Cape Liberty Directions

[nitlioner]

I seem to remember reading that the current directions posted on RCI and port websites were not correct. We are coming to the port from Easton, PA area across I78. Both directions say to turn left onto Port Terminal Blvd from 440. Map Quest says to make U-turn further down 440 and turn right onto Port Terminal Blvd. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jeff

[138east]

Actually neither set of directions is good.

 

After you pay your toll at exit 14A go straight across the toll plaza and up the ramp that curves left. Stay to the right and make a right at every opportunity until you come to Route 440. Make a left, stay left, and take the first left which is marked Goldborough Drive. This road has become the southbound entrance to the port and merges with Port Terminal Blvd. The southbound left turn at Port Terminal Blvd has been closed off and decommissioned.

[nitlioner]

Thanks for the info. You think they would chnage their online directions to avoid confusion.

[meadowlander]

Thanks for the info. You think they would chnage their online directions to avoid confusion.

 

It is New Jersey, you are lucky there are road signs! By the way, there is no road sign at the last left you were told to take. I followed Carols directions earlier this month and they were spot on....thanks Carol. :D

[nitlioner]

Actually neither set of directions is good.

 

After you pay your toll at exit 14A go straight across the toll plaza and up the ramp that curves left. Stay to the right and make a right at every opportunity until you come to Route 440. Make a left, stay left, and take the first left which is marked Goldborough Drive. This road has become the southbound entrance to the port and merges with Port Terminal Blvd. The southbound left turn at Port Terminal Blvd has been closed off and decommissioned.

 

Last question, maybe. Are there any problems merging onto Port Terminal Blvd from Goldborough Dr? With traffic exiting on PTB, seems you would need to cross the outgoing lane.

[138east]

I've only done it twice on a cruise bus and there was no traffic at all. It's almost 2 miles from the merge to the drop off, so there's plenty of room.

[SnowshoeCat]

Actually neither set of directions is good.

 

After you pay your toll at exit 14A go straight across the toll plaza and up the ramp that curves left. Stay to the right and make a right at every opportunity until you come to Route 440. Make a left, stay left, and take the first left which is marked Goldborough Drive. This road has become the southbound entrance to the port and merges with Port Terminal Blvd. The southbound left turn at Port Terminal Blvd has been closed off and decommissioned.

 

Thank you. I have a AAA TripTik stored and just compared. The directions sound the same. AAA uses some more road names (other than your "stay right and make a right..." ;)) but it all added up to the same thing. I love when that happens :D

[138east]

That's great. Road names are fine - its nice to know AAA has done their homework and knows the road name, but the reality in that area is that there may be no sign with the road name on it. Route 440 has recently been reconfigured at the port entrance and the maps, directions, and GPS have not all caught up.

 

I was really surprised in Sep. I was on a cruise bus and the driver had no clue. The GPS was slow and he missed a turn in the Bronx, so the GPS rerouted us through Queens and Brooklyn instead of the GW Bridge to NJ. We went across the Williamsburg Bridge, got a tour of lower Manhattan, found the Holland Tunnel and eventually made it to Exit 14A. When we finally got to the port the GPS was confused and I told him make a left onto Goldsborough Drive - you could see the ship but the entrance road was completely reconfigured coming from the north.

[nitlioner]

I knew I would have another one. Is there a traffic signal at Goldborough and 440?

[138east]

Yes - sorry I wasn't clear about that. Route 440 is a 4 lane divided road, so the translation of make a left, stay left and take the first left is really make a left at the light at route 440, stay left and take the first left at the light at

Goldsborough. I think these basic left and right directions are important because the signage is poor and not always obvious. There is no big green and white sign that says Cape Liberty. But there is a big green sign that says Goldborough Drive. The sign that used to say Port Terminal Blvd is now gone when you're coming from the north.

[njhorseman]

I think there are very small (blue and white?) signs pointing the way to Cape Liberty...I always ask my wife to be on the lookout for them because they're too easy to miss if you're driving and focusing on the road. I'll try to remember to look for them when I drive to Cape Liberty on Sunday, but I can guarantee that 138east's directions are spot on. The key is staying in the left lane after you make the turn onto 440 South, and then make the first left to get into the port.

[SnowshoeCat]

That's great. Road names are fine - its nice to know AAA has done their homework and knows the road name, but the reality in that area is that there may be no sign with the road name on it. Route 440 has recently been reconfigured at the port entrance and the maps, directions, and GPS have not all caught up.

 

I realize that. I'm from NY and I realize road signs - when they exist at all - are for people who already know where they are ;) I was just joking a bit and hope I didn't offend. Your information is very helpful and appreciated.

 

I was really surprised in Sep. I was on a cruise bus and the driver had no clue. The GPS was slow and he missed a turn in the Bronx, so the GPS rerouted us through Queens and Brooklyn instead of the GW Bridge to NJ. We went across the Williamsburg Bridge, got a tour of lower Manhattan, found the Holland Tunnel and eventually made it to Exit 14A. When we finally got to the port the GPS was confused and I told him make a left onto Goldsborough Drive - you could see the ship but the entrance road was completely reconfigured coming from the north.

 

That must have been quite the tour :eek: It kind of frightens me how some people are so completely reliant on technology and can be so lost (literally!) without it.

[138east]

Absolutely no offense taken. I'm glad the info was helpful. You're right - folks now rely on technology and have no backup when it fails. We've gotten many posts about GPS issues in the Newark and Bayonne which is why we like to give more specific advice.

[SnowshoeCat]

So wait. Your driver missed a turn in the Bronx, and ended up in Queens? Didn't he notice the big bridge? Or was that the wrong turn . Whoops!

