Bayonne, NJ Port Questions

[sandaneli]

We are booked on our first RCCI cruise for 4/09. We've always taken DCL and loved it but the airfare is crazy so we thought we'd try someplace we could drive to.

 

I've been reading reviews and they are not very positive especially concerning the port and the confusion, disorganization, delays etc...

 

Please give us some feedback, good or bad, regarding this port. We are considering cancelling due to the reviews but then we were concerned that only complainers were writing reviews.

 

We appreciate your help.

 

Sandra

[GMoney]

Bayonne / Cape Liberty can be disorganized, especially when things are in full swing. The biggest hassle is usually the traffic leading into the port drop-off / parking area, as you end up in a one-lane line that can stretch for some time. I can't imagine canceling a cruise over it though.

[meyer4two]

We have sailed several times out of Bayonne & haven't had any trouble. We usually arrive at the port around 11 a.m. and the traffic hasn't been that bad. Check in has gone smoothly, then you catch a shuttle bus to the ship which is only several hundred yards away. From the time we entered the port, checked our luggage, checked in and rode the bus I would say it only took maybe 1 hr. to 1 1/2 hrs. sometimes quicker. I surely wouldn't cancel a cruise because of the port, I would sail from Bayonne anytime, especially since I don't have to fly. Sailing from Bayonne is easier than flying to Florida & dealing with the airlines.

[pattiea]

Having always flown to sail this year we decided to give Bayonne a try - I too read all the complaints on the boards and was quite apprehensive (not enuf to think about cancelling tho).

 

Well, day of departure we arrived at the port 'bout 11a - no lines, right thru check-in process and if there hadn't been a slight hold-up to board buses we would have been on board very quickly. (There were 2 weddings that needed to board first).

 

As much as I love reading these boards, and find them very informative I've come to realize that there really are a lot of complainers here!!

 

Don't even consider cancelling your cruise - even if you have to sit in traffic for a "minute" it'll probably still be quicker than flying :) - enjoy!!

[megr1125]

the only thing bad is traffic - both incoming and outgoing traffic go the same way....hard to explain........

 

check in ws easy, and the bus is very big.....they were borrowed from rutgers university when we went........big, easy to board, flexible buses....

 

honestly, i think cape lib is easier........OK, so i don't have to fly and i am from jersey!

 

don;t cancel....!!!

 

www.cruiseliberty.com

 

(the photos look just like real life!)

[sandaneli]

Thank you for your comments. I feel much better. We were wondering if the reviews were from people who just like to complain. I'm not saying that their experience didn't happen just that they seem to be more vocal than the people who had good experiences.

 

For those of you who have cruised from Bayonne, did you go on Explorer and how did you like it?

[megr1125]

we "hated" it:rolleyes: so much that we are going on Explorer again in Sept and AGAIN next february....just want to make sure we really hate it!!!:p :D

 

(tounge firmly in cheek!)

 

it's a great ship........very nice crew........we did bermuda and had a blast...doing bermuda again then a 12 nighter! (we got a JS for less than 200 bucks PP per night-and we don't have to fly so we can spend more for the cruise!)

 

i have pix i you click the 1st link in my signature...pre-new beds...and the cabin was a D1 (or maybe E1???)-balcony. [i treated to that one,and we did 2 in one year, so i figured we'd rough it! mom & i are spoiled! it's big enough but she fel a little smushed!-plus the JS was 500 bucks mmore PP!:eek: ]

 

hth......if you have specific ???s fire away.

 

we didn't do the specialty restaurant....don't miss the ice show!!.......hmm, what else. You can probably get on the ship before noon. we left the hotel maybe 10:30-11-ish and were on noon-ish.

 

go outside and up on deck for sailaway...seeing NYC is cool, and you will hold your breath going under the verrazano bridge!

[Maraprince]

Even though Cape Liberty can be a pain in the neck at times since you need to board a bus to get to the ship, I would not cancel. Think of the money you are saving and all the hassles you are avoiding by not flying!

