Cape Liberty/Bayonne 411 - New and Improved!

[138east]

No problem. You should bid on a 3*+ hotel in Secaucus. I'm seeing one on Hotwire for $76 on 6/9. It shows golf as an amenity, so it's probably the Sheraton. There's probably something similar available on Priceline.

[geomarc]

Start there with my blog...and then come here with your questions...

 

You said: Wyndham Garden Newark Airport -kind of old -was something else...NOTHING around.

 

Is this still accurate? We are considering this property pre-cruise.

 

Thanks.

[justcake]

Carol, Thanks again for all your help, and everyone else who has helped ! It seems now my husband is wanting to drive to Cape Liberty, so we can get there early and leave from the port and we will not have to wait on a shuttle. So now I'm at square one again trying to find the best deal on a hotel that is close to the port and that is not going to break the bank!

Thanks alot!:)

 

Although cruising out of Brooklyn, we had the same issue; leave the car at the hotel or drive to the port. We finally took greatam's advice and decided to drive to the port and book a hotel through Priceline. We have never done this before and although initially apprehensive we ended up with a hotel in Secaucus for only $70. The cost with the hotel for the same room was $162! We are very happy with the choice. Go ahead and try Priceline to get an affordable hotel.

[138east]

geomarc - here's a thread about Wyndham Gardens - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1111295&highlight=wyndham+garden Since you are probably flying in, just remember that you will be a prisoner of the property you select unless you stay at a hotel on Glimcher Realty Way, which is next to the Jersey Gardens Mall, Ruby Tuesday's, and a new IHOP.

 

Note: We are not recommending that folks use Priceline or Hotwire for Newark Airport.

[AAAAmerican]

Hi 138east,

 

Secaucus is a rather small town in Hudson County, NJ. Yes it is open on Sundays not like our County of Bergen of the 21 in NJ.

 

Secaucus is actually on the busiest traffic'ed Roadway in the World. NJ Rt.3 and I-495

 

 

Hotels there are well lets say not an easy access really and most are off road.

 

It does have easy access to the NJ Turnpike too. The sports stadiums in Bergen County at E. Rutherford...etc.. even the Port ( MOTBY ) in Bayonne which has its own NJTPK Entrance.

 

Jersey City Next door to Bayonne has great Hotels and easy access to NYC Transportation right across the river and Light Rail...etc..

 

Newark and the City of Elizabeth have better Car/Vehicle Parking/Ride systems by shuttles too.

 

Secaucus has a Mass transit ( BUS ) Park and Ride Commuter lot and Multi-Billion Dollar ( Very UnUsed )TAX-Payers paid ...Train Terminal now.

 

Why doesn't Secaucus have the Parking and Shuttles Newark/Elizabeth do?

 

Easily said..they don't have to.

 

Even along NJ Rt 3 they have facilities with rooms by the hour..*YIKES* for just cat naps..

 

Hyatt in Jersey City,Hudson County, NJ

gives the same benefits to frequent users as the NYC Properties but about 60 % less in the rates..and NYC is only a quick 6-10 min ride from it...

 

So getting the best for less IMHO is always the best...;)

 

 

 

 

 

None of the Secaucus hotels seem to offer an official park/sleep. Somebody posted that they were able to arrange to leave their car at Hyatt Place when cruising out of NY.

 

For Nov. 27 www.trinityreservations.com is showing the Fairfield Inn at $106 including taxes with 14 days parking. So for $206-$216 you can get a room, park your car, and pay for transportation to the port. But I thought you got an even better deal at Hilton Gardens? Are you still undecided?

[138east]

AAAAmerican - we try to explore all these possibilities with folks depending on what their vision of coming to the NY area is. The reality is that folks driving from less urban areas to cruise out of Bayonne are often not prepared for the reality of the NY metropolitan area. Many folks confess that they have never been on buses, trains or subways. Although the Newark Airport area is closer to Bayonne, the hotels are basically transient hotels catering to air travelers. If folks are flying into Newark, it often doesn't make any economic sense for them to pay for a car service to Secaucus or Jersey City if they are cruising from Cape Liberty. The Jersey City hotels are frequently offered at a spectacular discount with a cost of $1.75 to get to Herald Square as quickly as from a high priced NY hotel. But this is a hard sell. If folks are driving to the area and want to park at Cape Liberty, staying in Secaucus makes more sense because the roads around Newark Airport are a nightmare, the area is what I describe as "highly urban", and there are almost no restaurant amenities. If folks are driving to the area and want a sleep/park, there are several reasonable options at Newark Airport and Staten Island. It all boils down to a choice among time, money, and stress.

[geomarc]

AAAAmerican, I never gave it a thought, but after viewing the pictures at the bottom of your post, will we be passing the Statue of Liberty as we sail from Cape Liberty?? :o

[138east]

You will pass the SOL, but it will be about a mile away. Nothing like the posted pictures.

[MidwestOcean]

geomarc - here's a thread about Wyndham Gardens - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1111295&highlight=wyndham+garden Since you are probably flying in, just remember that you will be a prisoner of the property you select unless you stay at a hotel on Glimcher Realty Way, which is next to the Jersey Gardens Mall, Ruby Tuesday's, and a new IHOP.

