JimInBuffalo

Wow, it is amazing what a difference there can be for two travelers on the same trip.

I don't see anything wrong with Premier's physical location or security.

The difference in most of the info on this thread seems to come down to the timing of arrival and return.

Our driver also noted that the traffic patterns due to security concerns is constricting traffic as the day progresses.

Take-away: get to the parking lot as close to 10 am as possible to avoid incoming traffic tie-ups at the pier.

On return, it is imperative to use the express dis-embarkation. You have to get off the ship quickly to avoid the traffic tie-ups after the bulk of pax have exited the ship.

Take-away: If you cannot utilize the express method, use the Pier lot or take a cab to the lot since there will be delays in getting back to Premier. It is not a matter of the number of vans at Premier. The vans can go from the pier to the lot and return in 15 minutes as long as the traffic is not a factor. After the traffic builds, all bets are off.

Our experience was excellent and from reading the other positive postings here, it appears that timing is everything.

As far as using other satellite parking venues like Snap, I would think that they would have the same issues as Premier when it comes to the traffic. I.E.: even if you have 10 vans going to pick up people at the pier, they can't move the traffic any faster through the tie-ups no matter who you are.

The real issue at Bayonne is traffic patterns and control coupled with a shipfull of people all wanting to get out of the pier vacinity all at once.

Bottom line: If you want to save money, use the sattelite lots knowing that there is a great potential for delays. Getting off the ship fast will make a big difference.

-Jim

Well, I started this thread so I wanted to let you know what happened when I got back home from our cruise yesterday.

Our experience with PREMIER PARKING was excellent.

The lot is large and fenced-in. It is located behind a large office building.

We arrived early on departure day (9:15) and I did have to wait until the previous passengers were brought to their cars and empty out the lot. During that time I observed three vans (not marked) that were used to shuttle pax from the ship. The vans moved quickly and were back to the lot within 10-15 minutes.

I parked my car at 10 am and went back to the ship to board. I had dropped off our bags and my DW prior to going to the lot. About the time that we returned, the driver noted that the traffic was picking up in the dock area and that causes delays later in the day. ADVICE: Get off the ship as fast as you can.

On our return we did the express de-embarkation and were off the ship at 8:15 am. We were loaded on the van (a brand new Nissan 12 pax) and were back to our car by 8:30 am. The car was in the lot and no damage, etc. Within 10 minutes we were on our way back to Buffalo.

I almost cancelled our reservation based on some of the comments in this thread. I am glad that I didn't. Of course, a lot of the transfer issues never came up for us because we arrived early on departure day and we got off the ship very quickly.

I can see where being late either way could cause issues beyond anyone's control, especially Premier's.

Just my opinion and my experience.

Jim

Well, I started this thread and in preparation for the upcoming cruise, I am re-thinking my decision to go with Premier Parking based on the info that the good members at CC have provided.

I have made reservations with Snap Parking in Newark.

Next question: We can get to Newark early in the morning. Would it be advisable to drive to the port first and unload our bags (we have a lot of stuff / 4 bags) and then go to Snap and park the car OR should we just go to Snap and haul the bags with us on the shuttle.

My thinking is that by dropping off the bags first, they can get them to the cabin faster and it will save us having to schlepp (spelling?) on the shuttle.

I assume that the pier will let us pull in and drop off the bags with the porters. Is that correct? Also, my DW could stay at the terminal if needed while I go to the parking gargage and take the shuttle back to the pier. No use for both of us to do this.

What are the thoughts of the experienced travelers through this port?

thanks,

-Jim

we used premier and also didnt have to leave the keys. but we were the ones that had 2 wait 2 hours . apparently they rent the vans on the days the ship is in port.i heard they dont actually own them. so if you were in an accident in the van you might be screwed. dont know ifr this is true. also the lot is not secure because you park behind a storage facility so any one with a key to the storage area can access your car

Was the two hour wait on the embarkation or on your return? If it was on the return, I am thinking that if I have to wait and the line is long, I am just going to grab a taxi back to the parking lot. Does that sound like it would work or am I better off waiting at the pier for the next available shuttle?

-Jim

After reviewing our options, we decided to drive down the night before the cruise from Buffalo and stay about 1 hour away from the pier.

We are then going to arrive at premier parking early so that we can get over to the ship before the rush of others arriving.

Please note: I went into the reservation page on Premier Parking's website. I was going to fill in the info and make the reservation online until I saw that they had an option to insert a discount "code". I then called the reservation phone number and asked what the code would be. The operator said that she could not give me the code but that if I made the reservation on the phone with her, she would give me a 10% discount.

Our cost for the 11-day cruise for parking including daily parking fees plus tax and other fees, minus the 10% discount is $125.43.

When we return, I will let you know what our experience was with this company to hopefully help out future cruisers from this port.

-Jim in Buffalo

Head over the East Coast Departures board, there is a thread there about Cape Liberty that has a wealth of information. There are also several frequent posters on that board who can answer your questions in detail.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1693577

Thanks for the information. I did review the thread from the previous board. Most of the info is dated however. I would like to hear from some recent experiences.

Once again, I appreciate the info from everyone.

-Jim

We are sailing out of the Bayonne (Cape Liberty) pier on the Explorer of the Seas on 11/3/13.

I see that we can park in the lot at the pier and that there are private lots that are about $40% cheaper per day.

One of the reviews that I have read on this site have mentioned that the "free" shuttle from the private parking lots is slow both on the delivery to the pier and for pick-up from the ship (2 hour wait for the one I read).

I would like to save some money on the 11 days that we are gone but I don't want to wait for the shuttle that long.

Questions:

<>Is this a typical experience or is it a fluke?

<>Can we get a cab instead (either way) and what would the approx. cost be for the cab?

<>Is the wait time determined by the time of arrival at the lot? (I.E. if we arrive in the morning are we more likely to have a shorter wait that later in the day when more people are arriving?)

<>Can you provide specific names of parking lots that you would recommend based on your experience.

Thanks,

-jim

Our pick for best dancing was on the Norwegian Epic. Specifically the Main Dining Room.

They have a large wooden dance floor right in the middle of the MDR. Their house orchestra as well as various bands and performers from other venues on the ship perform there nightly.

You can actually dance between courses of your dinner. We even came back later in the night to have dessert and enjoy some more dancing. Especially when they would feature one of the singers from the evening shows with the orchestra.

The dance floor is large however, at times, they do have tables set up on a portion of the floor. Still, it is larger than most dancefloors that you find on ships these days, especially the newer ones.

-Jim

We tried everything from wrist bands to drugs, including electronic wrist bands. We now use Bonine after reading about it on this website.

It works great.

-Jim

-8 degrees F in Buffalo today. The next cruise is looking better all the time.

Thanks for all of the responses. I have to admit that I was not enthused about this port at all until I read this info and saw the pictures. We have been to Cancun a few times previously and I had not heard much about Costa Maya. I thought that it was one of those ports created just for the cruise lines.

I will put this one the plans for our cruise for sure.

-Jim in Buffalo (It will be 85 - 90 degrees here today and tomorrow the high will be 61 degrees. That's Buffalo for you.)

We will be stopping at Costa Maya on our upcoming cruise and I want to go to a beach during the day. Are there any public beaches close to the port? I have never been to this port before and am not sure what to expect.

If not within walking distance, what would it cost for a taxi to get to the nearest beach?

Thanks,

Jim In Buffalo