Post cruise hotel, transportation, Yankee Stadium questions

[Cruzin-K]

I'm taking a cruise out of Cape Liberty (Bayonne) at the end of April and arrive back on a Saturday. I'd like to stay in the area a couple extra nights and fly home Monday. What I really want to do is attend the Sunday afternoon game at Yankee Stadium. Other than that, I'm sure I can fill up Saturday afternoon and the rest of Sunday with other sightseeing but I'm not too fussy about what to see/do (been there before). The main thing I want to do is the game. I can plan other activities once I decide on a hotel.

 

So, where should I stay and how do I get there from the ship, and how do I get from the hotel to the stadium? I was thinking of flying in/out of EWR because that will be closest to the ship for sailing away. I guess I could fly into EWR and out of another airport if it's more convenient to my post cruise hotel. I'm flexible as nothing has been booked yet (except the cruise).

 

I'll stay in Newark for one night before the cruise, but If I stay there after the cruise, I've checked and it seems to be a rather involved train/subway trip to the stadium taking over an hour. I'm OK with that, but I'm sure there is a better way.

 

If I stay somewhere in Manhattan for two nights, wouldn't it cost a lot more than an EWR airport hotel? I imagine I'd save a lot of time staying in NYC, but getting there from the ship could be costly I imagine. Plus, I'll have 50 pounds of luggage to be dragging around.  

 

I'm just looking for some thoughts and suggestions.

[Cruzin-K]

Another comment. There is a slim possibility of a friend who lives in Southern New Jersey making the drive up to go to the game with me and staying with me overnight, in which case having a hotel with parking would be important. Maybe staying somewhere in NJ, not necessarily Newark would have better parking & transportation options. 

 

Thinking out loud.

[138east]

8 hours ago, Cruzin-K said:

I'm taking a cruise out of Cape Liberty (Bayonne) at the end of April and arrive back on a Saturday. I'd like to stay in the area a couple extra nights and fly home Monday. What I really want to do is attend the Sunday afternoon game at Yankee Stadium. Other than that, I'm sure I can fill up Saturday afternoon and the rest of Sunday with other sightseeing but I'm not too fussy about what to see/do (been there before). The main thing I want to do is the game. I can plan other activities once I decide on a hotel.

 

So, where should I stay and how do I get there from the ship, and how do I get from the hotel to the stadium? I was thinking of flying in/out of EWR because that will be closest to the ship for sailing away. I guess I could fly into EWR and out of another airport if it's more convenient to my post cruise hotel. I'm flexible as nothing has been booked yet (except the cruise).

 

I'll stay in Newark for one night before the cruise, but If I stay there after the cruise, I've checked and it seems to be a rather involved train/subway trip to the stadium taking over an hour. I'm OK with that, but I'm sure there is a better way.

 

If I stay somewhere in Manhattan for two nights, wouldn't it cost a lot more than an EWR airport hotel? I imagine I'd save a lot of time staying in NYC, but getting there from the ship could be costly I imagine. Plus, I'll have 50 pounds of luggage to be dragging around.  

 

I'm just looking for some thoughts and suggestions.

What is your hotel budget?  One person, possibly 2?  What are your exact dates?  I'm assuming April 13-15 or April 20-21 because the Yankees are at home those dates.

 

Similar questions about going to Yankee games have been asked before and basically the answer has been to suck it up and take the subway from midtown Manhattan because there are no appropriate accommodations near Yankee Stadium.  There really is no better way.  Even with a car it can be a super hassle getting to Yankee Stadium, particularly if you're not a seasoned NYC driver.

 

A Manhattan hotel will definitely cost more.  I would suggest you look at the Hilton Newark Penn Station which is attached to the train station by a skywalk.  Service on NJ Transit to midtown and PATH to downtown is right there.  This hotel has a free airport shuttle.