 

Note: We are not recommending that folks use Priceline or Hotwire for Newark Airport.

 

Can I ask why you are not recommending Priceline or Hotwire for the Newark Airport? My current plan was to fly into EWR from Chicago on Sept 1. I was going to Priceline or Hotwire a couple of rooms near the airport for our group of 4. Then cab or car service to the port for our cruise on the 2nd. Wondering why I should rethink that method of booking a hotel. Thanks for all your great tips and advice.

[138east]

The hotels at Newark Airport are transient hotels in a highly urban area. Most hotels are in isolated pockets around the airport and some do not have real restaurant services, so you must resort to take out. If you have no car, you are essentially a prisoner of the hotel property. This can be a rude awakening for folks coming in from less populated areas of the country that have nice "budget" motel choices near their airports. With Priceline or Hotwire there are no guarantees, so you are really taking a chance that the hotel will not live up to your expectations. The star ratings are not consistent. Forget the 2* hotels. On Hotwire there is one 2.5* hotel (Country Inns) that is very good, but the other options are not. Same with the 3* category. You probably won't go wrong in a 3.5* category, but you could get the Hilton at Newark Penn Station, which is a very nice hotel, but it's in downtown Newark instead of at the airport.

 

Your date is Sept 1 and you are 4 people. What is your budget? One or two rooms? What time of day do you arrive? We frequently recommend the hotels on Glimcher Realty Way because of their proximity to Jersey Gardens Mall (shops, movies, food court), Ruby Tuesday's (not very good), and a new IHOP.

[Packing Light]

138East gave me some good advice and I wound up booking the Residence Inn (by Marriott) on Glimcher Realty Way. I spoke with the reservation desk and they said it is within walking distance to the mall, the Ruby Tuesday and the IHOP. The reason I chose the Residence Inn is because the ratings on Trip Advisor were the highest for the 11 rated hotels in the Elizabeth, NJ area. It offered free breakfast, free shuttle to & from airport and a reasonable rate. The hotel was apparently recently renovated. I am only there one night precruise so I am sure it will be fine.

 

There were a couple very poor reviewson Trip Advisor for the Country Inn (Feb 20, Feb 21 & Feb 24 of this year) so I did not want to chance that hotel although some people posting on this site did like the Country Inn. Since the Residence Inn was rated higher, I decided to go with it. I have found that Trip Advisor is very helpful in narrowing down hotels and has not been wrong with helping me make a selection.

[MidwestOcean]

The hotels at Newark Airport are transient hotels in a highly urban area. Most hotels are in isolated pockets around the airport and some do not have real restaurant services, so you must resort to take out. If you have no car, you are essentially a prisoner of the hotel property. This can be a rude awakening for folks coming in from less populated areas of the country that have nice "budget" motel choices near their airports. With Priceline or Hotwire there are no guarantees, so you are really taking a chance that the hotel will not live up to your expectations. The star ratings are not consistent. Forget the 2* hotels. On Hotwire there is one 2.5* hotel (Country Inns) that is very good, but the other options are not. Same with the 3* category. You probably won't go wrong in a 3.5* category, but you could get the Hilton at Newark Penn Station, which is a very nice hotel, but it's in downtown Newark instead of at the airport.

 

Your date is Sept 1 and you are 4 people. What is your budget? One or two rooms? What time of day do you arrive? We frequently recommend the hotels on Glimcher Realty Way because of their proximity to Jersey Gardens Mall (shops, movies, food court), Ruby Tuesday's (not very good), and a new IHOP.

 

I will be booking two rooms. Was shooting for around 100.00/rm including all taxes and fees. I like the Country Inns. Used their shuttle package last year sailing out of Baltimore. However, Elizabeth shuttle package seems a little pricey at the moment and think I can do better with a cab or car service, and I like to get to the pier around 11 am. From previous posts, it appears that the hotel's shuttle is on a later schedule. Our flight arrives at 5:30 pm. Just looking for a place to crash for the night. Our usual routine is just to order in a pizza and sleep, then arrive early on the boat and start our vacation rested. However this time, am taking my mother for her 86th birthday. So I am looking at options and being a little more careful. Thanks again for all your great insights and tips.

[138east]

OK - so you've been to Newark before and have seen the area and have no expectations about sightseeing or upscale restaurant eating. I'm seeing a 3* Newark Airport hotel for $68 on Hotwire. Can't tell what it might be because it doesn't match anything described on betterbidding. It includes breakfast. IMO this would be a reasonable risk.

[IndiansFan24]

Ok - husband and I will be driving from NE Ohio the day prior to our cruise that leaves from Bayonne (Cape Liberty). Because we will be spending the majority of our day driving, our basic plan is to find a decent place to stay where we can kick back and relax. We don't need anything fancy for dinner, but would like a decent restaurant nearby. Recommendations?

 

We still aren't 100% sure if we are going to leave our car at our hotel and take a shuttle to the port or if we will drive directly to the port. I realize there are pros and cons to either method, but would like some feedback from anyone on what your personal thoughts are.

