CAPE LIBERTY (and NYC) 411-VERSION 5!!!

[cured]

What am I missing?

 

We are flying into LGA on a Saturday , landing at 4:30pm in August for a cruise from Cape Liberty on Sunday.  We have 6 people and probably around 8 pieces of luggage.  Reservations at Hyatt Jersey City for the night.

 

I priced one of the car companies (Dial 7) and it was $380 one way LGA to the Hyatt.   😮

 

Anyone know what the UberXL cost is?  Or even regular Uber? Thinking it might be cheaper to take 2 Ubers.

 

Or I may need to rethink our hotel and stay at LGA, and just Uber over to the port on Sunday morning, saving the Uber fee into Jersey on Saturday evening. Although, with all the talk of traffic nightmares around LGA, I would rather deal with them on Saturday night and get into NJ on Saturday rather than stressing on Sunday morning. Any nice LGA hotels (3 rooms, max around 300-350/room per night?) Airport shuttle would be nice.  

 

(We are flying SW on points for 6 people so not economic sense to change airlines and fly into Newark. Even at $380, that is way less than 6 round trips. And I just read the nightmare review of getting ride share rides from Terminal B from The Points Guy. Guess it is going to be an adventure)

Edited February 5, 2020 by cured

[mjkacmom]

We are a family of 7, car service is always less if we split up. You will not fit 6 passengers with luggage in an Uber xl. There will be more traffic on a Saturday night than a Sunday morning. 

[cured]

8 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

We are a family of 7, car service is always less if we split up. You will not fit 6 passengers with luggage in an Uber xl. There will be more traffic on a Saturday night than a Sunday morning. 

Yes, I am well aware that we will not fit all of us in an XL with all our luggage.  That is why I mentioned doing 2 ubers. I was asking the price of an XL to decide if we should do 1 XL and one regular or try it with two regulars.

 

I grew up in Bergen county. Thinking I may be calling some of my high school friends 🙂

[georgiaguy]

I have a feeling folks are going to say this is a bad idea, but I would really love to hear from folks who might have done something similar. We are cruising out of Cape Liberty for the first time in July. Leaving on a Sunday. We live in the DC area literally a mile from the Beltway and the next exit over is the exit onto I-95 (about 200 miles). Mapping it out on google it is saying about 3 hours without traffic but more like 3.5 - 4.5 hours in reality depending on traffic. 

We are in our mid 30’s so getting up a little early and driving doesn’t bother us, plus we both work and are used to getting up early to avoid traffic. Thinking of leaving probably around 7am just to make sure even with traffic we wont miss the boat. The question is on a Sunday how bad will traffic be? I know in the summer 95 is a bit busier. Just curious, anyone else ever done this or traveled day of from a similar difference.  

Edited February 7, 2020 by georgiaguy

[meadowlander]

58 minutes ago, georgiaguy said:

We are in our mid 30’s so getting up a little early and driving doesn’t bother us, plus we both work and are used to getting up early to avoid traffic. Thinking of leaving probably around 7am just to make sure even with traffic we wont miss the boat. The question is on a Sunday how bad will traffic be? I know in the summer 95 is a bit busier. Just curious, anyone else ever done this or traveled day of from a similar difference.  

On my sailing out of Baltimore, I traveled from North Jersey the day prior for stress free travel.

 

Sunday traffic on the NJTP at that time will be light, the Garden State Parkway might have some traffic due to shore weekenders returning. Have an alternate route on the unlikely event that the NJTP has problems that day. Once you cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge 295 runs parallel with the NJTP for about 30 miles.

Edited February 7, 2020 by meadowlander

[MedicKenK]

On 2/6/2020 at 11:24 PM, meadowlander said:

On my sailing out of Baltimore, I traveled from North Jersey the day prior for stress free travel.

 

Sunday traffic on the NJTP at that time will be light, the Garden State Parkway might have some traffic due to shore weekenders returning. Have an alternate route on the unlikely event that the NJTP has problems that day. Once you cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge 295 runs parallel with the NJTP for about 30 miles.

 

We used to live in Pittsburgh and took the 6 hour drive many times to Bayonne. We made sure we left no later than 5:30am and had no issues at all making the ship before noon. Remember there maybe issues with traffic and even your vehicle although we, knock on wood, never had any. (other than "numb bum: from the drive)

[Dtranger11]

We have a group of 8 sailing 6/4-13 2020 on Adventure of the seas. We dock at 6a on Saturday 6/13 and have a flight out of EWR at 10:15a😬. I’ve looked at so many transportation options; dial7, Carmel limo, Uber, etc. I’m nervous about what time to book for pick up to be able to get off the ship in time to get to the airport, but not too early where we get left and have to scramble at the last minute. I’d like some suggestions from those who have experience out of Cape Liberty please. Thank you!