 

Also look at the hotels in the Newport area of Jersey City which have good PATH access to midtown and downtown.  Courtyard Marriott, Doubletree, Candlewood Suites, Hyatt House, Westin, and Hyatt are options.  These hotels can all be reached by accessible light rail from the Bayonne 34th St Station post cruise - $5-6 shuttle to the station and $2.25 light rail fare.  There are many prices under $200 on the hotel web sites as well as lastminutetravel.com.  These hotels are located in a very nice upscale area of Jersey City on the Hudson River with restaurants, shopping, and waterfront promenade.

 

If you want to be in Manhattan, the downtown hotels will offer better prices on the weekend but your transportation costs will be greater unless you use public transit.

 

Post back when you have priced hotels and their associated transportation costs.

 

http://www.panynj.gov/path/maps-schedules.html

https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/Rail_System_Map.pdf

https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/LightRail/sf_lr_hblr_map.pdf

 

[waterbug123]

If you decide to stay in midtown, you could see if the return flight is any cheaper from LGA than EWR.  Forget about JFK though.  It's the least convenient airport to midtown/Jersey. 

[Cruzin-K]

The cruise leaves April 27 and returns May 4. Yankees are playing Minnesota. 

 

I did a search for Yankee stadium on CC but didn't find what I needed. 

 

For now at least, I've booked a room at the Jersey City Doubletree. I wanted to stay under $200 per night. This was right around that budget ($414 total with tax) and is walking distance to the PATH station. 

 

Editing to say that I just looked up the Hilton Newark Penn Station and it seems to be a lot cheaper so I'll do a little more research on the transportation later when I finish waking up. LOL still a little early here for a holiday.

 

Cab fare looks to be around $30 - $35 both from the cruise and to the airport from the Doubletree. I seriously don't want to be dragging all my luggage on and off trains. Pre cruise I will find a hotel with a shuttle to the port. Still working on that one. 

 

I'm assuming I'll buy a fare card that works on both PATH and the subway,  at the PATH station?

Edited November 22, 2018 by Cruzin-K

[Cruzin-K]

Question about light rail from the cruise port. You said there was a shuttle? Where does that pick up? Is it easy to find once you get off the ship?

 

I'm wondering how easy it will be to navigate with luggage. Are there steps anywhere to get on and off the train or is the train level with the platform?

[138east]

Cruising-K - I’m currently away for Thanksgiving and will reply to your questions when I have better internet access. 

 

All the the public transit options are accessible without steps. The light rail platforms are level with the trains. I have used a variety of options to get to Cape Liberty with luggage. 

[mskaufman]

I would stay someplace in Manhattan, although you could stay in Newark and take the PATH into Manhattan.  Makes for a long trip, which is why I would stay in Manhattan.

[Cruzin-K]

1 hour ago, mskaufman said:

I would stay someplace in Manhattan, although you could stay in Newark and take the PATH into Manhattan.  Makes for a long trip, which is why I would stay in Manhattan.

 

The long trip in and out of Manhattan from the port, and back to the airport is why I ended up picking NJ hotels.  It will be easier and cheaper with my luggage.  I'll only be going into NYC on Sunday, so just one day to deal with the long train rides. It looks like I'll take Uber to get to the port for the cruise, and possibly the light rail after the cruise, once I get a bit more info, or a cab - not like it would break the bank.  I booked flights in/out of EWR.

 

I'm looking forward to this cruise, and looking forward to a couple days in NJ/NY at the end of it.  

 

I'm thinking of trying to visit the Statue of Liberty on the Saturday after the cruise, from Liberty State Park which I can get to from Light Rail, from my hotel. 

[Cruzin-K]

17 hours ago, 138east said:

Cruising-K - I’m currently away for Thanksgiving and will reply to your questions when I have better internet access. 

 

 

No worries. I hope you're having a great weekend.

