Leaving Saturday on Explorer - What should I know?

[grovehill]

We're sailing on 10/9. I've been looking for any information about water on board-does anyone know if there is a water fountain near the pool area-perhaps near the soda machine?? I'm not a soda drinker, and I travel with my own XL water jug. I know that I can always fill it up in our cabin, but it sure would be handy to have something poolside. Any help out there EOS folks? (EOS will be stopping in Portland, Maine on September 13. We are driving down to check it out! Can't wait)

 

Will check for ya and report back. :)

[F27TW]

- Don't miss the pass under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge about 25 mins after pulling out of Cape Liberty ... its amazing to see that bridge pass SO close over the ship!

 

 

- Don't miss the Lobster tail night in the MDR ... its AMAZING !!

 

- Lower your expectations of a chic, attractive facility at Cape Liberty ... its disgusting. And the boarding process is horrible. One of the most undignified ways to board a cruise ship possible. But once you're through it, you are on a beautiful ship !

 

- See the Ice Show ... its fantastic !!!

[FortheloveofDCL]

- Don't miss the pass under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge about 25 mins after pulling out of Cape Liberty ... its amazing to see that bridge pass SO close over the ship!

 

 

- Don't miss the Lobster tail night in the MDR ... its AMAZING !!

 

- Lower your expectations of a chic, attractive facility at Cape Liberty ... its disgusting. And the boarding process is horrible. One of the most undignified ways to board a cruise ship possible. But once you're through it, you are on a beautiful ship !

 

- See the Ice Show ... its fantastic !!!

 

Please explain the boarding process to me. I have sailed many times. So don't you go in the building , process and check in with a reservationist and then board via gangway??

[F27TW]

Please explain the boarding process to me. I have sailed many times. So don't you go in the building , process and check in with a reservationist and then board via gangway??

 

oh.. dear god no .. Cape Liberty (once you find it after all the turns and twists thru NJ industrial waste land) is located in the most grimy industrial looking area ever. You don't even know you are there until you make that one last left turn .. and BAM ... there's the Explorer there in front of you.

 

BUT ... relax .. you're not there yet .. not by a longgggshot! You turn into the huge scrum of taxis, limo's and private cars picking up and dropping people off. You see nothing that looks like a cruise terminal.. and you won't. Not this time.

 

You park .. quickly exit your vehicle and get barked at (in typical NJ style) by the luggage porters .. demanding ur documents .. so u better have them ready! They check ur bags to ur cabin .. and do have your tip ready .. these guys give the impression that ur bags WILL end up in the Hudson unless u tip nice.

 

U dodge all the pissed off inbound passengers who went thru the ridiculous process of just having gotten OFF The ship -- theyre pushing their way by you, mumbling ... and youre looking for the way into the terminal. You are walking under a temporary nasty cheap looking plastic tarp and get shoo-ed in by a disinterested "agent" to the passport area ... then thru security (real friendly group-not) .. to the check in desks .. then thru "boarding"

 

This is where it gets fun. You are now looking around going "oh my god .. this place is a freakin DUMP". and it is. its like a Third World bus station. As ramshackle and interim as it can get (even tho RC has been using this embarrassing dump of a boarding facility this way since it opened a long, long time ago) ... you sit .. and wait ... and wait ..

 

and then finally u hear some "WAH-WAH-WAH.." over the "P.A." ... what are they saying? Huh ? I dunno. Huh ??

 

So you make ur way up to the scary RC agents near the boarding doors ... and u get screamed at to "get back till we call ya numba ...." ... u try explain that the P.A. is not audible (as if its the first time they have heard this) ... but they aint havin it ... you get shoo-ed back outta their faces like a fly.

 

Then "WAH-WAH-WAH ..." again ... well some people are moving ... shouldn't WE? Then u get up there and the same Tony Soprano lookin agent says "Look I'm not tellin you again ... you don't come up here again till I cawllll ya numbaa.... capish..??" and u get dismissed again back to the Calcutta bus station sitting area ... wondering if you are actually getting on a ship or got dropped off at some prison bus waiting area.

 

You FINALLY get past Guido and through the doors ... YAY ! I'm finally getting on the ship!! Oh no you ain't! Sucka, you gettin on a BUS!

 

A bus -- a couple of hundred of feet to the ship. Right. They board a 3,000+ passenger ship --- by way of 50 seat busses. Awesome idea.

 

You finally get off and get herded up the gangway to Deck 1 ... then fight the rest of the passengers onto the 2 banks of elevators ...

 

Right ... that goes about as well as it sounds. Verrry efficient way to get 3000 people up to the Windjammer till their cabins are ready.

 

BUT ... youre now on board ... and u know what? From this point on, Explorer is WONDERFUL ... loved every second of it ... till DIS-embarkation ... another freakin nightmare.

 

Cape Liberty is a terrible place. And until the new terminal opens, RC should be embarrassed to charge the fares they do for such an unprofessional and undignified facility.

 

(There ... you asked .. right ?!) LOL

Edited September 5, 2014 by F27TW

[Clarea]

oh.. dear god no .....

