CAPE LIBERTY 411 - Version 3!

[Kagaje]

Hi

We are staying in a Hotel 44 west 63rd street and need transportation to Cape Liberty, none of the limosine companies I have looked at get good reviews, I have seen an advert for a Shuttle bus, pick up points at Grand Central, Penn Street and the Port Authority cost $30 does anyone know anything about it?

 

Isabel

[138east]

No reputable shuttle bus from NYC.

 

Did you get quotes from Dial7 and Carmellimo?

[Kagaje]

No reputable shuttle bus from NYC.

 

Did you get quotes from Dial7 and Carmellimo?

 

The shuttle Bus was mentioned on a cruise critic site. Dial7 and Carmellimo are both pretty expensive and get mixed reviews. We are not sailing until Sep so hopefully we will get something sorted in the next 2 months

[138east]

If the shuttle you're referring to is Transport Azumah, we don't recommend them. Please read this old thread - boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1691189&highlight=azumah&page=2

 

What are you being quoted by Dial7 and Carmelimo? It is expensive to go from NY to NJ because of the tolls and the fact that car services may have to return empty to NYC. Your quote should include a base rate and tolls and a 20% tip is expected, so it ends up costing in the $100 range.

[Kagaje]

If the shuttle you're referring to is Transport Azumah, we don't recommend them. Please read this old thread - boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1691189&highlight=azumah&page=2

 

What are you being quoted by Dial7 and Carmelimo? It is expensive to go from NY to NJ because of the tolls and the fact that car services may have to return empty to NYC. Your quote should include a base rate and tolls and a 20% tip is expected, so it ends up costing in the $100 range.[/quote

 

We are expecting to pay c$100 it is just there are so many conflicting reviews about both Dial7 and Carmelimo we may end up just tossing up to decide which to use.

[megr1125]

They are both fine and are used often. I generally see more cars from Dial7 at the pier, and even around my area an hour or so south of the pier...but I also see many from Carmel.....

 

Reviews are so subjective, really.....I take them all with a grain of salt any more and tend to average them out...usually any super glowing ones, or super bad ones I ignore...

[Cruisin'4Us]

http://511nj.org/

 

That's a great site for NJ/NY traffic...

...

Meg, thank you for this link.

 

Anyone - which traffic apps do you like for smartphones for the surrounding NJ area? I'm interested in apps for android, but other people may be interested in iPhone apps.

 

I see the New Jersey Turnpike Authority has an app called SafeTripNJ for both operating systems. 511nj has an app called trumpit, but this app is currently for iPhones only. Any thoughts on these and other traffic apps for the region?

[mking8288]

... Anyone - which traffic apps do you like for smartphones for the surrounding NJ area? I'm interested in apps for android' date=' but other people may be interested in iPhone apps ... Any thoughts on these and other traffic apps for the region?[/quote']

 

IMO, whether you are using iOS or Android mobile devices with data, Google Map/NAV is very reliable - just make sure "traffic" is turned ON within map's settings. Google is using Waze, a real-time traffic services that integrate nicely into routing & turn-by-turn directions on the go.

 

Have your co-driver/navigator or backseat folks help to zoom out/in on your planned routing - it's not safe to fuzz with buttons & keys while driving, unless you are doing a rest stop and safely off the road like in a parking/rest area. It is color coded and NAV will recommend the best routes, but you can also look at other alternative routes - and provide you with ETA, continuously updated - something that our older & mostly retired Garmin GPS unit doesn't do.

 

Running Jelly Beans & KitKat on my primary & backup devices, and they've been 97.5% reliable & accurate.

 

For local commute, I used an IP-Camera App ("IP Cam Viewer" - the Lite version is free) with several key traffic camera locations stored, and I bring them up with as much as 6 mini-scfreens at a time for an overview of key bridges & crossings, it's useful to supplement Maps/Nav by Google.

 

As for driving up I-95 during Thanksgiving - yikes - good thing that I no longer do long distance family visiting "commute" like in the old days, the 4 hour routine just inside the Beltway to Manhattan had once turned into a 7 hour horror show from pure "traffic" and 20 minutes waiting to reach the gas pump. I would probably leave very early (pre-dawn) on Friday after Thanskgiving but it still won't be fun with all the constructions along the route. Once you get into DE/NJ, the beach traffic are mostly on the Garden State Parkway and as long as you have your electronic toll tag to zip thru the plazas, you will be waiving at those at the cash lanes.

