CAPE LIBERTY 411 (and NYC too) Version 4!!

[x lindsay x]

Reviews are bad because people tend to let off steam when things don't go right and don't post positive reviews when things do go right.

 

Agreed! I have used both Dial 7 and Carmel and have not had a bad time with either. They did what they were supposed to do and charged me the agreed upon rate. I didn't write a review because they delivered on expectations, as the previous poster said people mainly post reviews to let off steam.

[ransrider]

I had a wonderful experience with Carmel. We were ready before or prearranged time so called early and they had our driver dispatched and he arrived within 15 minutes of our call. We were at the Bayonne cruise port and he came from NY. We are looking at using Carmel again in November. Make sure you google for their $5 off coupon. I would also add we are from the Midwest and had to realize transportation cost are outrageous out east but the convenience was truly worth it for us.

[138east]

Aloha all,

 

Since we arrive the day before the ship sails, I've been wondering what people do before they leave on their ships. It appears that everyone goes to Manhattan from reading the board.

 

My wife likes lobster. When we have vacationed in Maine, I would drive her to lobster pounds and diners that had good reviews for food.

 

Our ship stops in Portland, Bar Harbor, St. Johns, Halifax, and Boston. I like to eat reasonably priced food that the locals eat. I am open to suggestions since we would be off the ship for lunch in these places.

 

Also, any shore excursions that are highly recommended?

 

Aloha:D

 

To get a wider variety of responses from folks in New England, please start a new thread on the New England forum - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20

[911RN]

We have a group of around 14, plus lots of bags. We will be sailing on the anthem on cinco de mayo 2016, but will want to come in early to visit and sightsee for a few days. Is it better to stay near the airport and travel into the city, or stay in the city and schlep all our bags both ways? Cheaper? Thanks in advance!

[138east]

You are looking for rooms on a weekday, so NYC will be much more expensive. I'd look at the Newark Penn Station Hilton where you will have the train and PATH right across the street. This hotel has an airport shuttle, but it's unlikely it would hold 14 people at a time. Train fares from Newark Penn Station are $5/pp vs $12.50/pp from the Newark airport Station. PATH, which goes to downtown Manhattan is $2.75.

 

How many rooms are you looking for? If it's all couples in 7 rooms, you should call the hotel directly to see what kind of deal you can get.

 

For port transportation I would contact Independent driver - 888-816-0973. They only make arrangements 4-6 weeks out, but they can tell you if they can accommodate your large group and what the cost would be.

[rakuroda]

Aloha:D

 

My wife says she called Royal Caribbean and they told her to call Hilton Newark Penn Station and ask about a rate that included the shuttle to the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne. I think my wife said it was about $250 for the night and shuttle.

 

My wife is now thinking about just catching a taxi into Manhattan $52 flat rate plus tip and then catching a taxi to the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne.

 

She says if we're in Manhattan, we can check out PATH and light rail on the 9th and see if she is willing to use it on the 10th.

 

Aloha :D

[denatravels]

Aloha:D

 

 

 

My wife says she called Royal Caribbean and they told her to call Hilton Newark Penn Station and ask about a rate that included the shuttle to the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne. I think my wife said it was about $250 for the night and shuttle.

 

 

 

My wife is now thinking about just catching a taxi into Manhattan $52 flat rate plus tip and then catching a taxi to the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne.

 

 

 

She says if we're in Manhattan, we can check out PATH and light rail on the 9th and see if she is willing to use it on the 10th.

 

 

 

Aloha :D

 

 

I'm confused as to why you would take a taxi into New York so that you could turn around a take a taxi to Bayonne? Did I miss something?

[catspaw1]

Hi, We just returned from our cruise today. We elected to have late embarkation as we weren't in a rush to get home. Left the ship at 9:05 am & were in the car at 9:30 after retrieving the bags & clearing customs. No traffic at all getting out of the port. No problems with leaving our car there for a week also & we parked directly at the port.

 

A special thank you to Carol for giving the excellent driving directions & all your helpful suggestions.

