CAPE LIBERTY 411 - Version 3!

[Guest maddycat]

We'll be arriving at Cape Liberty next fall on a TA and need to rent a car. I appreciate your info above. It sounds like our options for renting a car are 1) take a cab to the Enterprise location in Bayonne (it doesn't sound like they would be allowed to drive onto the pier to pick us up), or 2) take a shuttle [or a cab?] to EWR and get a rental car at the airport.

 

Am I missing anything there, and does anyone have any advice about the various options?

 

Thanks!

 

Right now anyone can drive into the port area. So unless security is changed at the port, Enterprise will be able to pick you up at the port.

[138east]

Yes Enterprise can pick you up.

 

To clarify, Cape Liberty is accessible only to vehicle traffic. You cannot walk into the port. It is very "open" to any vehicle traffic when a ship docks.

[Turtles06]

Thank you both!

[LoneStarJeffe]

Hi. Any update on if the construction at the PATH station at the World Trade Center will still be happening in January on the weekends? We are looking to travel there Saturday January 24th after our return from our cruise.

[njhorseman]

Hi. Any update on if the construction at the PATH station at the World Trade Center will still be happening in January on the weekends? We are looking to travel there Saturday January 24th after our return from our cruise.

 

Per this article, weekend service will resume next Saturday, December 20:

 

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/12/weekend_path_service_to_resume_between_newark_and_wtc.html

[138east]

Paul - that's great news! We'll have to watch for the "intermittent" closures now, but it's wonderful that the Exchange Place-World Trade Center service will be back next weekend.

 

I'm planning a PATH/ light rail adventure in January to get to Cape Liberty for a Quantum cruise, but fortunately that's on a Friday and Monday.

[njhorseman]

Paul - that's great news! We'll have to watch for the "intermittent" closures now, but it's wonderful that the Exchange Place-World Trade Center service will be back next weekend.

 

I'm planning a PATH/ light rail adventure in January to get to Cape Liberty for a Quantum cruise, but fortunately that's on a Friday and Monday.

 

Carol...on the topic of the Quantum, I just got back today from a 12 night cruise on the Norwegian Gem, and we were shadowed by the Quantum all the way down to both ship's first port, San Juan. I was able to watch her at sea because we had a cabin at stern of the Gem. I must say the Quantum is very impressive looking.

 

We docked in San Juan a few minutes before the Quantum arrived and saw there was a huge traffic jam in Old San Juan. Apparently people couldn't resist driving by the cruise piers to see the new ship on her maiden call in San Juan. It was a big event...traffic was jammed for the entire 7 hours we were in port.

[138east]

Hopefully the novelty will have worn off by the time I get there in Jan. We get in at 4 pm, so I don't expect to do much more than get off the ship and walk or ride around a bit before dark. Even if I take the free trolley ride, we are in port late, so making it back to the ship should not be an issue.

 

I'm really excited about this cruise - it's the first time I will be on a new ship and I have a solo balcony. I'm even coming down the day before departure so I won't run the chance of missing the ship!

[LoneStarJeffe]

Per this article, weekend service will resume next Saturday, December 20:

 

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/12/weekend_path_service_to_resume_between_newark_and_wtc.html

 

Excellent news!!! I did a leap of faith and booked awhile ago for our hotel the Hilton Newark Penn Station with the hope to be able to make the trip on PATH.

[Turtles06]

I'm really excited about this cruise - it's the first time I will be on a new ship and I have a solo balcony. I'm even coming down the day before departure so I won't run the chance of missing the ship!

 

Have a great cruise, and please come back and post your thoughts over in the RCCL forum. (Lots of complaining going on now competing with posts from people who have been having a great time.)

 

We are booked on the Anthem's TA next October, and really looking forward to being on a very new and very different ship. :)

[138east]

I'll try to organize my thoughts and post. For me this is my dead of winter cruise to get out of the northeast, but I'll be hanging out with some folks who will be carefully checking out all aspects of the Quantum. As a solo cruiser my perspective can be very different. I haven't had a balcony in three years, so I will start off as a very happy camper with my own private outdoor space. I've booked all the shows and will make an effort to attend, but they really aren't my thing. I'm not a "foodie", so I'm happy if I can just sit down and they bring me edible food. And I've cruised often enough to have learned to roll with the punches - stuff happens.

[Donyb]

We will be sailing from Port Liberty in October. It is a new embarkation port for us. We are looking to stay the night before our cruise in the Newark Airport area. Does anyone know of a decent hotel that offers a "park and stay" program and if the hotel provides transportation to the pier?

