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Best time to get to Cape Liberty port to avoid lines


Rocky123
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Hi,

 

I will be leaving on a sold out cruise on the EOS out of Cape Liberty Port, NJ in April and I'm wondering when is the best time to arrive so I can avoid some of the lines and traffic getting in to the pier.

 

I live very close to Cape Liberty...

 

Thanks,

 

Rocky

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We have left from Bayonne a total of 6 times and arrive between 11:30 and 12:00 and been on the ship within a half hour of arrival. Those who say Bayonne is disorganised and would nevr cruise from there have probably never been there or have arrived at 9am when the previous cruise is still disembarking.:D

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Don't be put off by the traffic going into Cape Liberty. Once you get out of the car, things move at a good pace. There is a comfortable waiting room with refreshments where you wait for your bus to the ship. Boarding is usually painless unless there is a wedding. That delays boarding by about 15 to 30 minutes.

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We got there around 10, baggage dropped off, parked and checked in by 1030. Disembarkation of the previous cruise was slow, so we didn't get on until just after noon. Bring a book just in case.

 

I have cruised out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. This was easy, well organized and probably our quickest check in yet. Everyone was extremely friendly!

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We got there around 10, baggage dropped off, parked and checked in by 1030. Disembarkation of the previous cruise was slow, so we didn't get on until just after noon. Bring a book just in case.

 

I have cruised out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. This was easy, well organized and probably our quickest check in yet. Everyone was extremely friendly!

 

I think Cape Liberty is great - I would rather get there early and sit in the waiting area then sit in traffic in the one way/out roadway! 10:30 is always my target time.

Edited by LovesCruising
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When are you sailing? We're booked on the April 12th, our 6th time on the Explorer. We also get to the port between 10:30 and 11:00 and are enjoying lunch in the Windjammer, with a seat by the window, by noon. If you haven't already, sign up for your Meet and Mingle. Lots of nice fellow cruisers to answer any and all questions. Happy sailing.

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Agree. We always get there and drop off our luggage at 10:30, then get the best parking spot right up in the front row by the terminal.

After we park, we take our time checking in, there's not much of a crowd. Always on the ship by noon the latest.

I've stood on my balcony and watched everyone else arrive, the long lines of cars, etc,.

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Whether coming by personal vehicle or private car/shuttle service, the roads leading into the pier can get crowded around 12:00 until embarkation. We parked near EWR, and took a shuttle to the pier around 9:30-10:00, and traffic was starting to back up when we arrive at the port. We had a bit of a wait to get onboard, but the traffic was horrendous looking out from Windjammers at those just arriving.

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I will see you there!

 

Hi Regina,

 

I guess I will see you again. We booked the cruise this morning. This time I am leaving Donnie home and traveling with my girlfriend. Donnie is glad to get rid of me for a while.

 

Barbara

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Whether coming by personal vehicle or private car/shuttle service, the roads leading into the pier can get crowded around 12:00 until embarkation. We parked near EWR, and took a shuttle to the pier around 9:30-10:00, and traffic was starting to back up when we arrive at the port. We had a bit of a wait to get onboard, but the traffic was horrendous looking out from Windjammers at those just arriving.

 

Could you provide more details for this please? Was it airport parking? Was the shuttle free? Does it take you right to the port? What is the name of the parking area? TIA!

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Could you provide more details for this please?

 

Was it airport parking? Most of the airport parking discussed on this board is the park/sleeps at various hotels.

 

Was the shuttle free? None of the shuttles are really "free" except maybe the Hampton Inn on Staten Island. Some hotels offer cruise packages but you pay for the shuttle through a higher room rate.

 

Two parking areas offer "free" shuttles - Park2Go in Elizabeth and Premier in Bayonne. Park2Go ends up being almost the same price as parking at the pier. Premier is new and has a limited track record.

 

Does it take you right to the port? Shuttles drop you off right at the porters at the cruise terminal.

 

What is the name of the parking area? TIA!