 

BTW we stayed at the Woodbridge Residence Inn the night before the cruise as it was relatively cheap with no charge for parking. All of the other Marriott's in Elizabeth & Newark charged for parking. Hotel was relatively new & we had zero problems. We just drove up, brought dinner with us & didn't leave until the next AM. Breakfast was not up to the usual Marriott standards but was fine with us since we were going on the cruise. I would definitely stay there again. Not the best neighborhood but perfectly fine for the night. It was exactly 30 minutes drive to the port.

[tnfcruise]

Aloha:D

 

 

 

My wife says she called Royal Caribbean and they told her to call Hilton Newark Penn Station and ask about a rate that included the shuttle to the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne. I think my wife said it was about $250 for the night and shuttle.

 

 

 

My wife is now thinking about just catching a taxi into Manhattan $52 flat rate plus tip and then catching a taxi to the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne.

 

 

 

She says if we're in Manhattan, we can check out PATH and light rail on the 9th and see if she is willing to use it on the 10th.

 

 

 

Aloha :D

 

 

I'm a little confused, too, but what I can tell you is this about Hilton Newark Penn Station and getting into Manhattan from there--it's easy, quick, cheap (Path or NJ Transit) and incredibly convenient with the covered walkway connecting hotel to station. We stayed four nights precruise early this month and went into Manhattan every day. It was a breeze.

We did, however, drive to the hotel and parked at the pier, so I can't speak about shuttles and such. Our rate for the hotel was $149 for a very nice king bed room on the 10th floor.

Edited June 1, 2015 by tnfcruise

[megr1125]

Hi, We just returned from our cruise today. We elected to have late embarkation as we weren't in a rush to get home. Left the ship at 9:05 am & were in the car at 9:30 after retrieving the bags & clearing customs. No traffic at all getting out of the port. No problems with leaving our car there for a week also & we parked directly at the port.

 

A special thank you to Carol for giving the excellent driving directions & all your helpful suggestions.

 

BTW we stayed at the Woodbridge Residence Inn the night before the cruise as it was relatively cheap with no charge for parking. All of the other Marriott's in Elizabeth & Newark charged for parking. Hotel was relatively new & we had zero problems. We just drove up, brought dinner with us & didn't leave until the next AM. Breakfast was not up to the usual Marriott standards but was fine with us since we were going on the cruise. I would definitely stay there again. Not the best neighborhood but perfectly fine for the night. It was exactly 30 minutes drive to the port.

 

Glad it worked out for you, and glad your stay was better than mine was!! I can't remember breakfast, probably because I wanted to get the he!! out of there!

[rakuroda]

Aloha :D,

 

Yup! My wife and I are flying into JFK the morning before our cruise leaves from Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne. I've been trying to figure out how to get from JFK to Cape Liberty cruise port or a hotel in NJ.

 

She is still thinking about it. She is now thinking about taking a taxi from JFK to Manhattan and staying overnight on the 9th. That way we can check out the PATH and light rail from Manhattan to Bayonne and see if she thinks we can manage our luggage to a taxi at the light rail station at 34th St. in Bayonne. If not, then we'll taxi to the Cape Liberty cruise port from the hotel in Manhattan. BTW what does a taxi cost from Madison Square Garden to Cape Liberty cruise port?

 

I personally don't care what we do at this point. I figure that this trip is going to cost us about $4,000 with airfare and crusie and shore excursions. I plan to eat well at each port. We don't drink.

 

We're both 60+ and not rich but I can't see struggling to have a good time otherwise I'd stay at home.

 

Aloha:D

Edited June 1, 2015 by rakuroda

[denatravels]

You can take the Airtrain and the subway from JFK into Manhattan for $7.75 each. There are elevators at the Airtrain and onto the initial subway station. If you can handle that trip with luggage, you could likely handle the next day.

Check out mta.info to see if there is an elevator in Manhattan where you want to get off the subway or come back here and ask.