 

Reminds me of a story of a friend who was an air traffic controller working approaches into Newark. He kind of forget a plane that overshot EWR and as it approached LGA, the pilot finally said "Hey, do we need a token for this bridge?". That gets your attention really fast :D

 

Still deciding if I want to take that 7-day cruise...

[138east]

Long story short - on I95 the driver missed the turn or split or whatever to stay on I95 to the GW Bridge. I wasn't paying attention and when I looked up, we were getting on the Whitestone Bridge to Queens. Commercial vehicles are restricted from many roads in NYC, so the bus had to follow the commercial GPS directions which took us in the LIE to the BQE, south to the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn, through lower Manhattan to the Holland Tunnel, and onto the NJ Turnpike to Bayonne. I actually enjoyed the ride because I hadn't been on those streets for many years, but the bus driver was very nervous. He knew zilch about NYC and had never done the trip to Cape Liberty. I knew where we were and where we were going, so I was cheering him on.

[SnowshoeCat]

I guess I can see that happening (but still - don't these drivers do the route at least once with another driver who's done it before?).

 

You sound very patient and gracious, and are probably a wonderful travel companion - happy sailing! Oh, and I'm sure the driver was relieved to have you on board to help reduce the stress.

[irismike]

138East: This is the directions from MapQuest after you get off the Jersey Turnpike.

Keep right to take the E 53rd St. ramp toward Bayonne Bridge/RT-440. 0.4 mi

Turn slight right toward RT-440 S. 0.1 mi

Turn left onto Pulaski St.Furniture Maverick is on the corner 0.08 mi

Take the 1st right onto Pulaski Ln W (Gate access required).Club 8 Company Inc is on the corner

If you reach Port Jersey Blvd you've gone about 0.3 miles too far 1.3 mi

Turn left onto Goldsborough Dr. 0.7 mi

PORT TERMINAL BOULEVARD.If you reach the end of Goldsborough Dr you've gone about 0.2 miles too far

 

What are your thoughts? It seems confusing to me. Would hate to get lost. Thanks.

[138east]

138East: This is the directions from MapQuest after you get off the Jersey Turnpike.

Keep right to take the E 53rd St. ramp toward Bayonne Bridge/RT-440. 0.4 mi

Turn slight right toward RT-440 S. 0.1 mi

Turn left onto Pulaski St.Furniture Maverick is on the corner 0.08 mi

Take the 1st right onto Pulaski Ln W (Gate access required).Club 8 Company Inc is on the corner

If you reach Port Jersey Blvd you've gone about 0.3 miles too far 1.3 mi

Turn left onto Goldsborough Dr. 0.7 mi

PORT TERMINAL BOULEVARD.If you reach the end of Goldsborough Dr you've gone about 0.2 miles too far

 

What are your thoughts? It seems confusing to me. Would hate to get lost. Thanks.

 

These are super confusing directions. They look like the one's I tried to follow to Cape Liberty the first time I went there and got lost. I pulled up the Mapquest map and it looks like they are trying to send you a back way into the port which requires some sort of security gate access. No one has ever posted about accessing the port using this route.

 

Please print out my directions. Others have followed them successfully. The signage is poor. There are lots of choices and you have to make a quick decision as to where you are going. For a first timer there's not time to stop and try to spot the correct little sign and I'm not sure the names of all the streets are clearly marked. After you pay your toll you go straight across the toll plaza and get on a 2 lane ramp that goes up and curves left. This is hard to miss. On the ramp you stay on the right and make the first right, stay to the right and make another right. You will come to the light at route 440 where you will make a left, stay left, and make a left at the first light onto Goldsborough Drive. Route 440 is a four lane divided highway. You can only turn left at a traffic light - going south the first light is now at Goldsborough Drive. They reconfigured this area earlier this year. The left turn into the port used to be at Port Terminal Blvd (and it still is coming the other way), but they shut down that turn and made Goldsborough Drive the main port access road coming from the north. Goldsborough Drive will merge with Port Terminal Blvd. You will be able to see the ship and you just follow the crowd about 2 miles out to the ship.

[irismike]

Thanks. I will print out your info. Hopefully, I won't have any problem. I willget off NJTurnpike 14A and follow your instructions. Thanks again. Iris

[nitlioner]

Just back from the Explorer, the directions from 138east were right on target. Thank-you for those! My FIL had his GPS with us and it was saying to go a different direction so as advised previously, don't rely on GPS for accurate directions to terminal. Follow directions posted by 138east.

[irismike]

We r doing EOS 3-5. Any tips. How was mtd long wait or seated right away. Any input would be greatly appreciated

[njhorseman]

We r doing EOS 3-5. Any tips. How was mtd long wait or seated right away. Any input would be greatly appreciated

 

If you want to learn about life on board the ship, you should post your question on the Royal Caribbean board. There's even a thread "All Things Explorer of the Seas."

 

This board is for information about the port area...travel, transportation, hotels. sightseeing, parking, etc.

[irismike]

i know but I thought I would ask someone who just returned from the EOS

[138east]

Just back from the Explorer, the directions from 138east were right on target. Thank-you for those! My FIL had his GPS with us and it was saying to go a different direction so as advised previously, don't rely on GPS for accurate directions to terminal. Follow directions posted by 138east.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you were successful in following the directions. I'm sure the GPS would have gotten you there eventually, but I'm sure my directions are the most direct route. Having gotten lost once doing this, it's really frustrating to be able to see the ship and not be able to get there.

[njhorseman]

i know but I thought I would ask someone who just returned from the EOS

 

OK...well I was on the Explorer 1/6-1/13.

 

Some nights we were seated right away for MTD (but note I always made reservations...people without them often had to wait) some nights (basically formal nights) we had to wait, even though we had reservations.