 

It's a toss up on whether or not the boarding /deboarding process will go smoothly. I don't think it is complaining so much as wanting to make others aware that things may not go smoothly. Very important for anyone with disabilities or who must use a wheelchair. As long as you can get a handicapped bus, things will be okay. The problems start when they use an older NJT revenue bus that has very narrow aisles. Hard making the turn when you get to the top of the steps. Since you are boarding from the street, there is no curb to lessen the distance your legs must stretch to get to the first step. While you will have checked your main luggage, you still have hand luggage with you. The drivers and port reps are told not to help passengers getting on and off the buses -- can't think why not. I managed to hit every passenger on both sides boarding the bus on the return because the aisle was so narrow. They were only allowing 8-10 passengers per bus and most people sat alone and use the seat next to them for their hand luggage. Some of the other passengers were lucky to have a bus with luggage storage as soon as you entered. The buses aren't all the same.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[sandaneli]

we "hated" it so much that we are going on Explorer again in Sept and AGAIN next february....just want to make sure we really hate it!!!

 

(tounge firmly in cheek!)

 

it's a great ship........very nice crew........we did bermuda and had a blast...doing bermuda again then a 12 nighter! (we got a JS for less than 200 bucks PP per night-and we don't have to fly so we can spend more for the cruise!)

 

i have pix i you click the 1st link in my signature...pre-new beds...and the cabin was a D1 (or maybe E1???)-balcony. [i treated to that one,and we did 2 in one year, so i figured we'd rough it! mom & i are spoiled! it's big enough but she fel a little smushed!-plus the JS was 500 bucks mmore PP!]

 

hth......if you have specific ???s fire away.

 

we didn't do the specialty restaurant....don't miss the ice show!!.......hmm, what else. You can probably get on the ship before noon. we left the hotel maybe 10:30-11-ish and were on noon-ish.

 

go outside and up on deck for sailaway...seeing NYC is cool, and you will hold your breath going under the verrazano bridge!

 

 

THanks for the information (even if you are a Giants fan);) ;) .

Just kidding your team deserved to win for playing a great game. Besides I like Eli Manning and I'm glad he won a superbowl at a younger age than Peyton.

 

Anyway, We have connecting promanade rooms on deck 7. We travel with teenagers. Boy will be 17 girl 14 at cruise time. The price is fantastic especially considering the savings by not paying airfare. THe 5 hours it takes to drive is still shorter than it would take to get to FL.

 

THe other question I have is about cleanliness. On DCL they are constantly cleaning and hand out wipes and/or gel at every venue. We've never heard of stomach issues on a Disney ship. I know it happens on every ship just hasn't been our experience. But the same people who had horrible port experiences were talking about 25% of the cruisers being sick and confined to their cabin.:eek: ANd that RCCI doesn't use wipes or gel until after an outbreak. What has your experience been?

[willysgrandma]

I had no problem sailing from there, but I am not one of those people who has to be the first person on the ship.

 

If you get there a little later (1:00 or so), the prior cruise has finished disembarking, their cars are gone from the parking lot so there is plenty of spots available and it is a lot less chaotic than if you have to be the first on the ship and arrive at 11:00. The key is your timing. If you get there when people are tripping over each other disembarking and others are trying to get on the ship - yes, it can seem like a disaster.

 

I absolutely loved being able to leave my car at the pier. I had no worries about a car service if the ship got in late when we returned. It took 5 minutes to get my luggage and walk back to my car. It was a real pleasure.

 

Don't plan on getting there too early and I think you will be very happy you sailed from there.

 

If you look at my Explorer pictures, you can see the parking lot from the ship.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561630920SCVXTK

[CVU]

We loved our Explorer cruise in Jan.:) We would book it again without hesitation. A couple at our dinner table did book the very same cruise for the same time next year.

 

The traffic was a pain like someone said. There was congestion of passengers coming and going. We got there about 12:30 PM. Maybe earlier or later would be better, I don't know.

 

Don't cancel, we loved the cruise, crew and ship. The check in was very smooth & we had refreshment while waiting for the shuttle bus. Coffee etc. and a cookie. The shuttle bus was quick.

 

There were no wipes or solution for hands on our cruise. We carried some solution with us though, for our hands before eating. We did not hear of anyone being ill.

 

We went early before the cruise and saw New York which was a thrill. We have to return as there is so much to see.