[BTSEN5]

Hello,

We will be staying for 2 nights at the Doubletree in Jersey City this Friday and Saturday before our cruise on Sunday. We are planning on visiting WTC on Friday afternoon. I just read that service from Exchange Place to WTC is suspended on weekends. Does this include Fridays? I am hoping to hop on the PATH and make an easy trip to WTC.

 

Also, we have plans in NYC for Saturday....me with my son to MOMA, and my hubby is taking our other two sons to the Yankees game. How would we go about getting to the city if Exchange Place is not servicing?

 

I am not experienced at all with the subway systems. We were in Jersey City at Christmas and it was a major fiasco getting started. Very confusing to me.

 

If you could provide some information as to how I can get to the city, particularly MOMA for me and Yankees Stadium for hubby, that would be so much appreciated. I thought I had it all covered until I read about the service suspension. Now I am a little anxious and my app just says no service schedule found for the weekend. :(

 

Thanks so much.

[138east]

There is no Path service between Exchange Place and WTC on Saturday and Sunday due to track construction. You will be fine on Friday - there is full service. Please familiarize yourself with the PAtH map. http://www.panynj.gov/path/maps.html On Saturday you will walk to the Newport Path Station and take the 33rd St. train to Midtown Manhattan. This train is the turquoise and orange dotted line on the map and will go via Hoboken.

 

There recently was a whole thread on going to a Yankees game via subway - let me see if I can find it. I will also check out Moma.

[138east]

I found the Yankee Stadium discussion, but it's really for folks coming into Penn Station. Anyway, it's info for you. Bottom line from the whole discussion seems to be to take the D train uptown to Yankee Stadium. You can take either the B, D, F, or M train to Moma.

 

This is good news for you. If you're traveling with your husband, you take the D train two stops to 47-50th St Rockefeller Center and walk up to 53rd St. Coming back you return to the same subway station and take any downtown train two stops to 34th St Herald Square. Very easy, but.... There is a lot of underground walking through subway concourses.

 

Please take a look at the NYC subway map. If you take the B, D, or F trains you MUST get off at Rockefeller Center before those trains go west. The M train will also stop there, but it will go east to 53rd & 5th, which is a closer station to Moma. My advice would be to keep it simple and use the Rockefeller Center station.

[BTSEN5]

Thank you so much. I will study those maps. :)

[138east]

I didn't post the other Yankee Stadium thread because on rereading the discussion I found it very confusing and not very helpful for your situation.

 

Your situation is very straightforward. The 33rd St PATH station (really more at 32nd St) is on 6th Ave (Avenue of the Americas). The Herald Square subway station is at 34th and 6th. This is a major station with two subway lines running through it and a massive underground concourse that connects everything.

 

You will be looking for the signs for the Uptown B,D,F, and M trains and specifically for the D train if your whole family is together.

 

Are all of you going to try to meet up in midtown before you return to NJ? Perhaps we can identify a location to meet. Macy's is right upstairs from PATH and the subway at 34th & 6th.

[lance32]

Hello,

Any ideas how to get to NJ Port from Long Island. Looking for Bus or Van . Does anyone have any ideas? There are 3 of us.

Thanks,

Jon P:)

[138east]

No good ideas. You can take LIRR to Penn Station, walk one avenue over to 6th Ave and use the handicapped entrance to access PATH. Take PATH to Hoboken, take the elevator to the street level and take the Hudson Bergen Light Rail to 34th Street in Bayonne. Call a cab to ride the two miles into the port. This would be all level access with luggage.

[MisterBill99]

Hello,

Any ideas how to get to NJ Port from Long Island. Looking for Bus or Van . Does anyone have any ideas? There are 3 of us.

Thanks,

Jon P:)

Academy used to have a bus route along the LIE to the pier but they appear to have stopped since I don't see it on their website anymore. Do you not have a car available? That is going to be the most economical choice. Winston Transportation claims to have shared ride programs but their website doesn't give a price.