[meadowlander]

3 hours ago, Dtranger11 said:

We have a group of 8 sailing 6/4-13 2020 on Adventure of the seas. We dock at 6a on Saturday 6/13 and have a flight out of EWR at 10:15a😬. I’ve looked at so many transportation options; dial7, Carmel limo, Uber, etc. I’m nervous about what time to book for pick up to be able to get off the ship in time to get to the airport, but not too early where we get left and have to scramble at the last minute. I’d like some suggestions from those who have experience out of Cape Liberty please. Thank you!

Do self assist disembark and then take a waiting taxi at the port to EWR. The airport is about 10 miles from Cape Liberty. 

[Dtranger11]

On 2/9/2020 at 8:52 PM, meadowlander said:

Do self assist disembark and then take a waiting taxi at the port to EWR. The airport is about 10 miles from Cape Liberty. 

Thank you for the advice.

[navybankerteacher]

On 2/2/2020 at 5:54 PM, essgee_ca said:

...

...I've seen Parsippany (sp?) mentioned many times and wonder if that would be a safer option.  How far is to the pier from there?  Having driven 8 hours (or more) the day before, I don't really want a lot of driving in the morning.  We plan to arrive at the pier at the suggested time frame of 10:00 - 10:30am.  Given that it is a Sunday, is that feasible?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Parsippany is probably about  30 to 45 minutes from the pier .  On a Sunday there would not be much traffic  - so checking out about 9:30 to 10:00 should work.  It is probably a safer neighborhood than Elizabeth.

[aainsjen]

We are driving down so obviously will have a car.  Looking to keep the car at the hotel and either shuttle or uber to the port.  Any suggestions for hotels? We area  family of four and this is for June 21. 

[138east]

1 hour ago, aainsjen said:

We are driving down so obviously will have a car.  Looking to keep the car at the hotel and either shuttle or uber to the port.  Any suggestions for hotels? We area  family of four and this is for June 21. 

Look at trinityreservations.com for a Newark Airport Park/sleep at the Fairfield Inn for $185 tax included with 14 days parking and free breakfast for June 21.  This is a great deal from a reputable company and will disappear once they sell their blocked out rooms.

 

[bjtll]

Happy to have found this thread. We are driving up the day before out cruise on Saturday afternoon on June 13. Hoping to stay at a Marriott brand hotel as we are using points. We will need 3 rooms. Can you suggest a hotel where car is safe in parking lot over night. There are two vehicles that are both high end. We will park at the pier for the cruise.

 

Julie

[138east]

9 hours ago, bjtll said:

Happy to have found this thread. We are driving up the day before out cruise on Saturday afternoon on June 13. Hoping to stay at a Marriott brand hotel as we are using points. We will need 3 rooms. Can you suggest a hotel where car is safe in parking lot over night. There are two vehicles that are both high end. We will park at the pier for the cruise.

 

Julie

1) Residence Inn Elizabeth (free breakfast)

2) Courtyard Elizabeth

category 3 

 

Unfortunately this is a highly urban area and you might feel more comfortable about your cars if you stay in a more suburban area within 45 minutes of the port.  Let us know where you’re coming from and we can make other suggestions.  There are never any guarantees about car safety parking.

 

[bjtll]

We are coming from Havre De Grace Maryland. It’s about a 2 1/2 hour drive. How is traffic on a Sunday morning, we could just drive up.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, bjtll said:

We are coming from Havre De Grace Maryland. It’s about a 2 1/2 hour drive. How is traffic on a Sunday morning, we could just drive up.

Sunday morning traffic is usually light. You can easily drive from home to the port that morning, barring really bad weather or a serious traffic snafu caused by an accident. 

 

[138east]

31 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Sunday morning traffic is usually light. You can easily drive from home to the port that morning, barring really bad weather or a serious traffic snafu caused by an accident. 

 

If you want to drive up Saturday. I would look at the Courtyard Cranbury NJ right at exit 8A of the NJ Turnpike.  Should be no more than a 45 minute drive to Cape Liberty (38 miles) on a Sunday morning.  No extra charge for parking.  Located in a nice semi-rural suburban area.  I used to do this trip years ago when I cruised with my mother.

[cyelee]

I have a question do you think this is doable?  We are arriving on April 10th EWR, sailing on the 12th on the Anthem for the TA, I have booked a Staten Island Hotel thinking that on Saturday we could take the Staten Island Ferry over and take a tour with USA Guided Tours that is located at 770 7th Avenue, all day sightseeing of NY, leaves at 10:00.  I thought when the Ferry arrives on the Manhattan side we could uber or taxi to 7th Avenue and back that afternoon.  Never been to NY before and would just like to do an all day tour to see the highlights, does this sound like it could be done or is there any easier way to do this by staying in Jersey City or by the train station.

[meadowlander]

40 minutes ago, cyelee said:

 Never been to NY before and would just like to do an all day tour to see the highlights, does this sound like it could be done or is there any easier way to do this by staying in Jersey City or by the train station.

