CAPE LIBERTY 411 (and NYC too) Version 4!!

Anyone know how/where to buy wine after flying into Newark before our cruise? We are staying one night at the Staten Island Garden Inn. We had planned to get some at the airport at Vino Volo but they do not have a location there.

 

Margee

If you want wine, you're going to have to pay for a cab from the Hilton Garden to a local place that sells wine. The Hilton Garden is in a lovely setting, but it is in the middle of nowhere in a wooded corporate park. Another possibility is that their hotel shuttle can take you someplace local.

Perhaps someone from Staten Island can offer nearby suggestions.

We want to book a car service from our hotel to the port, thinking about Dial 7. How far in advance of the cruise should we book?

Your cruise is not that far away. You're thinking about it now, so I don't see any downside to booking it now.

Thanks, reservations are made.

Thanks also for all the helpful advice you provide.

Thanks for the help, 138east. We will just tough it out. Might try buying a couple bottles from the hotel, if they have a bar.

Margee

Since we are driving down from central New York State and will probably be coming into the Newark-Bayonne area on 95 south, then going across the bridge the next day to Cape liberty, looks like the Hilton Doubletree Airport inn might be a very convenient place to spend the night before our cruise.

Checked the price and with tax, etc. looks like about $200.

However! Because we just paid for a night at a Hilton in Worcester for a visit there next month in advance to get a lower rate, that put our Hilton Honors points over the 20,000 mark so using those Hilton points, our night at the Doubletree will only cost us for a night parking our car in their lot plus whatever we spend on drinks and food at the bar. :) Now aren't we special? :D

This may be more for the Celebrity area but does anyone know what hotels Celebrity typically uses for its pre-cruise stay in/near Bayonne for the Bermuda cruises? Trying to find out info on the hotels to see if we are better arranging stuff on our own or just showing up and letting someone else take care of us. :confused:

We are booked through Celebrity for one night pre cruise at the Newark Hilton Penn Station. With tax and transfer to the ship it was $140 pp.

Since we are driving down from central New York State and will probably be coming into the Newark-Bayonne area on 95 south, then going across the bridge the next day to Cape liberty, looks like the Hilton Doubletree Airport inn might be a very convenient place to spend the night before our cruise.

 

Checked the price and with tax, etc. looks like about $200.

 

However! Because we just paid for a night at a Hilton in Worcester for a visit there next month in advance to get a lower rate, that put our Hilton Honors points over the 20,000 mark so using those Hilton points, our night at the Doubletree will only cost us for a night parking our car in their lot plus whatever we spend on drinks and food at the bar. :) Now aren't we special? :D

A free room is a free room. Congratulations.

We are booked through Celebrity for one night pre cruise at the Newark Hilton Penn Station. With tax and transfer to the ship it was $140 pp.

That's pretty good for that Hilton. Is it one way or round trip port transportation?

Celebrity quoted me that one as well. .transfer is hotel to ship only..offered us to buy the 29pp transfer from ship to airport after the cruise. Also DH looked and that hotel had reports of bed bugs. Eww

We are booked through Celebrity for one night pre cruise at the Newark Hilton Penn Station. With tax and transfer to the ship it was $140 pp.

One way transfer from hotel to ship.

Celebrity quoted me that one as well. .transfer is hotel to ship only..offered us to buy the 29pp transfer from ship to airport after the cruise. Also DH looked and that hotel had reports of bed bugs. Eww

We are planning a trip in August on the Anthem and following this thread for research. Staying for 5 days to tour NY and Area before the cruise and saw this on the Hilton. I did do some research and there is more then one report on TripAdvisor and other websites overs a period of several months. Not putting this on my list. We are looking to either stay in NJ and "PATH" to NY or NY and Car Service to Port. So we are finding good info here. Too soon to make firm plans have two cruises and a trip to China first.

I certainly hope the Hilton Penn Station is not as indicated. Many on this board have stayed and have recommended it. We will be staying 2 nights pre-cruise and are gold members using points. TA ranks it #7 out of 16 hotels in Newark. Any hotel you stay at has a potential for bed bugs and the beds should be checked each time you enter a hotel room. Lift the matress and check around the headboard and do this even before you enter with your luggage. If you suspect anything, let the hotel manager know. I am sure they will offer you an alternative room. I am not expecting much of this hotel but for lack of finding something better, it is here we will stay. Then it's onto the most beautiful ship on the sea, the Anthem!

I certainly hope the Hilton Penn Station is not as indicated. Many on this board have stayed and have recommended it. We will be staying 2 nights pre-cruise and are gold members using points. TA ranks it #7 out of 16 hotels in Newark. Any hotel you stay at has a potential for bed bugs and the beds should be checked each time you enter a hotel room. Lift the matress and check around the headboard and do this even before you enter with your luggage. If you suspect anything, let the hotel manager know. I am sure they will offer you an alternative room. I am not expecting much of this hotel but for lack of finding something better, it is here we will stay. Then it's onto the most beautiful ship on the sea, the Anthem!

