deladaff

We have a B2B on the Mardi Gras beginning on Saturday. I have been researching off-site parking and found a place called Go Port located about 15 minutes away from the cruise terminal. They charge by the person instead of by the day, which is a bit strange, but ok.. It will be $85 for the two weeks, and they shuttle you back and forth. I think we are going to go with them. Since we are not on any kind of time deadline for airline flights and so forth, we don't need to rush. 

If anyone reading this has had experience with this company, any information would be appreciated. 

goport.com 

We are sailing the Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral in January and are considering GoPort. How long is the shuttle ride from parking to port? Also, about how long did you wait for the shuttle ride back to the parking location?

Thanks!

We have sailed many times out of Baltimore and have never had problems with their handling of our checked luggage. Even though they deliver it and set it outside your cabin door, I don’t think anybody is going to bother it. Most people are so excited to be on board and want to start having fun! My only time going to the naughty room was in September on the Pride. I usually use TSA approved locks because I just assume they have the universal key. However, this time I guess they didn’t. They x-rayed and thought I had a prohibited candle. I went down so they could open in my presence.  Meanwhile I was scratching my head trying to figure out how I got into trouble. Hearty was the laughter when they discovered my “candle” was a Renuzit air freshener for the bathroom. 🤣 I suppose the moral of the story is put your Renuzit in your carry-on if you want your luggage by dinner time. 

Jan 20 and Jan 26, 2019 B2B to celebrate 50th wedding anniversary. We have sailed Oasis and Allure and skipped Harmony. We’re looking forward to seeing any changes/improvements.

Coco Cay News

According to today's press release concerning RCCL's agreement with the Bahamian government: "the cruise line confirmed plans for a significant investment in major enhancements to CocoCay – its private island destination in The Bahamas – which will include the construction of a pier, additional guest features and amenities, and new opportunities for vendors and craftsmen to promote the culture of The Bahamas to visitors."

"Will include", however, doesn't give a time frame or the type of pier, so it's still tenders susceptible to wind and weather for the time being.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/royal-caribbean-finalizes-agreement-with-the-bahamas-to-grow-tourism-to-the-destination-300420341.html

OP needed info on Cape Liberty hotels and cruiseport.

A couple years ago we stayed overnight at the Residence Inn near the Newark airport. Since we planned to drive to the terminal ourselves, we did not ask about shuttle transportation. A hearty breakfast is included, and there is a good restaurant for dinner within a ten minute walk.

However, the parking situation at the terminal is greatly improved since then. If you change your mind and decide to park at the terminal, check out this info page: http://www.cruiseliberty.com/directions_parking.html

We came off the Grandeur on Jan 30. The ramp is still not repaired. Passengers now enter on Deck 1, which used to be the boarding entrance for handicapped. It's just like reboarding the ship after a port-of-call visit. It's actually a lot easier than walking up the back-and-forth ramp from before.

I just read an earlier post from someone who was dissatisfied with their to/from port shuttle experience with the Hilton Garden Inn at Ridgefield Park. I am hoping someone with recent experience with their Park and Cruise Plan could answer a few questions as we are considering this hotel for our March cruise. There are 4 of us, and we would need two rooms.

1. Does each of the couples have to book the park and cruise room rate? We would like to book one room at the P&C rate and one room at the Senior's rate and split the difference. The person I spoke to at the hotel yesterday said the person paying for the P&C rate would tell the shuttle scheduler at check-in there would be 4 people to ride and so the second couple would be included with no extra charge. I want to know if anybody was actually able to do this, as he said it would cost $85 pp to schedule the transfer independent of P&C cruise rate.

2. Does the hotel use shuttles or private car service?How big are the cars or shuttle vans and is there enough room for luggage? One of our cruisemates consistently overpacks. :eek:

3. Do you know long it takes to get to the terminal from the hotel on Sundays? We will be cruising Sunday to Sunday.

4. Do you have to call the hotel on disembarkation day to tell the vans to come, or do they know already what time to be there?

Thanks in advance.

One of my friends who cruises in the winter always stays at the Holiday Inn Express Baltimore. She says it's a great value for a park & cruise deal.

http://www.hiebaltimorehotel.com/baltimore-cruise-port

We usually just drive in from Delaware.

Excellent directions. Must bump this up.

Here is a good page with lots of information about the Cape Liberty cruise terminal:

http://www.cruiseliberty.com/directions_parking.html

We stayed overnight at the Residence Inn Newark by the airport back in Feb 2015 because the weather was going to be freezing rain the morning of departure. We didn't want to drive up from Delaware in that kind of weather. I don't know if they have a park and stay package since we planned to park our car at the terminal. It was a nice place to stay with a filling free breakfast in the morning and restaurant within walking distance (less than 10 minutes) for dinner.

BTW, parking at the terminal at Bayonne is now in a covered multi-level garage with easy in and out. You may drop off your passengers and then park. The rate is $20 a day. http://www.cruiseliberty.com/directions_parking.html

Walking from the garage, you can see handy restrooms on the left just before you enter the embarkation terminal. If you are sailing the Anthem of the Seas, look for the attendants in blue blazers who are carrying IPads. They can process you in and even take your picture for your Set Sail pass so you can bypass check-in after security.

I suppose the biggest draw for us is short driving distance to the Port of Baltimore; however, of the two brands that sail out of Baltimore, the Grandeur is by far our favorite.

We've been on the bigger ships and have enjoyed them, but Lady Grandeur has a charm all her own, already described very well in the preceding posts.

When I go to sea, I want to feel the ship moving in the water. I want to look out the windows when I am walking in the public spaces and see waves. I want to be rocked to sleep at night. I want to hear the swish of the water on the bow when we stay in ocean-view cabins on Deck 4. I want to get to know our waiters--their families, where they come from, how long they have been at sea, etc. On the Grandeur, I have all of that and then some. Even for My Time Diners, it's possible to request the same waiter and table each night. The staff is very friendly and will do all they can to please the guests.

The Atrium on Deck 4 is the hub of the daily entertainment on board during sea days. Here you will find line dance classes, battle of the sexes contests, cooking demos (hilarious), great dancing at night, and relaxing pre-dinner music for enjoying a cocktail or glass of wine. It almost never feels crowded except for 1) the Fabulous Disco Fever Party and 2) the Exquisite Aerial Show.

The Schooner Bar is one of the most pleasant I have seen. Rather than being situated in a windowless alcove above a noisy Promenade (a la Oasis and Allure), it's located on the way to the Pacific Lounge and is full of windows. All the trivia games are played there. It's a nice place to relax and watch the waves. Speaking of relaxing and watching the waves, the Viking Crown Lounge on the top deck is a perfect spot for quiet reading and people watching during the day. At night, that's a different story, but it is a disco. :)

Spending time in the Solarium is a favorite pastime of ours, from eating breakfast or lunch in the Park Cafe, to lounging in the chairs reading and people watching. The pool is pretty small, but deep enough that a person can do some serious water aerobic exercises if desired.

I didn't mean this to be a review as such, but I did want to write down why we like the Grandeur and plan to sail her often.

Hi Radio,

We are going onboard just after you get off next week. So far everything looks terrific.

I do have a question, though, that I hope you or someone who has already sailed QOS can answer. Our group of three couples (very lively 60+ year olds) love to dance. Are there places on board that stay open late (disco, etc) for us to move and groove?

Thanks bunches!