Staying by the Newark Penn Station

[sailor05]

If we were to book the Doubletree at Newark Penn Station do they have service into New York City? We're staying in the area for 3 nights before the cruise to explore the city. Is it fairly easy to navigate and figure out which trains? 

Edited July 28, 2022 by sailor05

[njhorseman]

6 hours ago, sailor05 said:

If we were to book the Doubletree at Newark Penn Station do they have service into New York City? We're staying in the area for 3 nights before the cruise to explore the city. Is it fairly easy to navigate and figure out which trains? 

Absolutely.  You will have your choice of New Jersey Transit trains or PATH to get to Manhattan. The choice depends on where in Manhattan you wish to go. For midtown Manhattan use New Jersey Transit to New York Penn Station.  For downtown Manhattan use PATH to the World Trade Center. 

Just go to the NJ Transit and PATH websites for schedules and related information. 

[mjkacmom]

It’s easy, plus you are close to the best Spanish/Portuguese restaurants in the country.

[navybankerteacher]

Great options for getting to NYC - either PATH to down town or commuter trains to Manhattan’s Penn Station in midtown- but, did you consider looking into Manhattan hotels to avoid back and forth travel over several days?

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Great options for getting to NYC - either PATH to down town or commuter trains to Manhattan’s Penn Station in midtown- but, did you consider looking into Manhattan hotels to avoid back and forth travel over several days?

Another option are NJ Hudson River hotels like the Hyatt in jersey city, 10 minute PATH.

[meadowlander]

18 hours ago, sailor05 said:

If we were to book the Doubletree at Newark Penn Station do they have service into New York City? We're staying in the area for 3 nights before the cruise to explore the city. Is it fairly easy to navigate and figure out which trains? 

NJ Transit(not Amtrak) is the rail service you would use from Newark Penn to NY Penn. 

 

PATH is also available from Newark Penn. PATH has direct service to World Trade Center in NY and service to 33rd Street in NY. The latter would involve a transfer of PATH trains at Journal Square station or Grove Street station.

 

Access to the Statue of Liberty is available from Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

You have the option of returning to Jersey City or NYC after touring Ellis/Liberty Islands. If you go to NYC, you will have to transit back to NJ on your own.

[cruislovin]

Are the Newark and Jersey City hotels in a safe area?

 

We will only arrive at EWR 1 day prior to our cruise departure at Bayonne.  Ideally we would like a hotel that has airport transportation from EWR and that is located in a safe area. Also we want easy transit to Midtown Manhattan to meet someone for dinner and get back to the hotel later in the evening, maybe 8-9 PM.  And then get to Bayonne the next day for the cruise departure.  The cruise leaves on a Wednesday, if that matters.

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, cruislovin said:

Are the Newark and Jersey City hotels in a safe area?

 

We will only arrive at EWR 1 day prior to our cruise departure at Bayonne.  Ideally we would like a hotel that has airport transportation from EWR and that is located in a safe area. Also we want easy transit to Midtown Manhattan to meet someone for dinner and get back to the hotel later in the evening, maybe 8-9 PM.  And then get to Bayonne the next day for the cruise departure.  The cruise leaves on a Wednesday, if that matters.

The hotels on the Jersey City waterfront are in a nicer/safer area than the  Doubletree Newark Penn Station. However the Jersey City hotels do not provide transportation from EWR so you would have to take Uber or a taxi from the airport to the hotel. In either case, Newark or Jersey City, you'll have to take Uber or taxi from the hotel to Cape Liberty. You can take New Jersey Transit directly from Newark Penn Station to New York Penn Station in midtown Manhattan. From Jersey City you'll have to take PATH and make a train change to get to 33rd St. in  midtown.

Even though the neighborhood in Jersey City is better if all you're doing is jumping on a train to get into the city and back and not wandering around the local area, the Doubletree Newark Penn Station has better transportation to midtown and provides a shuttle from the airport to the hotel.

[GTJ]

20 hours ago, cruislovin said:

Are the Newark and Jersey City hotels in a safe area?

As far as safety, both areas are similar in that each has much pedestrian activity, but each also have very busy highways with the safety risks concomitant with their crossing. In sum, each are reasonably safe to walk without excessive risk of becoming injured.