One of the funniest (and most accurate) accounts I've read on CC. Hilarious.:D

[Addictedtocruising]

Oh puh-leeze! I was just there on August 23rd, got there around 10:30-11:00am waited in the line of cars for 15 minutes tops. Dropped off luggage to a very nice porter (Yes I tipped him $2.00 a bag, as I always do no matter what port) My Husband made a left off that road and parked the car right across the way in a gated lot. ($19.00 a day) Went through the doors for check in and was in line for 5 minutes (it was priority though) They don't board the buses until 12 but there are cookies and drinks in the terminal :) and plenty of seats!

The short bus ride is just that, and they run continuously.

When we got off the ship we were early coming in so there were no porters available yet but I suggest if given the chance get a porter as soon as you enter the luggage area and he will get you through customs much quicker! (of course tip him)! I've been through Cape Liberty 4 times and have never found it to be as bad as "some" are saying

[F27TW]

One of the funniest (and most accurate) accounts I've read on CC. Hilarious.:D

 

Thanks, Bob! I can tell you've been there too!

 

See what a trashy dump?

 

[Clarea]

Thanks, Bob! I can tell you've been there too!...

Our experience is that the people never wait for their numbers to be called and just jump up and crowd the exit area, no matter how much the announcer yells at them.

[F27TW]

Our experience is that the people never wait for their numbers to be called and just jump up and crowd the exit area, no matter how much the announcer yells at them.

 

But you have to admit .. you can not even HEAR what theyre announcing! So people just start herding .. that PA system is beyond horrible there .. if only they just lowered the speakers to ear level ....

[cathykb]

F27TW - you have captured the "essence" of boarding at Cape Liberty - that was really great! Thanks for sharing your perspective - I'm with ya!

 

Cathy

Edited September 5, 2014 by cathykb

[davy jones]

F27TW - It would make a great comedy routine if it didn't have so much truth. It's so much like the cargo docks. The only thing missing is Rocky Balboa collecting overdue bills from the loan shark.

 

You should try a related routine describing disembarkation.

[lovelife]

oh.. dear god no .. Cape Liberty

 

Thanks for the belly laugh this morning!!!!!:D

[FortheloveofDCL]

oh.. dear god no ..

(There ... you asked .. right ?!) LOL

 

oh sheesh, not what I was hoping to hear. I chuckled a bit but I am sure I won't be once I am going through it. guess this is my only way to Bermuda! It doesn't say much of the cruise line to handle things this way.

 

Let me ask--- is Windjammer the only place to eat lunch or are there others? Also since you are pretty blunt honest....I have a few other questions. How much smoking goes on? My daughter has asthma and a bad reaction to smoke besides the annoyance of the smell. Where do I avoid going????? I am trying out Royal and trying to give them the benefit of the doubt but they have huge shoes to fill (DCL)

[Clarea]

oh sheesh, not what I was hoping to hear. I chuckled a bit but I am sure I won't be once I am going through it. guess this is my only way to Bermuda! It doesn't say much of the cruise line to handle things this way.

 

Let me ask--- is Windjammer the only place to eat lunch or are there others? Also since you are pretty blunt honest....I have a few other questions. How much smoking goes on? My daughter has asthma and a bad reaction to smoke besides the annoyance of the smell. Where do I avoid going????? I am trying out Royal and trying to give them the benefit of the doubt but they have huge shoes to fill (DCL)

Cafe Promenade will also be open for lunch on embarkation day.

 

To avoid smoke, don't go to the casino. If you are on deck 4, say at Schooner Bar, and you want to go aft, then either walk up to deck 5 and walk the Royal Promenade, or walk outside (the non-smoking side) on deck 4.

[scooter90]

BUT ... relax .. you're not there yet .. LOL

 

Too funny!!!! We were on EX in March and because my DH was in a wheelchair due to knee replacement surgery, we were able to get priority/handicapped boarding....except the security camera that takes the boarding picture broke down and we sat and sat (probably 15 minutes but it seemed like FOREVER)....listening to other numbers being called.

 

The buses do run continuously but we had to wait a couple loops until we were able to get one that had an opening for the wheelchair (there were numerous people with walkers and wheelchairs on this cruise for some reason).

 

The ride is not bad....shorter than a ride at the amusement park...once you are on the ship it won't matter and to tell you the truth...I was more excited about getting on and seeing the ship that I didn't even pay attention to the interior of the terminal.

 

Tomorrow, however, we are sailing again on the EX, so I guess I will check out the terminal this time...just for a chuckle.

[browneyedgirlnb]

In the 4 trips out of Bayonne that we've taken, I can honestly say that we've never experienced any of what F27TW described. Insulting the way people speak or their nationality was uncalled for. I'm from CT. Perhaps we have an accent, I don't know. When I vacation in RI, the locals have a distinct way of speaking; same can be said of many other states... NJ is no exception. I find it charming. No one has ever been rude to me or anyone in our party since we started traveling out of Bayonne in 2010. In fact, I'd say they were all quite accommodating... especially the hardworking porters! In addition, I thought the whole process, given how many people pass thru there on any given day, worked like a well oiled machine. After reading the comments by F27TW, I asked my husband his opinion. He agreed that Cape Liberty runs like clockwork and that anyone who would make such disparaging ethnic comments for a laugh is rude.