(If you are going to Madison Square Garden area, there are elevators and it's only 1 subway with no transfers)

Edited June 1, 2015 by denatravels

[megr1125]

Aloha :D,

 

Yup! My wife and I are flying into JFK the morning before our cruise leaves from Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne. I've been trying to figure out how to get from JFK to Cape Liberty cruise port or a hotel in NJ.

 

She is still thinking about it. She is now thinking about taking a taxi from JFK to Manhattan and staying overnight on the 9th. That way we can check out the PATH and light rail from Manhattan to Bayonne and see if she thinks we can manage our luggage to a taxi at the light rail station at 34th St. in Bayonne. If not, then we'll taxi to the Cape Liberty cruise port from the hotel in Manhattan. BTW what does a taxi cost from Madison Square Garden to Cape Liberty cruise port?

 

I personally don't care what we do at this point. I figure that this trip is going to cost us about $4,000 with airfare and crusie and shore excursions. I plan to eat well at each port. We don't drink.

 

We're both 60+ and not rich but I can't see struggling to have a good time otherwise I'd stay at home.

 

Aloha:D

 

You do NOT want to take a taxi from Manhattan to Cape Liberty...it will likely cost over $100.....IF they'll take you. NYC Cabs can't pick up return fares in NJ and vice versa..and they do NOT have to take you ANYPLACE in NJ except EWR.

 

Take a car service like http://www.dial7.com or http://www.carmellimo.com

 

 

And you really don't want to stay by JFK...yuck .. Stay in Manhattan..MUCH nicer hotels...out by JFK and LGA you have to be wary of where you stay....You can probably score a decent deal on Hotwire...

[rakuroda]

Aloha, :D

 

I'm thinking we might take a http://www.carmellimo.com from Manhattan to the Cape Liberty cruise port if the light rail/PATH doesn't work out. I'm just tired of trying to find the cheapest way to do this already!

 

I just wish she'd make up her mind already! ! ! Thank god I love her! ! !

 

Aloha,:D

[ransrider]

Just called the Hilton Newark Penn Station hotel to ask about this possible stay including shuttle to cruise port in Bayonne for $250. The reservationist could not find this package. Got my hopes up again. Rakuroda, please confirm this was a recent reservation made to stay at the Hilton Newark Penn Station that includes shuttle to Bayonne.

[138east]

Just called the Hilton Newark Penn Station hotel to ask about this possible stay including shuttle to cruise port in Bayonne for $250. The reservationist could not find this package. Got my hopes up again. Rakuroda, please confirm this was a recent reservation made to stay at the Hilton Newark Penn Station that includes shuttle to Bayonne.

 

ransrider - please get over buying a shuttle package. My understanding is that your dates are Nov 27-30. The rack rate for the Newark Penn Station Hilton is $159+ tax. By prepaying you can get it for $139 plus tax. Why would you even consider paying $250?

 

Your primary objective is to go to Ellis Island. From the Hilton you walk across the street and take PATH to the World Trade Center for $2.75/pp. You can walk, take a cab, or take a bus to South Ferry. Buy your SOL tickets ahead for the first ferry if you want to spend the entire day on Ellis Island. If you want to go to midtown NY on the second day, take the NJTransit train to New York Penn Station for $5/pp. if you are uncomfortable booking your own car service to Cape Liberty, I'm sure the hotel will make arrangements for you. This is a 4* full service hotel - helping guests make arrangements will be one of the services they provide. For an interesting meal in Newark, ask the hotel for a restaurant recommendation in the Ironbound District and take an inexpensive cab ride to eat in one of them. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g46671-Newark_New_Jersey.html

[denatravels]

ransrider - please get over buying a shuttle package. My understanding is that your dates are Nov 27-30. The rack rate for the Newark Penn Station Hilton is $159+ tax. By prepaying you can get it for $139 plus tax. Why would you even consider paying $250?