 

That said, my suspicion is that you might actually be focused on security, rather than on safety. Both are urban centers and share common security issues surrounding cities. That said, the hotels in both places surround the centers of government and commerce, and so these areas tend to be the most secure within their respective cities. Over the past few decades, the area of Jersey City immediately adjacent to the waterfront, areas surrounding Exchange Place and Pavonia Avenue (Newport) have been redeveloped from their historic positions as centers of railroading and ferriage into financial centers and a large enclosed shopping mall. These areas are visited by a large cross section of the population and tend to be kept relatively secure in order to maintain the confidence of the financial industry that settled into the area. West of Marin Boulevard, at Grove Street and beyond, is the older and not redeveloped commercial area. Fine during the day, but perhaps a bit less secure after sunset. The hotel in Newark (there really is one, the DoubleTree) is immediately adjacent to the railroad station, and the railroad tracks themselves separate downtown Newark from the Ironbound district, each with distinct characteristics. Downtown Newark has, over the past few decades, seen a flight of commercial activity leaving the area, with no department stores remaining. Virtually all remaining commercial activity is of the lowest economic value. Downtown is also headquarters to Prudential Insurance, is home to a Rutgers University campus and Seton Hall Law School, and hosts the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Given this mix, there is in the center of downtown a combination of petty disorder in the day and a sense of insecurity at night. Yet the performing arts center a few blocks away is very active and secure in the evening when there are events. On the other side of the railroad tracks, in the Ironbound district, is a Portuguese community with many fine restaurants and being largely secure during the day and evening. The hotel itself is directly connected to the railroad station, going back and forth between the two is always kept secure.

 

Both Jersey City and Newark are exceptionally well-connected to midtown Manhattan. Jersey City has a subway, known as "PATH" (short for Port Authority Trans Hudson), that provides frequent service to and from Sixth Avenue in midtown at a reasonable transit fare. There is also bus service into the Port Authority Bus Terminal and, during rush hours, ferries to the west side (requiring a connecting bus to get to and from midtown), but the PATH subway is likely to be favored choice. Newark has the same PATH subway service, but since the Newark route goes direct only to lower Manhattan, one does have to change trains at Journal Square to get to and from Sixth Avenue in midtown. Quicker than this subway service are the New Jersey Transit commuter trains to and from Pennsylvania Station in midtown. Less frequent and more irregularly scheduled than the PATH trains, the service is quicker overall, albeit at a much higher fare. There is also bus service into the Port Authority Bus Terminal. In sum, transportation to and from midtown Manhattan is not a strong basis for deciding between Jersey City and Newark. Both locations offer good, rapid, safe, secure, and inexpensive transportation to and from midtown Manhattan.

 

To and from EWR: It is my understanding that the hotel in Newark provides a shuttle service. It is unlikely that any of the hotels in Jersey City will provide a shuttle service (but possible nonetheless).

 

To and from Bayonne: It is a shorter journey for hotels in Jersey City than in Newark. It is unlikely that any hotel will provide a shuttle. There is no train or bus directly to the port, though there is New Jersey light rail train service between Jersey City and Bayonne, to and from a point just outside the peninsula upon which the port is located (with taxi/TNC fare about $10 between train station and port). Travel by taxi/TNC between hotel and port will likely be marginally less expensive for hotels in Jersey City (and no tolls).

[cruislovin]

Thanks for this information GTJ and njhorseman.  Is there transportation to midtown from the EWR airport?

 

We have sailed from Bayonne before but have always driven in the past and stayed at a hotel further away and taken a bus into Manhattan but I don't recall the name of it.  There were a few stops in Midtown.  We were able to walk to the bus from the hotel in Secaucus.  I know this is further from the port so we did not think it would be a good option since we are flying into EWR this time.

[princeton123211]

17 minutes ago, cruislovin said:

Is there transportation to midtown from the EWR airport?

Yes, you can take NJ Transit or Amtrak directly into New York Penn Station from the EWR train station. I'm sure there are also busses that someone else might know more about but I think the train options will be faster, especially during rush hour. 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, cruislovin said:

Thanks for this information GTJ and njhorseman.  Is there transportation to midtown from the EWR airport?

In addition to the NJ Transit and Amtrak service mentioned by @princeton123211, there is express bus service https://www.coachusa.com/airport-transportation/newark-airport .