 

Thank for any info that can be offered.

[138east]

Do you have an exact date? How many days is your cruise?

 

Please look at the following:

 

1) Trinityreservations.com - Ramada Plaza - $210 or less TAX INCLUDED with 21 days parking and round trip port transportation

2) Country Inns cruise packages - displayed prices do not include tax

 

What is your overall plan? Are you driving up from Florida? If your cruise is 7 days or less, it might be more cost effective to park at the port even at $19/ day. Newark is not a vacation destination - you MUST be selective about where you choose to stay and ditch your car. Depending on where you are coming from, there are nice reasonable places to stay within an hour of the port.

 

If you are coming from the south, another option is the Hampton Inn and Hilton Gardens on Staten Island. They offer packages with parking and port transportation.

[Donyb]

Thanks for the info. We will actually be coming from an earlier stay in New England and the cruise is 14 days. That makes the parking $266 by my calculation if we park at the pier. I will look into that site that you offered.

 

Again, thanks for the info. The people on Cruise Critic always come through for me!:)

[138east]

For 14 days it is best to find a park/sleep. Unlike Florida there are very few hotels that also offer port transportation and many of them we don't recommend because they are in "fringe" areas.

 

Post back when you firm up your plans to get driving directions from New England. Look at the current threads - I just posted the New England directions as well as the directions to the Ramada. If you stay there and get off the NJ Turnpike at exit 14, you MUST stay to the right at the toll booths to be able to get on I78 LOCAL so you can get off at Frontage Road. Otherwise you can end up lost in a confusing mess of spaghetti roads around the Airport. GPS can be unreliable in this area.

[starlake]

Carol.

 

I see on a few of your last posts for car service, you haven't mentioned Independent Driver. We used them for the Explorer repo and they did a fine job. Are they still in business or what might be going on??

[138east]

As far as I know Independent Driver is still in business - I just emailed with a friend about using them.

 

I like to mention a variety of options. I think of Independent Driver as a more local service for Newark, Bayonne, and Jersey City, but I know they will take you elsewhere. For NY/NJ trips I usually mention Dial7 and Carmellimo. For Secaucus I recommend Secaucus Taxi. From Cape Liberty I often suggest using the taxi dispatcher because the disembarkation times have been inconsistent and the rates are posted and agreed upon ahead of time. I'm not really a car service expert so I feel most comfortable passing along the positive feedback from others. The one thing I can say is that there is an enormous amount of transportation available at Newark airport.

 

In recent years I've taken the bus to Cape Liberty, but in Jan I'm headed off on another public transit adventure to CL from a Newark hotel.

[megr1125]

Indep Driver is around...called yesterday, got an incoming call i had to take and hung up. Got a call from him 10 minutes later...will probably use them but not 100% sure of my plans...

 

Sent from my Galaxy S5

[H8mundays]

I'm sure you've been asked this a ton of times but 90+ pages to read through is way more than my attention span :eek: We are driving up to NJ in March for a cruise on Quantum. Where would you recommend we stay? Is it better to park at the port or find a hotel with parking and a shuttle. I appreciate your help

[138east]

What date are you sailing?

[H8mundays]

What date are you sailing?

 

March 21 2015

[138east]

Parking at the port is $152. For $185 tax included you can book the Ramada Plaza through Trinityreservations.com including 21 days parking and round trip port transportation.

 

If that doesn't suit, post back.

[H8mundays]

Parking at the port is $152. For $185 tax included you can book the Ramada Plaza through Trinityreservations.com including 21 days parking and round trip port transportation.

 

If that doesn't suit, post back.

 

Thanks Carol, that looks like a great deal! As a back up do you have a suggestion for a hotel in the hilton family that has parking and a shuttle (hubby has points with them but they may be too high). Appreciate your help :)

[138east]

Very few hotels offer a shuttle to the port. Only the Hampton Inn and Hilton Gardens on Staten Island offer a port shuttle.

[Radio]

Very few hotels offer a shuttle to the port. Only the Hampton Inn and Hilton Gardens on Staten Island offer a port shuttle.

 

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn (Staten Island), and will say that the accommodations were wonderful. The employees at the hotel were very friendly and I am looking forward to staying there again soon.

 

Just as a note, the Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn were right next to each other. There were several Shuttle vans (6) that were available as they often shuttle passengers to EWR, JFK, LGA, and the Cruise Port.

 

Radio

;);)

 

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