 

 

Sent from my VS980 4G using Forums mobile app

[BTSEN5]

We were planning on meeting at Times Square. How far is it to walk from MOMA to Times Square? I am an avid walker and son is young. Would it be doable? I thought of taking a stroll through Central Park and just enjoying the day and early evening.

[CruisingChick]

We were planning on meeting at Times Square. How far is it to walk from MOMA to Times Square? I am an avid walker and son is young. Would it be doable? I thought of taking a stroll through Central Park and just enjoying the day and early evening.

 

MoMa is not far at all from Times Square - 1/2 a mile, so depending on how fast you walk 10 - 15 minutes.

[BTSEN5]

Perfect!!

[lance32]

Thanks for all your suggestions how to get from Long Island to port.:)

[mking8288]

... Any ideas how to get to NJ Port from Long Island. Looking for Bus or Van ... There are 3 of us ...

Academy used to have a bus route along the LIE to the pier ... Winston Transportation claims to have shared ride programs but their website doesn't give a price.

 

It would be helpful if OP identify the nearest town/village - besides Nassau or Suffolk Counties, IMO :D - and I presume it's too far from LIRR (or, don't like riding the rails ??)

 

Had to pickup/meet out-of-town extended family's friend that flew in on a delayed red-eye and saw the Hampton Jitney bus flying by us along the LIE Service Road in Queens - might be worth a look. http://www.hamptonjitney.com/cgi-bin/nav.cgi?page=stops.html

 

The main problem that I see is that their Manhattan dropoff sites aren't near NY Penn or PATH stations, and it would involve a short taxi ride with luggage for 3 of you.

 

I would suggest getting a ride (family/friends or local town's taxi) over to LIRR and make the connection via Jamaica to NY Penn for NJT/Light Rail out to near Bayonne Port & a taxi ride for that last miles.

Edited June 20, 2014 by mking8288

[138east]

Some picky details about the NJ connections - NJ transit only gets you to Secaucus or Newark where it will cost you another $60 to get to Bayonne by cab. There is no easy connection to the light rail without taking Path back to Jersey City from Newark. Much better to get yourself over to the 33rd St PATH Station by trolling luggage or cab.

[MisterBill99]

We were planning on meeting at Times Square. How far is it to walk from MOMA to Times Square? I am an avid walker and son is young. Would it be doable? I thought of taking a stroll through Central Park and just enjoying the day and early evening.

I wanted to mention that I'd recommend walking to MoMA from the PATH station on 32nd/33rd street. It's not a bad walk. Talking the subway from there to 47/50th street is a waste (was about to say "of a token", you can tell how old I am!).

[MisterBill99]

I wanted to share my experience getting to the pier a couple of Sundays ago (6/8). My plan was to get there at 10:30. I stopped to get gas so I only got there at 10:40. We hit no traffic on the turnpike or anywhere heading into the port. I drove right up to the terminal!!! I was shocked!!! Dropped off our luggage and they directed me to the parking lot straight ahead. The longest wait I had was getting into the lot and paying. We had no line to check in (we were Aqua, but the regular line wasn't very long, either) and we were able to get right on a bus. We were on the ship at 11:15. Not quite as good as our experience in Amsterdam last summer but much better than I expected!

 

We got off the ship at 9 and had a fairly short wait at immigration (a far cry from our last time going thru there in late 2011 on Silhouette when there were long lines, although we got off the ship later in that case, I believe). We were going to Wayne afterwards, so my GPS directed me to take 1-9 to 3, which I didn't complain abut since it saved me from having to get onto the NJTP.

 

BTW the folks in Bayonne might consider putting up new signs directing people to the port. At least one of them (on some sort of exit ramp) was partially covered by weeds. Some of them were so faded that I think they're the original signs from when the port opened.

 

Oh, and I saw some sort of foundation for the new terminal but no building. I don't think anyone there is expecting the garage to be done in time for Quantum.

Edited June 20, 2014 by MisterBill99

[BTSEN5]

I wanted to mention that I'd recommend walking to MoMA from the PATH station on 32nd/33rd street. It's not a bad walk. Talking the subway from there to 47/50th street is a waste (was about to say "of a token", you can tell how old I am!).

 

 

I was wondering that myself. My son and I should enjoy the walk. We may just do that. Thanks.