[aqhacruiser]

We've sailed out of Bayonne many times and never had a problem. The only time its possible if the ship is delayed and no one can predict the weather but we find sailing out of NJ to be very easy!:)

[Oakman]

Living in Florida can spoil you. After 1 cruise (Explorer Sept. 2007) from Bayonne, we will never cruise from this port again. Traffic problems, rude RCCL reps, and total chaos on check in-not a way to start a vacation. Disembarkation was a free for all. Coupled with the bus situation, it was a mess.

[margord]

We did the Murder Mystery Dinner on the Explorer and had a great time.

[melsdt]

Living in Florida can spoil you. After 1 cruise (Explorer Sept. 2007) from Bayonne, we will never cruise from this port again. Traffic problems, rude RCCL reps, and total chaos on check in-not a way to start a vacation. Disembarkation was a free for all. Coupled with the bus situation, it was a mess.

 

And I feel exactly the same way about living in NJ, and going to cruise from Florida. Out of 7 cruises, the earliest I have ever been able to get on the ship has been in Bayonne. My last Florida one was a disaster. :D

 

Alot of people seem to have an issue with the buses, but I have to be honest I don't quite understand why. It is a 2 minute bus ride. I'm not picking on you Oakman, because I read it all the time on these boards, but I guess I just don't get it.

[CruisinMommas]

I would not hesitate to sail from Bayonne again. In fact we are scheduled for another cruise near the end of the year. We did encounter a traffic jam on entering Terminal Blvd. WE encounter very pleasant RCL reps with all the hustle and hubub. The EX has an extraordinary crew who try to make your stay on the ship a very good experience. Go and have a great time.

[GMoney]

Living in Florida can spoil you. After 1 cruise (Explorer Sept. 2007) from Bayonne, we will never cruise from this port again. Traffic problems, rude RCCL reps, and total chaos on check in-not a way to start a vacation. Disembarkation was a free for all. Coupled with the bus situation, it was a mess.

 

I've seen that happen in NJ and FL.

[clochette]

We cruised on 2/15 and no problem, this was our first RCCL cruise, only DCL before, we got there around 1;00 p.m. and were eating lunch on the ship by 2:00 p.m., the staff was great, porters terrific, no problems parking, no wait to get our sea pass.

[bernman]

Anyway, We have connecting promanade rooms on deck 7.

 

Sandaneli,

 

What cabins do you have? My wife and I are doing the same on 11/1 and we are traveling with our 3 y/o daughter and MIL (I will spare her the shame of posting her age). I know everyone asks for the suites and such, I am just curious about location from the banners blocking the view. We are in 7291 and 7293.

 

Thanks!

[chiapet]

Do NOT cancel your cruise out of Bayonne. People who want to complain will ... no matter WHERE they cruise out of and WHAT ship they sail on. Just go w/ a good attitude and ENJOY yourself ... you're on vacation ... it beats being at home :D

 

P.S. We were just on Explorer a few months ago and loved it. First time in INSIDE cabins though (connecting PROMENADES w/ 2 kids too). Probably won't do that again ... only b/c I realized that I needed natural light to tell me what time it is ... but worth a try for the money. We were even on a DELAYED sailing and didn't get on board until after 9pm ... and there's always plenty to complain about ... but RCCL did the best they could under the circumstances ... and we ENJOYED ourselves ;)

[meyer4two]

Do NOT cancel your cruise out of Bayonne. People who want to complain will ... no matter WHERE they cruise out of and WHAT ship they sail on. Just go w/ a good attitude and ENJOY yourself ... you're on vacation ... it beats being at home :D

 

P.S. We were just on Explorer a few months ago and loved it. First time in INSIDE cabins though (connecting PROMENADES w/ 2 kids too). Probably won't do that again ... only b/c I realized that I needed natural light to tell me what time it is ... but worth a try for the money. We were even on a DELAYED sailing and didn't get on board until after 9pm ... and there's always plenty to complain about ... but RCCL did the best they could under the circumstances ... and we ENJOYED ourselves ;)

 

We're going on the Explorer in May & for the 1st time ever (ALWAYS GO BALCONY) we have booked a promenade room. Couldn't pass up the price, so we are going to try it. Did your room have a loveseat? Did you think the room was small? I KNOW its smaller than a balacony room, I just hope we're not tripping over each other & one doesn't have to hide in the bathroom while the other is getting dressed.