Yes, I'm Italian. Well, half Italian, but insulted by your comments just the same.

 

To the OP, enjoy your trip... from the moment you wake up the morning you leave! Ignore negativity & you'll have a great time.

Rosie

 

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[renjrusa]

We sail in 28days on the explorer and hope some of you going thru here before us will give us your impression when you return, and hope everyone has a wonderful cruise aboard explorer. There has to be a reason so many people return to her year after year... I will be driving from Ct that Saturday morning and is there a good time to board say 12 noon ...

[F27TW]

In the 4 trips out of Bayonne that we've taken, I can honestly say that we've never experienced any of what F27TW described. Insulting the way people speak or their nationality was uncalled for. I'm from CT. Perhaps we have an accent, I don't know. When I vacation in RI, the locals have a distinct way of speaking; same can be said of many other states... NJ is no exception. I find it charming. No one has ever been rude to me or anyone in our party since we started traveling out of Bayonne in 2010. In fact, I'd say they were all quite accommodating... especially the hardworking porters! In addition, I thought the whole process, given how many people pass thru there on any given day, worked like a well oiled machine. After reading the comments by F27TW, I asked my husband his opinion. He agreed that Cape Liberty runs like clockwork and that anyone who would make such disparaging ethnic comments for a laugh is rude.

Yes, I'm Italian. Well, half Italian, but insulted by your comments just the same.

 

To the OP, enjoy your trip... from the moment you wake up the morning you leave! Ignore negativity & you'll have a great time.

Rosie

 

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

 

oh please ...lighten up a little with all the "insensitivity" whining ... i am full Italian (in case that takes away some of the sting for you)..

 

and funny how several other people concurred at what i wrote about that facility .. (read back a little) .. and even chuckled too.

 

Dont take things so personally, either .. u need to unwind a little.

[cruzinlady1947]

One of the funniest (and most accurate) accounts I've read on CC. Hilarious.:D

I agree with this too. Too funny, but oh so true. I just got off the Explorer this morning and had to chuckle with the accurate description. But, I will say, I was pleasantly surprised this morning with the debarkation. It went very smoothly, or at least as smoothly as it can go. We were called to depart the ship 15 min. before our time and had no trouble getting off the ship and to the terminal, other than the crowding of those shuttles. We had our luggage in record time and through the terminal to our parking lot shuttle within about 15 min. Surprise, surprise. That will be our last trip to Bayonne for quite some time or at least until the new terminal is in operation. I seriously doubt it will be ready for the Quantum, unless they start working 24/7.

 

 

Gwen :)

[renjrusa]

oh please ...lighten up a little with all the "insensitivity" whining ... i am full Italian (in case that takes away some of the sting for you)..

 

and funny how several other people concurred at what i wrote about that facility .. (read back a little) .. and even chuckled too.

 

Dont take things so personally, either .. u need to unwind a little.

Even Joan Rivers (rip) would have loved your review

[F27TW]

Even Joan Rivers (rip) would have loved your review

 

 

Glad you (and the others on here with a sense of humor) got a laugh !

 

What I wrote was -exactly- my experience there a couple months back ... and I do think its a terrible place .. but thankfully I can see the humor in most any situation .. so of course I had to share it that way on here!

 

The political-correctness police will always find something to pick out and magnify, though ... kinda sad!

 

All in fun, folks ... after all this a board about cruising ... don' worry .. be hoppy . . .. jeeez!!! ;)

[F27TW]

I agree with this too. Too funny, but oh so true. I just got off the Explorer this morning and had to chuckle with the accurate description.

Gwen :)

 

 

Thanks, Gwen! :D

 

And how was the cruise? I so wish we were going to have another chance on Explorer before she is moved ... we absolutely loved the ship, the crew, Bermuda, the food ... it was just a great time.

[renjrusa]

Glad you (and the others on here with a sense of humor) got a laugh !

 

What I wrote was -exactly- my experience there a couple months back ... and I do think its a terrible place .. but thankfully I can see the humor in most any situation .. so of course I had to share it that way on here!

 

The political-correctness police will always find something to pick out and magnify, though ... kinda sad!

 

All in fun, folks ... after all this a board about cruising ... don' worry .. be hoppy . . .. jeeez!!! ;)

I am planning on reading your review the morning before I drive down there, between the GWB crossing and stress of taking my mom and wife on a cruise will just take it all in and have a grin no matter what..Once I pass thru there and am on EOS will know its all going to be alright... Thanks again for an insightful and informative review. I always read reviews before travelling and also post my own. Amazing what two people can see in the same place at the same time...

[F27TW]

I am planning on reading your review the morning before I drive down there, between the GWB crossing and stress of taking my mom and wife on a cruise will just take it all in and have a grin no matter what..Once I pass thru there and am on EOS will know its all going to be alright... Thanks again for an insightful and informative review. I always read reviews before travelling and also post my own. Amazing what two people can see in the same place at the same time...

 

 

Ren: in that case, here's the link to my full review of our Explorer cruise this past May ... such a great time !!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2053714&highlight=f27tw