Yes you can do it easier from New Jersey so that you don't land at EWR travel to NY and then travel back for the cruise.

 

Jersey City has quick access to NYC via PATH trains. Maintenance work on weekends has the PATH line to the World Trade Center closed but the line to 33rd Street NYC is running, which is the line you want. Hotels such as Residence Inn and Courtyard are both close to PATH stations. On Saturday they will go to 33rd Street via Hoboken. $2.75 one way. Staying in Jersey City will allow you spectacular views of lower Manhattan.

 

You could stay at downtown Newark hotels and travel to NYC via NJ Transit trains to NY Penn Station or PATH to 33rd  Street NYC. The weekend PATH from Newark Penn Station would require you to change PATH lines at Journal Square or Grove St in Jersey City to the line going to NYC via Hoboken. You could stay on the PATH train from NPS to the end (Exchange Place, Jersey City) and then transfer to a ferry into NYC. The ferry cost is included in the PATH ticket only on weekends. The NJ Transit fare to NYPS is $5.25  one way or $2.45 age 62+.

 

Estimate 30 minutes from Jersey City to 33rd Street on Saturday via PATH , add another 10 minutes if you start from Newark Penn Station.

Edited February 13, 2020 by meadowlander

[138east]

Hilton Doubletree Newark Penn Station is $135 + tax for April 10-12 for Hilton honors members.  This hotel has an airport shuttle and is connected to Newark Penn Station by a skywalk.  Take the train to NY Penn Station (31-33rd & 8th) and a cab north on 8th Ave to 50th St and walk East to 7th Ave for your tour.  Cab south on 7th Ave back to NY Penn.

 

Skip Staten Island.  The hotels are not close to the Staten Island ferry - it will take you about 1.5 hours to get to midtown.

[cyelee]

Thank you both so much I didn't realize it would take that long by ferry, will change my plans, thank you!!!

[Mschif78]

Hi,

 

My daughter (11) and I will be sailing out of Bayonne on Royal Carribean on 5/24.  It is a mommy and me type trip and Id like to go down possibly friday or saturday (preferably) to sight see prior to cruising out on 5/24.  I am driving as we live in MA.  Ive never been to NYC and would like to spend the day.  Suggestions on planning?

[138east]

What is your hotel budget?  Bed size requirements?

 

What exactly are you interested in doing in NYC?  It’s not possible to see everything in one day, so you need to be selective and have a plan.

 

If you’ve never driven in NYC - don’t.  I’d suggest coming down Friday, staying in NJ, and taking public transit into Manhattan.

 

We did a NY trip with our DG and 3 DGD’s (4,9,12 ) two years ago.  We stayed out in Stamford and took the train in.   Kids saw Grand Central, American Girl, walk down 5th Ave, Empire State, walk up broadway to Times Square, walk back to Grand Central, and back to Stamford.  Really long day.  Next day we drove in and hit the Natural History Museum, extended family lunch, and my chauffeured tour for Special ice cream on the lower east side and viewing the SOL from battery park.  Another long day - got free Sunday Street parking at the Museum and did illegal standing to avoid the exorbitant parking charges - not recommended unless you are experienced with NY.

 

 

[Mintycake]

Hi there!  Planning to fly into Newark for a sailing on Oasis out of Bayonne Oct.16 (cruise leaves Oct 18).  Want to spend a couple of days seeing NYC.  We booked a placeholder hotel at the Hilton Penn Station in NJ since it has PATH access.  We are aware of the closure and we'd have to ferry into the city on Saturday but it's free because of the closure.  We're a couple in our 40s with a 10 year old.  Is this going to be a huge pain?  And is the area safe?

[138east]

31 minutes ago, Mintycake said:

Hi there!  Planning to fly into Newark for a sailing on Oasis out of Bayonne Oct.16 (cruise leaves Oct 18).  Want to spend a couple of days seeing NYC.  We booked a placeholder hotel at the Hilton Penn Station in NJ since it has PATH access.  We are aware of the closure and we'd have to ferry into the city on Saturday but it's free because of the closure.  We're a couple in our 40s with a 10 year old.  Is this going to be a huge pain?  And is the area safe?

Newark is a highly urban area, but the Hilton Doubletree Penn Station is directly connected to Newark Penn Station by a skywalk.

 

What exactly are you going to do in NYC?  PATH is best for accessing lower Manhattan.($8.25 for 3 people). The ferry is a free ride across the Hudson River and is part of the adventure. For going to midtown (no ferry) Path will still cost you $8.25  with a transfer at Journal Square.  NJ Transit train is quicker by about 15 minutes to get you directly to midtown.  $12.95 ($5.25 x 2 + $2.45 child).  From both PATH 33rd St and NY Penn Station you can walk to the Empire State, Times Square, Rockefeller Center.

 

Let us know what you want to see and we can offer suggestions.

 

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

https://old.panynj.gov/path/maps.html