  It’s is pretty dang convenient.

[Oceansaway17]

2 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Yeah, I get it.  That sucks, and the surface lots are a bit of a walk.

 

On the grand scale of cruise ports I do like Bayonne.  It’s is pretty dang convenient.

I agree once the stress of parking is done.

[mizLORInj]

Ah, so they're assigning parking area by ship.    

 

Sounds like the area we'd park for Liberty is a lot we used many years ago (2009/10) before the new terminal was even built!   

 

Uber/Lyft is sounding better. . . 

 

Thanks everyone!   

[happytocruiseginny]

2 hours ago, yogimax said:

There are actually more than one surface lot.  Some will have shuttle buses (a hassle).

 

For the price charged, RCCL should do better.

Agreed

[reallyitsmema]

50 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Yeah, I get it.  That sucks, and the surface lots are a bit of a walk.

 

On the grand scale of cruise ports I do like Bayonne.  It’s is pretty dang convenient.

 

We definitely like cruising from Bayonne since it is only about a four hour drive to the port.  We have cruised from there many times in the past and have more cruises booked.  This was the first time we had to part so far away.  We were on a 9 night Liberty sailing that was before the other ships were even there for the summer but they saved the closer lots for Symphony which arrived in Bayonne during our cruise.  People who got there for early check in times weren't even allowed into the garage for handicap parking and had to park a distance away too.  People who came closer to noon and needed handicap parking were allowed into the garage as there was discussion about this on our rollcall.  Live and learn, next time if we have to go a distance, my DH will drop me and the carryons at the curb along with our checked bags and he will go park.  We just expected to be sent to the empty lot that is opposite the parking garage as we have many times in the past.

[baileymouse]

One of the biggest problems at Cape Liberty is the number of people who arrive very early. You get there early, you haven't given everyone time to get off the ship yet, and those people haven't vacated their parking spaces.

 

I drive my daughter to work at the port and at 8:45 I see a huge line of people waiting to check in. It's ridiculous. There's no need to get there that early. Go to the diner or something. Give the people who are departing a chance to leave the facility, and you'll find parking.

[steveru621]

Drop off your luggage before you try to park.  Get there after 11AM.

[mjkacmom]

21 hours ago, yogimax said:

There are actually more than one surface lot.  Some will have shuttle buses (a hassle).

 

For the price charged, RCCL should do better.

It’s the NY/NJ port authority, I lived 20 miles from the port for over 50 years and didn’t know it was a cruise port until 15 years ago. I don’t think NJ particularly cares about it. And the costs are in range for the area.

[happytocruiseginny]

16 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

It’s the NY/NJ port authority, I lived 20 miles from the port for over 50 years and didn’t know it was a cruise port until 15 years ago. I don’t think NJ particularly cares about it. And the costs are in range for the area.

We have only been there once so far but we got there between 10:15 & 10:30 & there wasn’t a problem parking in the garage - when we came down in the elevator we weren’t sure where to go as there were people milling around everywhere but we asked a porter & they pointed us in the right direction.  And yes, we dropped our luggage off & then parked as we do at other ports.   Worked great.

[meadowlander]

13 hours ago, happytocruiseginny said:

We have only been there once so far but we got there between 10:15 & 10:30 & there wasn’t a problem parking in the garage - when we came down in the elevator we weren’t sure where to go as there were people milling around everywhere but we asked a porter & they pointed us in the right direction.  And yes, we dropped our luggage off & then parked as we do at other ports.   Worked great.

You selected a good arrival time. Arriving at Cape Liberty before 10:30 will greatly lessen the traffic approaching the terminal that builds from 11 am onward, being the road is only 1 lane which expands to 2 when the terminal building is in sight. Cars are stopped prior to the terminal by port employees then directed to the luggage zone, which does not have to be utilized but must be driven through to park in the garage or surface lots.

 

Of the multiple times I have parked in the garage only once were both elevators working. If, as usual, only 1 elevator is working, there will be a line to use that elevator upon disembarkation or skip the line and use the stairway.

[happytocruiseginny]

2 hours ago, meadowlander said:

You selected a good arrival time. Arriving at Cape Liberty before 10:30 will greatly lessen the traffic approaching the terminal that builds from 11 am onward, being the road is only 1 lane which expands to 2 when the terminal building is in sight. Cars are stopped prior to the terminal by port employees then directed to the luggage zone, which does not have to be utilized but must be driven through to park in the garage or surface lots.

 

Of the multiple times I have parked in the garage only once were both elevators working. If, as usual, only 1 elevator is working, there will be a line to use that elevator upon disembarkation or skip the line and use the stairway.

Yes - stairway is always an option if elevators are slow but if you haven’t dropped off your luggage it’s not fun - 

[Cher222]

Any idea what surface lot they use for the Celebrity Eclipse leaving on Sundays? Hoping it doesn't require the shuttle! Thanks!

[The Fun Researcher]

On 6/26/2024 at 2:34 AM, happytocruiseginny said:

We have only been there once so far but we got there between 10:15 & 10:30 & there wasn’t a problem parking in the garage - when we came down in the elevator we weren’t sure where to go as there were people milling around everywhere but we asked a porter & they pointed us in the right direction.  And yes, we dropped our luggage off & then parked as we do at other ports.   Worked great.

We are 50/50.  March 2023 we had a 10:30 arrival and parked in the garage.  This time, June 2024, same 10:30 arrival and had to park in the surface lots.

[baileymouse]

On 6/27/2024 at 10:00 PM, The Fun Researcher said:

We are 50/50.  March 2023 we had a 10:30 arrival and parked in the garage.  This time, June 2024, same 10:30 arrival and had to park in the surface lots.

In March there's only 1 ship, in June, there's 3. That's the difference. 

[The Fun Researcher]

5 hours ago, baileymouse said:

In March there's only 1 ship, in June, there's 3. That's the difference. 

Great info. Thanks. We will be sailing out of Bayonne March next year on the Odyssey so hopefully we get into the parking garage then as well.