 

When you get back though, here are a few more questions. No rush. 🙂

 

Any idea what to reasonably expect for cab fare if I decide to just grab a taxi to my Jersey City hotel from the ship?  I prefer the light rail option though, but just in case I'd like to know what to expect (and therefore not get ripped off).  How is traffic on a Saturday morning?

 

I was off the ship at at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale by 8 am last week.  I don't think things are quite as efficient at Cape Liberty, but maybe I'm wrong.  What I want to do on Saturday is get off the ship as soon as possible, drop my luggage at the hotel and head back out to the Statue of Liberty. Ideally I'd be on a ferry before 10:30 a.m.  I'd have to get to Liberty State Park, go through security and the line for the ferry, and then the ferry ride.  I guess going from NJ, the ferry stops at Ellis Island first so I'd have to do that and then head for the statue.  It seems like it could be an all day adventure.  Is it reasonable that I'll have enough time for this on the day the cruise gets back?  Still debating whether I want crown access or not. I watched a YouTube video showing the climb. Not for the faint of heart.  I've managed 150+ steps before without much problem but this is more than twice that 😮 

 

Sunday will be a bit more relaxed because I won't have luggage to deal with, and can take my time getting into NYC for the Yankees game, and a visit to Times Square either before or after (obligatory Hard Rock Cafe visit). I'd like to see Ground Zero but not sure there's enough time for that. Last time I was in NYC (2005), Ground Zero was a giant hole in the ground surrounded by a fence 😞 

 

My flight home is Monday morning around 8:45. I imagine Monday morning traffic is going to suck.  What is the best option for getting from Jersey City to EWR to be at the airport by 6:45?  Cab? Uber? Train? Train/bus?  I looked up cab fare and one site said around $35 and another said $70 😮 The airport site said $46. Talk about inconsistency.  I'd be OK with paying $50 if it means not having to drag luggage between trains twice.

Edited November 24, 2018 by Cruzin-K

[mjkacmom]

Get early tickets for the ferry, you can always be late. Ellis Island is worth getting off the ferry for sure. Just getting tickets to the SOL pedestal is worth it, and to save energy going to the crown, you can take the elevator from ground level to the pedestal. Book a few months in advance, they sell out.

[Got2Cruise]

I think you should research properties in the Financial District based on which activities you wish to do. You’d have much more time to sight see. You’d be able to walk to Battery Park for the SOL ferry and to the 9/11 Memorial. It could catch a subway directly up to Yankee Stadium. You could arrange a car service such as Dial 7 or Uber for transportation from and to EWR. You might be able to find a decent rate in Financial District. Then you can crunch the numbers and decide if the extra cost is worth it to you to have more time in Manhattan. 

[mskaufman]

On ‎11‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 9:56 PM, Cruzin-K said:

 

The long trip in and out of Manhattan from the port, and back to the airport is why I ended up picking NJ hotels.  It will be easier and cheaper with my luggage.  I'll only be going into NYC on Sunday, so just one day to deal with the long train rides. It looks like I'll take Uber to get to the port for the cruise, and possibly the light rail after the cruise, once I get a bit more info, or a cab - not like it would break the bank.  I booked flights in/out of EWR.

 

I'm looking forward to this cruise, and looking forward to a couple days in NJ/NY at the end of it.  

 

I'm thinking of trying to visit the Statue of Liberty on the Saturday after the cruise, from Liberty State Park which I can get to from Light Rail, from my hotel. 

 

Enjoy NY/NJ.  Doing the SOL from NJ is really easy.  There are also water taxis into NY.

[138east]

OK.  Back from the holidays.  Let's start with Saturday disembarkation.  Anthem usually arrives very early and folks are lined up to self disembark by about 6 am.  Once you're off the ship you need to walk over to the open air parking lot which is where the taxi dispatcher is.  You tell him you want to get shuttled to the light rail station.  Cost should be $5-6.

