CAPE LIBERTY 411 - Version 3!

[candiac]

hi All,

 

Thank you for the great posts. I have enjoyed reading the questions and answers. Made lots of notes.

 

We are scheduled to take Explorer on January 21. Seven of us (six adults and 2 year old) will be driving down from Canada on the 87. We love visiting NYC, but given time of year and baby we thought this time, we would stop on way down at Lake George to hit the outlets and then stay somewhere this side of Port Liberty and drive the final leg in the morning (one or four hours).

 

Any thoughts where we might stay? Budget is $150.00 for each room, pool would be nice, place for dinner nearby. Thoughts?

 

We plan to park the two cars at the port, although I will look into private lots mentioed here.

 

Thank you,

 

Elizabeth

[138east]

I have been reading like crazy here, and thought I would just post my issues:

 

1. Flying into LGA 10/26 (11am) Need hotel for 1 night (would like to stay in NY and do some kind of tour that includes admission to 9-11, and other NY sites)** need hotel that is clean and safe and Under $300 if possible.

 

2. 10/27 need transportaion from NY hotel to Bayonne port for cruise.

 

3. 11/3 need transportaion from port to EWR to fly home.

thanks in advance for all your information, CC is the best!!

 

For your date I am seeing a 3.5* hotel on Hotwire in the Soho/Financial downtown area for $175 + tax. The amenities indicate that this could be one of the two Club Quarters hotels in the downtown area. This would put you close to the 911 memorial (have you tried to get tickets for your date??) and would also put you closer to Cape Liberty via the Holland Tunnel. If you want to go to midtown, there will be excellent subway access from the downtown area to any area in midtown. Remember, wherever you stay in NYC, you will always have to travel to get somewhere else.

 

Try Dial7 or Carmellimo car services to book transportation to Cape Liberty.

 

From Cape Liberty you can get a shuttle to EWR for $16/pp.

[Loralu]

Carol, thank you so much for your help - you are a real gem.

[wolfcathorse]

I tried reading all 49 pages but couldn't. Sorry if this has been addressed.

 

Delta just changed my flight for the 4-5-14 cruise. We are arriving the day of departure (I know, no flames please, we seldom do this) and now we don't land in EWR until 2:01 pm. Do we have time to get a cab to the port?

[138east]

That's way too late. You have to be checked in 90 minutes before sailing. I'd call Delta immediately and I would ask for advice on the cruise air board about strategies for dealing with Delta.

[wolfcathorse]

ok, I'll be flying in the night before arriving around 9:30 pm. Now I need a hotel with a port shuttle. We are cheap, cheap, cheap. I see people advise against the Best Western Plus at the airport but that was a year ago, have things changed?

[138east]

We still don't recommend the Best Western, particularly for leaving cars. However, I have met folks who flew in late and stayed there and it was fine since they just slept there and did not have to wander around the area.

 

What would the BW cost you including shuttle to the pier? Do you pay to get back to the airport? What is your budget?

[wolfcathorse]

We still don't recommend the Best Western, particularly for leaving cars. However, I have met folks who flew in late and stayed there and it was fine since they just slept there and did not have to wander around the area.

 

What would the BW cost you including shuttle to the pier? Do you pay to get back to the airport? What is your budget?

 

Just called the BW. 1 night (Friday nite) 1 bed was $119.99 + tx. Port shuttle was $30 pp.

 

I found a note that a cab from Cape Liberty to EWR was $16 pp. I'm supposed to go to the taxi dispatcher after customs. Cruise Liberty's website says taxis are $17 pp.

 

Black Car Transportation is $55 for 2 (plus tip) from EWR to Cape Liberty. I'll assume its the same from a hotel to Cape Liberty.

[Clarea]

Just called the BW. 1 night (Friday nite) 1 bed was $119.99 + tx. Port shuttle was $30 pp.

 

I found a note that a cab from Cape Liberty to EWR was $16 pp. I'm supposed to go to the taxi dispatcher after customs. Cruise Liberty's website says taxis are $17 pp.

 

Black Car Transportation is $55 for 2 (plus tip) from EWR to Cape Liberty. I'll assume its the same from a hotel to Cape Liberty.