 

 

 

Your primary objective is to go to Ellis Island. From the Hilton you walk across the street and take PATH to the World Trade Center for $2.75/pp. You can walk, take a cab, or take a bus to South Ferry. Buy your SOL tickets ahead for the first ferry if you want to spend the entire day on Ellis Island. If you want to go to midtown NY on the second day, take the NJTransit train to New York Penn Station for $5/pp. if you are uncomfortable booking your own car service to Cape Liberty, I'm sure the hotel will make arrangements for you. This is a 4* full service hotel - helping guests make arrangements will be one of the services they provide. For an interesting meal in Newark, ask the hotel for a restaurant recommendation in the Ironbound District and take an inexpensive cab ride to eat in one of them. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g46671-Newark_New_Jersey.html

 

 

You can also take the PATH to midtown at 33rd and 6th. There are some EXCELLENT Spanish and Brazilian restaurants in the Newark area.

[138east]

You can also take the PATH to midtown at 33rd and 6th. There are some EXCELLENT Spanish and Brazilian restaurants in the Newark area.

 

Yes you can take PATH to midtown, but ....

 

You have to transfer at Journal Square to the 33rd St train which goes via Hoboken on a weekend. Basically it takes twice the time (about 45 minutes) but if you have missed a NJTransit train and have to wait, it could be about the same time. It's definitely another option - thanks for mentioning it. I usually don't suggest it because of the extended time factor and multiple stops and transfer.

[Cruisin'4Us]

You can also take the PATH to midtown at 33rd and 6th. There are some EXCELLENT Spanish and Brazilian restaurants in the Newark area.

Would you please tell us some of the restaurant names that you like? Also, is the neighborhood safe that they are in? Thank you! :)

[ransrider]

We have hilton points so the room cost is not an issue if the package can be purchased with points. This would give us a fee shuttle to port giving us a savings of about $60. We are hoping to prepurchase Statue of Liberty Crown tickets but they are not available yet for November. We are currently booked at the Hampton Inn Newark Airport but wonder if the location of the Hilton Penn station would be more convenient for SOL/Ellis Island.

[jaimevoyager]

Yes you can take PATH to midtown, but ....

 

 

 

You have to transfer at Journal Square to the 33rd St train which goes via Hoboken on a weekend. Basically it takes twice the time (about 45 minutes) but if you have missed a NJTransit train and have to wait, it could be about the same time. It's definitely another option - thanks for mentioning it. I usually don't suggest it because of the extended time factor and multiple stops and transfer.

 

 

Is the price still just 2.75 even when you go to 33rd st station and have to transfer?

Thanks

[njhorseman]

Is the price still just 2.75 even when you go to 33rd st station and have to transfer?

Thanks

 

Yes.

[138east]

We have hilton points so the room cost is not an issue if the package can be purchased with points. This would give us a fee shuttle to port giving us a savings of about $60. We are hoping to prepurchase Statue of Liberty Crown tickets but they are not available yet for November. We are currently booked at the Hampton Inn Newark Airport but wonder if the location of the Hilton Penn station would be more convenient for SOL/Ellis Island.

 

The Newark Penn Station Hilton would be more convenient and offers an airport shuttle. It would cost you $8.25/pp each way just to go from Newark Airport Station to Newark Penn Station, which is $33/trip. The cost to go from Newark Penn Station to Cape Liberty is about the same.

 

My best guess is that the person who posted about the shuttle could have been referring to a hotel package offered by the cruiseline. They do put folks up at the NPS Hilton and offer round trip transportation and charge a FORTUNE for it. The $250 could be a per person rate for one night!

[ransrider]

You are so correct. When I asked this question on TA, this is the answer I got:

The Hilton does not offer this package the cruise themselves offer the package. Since it is not through us (NPS Hilton) or our shuttle, no you can not book using points. The cruise does offer a package which includes pickup from the hotel to the port. So that's the story. Thanks all!

[ransrider]

So, it sounds like there is public transportation from NPS to Cape Liberty? What would the cost per adult be one way? Any restrictions on luggage? Also sounds like we would be able to take the transit from NPS to Liberty State Park if willing to walk some. Would depend what weather is like in the area at the end of November. Back to the TA review boards—Hampton Inn Newark vs Hilton Newark Penn Station. Plenty of time to decide yet.