 

Thanks!

 

Tina

[138east]

You're going to have to make a choice. You're not going to get a hotel nearby a decent restaurant and a hotel with shuttle and parking in the same area. Here are the options we have been suggesting.

 

1) Stay in Secaucus. Bid for a 3* room on Priceline or choose from Hotwire. Hotwire is currently showing a 3* at $83 + tax which may be Hyatt Place or La Quinta. Restaurants: http://www.meadowlandslibertycvb.com/list_restaurants.php?list=all Cost would be about $100 for the room and $133 for parking at the port.

 

2) Stay at Country Inns in Elizabeth - $167 incl tax for the sleep/cruise shuttle and $35 to park for the week. Nearby is a Ruby Tuesdays (not good reviews), an IHOP, and a food court in Jersey Gardens Mall. You could drive to restaurants in Newark's Ironbound district, but... you should have a destination with detailed maps. You do not want to get lost in Newark! Cost would be $202 + shuttle tips

 

3) Stay at a park/cruise hotel - www.trinityreservations.com - Fairfield Inn $106 incl tax or Wyndham Gardens $137 incl tax. Make your own car service reservations to Bayonne - $100 + tips. Pick a Newark restaurant and drive to it or do takeout. Cost would be $206 + car service tips.

[Minorhawk]

Any info on Golden Class Limo? I found them online and they seemed reasonable. $75.00 plus tip and toll from LGA to Cape Liberty. Is there someone, close to the same price that you would reccomend over Golden Class?

 

Thanks for all your help.

 

Shelly

[greatam]

Any info on Golden Class Limo? I found them online and they seemed reasonable. $75.00 plus tip and toll from LGA to Cape Liberty. Is there someone, close to the same price that you would reccomend over Golden Class?

 

Thanks for all your help.

 

Shelly

 

$75 + tip and toll = about $110-120 which is about standard price.

 

You will pay for the tolls BOTH ways-$16 PLUS whatever NJ tolls you accrue depending on the route. Tip is 15-20%

 

I use Dial 7. Carmel may or may not be good-they used to be great. Occasional service issues in the last 4 years.

[dennis46]

Hello,

 

My wife and I are cruise out of Bayonne this December 19th for a Holiday cruise. We live in Baltimore and our question concerns Transportation to the Terminal from Baltimore. We were originally going to drive but are searching other options. We heard of a Bus service from Baltimore to the Cruise Terminal on the day of departure. Has anyone used this bus service? Any other thoughts for us?

 

Thanks,

 

Dennis

[138east]

https://www.enttours.com/

[dennis46]

https://www.enttours.com/

 

Have you ever used this service?? Has anyone used it that could give me some feedback, good or bad??

 

Thanks,

 

Dennis

[138east]

I have not used this service, but I know others have. Search the forum to see. I don't think I have seen any negative postings - I have seen some positive postings. The bottom line is that it is a bus (and usually not completely full), so if you can stand traveling by bus it's a good deal, particularly to Cape Liberty. I think for 2 people it's $100/pp, so for most cruises it's highly competitive with the cost of gas, tolls and parking at Cape Liberty.

[dennis46]

I have not used this service, but I know others have. Search the forum to see. I don't think I have seen any negative postings - I have seen some positive postings. The bottom line is that it is a bus (and usually not completely full), so if you can stand traveling by bus it's a good deal, particularly to Cape Liberty. I think for 2 people it's $100/pp, so for most cruises it's highly competitive with the cost of gas, tolls and parking at Cape Liberty.

 

Thanks again for the info. I agree that it does sound like the best deal cost wise!!!

 

I have tried searching for comments on this service but have had no luck!! Do you have a suggestion on where to search and what to put in for the search?? I have tried this thread and all of Cruise Critic using Entertainment tours and Bus transportation from Baltimore to Cape liberty.

 

Thanks,

 

Dennis

[madelinerose]

Thanks again for the info. I agree that it does sound like the best deal cost wise!!!

 

I have tried searching for comments on this service but have had no luck!! Do you have a suggestion on where to search and what to put in for the search?? I have tried this thread and all of Cruise Critic using Entertainment tours and Bus transportation from Baltimore to Cape liberty.

 

Thanks,Dennis

 

Hi Dennis....there used to be more posts on this company, but lately they're few and far between. I plan to check into it from Baltimore to Cape Liberty if I book the Silhouette.

 

From what I understand, once you load your luggage on the bus, the porters take it from there and you don't have to handle it again until it appears in your cabin. Sounds like a winner to me. ;)

 

You may want to give them a call to get a feel for them and report back. I don't think you can book too far in advance, but who knows?

[madelinerose]

OK, I typed Entertainment Tours in the Search:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1146892&highlight=entertainment+tours

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1141404&highlight=entertainment+tours

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=763330&highlight=entertainment+tours

[Dawn65]

I have a question about parking at Bayonne terminal. We went on a cruise from there in 2008 but it seems that parking has gone up. If you use a cab or car service, can they just pick up on the return or is it like the airport where you are the mercy of the awful taxi stand? Are they any other options from central NJ?