We used Black Car this past August from the Residence Inn in Elizabeth to Cape Liberty, and it was $65, plus tip, for the two of us.

[wolfcathorse]

We used Black Car this past August from the Residence Inn in Elizabeth to Cape Liberty, and it was $65, plus tip, for the two of us.

 

Hmmmmmmmmm, I wonder why he told me $55, unless it was the quality of his cell phone....which is why we refuse to carry one.

[Clarea]

Hmmmmmmmmm, I wonder why he told me $55, unless it was the quality of his cell phone....which is why we refuse to carry one.

Yes, I have a very hard time understanding everything when I call them too.

[138east]

Just called the BW. 1 night (Friday nite) 1 bed was $119.99 + tx. Port shuttle was $30 pp.

 

I found a note that a cab from Cape Liberty to EWR was $16 pp. I'm supposed to go to the taxi dispatcher after customs. Cruise Liberty's website says taxis are $17 pp.

 

Black Car Transportation is $55 for 2 (plus tip) from EWR to Cape Liberty. I'll assume its the same from a hotel to Cape Liberty.

 

Ok - so the Best Western is going to cost $137 incl tax.

 

On aa.com I am seeing the Ramada for $126 incl tax.

On United.com I am seeing the Marriott Courtyard Newark for $118 incl tax.

These hotels do not have free breakfast. You can grab coffee and a muffin in the cafe at the Ramada.

 

These are the least expensive acceptable hotels I can find. I have not included the Staten Island hotels because of your late arrival time. These hotels run 24 hour shuttle services and transport folks all day and all night whereas folks have had problems with getting to Staen Island when later night planes were late.

 

For port transportation get a quote from Independent driver - 888-816-0973

These folks take reservations 4-6 weeks out and are a low frills operation. If you can get more people from your roll call to share the ride, you can cut your cost in half. The last I heard they were charging $45 for up to 4 people.

 

On the way back a shared shuttle to the airport is $16/pp. Private taxis/cars are more in line with the amounts discussed above.

[DC0743]

I had heard that getting a Taxi from Cape Liberty Cruise ship Terminal to Manhattan can be a trying experience so I elected to arrange transportation. I contacted Cape Liberty who quoted me $60 for a shuttle or $99 including tip and tolls for a private vehicle for my wife and I. They gave me a number to text with my debarkation info and a telephone number to call when I collected my luggage. They appeared very professional, with confirmation emails. I texted my debarkation info to them two days before the pick-up and then called them at 09:15 when I had collected my luggage and was waiting for pick-up. I went to the pick-up area and found myself with a growing group of unhappy Cape Liberty Shuttle customers. Two groups had been waiting for over an hour for their shuttles to the airport. After waiting for 45 minutes, I called for the status of our vehicle and was told my car would be their in 10 minutes. 10 minutes later, the shuttle bus did finally show up for one of the airport groups. I asked that driver to check on the status of my vehicle and when he tried to call the dispatcher, there was no answer. He tried to call the company owner and again no answer. 20 minutes later I called again and was told the car would be right there. It wasn’t. While waiting we talked to two women from Canada who had purchased the Shuttle transportation to Manhattan from Cape Liberty Shuttle and had been waiting as long as we had. Finally at 11:00 our car arrived. We asked the driver to check on the status on the Manhattan Shuttle, but he said he could not get a phone signal. When we arrived at the hotel, the driver requested the payment, and so I paid him the full amount. My fault as I got this transport confused with another one we had book and had not pre-paid. When I got home, I realized that I had pre-paid Cape Liberty. When I requested reimbursement, Cape Liberty’s response was “too bad”.

Two days after we arrived in New York, we ran into the two women from Canada at the Empire State building. They said they waited another half hour after we left for their ride to Manhattan. During their ride in, the driver demanded and additional $40 for making him wait. When they refused, he threatened to drop them off in the middle of Jersey City.

I would NOT recommend this service! I would recommend Martin Antigua Transportation (917-418-2877) or Victor Li (917-885-1808) we used them (they work together) in Manhattan and were very happy with their service. They were prompt, accommodating and more reasonable than Cape Liberty.