The Explorer is a great ship & just driving to Bayonne & not dealing with airports will sure make the cruise so much easier.

Glad you had a good time.

[chiapet]

We're going on the Explorer in May & for the 1st time ever (ALWAYS GO BALCONY) we have booked a promenade room. Couldn't pass up the price, so we are going to try it. Did your room have a loveseat? Did you think the room was small? I KNOW its smaller than a balacony room, I just hope we're not tripping over each other & one doesn't have to hide in the bathroom while the other is getting dressed.

The Explorer is a great ship & just driving to Bayonne & not dealing with airports will sure make the cruise so much easier.

Glad you had a good time.

 

I know what you mean re: driving to Bayonne ... we're 1.5 hrs away and love the "short" drive ... and have never had any problems w/ the traffic, parking, buses, etc. My DH would much rather embark there than in NYC or anywhere else.

 

As for the promenade rooms, it's a little smaller than the balcony cabins ... but since they were cheaper ... we booked 2 promenades for the price of 1 balcony for the 4 of us ... so size-wise, we had plenty of room. There's a "loveseat" bench in front of the promenade window and another loveseat to the side of that. I'll try to include a pic so you can have a better look.

 

I think it's worth a try in the promenade rooms ... you definitely can save quite a bit of money ... I liked it except for the "light" thing. If Explorer had a channel on TV where I could see the bow of the ship ... I would actually think about doing the promenades again :rolleyes:

[meyer4two]

Zachamo....

Thank you for sending the picture of your promenade room. I hope our room is the same. Really does look nice. Plenty of room to sit (especially to watch the people down below).

My DH is 6'4" so we always worry about having enough room. I realize now we will have enough room for someone to sit while the other is getting dressed. So the huge savings will be worth it, saying doesn't apply here 'you get what you pay for'. It does look very nice.

Thanks again.

[nychelle02]

I will be sailing for the first time out of Cape Liberty on 11/1/2008 Explorer also. That's why I am all over the boards trying to guess what time should I get there. Early Vs. Late.

 

Either way will be cool with me because even with some traffic getting off and on the boat I am looking forward to bypassing the:

 

• Drive to the airport
  
• arriving to the airport 2 hours early
  
• 2 and half hour plane ride to Florida ( I love Florida tho :o )
  
• paying for a hotel because we need to arrive a day early
  
• then doing all the traveling in reverse
  
• getting to the airport early and sitting on the floor with all the other passengers.

This will also be my first Royal Caribbean Cruise. I have heard nothing but good things about this cruise line.

[Tiiiigergirl]

THe other question I have is about cleanliness. On DCL they are constantly cleaning and hand out wipes and/or gel at every venue. We've never heard of stomach issues on a Disney ship. I know it happens on every ship just hasn't been our experience. But the same people who had horrible port experiences were talking about 25% of the cruisers being sick and confined to their cabin.:eek: ANd that RCCI doesn't use wipes or gel until after an outbreak. What has your experience been?

 

Actually DCL was the first Norwalk outbreak. OK rephrase, I'm sure every vessel that has ever sail has had an outbreak of that nasty stuff. However, the first media frenzy, everybody come take a look at how rotten and unclean they are, was actually DCL. Now as you can see I love DCL so I don't have an ax to grind. In fact, quite the opposite! If memory serves, DCL had the outbreak right after they had just gotten a really good score on their inspection etc.

 

All it takes is one sick person to bring the entire ship to its proverbial knees so to speak. And I personally don't put a lot of stock into what we as pax do or don't see that happens. I think a lot of the wipes and things are a palliative measure at best and sometimes make things resistant and the overall problem worse.

 

Now if they could put every person who fails to wash their hands with regular soap and water after using the toilet into the brig :D then I think we would have a grand solution to the problem!

 

Buy travel insurance, wash your hands, stay away from anyone who is obviously ill and then just have a great time! Because I'm quite certain that the standards on board RCCL are much higher than many of the restaurants you might frequent in your home town.