 

Once you check into  the Doubletree, you have two choices - Uber to Liberty State Park or light rail to Essex Street, walk west 2 blocks to Warren St, and then South 2 blocks to the Liberty Landing ferry ($2), which runs every half hour on the hour and half hour - http://www.libertylandingferry.com/documents/SC_Liberty_Ferry_Schedule_09114967.pdf  If you take the light rail to Liberty State Park, you will have to walk over a mile to the SOL ferry, so you really don't want to do that.  Uber to the Warren St ferry would also work.

 

My  suggestion for Saturday is to return to Battery Park in lower Manhattan (this is a free option from the SOL), walk up Broadway to Ground Zero, and return to NJ on PATH from the WTC - on a Sat any train to Grove St and transfer to the opposite track to pick up the 33rd St train one stop to Newport.  You can also just get off PATH at Exchange Place and walk the .8 mile or take the light rail for $2.25.  https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/LightRail/sf_lr_hblr_map.pdf

 

This takes care of seeing ground zero.

Edited November 27, 2018 by 138east

[Cruzin-K]

6 hours ago, 138east said:

Once you check into  the Doubletree, you have two choices - Uber to Liberty State Park or light rail to Essex Street, walk west 2 blocks to Warren St, and then South 2 blocks to the Liberty Landing ferry ($2), which runs every half hour on the hour and half hour - http://www.libertylandingferry.com/documents/SC_Liberty_Ferry_Schedule_09114967.pdf  If you take the light rail to Liberty State Park, you will have to walk over a mile to the SOL ferry, so you really don't want to do that.  Uber to the Warren St ferry would also work.

 

My  suggestion for Saturday is to return to Battery Park in lower Manhattan (this is a free option from the SOL), walk up Broadway to Ground Zero, and return to NJ on PATH from the WTC - on a Sat any train to Grove St and transfer to the opposite track to pick up the 33rd St train one stop to Newport.  You can also just get off PATH at Exchange Place and walk the .8 mile or take the light rail for $2.25.  https://www.njtransit.com/pdf/LightRail/sf_lr_hblr_map.pdf

 

This takes care of seeing ground zero.

 

Thank you for the great info. I think I'll probably just take Uber to Liberty State Park. The other option is good, and I hadn't heard of the $2 ferry, but Uber will probably be quick and convenient, and less walking (considering I'm once again leaning towards climbing up to the crown). 

 

Assuming I'm done at the Statue of Liberty with enough daylight left, going to Ground Zero Saturday rather than trying to cram it into Sunday (when my main destination is in the opposite direction) would be a better option. 

 

I appreciate all your help.

 

[138east]

 

Here are some videos of the light rail.  You can see the level access as well as the ramp access to the station platform.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TXWN1ER_Yhc

 

 

[138east]

Sunday - trip to Yankee Stadium.  Public transit schedules are less frequent on Sundays.  PATH runs every 20 minutes.  http://www.panynj.gov/path/pdf/path-map-schedule-english_july-2018.pdf

 

The New Yorkers should weigh in with any tips about taking public transit to Yankee Stadium.  The best route I'm seeing from the Doubletree is PATH to to 33rd St (rear of train will be the front of train arriving at 33rd St) and the D train to Yankee Stadium.  D train appears to run about every 10 minutes.

 

Caveat - none of the public transit ever really runs on a precise schedule.

[mjkacmom]

7 hours ago, Cruzin-K said:

 

Thank you for the great info. I think I'll probably just take Uber to Liberty State Park. The other option is good, and I hadn't heard of the $2 ferry, but Uber will probably be quick and convenient, and less walking (considering I'm once again leaning towards climbing up to the crown). 

 

Assuming I'm done at the Statue of Liberty with enough daylight left, going to Ground Zero Saturday rather than trying to cram it into Sunday (when my main destination is in the opposite direction) would be a better option. 

 

I appreciate all your help.

 

Make sure to book your crown ticket months in advance.

[mskaufman]

D train to Yankee Stadium is correct.  Check the tour schedule for Sundays so that you can time your trip appropriately.