 

Are you llooking for a hotel as well? Tell us your cruise date, number of people, budget and any other considerations and we'll describe the options available to you. There are a number of choices out there that we don't recommend - Newark is a highly urban area and you must be selective about where you stay and/or leave your car.

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Are you llooking for a hotel as well? Tell us your cruise date, number of people, budget and any other considerations and we'll describe the options available to you. There are a number of choices out there that we don't recommend - Newark is a highly urban area and you must be selective about where you stay and/or leave your car.

 

Thanks 138East, I think we'll just park at the port. No, we are not needing a hotel as we are driving over from Pennsylvania. Only a 3 hour drive. I never thought of looking for options for port parking before this cruise as I didn't realize there were any. The more I think about the hassle of finding a parking option then waiting for a shuttle both on embarkation and disembarkation, its not worth the hassle to save a few bucks.

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Personally, I agree with you, but many folks will put up with the hassle of the shuttles to save a few bucks. The experiences vary widely - it was just fine for some folks and a huge time trasher for others.

 

The park/sleeps operate a bit differently - you arrange your own transportation at your convenience. There are options to share rides and reduce costs because other cruisers will be doing the same park/sleep.

 

There is just no easy answer for Bayonne - it is what it is, but IMO it's a lot better than dealing with Manhattan.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Sailing out of Port Liberty very nearly put me off cruising with Royal Caribbean for life. A disgraceful experience. Queued for an hour on the terminal 1 way system, waited the same in the freezing cold outside dodging the forklift trucks, the same again at the "fast track" crown and anchor check in. To add insult to injury the porters hustled for tips like the very best in the world.

 

Compare that to somewhere like Southampton in the UK! Even Miami is in a different league. All this talk of arriving at 10.30 goes totally against the wishes of Royal Caribbean and leaves no time for the hard working turn around crews to work their magic. You won't get your cabin for probably 3 hours or more, in the winter it is freezing outside so nothing to do but sit in the windjammer. Hardly living the dream!

 

A cruise terminal should be judged on how well it performs from 12.00 until 4.00pm the time when you are supposed to arrive and when most guests will pass through its halls. New York Port Liberty falls squarely on its backside during those hours as has been confirmed by a number of mentions of horrific queues, and that's just the road to get to where the queuing officially starts :(

 

Henry

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After getting to the port, we need to take a shuttle bus to the ship??

 

yes...it is about 2-3 minutes...and the buses are nice, flexible buses borrowed from Rutgers University...you can't walk to the ship...1) it's too far and 2) it is dangerous due to the heavy truck traffic, coupled with the crazy NJ drivers....

 

it really is NOT bad....and the terminal, despite its lack of beauty really is not horrible...contrary to what many think.....

 

Porters do NOT hustle for tips, and Cape Liberty is in New Jersey, not New York...

Edited by megr1125
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it really is NOT bad....and the terminal, despite its lack of beauty really is not horrible...contrary to what many think.....

 

Porters do NOT hustle for tips, and Cape Liberty is in New Jersey, not New York...

 

 

We will have to agree to disagree. If you live in New York then it probably makes sense to put up with the queues because it will still be quicker than flying to Miami - just;) . As an international traveller who has a choice given we will be making a journey wherever we sail from in the US I'm afraid New York loses out by a country mile and it is a shame that it is such a terrible experience because I can fly 1st class from London to New York much cheaper than anywhere else in the USA. There are loads of flights and free air miles flights are readily available on virtually any given day.

 

As for hustling, well I say as I see. There was a definite gangster / union feel to the porters. When I pointed out that there was signage stating tipping was discretionary and given the fact we were being treated like cattle I was choosing not to tip I was left in no uncertainty as to where I luggage would end up (or rather not end up) were we to take our chances and follow the advice of said signs.

 

Sailing out of Southampton in the UK you would have to go out of your way to try and tip someone. None are expected or required. I appreciate America and the UK have very different attitudes to tipping but Miami seems to manage to releive you of your dollars in a less threatening way.

 

As I say it is a real shame given the ease of flying into New York for us Brits.

 

 

Henry :)

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