 

If you take a train, I don't recommend using Amtrak. It will be far more expensive than NJ Transit.

 

But, I'm not sure why you would want to travel to Manhattan from EWR if you're staying in either Newark or Jersey City.

[GTJ]

The bus service between the airport and midtown Manhattan, which is operated by a subsidiary of Coach USA, is direct from any of the airport passenger terminal to Port Authority Bus Terminal, Bryant Park, and Grand Central Terminal. The one-way Coach USA fare is $18.70, $9.35 for seniors age 62 and up.

 

The rail service between the airport and midtown Manhattan is indirect, and requires first traveling on the monorail (known as AirTrain), from any of the airport passenger terminals, to the EWR railroad station, and second traveling on either of the two railroads, New Jersey Transit or Amtrak, to New York Pennsylvania Station. Both railroads use the same route and have virtually identical travel times, the difference being that Amtrak offers marginally higher seating comfort and substantially higher fares. The one-way AirTrain fare is $8 (no discounts for seniors); the one-way New Jersey Transit fare is $7.75, $3.25 for seniors age 62 and up; the one-way Amtrak fare is at least $22.00 and as great as $79.00 (no discounts for seniors).

 

The Coach USA and AirTrain plus New Jersey Transit/Amtrak routes are both relatively expensive for daily commuters. Most airport employees instead utilize the much more economical New Jersey Transit route 62 bus, from any of the airport passenger terminals, to Newark Pennsylvania Station, then connecting to the PATH subway trains into New York. The one-way New Jersey Transit fare, exact change required, is $1.60, $0.75 for seniors age 62 and up; the one-way PATH fare is $2.75, $1.25 for seniors age 65 and up. Institutional interests prefer that out-of-town visitors not use the route 62 bus--and instead use the more expensive services--so much information on the route 62 bus is hidden, and the route 62 timetable itself states: "Only two pieces of baggage per customer allowed on buses not to exceed 22" x 16" x 8".

[floor13]

 

We're staying in Lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center which has a PATH train station right across the street which, with an easy transfer, can get us to the Bayonne, NJ 34th Street Station within 2-3 miles of the ship docked at Cape Liberty in about 30 minutes or so for $6 each or less.

 

Has anybody ever done this for a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Cape Liberty? Never cruised out of Cape Liberty. I'm hoping there will be taxis, shuttles or available Uber/Lyft transportation available at or near this Bayonne 34th St Station to get us the final 2.4 miles across to the ship. Looks like there's a Costco, TJ Maxx etc all right there near the station so I would assume taxis or transportation would be hovering in the area especially on a cruise day?

 

[princeton123211]

14 minutes ago, floor13 said:

I'm hoping there will be taxis, shuttles or available Uber/Lyft transportation available at or near this Bayonne 34th St Station to get us the final 2.4 miles across to the ship.

There will be taxis and Uber/Lyft. NJ taxis aren't exactly the greatest (a lot are older and a bit tatty), and they don't sort of just hover like in NYC, so I would personally Uber/Lyft there which will be quick and easy. 

 

Frankly there is a case to be made to just Uber from your hotel in lower Manhattan direct to Cape Liberty which will be in the neighborhood of $100. Especially if you have a bunch of luggage it's a bit of a schlep with the public transport to get to Bayonne, only to then take a $15 Uber. They aren't comparable on price but more weighing how you value saving a bunch of time and effort before boarding. 

[GTJ]

4 hours ago, floor13 said:

We're staying in Lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center which has a PATH train station right across the street which, with an easy transfer, can get us to the Bayonne, NJ 34th Street Station within 2-3 miles of the ship docked at Cape Liberty in about 30 minutes or so for $6 each or less. Has anybody ever done this for a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Cape Liberty?

Yes, we have done the same thing (and only the same thing) a number of times, both for Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. We generally come in the PATH train from 33rd Street in midtown, and change to the light rail train at Hoboken. From World Trade Center, you would change to the light rail train at Exchange Place.

