NCL Gem - Help needed with Shuttle

[chrisaf]

We are sailing on the Gem in July. We are flying into Newark and will need a shuttle service from EWK to the Cruise Terminal.

After the cruise, we are flying out of JFK and will need transportation from the Cruise Terminal to JFK.

There are 6 of us total so a taxi is not an option. I would like to pre-arrange a shuttle for pick up and drop off before and after the cruise. Does anyone have any recommendations on shuttle services I can pre-arrange? Thank you.

[njhorseman]

Try a car service such as Dial 7 http://www.dial7.com or Carmel http://www.carmellimo.com . I don't recommend using SuperShuttle. The quality of their service in NY is pretty bad.

[chrisaf]

Thank you for the recommendations - I appreciate your help!

[johnnypiano]

We are sailing on the Gem in July. We are flying into Newark and will need a shuttle service from EWK to the Cruise Terminal.

After the cruise, we are flying out of JFK and will need transportation from the Cruise Terminal to JFK.

There are 6 of us total so a taxi is not an option. I would like to pre-arrange a shuttle for pick up and drop off before and after the cruise. Does anyone have any recommendations on shuttle services I can pre-arrange? Thank you.

 

I highly recommend VanderPlaat Executive Limo (https://www.vanderplaatlimo.com/). They are very timely and professional and usually are very cost effective. They are based out of NJ, so I'm sure they'll do the EWR transfer, but not sure about the JFK transfer at the back end.

 

For the EWR transfer, if you don't have too many bags - public transit is definitely an option. From the airport, you can take the train directly into Penn Station and then either grab a cab to the cruise terminal or take the C or E to 50th street and walk four blocks west.

[smeyer418]

I highly recommend VanderPlaat Executive Limo (https://www.vanderplaatlimo.com/). They are very timely and professional and usually are very cost effective. They are based out of NJ, so I'm sure they'll do the EWR transfer, but not sure about the JFK transfer at the back end.

 

For the EWR transfer, if you don't have too many bags - public transit is definitely an option. From the airport, you can take the train directly into Penn Station and then either grab a cab to the cruise terminal or take the C or E to 50th street and walk four blocks west.

 

 

you can't take the train directly to Penn Station, you have to change at least once...

 

The Airporter bus however stops directly in front of every terminal and takes you to the Port Authority Bus terminal. There is also a discount for those over 65. and is about $16 pp.(less discount)... then its either two cabs(about 10 per cab) to the cruise terminal or a short walk(less than an 3/4 of a mile)...

 

http://coachusa1.reachlocal.net/olympia/ss.newarkairport.asp

 

 

Penn Station is at 33rd st and eighth avenue(31-33rd street between seventh and eighth avenue)

[johnnypiano]

you can't take the train directly to Penn Station, you have to change at least once...

 

That is not true. From the Newark airport train station, the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor and NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Lines, as well as some of the Amtrak Northeast Regional and Amtrak Keystone Service trains stop at both Newark Airport and NY Penn.

 

In fact, any train that stops at Newark Airport heading East will also stop at NY Penn Station.

[njhorseman]

That is not true. From the Newark airport train station, the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor and NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Lines, as well as some of the Amtrak Northeast Regional and Amtrak Keystone Service trains stop at both Newark Airport and NY Penn.

 

In fact, any train that stops at Newark Airport heading East will also stop at NY Penn Station.

 

You're forgetting that you have to take the AirTrain to leave or enter the airport itself and connect with NJ Transit or Amtrak trains that take you to other locations such as Penn Station.

 

So you absolutely do have to change trains when traveling to or from EWR by rail...you must take both AirTrain and NJ transit or Amtrak. The Newark Airport rail station is not located on the airport grounds and is accessible only by Airtrain.

[johnnypiano]

You're forgetting that you have to take the AirTrain to leave or enter the airport itself and connect with NJ Transit or Amtrak trains that take you to other locations such as Penn Station.

 

So you absolutely do have to change trains when traveling to or from EWR by rail...you must take both AirTrain and NJ transit or Amtrak.

 

AirTrain is the IntraAirport monorail, which gets you from the terminal to the on-airport train station. While I guess technically you have to transfer from the monorail to NJ Transit/Amtrak, you are not ever leaving Airport property when you're on the monorail.

[njhorseman]

AirTrain is the IntraAirport monorail, which gets you from the terminal to the on-airport train station. While I guess technically you have to transfer from the monorail to NJ Transit/Amtrak, you are not ever leaving Airport property when you're on the monorail.

 

Again, you're wrong. The AirTrain does leave the airport property when it takes you to the NJ Transit/Amtrak rail station on the Northeast Corridor line. The railroad station is built right over the tracks, is not accessible by any other means than the AirTrain (you can't drive there, take a bus there or walk there), and is definitely off the airport grounds. Perhaps this map will help you picture it:

 

http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/ewr-airtrain-brochure-english.pdf

 

 

By the way, the same is true for the AirTrain at JFK, which goes off the airport grounds to provide connections to the LIRR and subways (although those subway and LIRR stations are accessible by means other than the AirTrain).

[johnnypiano]

Again, you're wrong. The AirTrain does leave the airport property when it takes you to the NJ Transit/Amtrak rail station on the Northeast Corridor line. The railroad station is built right over the tracks, is not accessible by any other means than the AirTrain (you can't drive there, take a bus there or walk there), and is definitely off the airport grounds. Perhaps this map will help you picture it:

 

http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/ewr-airtrain-brochure-english.pdf

 

 

By the way, the same is true for the AirTrain at JFK, which goes off the airport grounds to provide connections to the LIRR and subways (although those subway and LIRR stations are accessible by means other than the AirTrain).

 

OK, you're right you got me on a technicality. Yes, the railroad station is 50 yards from airport property.

 

So just to help the OP - for the public transport option - after you collect your baggage, take the AirTrain monorail (the same one used to transfer to different terminals) to the Airport Train Station. From there you can catch an Amtrak to NJ Transit train to NY Penn Station. From Penn Station, you're a quick cab ride to the Cruise Terminal.

 

Time and Cost:

AirTrain - $0 and 8 minutes

NJ Transit - $12.50 x 6 = $75 and 27 minutes

Taxi - $15 and 10 minutes

Total time/cost - $90 and 45 minutes

 

For convenience purposes, either Newark Airport Express or a taxi would be the most convenient, even if it costs a little more, especially if you've never ridden public transport in NY/NJ before.

[chrisaf]

Thank you for all the suggestions - because 4 of the 6 of us are small kids - we would prefer to have a shuttle directly to and from the airports rather than public transportation or having to split up into different taxi's. I appreciate the different suggestions.