HI: We are on the Anthem after you and we have "talked" before. We are booking this hotel cause flying in Thurs night to Newark and hotel will pick us up. Then have all day Friday to see NYC. NJ transit station right at hotel and goes to central Manhattan or the Path train that goes to lower Manhattan. Flight home to MSP does not leave till 6:30pm. Thinking of taking the tour after the cruise cause they drive you around to sights and take you to the airport. Any suggestions? Thank you

Hey vettprincess! How are the plans comming? Just booked our iFly session on Anthem and are getting excited for November. Hope the Hilton works out for us. Have you planned how you are getting from the hotel to port on sail day? Great hearing from you again.

We are driving from Boston to Cape Liberty on 8/13/115 and heard there is heavy construction going on at exit 14 A. Can any confirm this and if so is there a detour we can use Thanks

Hopefully someone who has been there within the last two weeks will comment.

There is really no satisfactory alternative route. The local routes through Jersey City are affected by the Pulaski Skyway closure. What time were you planning on arriving? Do you have the " cars only" directions through NYC?

we plan on being in that area around 10:30-11 and don't have the cars only directions where can they be found thanks

Directions from Mass

If you come out the Mass Pike, you pick up I84 west in Auburn and I91 south in Hartford. You take exit 17 marked W Cross Parkway. This becomes the Merritt Parkway at Milford.

If you come down I95 there is a cutover to the Merritt at Milford CT exit 38. At Rye NY there is another cutover to the Hutchinson River Parkway South exit 21 immediately after exit 2 in CT (no exit 1). You This cutover is longer than the one at Milford and involves getting off onto I287 West and following the signs to the Merritt/Hutch. You get off onto a service road, go through a few lights and take the turn for the Hutch south.

The Merritt Pkwy becomes the Hutchinson River Pkwy at the NY/CT line. From the Hutch take exit 15 in New Rochelle to get on the Cross County Pkwy. Stay in the middle left lane, which will become the left lane when the road "scrunches". This leads onto the Saw Mill River Pkwy South which becomes the Henry Hudson Pkwy at the NYC line ($5 toll - if no EZPass they will bill you in the mail and you need to pay it!). The toll is worth every penny.

You take the George Washington Bridge exit and slide over to the middle left lane. Follow the NJ Turnpike signs. When you get on the turnpike, follow the first set of Lincoln Tunnel signs to get on the eastern spur of the turnpike, but don't get off at the actual tunnel exit. Continue on to exit 14-14A-14B-14C and follow the signs to exit 14A.

The are no trucks on this route from Meriden CT to the GW Bridge and you will avoid any traffic issues on the Cross Bronx Expressway or the intersection with I87.

At exit 14A please follow these directions. Others have followed them successfully. The signage is poor. There are lots of choices and you have to make a quick decision as to where you are going. For a first timer there's not time to stop and try to spot the correct little sign and I'm not sure the names of all the streets are clearly marked. GPS is not 100% reliable in this area.

The ramp is straight across the toll plaza. Here's a video. No real street signs.

After you pay your toll you go straight across the toll plaza and get on a 2 lane ramp that goes up and curves left. This is hard to miss. On the ramp you stay on the right and make the first right, stay to the right and make another right. You will come to the light at route 440 where you will make a left, stay left, and make a left at the first light onto Goldsborough Drive. Route 440 is a four lane divided highway. You can only turn left at a traffic light - going south the first light is now at Goldsborough Drive. The left turn into the port used to be at Port Terminal Blvd (and it still is coming the other way), but they shut down that turn fairly recently and made Goldsborough Drive the main port access road coming from the north. Goldsborough Drive will merge with Port Terminal Blvd. You will be able to see the ship and you just follow the crowd about 2 miles out to the ship.

Carol, I don't recall. Is the the left onto Goldsborough Drive really a 'left turn', and not a 'jug-handle'?

(I was going to say 'really a left, right?') :D

We are driving from Boston to Cape Liberty on 8/13/115 and heard there is heavy construction going on at exit 14 A. Can any confirm this and if so is there a detour we can use Thanks

The construction is long term. They are expanding the exit. The patterns change day to day, so there is no way to predict what the traffic will be like at 14A. As I have posted on this thread and some others before, the delays at the time of day that most people will be arriving in Bayonne are usually not substantial. This is still the best way to Cape Liberty coming from anywhere in New Jersey.

Carol' date=' I don't recall. Is the the left onto Goldsborough Drive really a 'left turn', and not a 'jug-handle'?

 

(I was going to say 'really a left, right?') :D[/quote']

 

Right, it's really a left. Seriously, the short version is straight across the toll plaza onto the up ramp. First right, second right, left at the light, left at the light. Here's the video -

thanks 138 for the directions and everyone else for the bayonne info

We are booked through Celebrity for one night pre cruise at the Newark Hilton Penn Station. With tax and transfer to the ship it was $140 pp.

That's STILL high....it's 280 bucks for 1 night for 2 people? with tax and transfers?

99% of the time cruise lines quote PER PERSON, not PER ROOM.....

Carol or any other Cape Liberty guru:

We'll be driving in from the west, specifically from northeast PA via I-80. I know this question has probably been answered, but I can't seem to find the answer.

Ye Olde Google Maps is suggesting the following route:

1. I-80 East to I-287 South
   
2. I-287 South to NJ Route 24 East
   
3. NJ Route 24 East to I-78 East
   
4. I-78 East to Exit 14A
   

From Exit 14A, we would follow your excellent directions.

Is this route correct, or do you suggest something else?