 

No, there typically has not been transportation waiting at 34th Street, but there is quick response when requesting transportation. What can be confusing to drivers meeting you at the station is that there are two distinct areas at which you can meet. First, there is a park-and-ride with bus stop on the east side of the tracks, adjacent to highway 440 and closest to the port. Second, there is a residential street entrance on the west side of the tracks. While the east side location would seemingly be more reasonable for meeting up with a summoned taxi/TNC, it has no street address, and some drivers get lost not knowing where it is. The west side location, while less comforting in having to stand on a sidewalk without benches, has the advantage of having addresses that can be used when summoning a taxi/TNC vehicle. Specifically, we use the address 534 Avenue E, which is that of the business immediately adjacent to, and south of, the station entrance on the west side of the tracks. (You could also use the address 552 Avenue E, which is the house immediately adjacent to, and north of, the station entrance on the west side of the tracks.) Recent roadway changes on the peninsula make the 45th Street station also a practicable connecting point. It has only a single station entrance, and so may be less confusing to drivers (though we have not used this station as a connecting point). Assume a fare of about $10 between the station and the port.

 

Overall, it is a fairly easy trip, at least so long as you have baggage on wheels that you are able to manage on your own. I think that the fares for taxis and cars from Manhattan to Bayonne are an outrage, and we would never consider doing so except under the most extraordinary of circumstances.

Edited August 13, 2022 by GTJ

[meadowlander]

6 hours ago, floor13 said:

 

We're staying in Lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center which has a PATH train station right across the street which, with an easy transfer, can get us to the Bayonne, NJ 34th Street Station within 2-3 miles of the ship docked at Cape Liberty in about 30 minutes or so for $6 each or less.

 

Has anybody ever done this for a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Cape Liberty? Never cruised out of Cape Liberty. I'm hoping there will be taxis, shuttles or available Uber/Lyft transportation available at or near this Bayonne 34th St Station to get us the final 2.4 miles across to the ship. Looks like there's a Costco, TJ Maxx etc all right there near the station so I would assume taxis or transportation would be hovering in the area especially on a cruise day?

 

• Cabs will NOT be waiting at the 34th Street light rail station. You can call Archie's Cab or Bayonne Taxi(same company) and they will dispatch a vehicle. Fare should be $9.  
•  
• When you exit the light rail, there will be an elevator that takes you to the overpass bridge. Cross the bridge & take the elevator down to the parking lot closest to route 440. Wait in this lot for your car service. Specify to whichever transport company which lot you will be waiting in (440 lot -main lot or Avenue E lot -smaller).
•  
• Remember to validate your light rail ticket when you purchase it. Validation slot should be very close to where you purchase the ticket.
•  
• If you use the light rail on disembarkation & it is a weekday, expect the rail cars to be full with commuters. You will not encounter such on embarking.
•  
• If you have more than 1 bag each it would be easier to use car service from Jersey City than light rail and car service. 

 

 

 

 

 

[cruislovin]

On 8/11/2022 at 5:52 PM, njhorseman said:

In addition to the NJ Transit and Amtrak service mentioned by @princeton123211, there is express bus service https://www.coachusa.com/airport-transportation/newark-airport .

 

If you take a train, I don't recommend using Amtrak. It will be far more expensive than NJ Transit.

 

But, I'm not sure why you would want to travel to Manhattan from EWR if you're staying in either Newark or Jersey City.

We are meeting friends in Manhattan for the day.  Flying into EWR for the port.

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, cruislovin said:

We are meeting friends in Manhattan for the day.  Flying into EWR for the port.

So you're going into Manhattan before checking into a hotel located in either Newark or Jersey City, baggage in hand, right from the airport? Then returning to NJ to check into your hotel that night still carrying your bags ?

Edited September 1, 2022 by njhorseman

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

So you're going into Manhattan before checking into a hotel located in either Newark or Jersey City, baggage in hand, right from the airport? Then returning to NJ to check into your hotel that night still carrying your bags ?

I think (rather: sincerely hope) that he’s talking about heading into Manhattan AFTER checking into hotel - post was not very clear.

[njhorseman]

20 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

I think (rather: sincerely hope) that he’s talking about heading into Manhattan AFTER checking into hotel - post was not very clear.

Problem is that they apparently haven't yet booked a hotel and originally mentioned either hotels in Jersey City or the Doubletree Newark Penn Station.  In either case they wouldn’t be going from the hotel to Manhattan from EWR if they have already checked in at the hotel.