[wolfcathorse]

ty Carol...hotels.com has the Ramada at $109/110. I'll give Independent Driver a call tomorrow for a quote.

[wolfcathorse]

booked the Courtyard by Marriott Newark Liberty for a total of $119.53. Called Independent Driver got ans. mach so I hung up. 5 minutes later they called me...that impressed me greatly. He said it was still $45 for the 2 of us, not including tip and we can call 1 week ahead of time.

 

Thank you for all your help, we'll be doing Quantum's inaugural and if this is acceptable, we'll probably book the same for next November.

[138east]

I think you did very well. I'm so glad you changed your flight - the original timing was awful. The problem with Cape Liberty is that if you miss the ship, the next port is at least two days away.

 

I have a similar dilemma for January. Instead of coming from Boston, I will be flying into Newark from Portland Oregon. My choices are a red eye arriving early morning or a late night arrival the previous evening. I should take my own advice and arrive the day before, but I'm visiting DD and DGD's, so I want as much time as possible in OR. I am looking at the Robert Treat in Downtown Newark so I can more easily take public transit to Bayonne. I get a senior fare on both Path and the light rail, so it will cost me less than $13 total.

[allentownahoy]

Carol,

 

I did not realize you are cruising with us in January too. How great. Let us know if you want to link dining.

Ruth

[SusieV]

I didn't realize how expensive it was to get from the hotel to the pier! We cruised out of Bayonne last year and I don't recall spending this much money to do so.

 

We have four adults, a child, and a piece of luggage each... is it really going to cost $100+ to get from an airport hotel in Newark to the pier?

[138east]

Call these folks to see what they can do for you - Independent driver - 888-816-0973

 

It should be about $10/pp.

 

What hotel,are you staying in?

[SusieV]

Call these folks to see what they can do for you - Independent driver - 888-816-0973

 

It should be about $10/pp.

 

What hotel,are you staying in?

 

I will call, thanks. We're at the Hampton Inn by the airport.

[velmasue]

Call these folks to see what they can do for you - Independent driver - 888-816-0973

 

It should be about $10/pp.

 

What hotel,are you staying in?

 

Just FYI, when I called Independent Driver for service to/from the Port from CI&S in December, Abdul told me they had gone up to $12 per person. We have a group of 11.

[138east]

Thanks for the update.

 

That's $132 for 11 people. You would need three cabs which would be at least $150. Let us know what you decide to do.

[Stanthefireman]

Thanks for the update.

 

That's $132 for 11 people. You would need three cabs which would be at least $150. Let us know what you decide to do.

Hey, Carol! We just came back from Bermuda on the Explorer's Oct 6th sailing. We used Independent Driver with 18 people going both to and from the pier from the Newark airport Ramada. Some snafus with baggage made for some dificulties but Abdul was able to accommodate us. He is charging $12 /person now. I should have negotiated for a better rate because $108 plus tip for a 10 mile ride times 2 , well actually times 4 seems a little high. The problems were caused by my own group and the Explorer staff. (They announced that numbers 1 thru 29 could all leave at the same time!) But it was a GREAT Cruise, regardless.

[wolfcathorse]

Hey, Carol! We just came back from Bermuda on the Explorer's Oct 6th sailing. We used Independent Driver with 18 people going both to and from the pier from the Newark airport Ramada. Some snafus with baggage made for some dificulties but Abdul was able to accommodate us. He is charging $12 /person now. I should have negotiated for a better rate because $108 plus tip for a 10 mile ride times 2 , well actually times 4 seems a little high. The problems were caused by my own group and the Explorer staff. (They announced that numbers 1 thru 29 could all leave at the same time!) But it was a GREAT Cruise, regardless.

 

LOL I wish he could charge $12 for just my DH and me next April! :) $45 for the 2 of us...we're not part of a large group.

[Stanthefireman]

LOL I wish he could charge $12 for just my DH and me next April! :) $45 for the 2 of us...we're not part of a large group.

There were 4 other people that were taken back to their hotels post cruise. I don't know if they were together, but they were going to a hotel with "Gardens" in its name.