embarkment in Bayonne, as bad as I have read?

[Dardreamer]

I have been reading that embarkment has been awful in New Jersey port. These reviews were from a few months ago, has it gotten any better?

[Demongear]

I have been reading that embarkment has been awful in New Jersey port. These reviews were from a few months ago, has it gotten any better?

 

 

We were on the Explorer in Oct. There was no problem when we went, sailed right through everything.

[4merlurker]

Dropped off family for their november 1st cruise and it took OVER an hour to get to the porters once we were thru the gate!!! It was brutal but they called me once they got on the ship and it only took 15 mins to check in. Go figure:rolleyes:

The porter said there was a customs problem with the previous passengers debarking and it normally isn't that bad.

 

~Connie

[138east]

Most folks have had a good experience in Bayonne. However, when the ship is late or the weather is really bad, the arriving and departing passengers have coincided causing jams at the port. We sailed last year and breezed right through. We are sailing again in 2 weeks and I'm crossing my fingers. In addition to just hoping, I will check the arrival time of Explorer. If it is late, I will call RC to find out what the plan is. I'm traveling with my 90 year old mother and we ALWAYS go prepared to wait, but I can't have her sitting in the terminal for hours on end.

[b4ny]

We sailed on her in Feb. 2008. We where on the ship by 12:30pm with a drink in hand, Got off the ship and in our truck and back home to Long Beach, NY by 11:30am Sunday morning. It was GREAT no problems, much better than having to get to the airport to try to fly home. We will sail her again March 2010 I can hardly wait. Good luck, We love her!!!!!

[MrPete]

We've embarked 3 times in Bayonne, and it's the easiest of any port we've sailed from.

 

The ship has arrived on time from the previous cruise each time.

 

4th time, we see the parking has been moved back to before the drop off area. :confused:

 

ARGH!

[Dave85]

We've embarked 3 times in Bayonne, and it's the easiest of any port we've sailed from.

 

 

Ditto. It's been a breeze all 3 times for us.

[Dardreamer]

Thanks for the info. So once you park - you go thru baggage drop off - then into room to check in - then have to take a bus to pier - is it far from the terminal to pier by bus? It seems like alot of confusion. When you get off bus you go directly onto ship? Just trying to get it all straight so I know what to expect. What time do you think is good to get there to avoid all the long lines, etc.? Better to arrive around 2:oo pm? I know many get there to be in ship by noon. I would think getting there later would avoid alot of confusion, but then would parking be full and a problem? Any info is helpful. Thanks.

[esbie11]

We rented a big passenger van to drive us from our hotel (near the Newark Airport) to the Cape Liberty. For those who have experienced long waits, is the wait usually before or after dropping off luggage? And after you drop off your luggage, how far is it from that point to the cruise terminal? If we get stuck in traffic (after we drop off our luggage), is it feasible to just walk from the luggage drop-off point to the terminal if there is traffic? We are paying for the van by the hour, so I hate to pay for an extra hour if we are sitting in traffic only to take us a short distance.

[megr1125]

Thanks for the info. So once you park - you go thru baggage drop off - then into room to check in - then have to take a bus to pier - is it far from the terminal to pier by bus? It seems like alot of confusion. When you get off bus you go directly onto ship? Just trying to get it all straight so I know what to expect. What time do you think is good to get there to avoid all the long lines, etc.? Better to arrive around 2:oo pm? I know many get there to be in ship by noon. I would think getting there later would avoid alot of confusion, but then would parking be full and a problem? Any info is helpful. Thanks.

 

I'm on with 138east in 2 weeks! It's easy....again. most of the delays are due to traffic, customs or the ship being late. We did it for the turkey day cruise in november, once we got into the driveway, took the car about 10 minutes to get to the drop off then we dumped the stuff with a porter and walked in....i think we waited 5 minutes max for them to start checking us in. We arrived between 10:30 and 11....

 

We went thru the P/D/D+/Suite line, checked in and went into the waiting room....we probably waited 45 minutes for the bus...they give out tickets for the main room, but not for ours....In any event, it was FAIRLY orderly..

 

The ride to the ship is a few hundred yards...and when you get off the bus you hit the gangway and you're off....embarkation is on deck 1-not the most gorgeous! head up in the elevator and you are all set.

 

It's easy.....pretty hassle-free. We only ever go in cabs (car service actually) so i am not sure about parking, etc. That cold be a hold up as all the traffic goes one way....if you CAN, i would suggest parking and hauling your stuff rather than sit in traffic twice....but really it isn't that bad!

[138east]

MrPete - could you tell us more about where the parking was moved? You're the first person I've read who has mentioned that. Does that mean you have to go around twice?

 

Esbie11 - The drop off is the cruise terminal. Both you and the luggage get dropped off at the same place.

 

Daydreamer - Have you ever flown in Europe where they bus you out to the plane? Bayonne is very similar. From the cruise terminal you can see the ship, but it's just too far to let people walk out there so they have shuttle buses that go back and forth. It's really a lot easier than walking through a cruise terminal and up escalators and back and forth ramps to get onto the ship.

[138east]

That's right Meg - you were just there in November. Have they moved the parking? I need to find out - you know I have my mom, a scooter, oxygen tanks and concentrator, walker, etc. etc.

[megr1125]

That's right Meg - you were just there in November. Have they moved the parking? I need to find out - you know I have my mom, a scooter, oxygen tanks and concentrator, walker, etc. etc.

 

to tell you the truth, i have no idea....! IIRC it seems the parking was a) a little closer and b) if you are facing the termnal....the parking was sort of behind you to the right....

 

[sorry...i REALLY can't explain it...]

 

i think you still would have to go past the parking, up to the terminal then back around to park. i think we are renting a wheelchair so mom can stay off her foot and hip....

[ma3]

7 times on the EOS and never, never a problem. The problem is usually if you are one of the first ones there and the ship is still letting off previous passengers. We get there about 1:30-2:00 and sail right on.

[MrPete]

MrPete - could you tell us more about where the parking was moved? You're the first person I've read who has mentioned that. Does that mean you have to go around twice?

 

It was moved back where it used to be; before the terminal (right).

 

This is what we encountered on our first cruise, so we parked the car and wheeled our luggage to the terminal. Due to the traffic, we were not willing to drop and go all the way 'round.

 

Our next two cruises, we dropped them at the terminal, and then parked the car where parking was to the left of the terminal.

 

Now that it's back on the right, I will have a wait and see to what I do.

[Langley Cruisers]

It seems like alot of confusion.

 

Just because there are a few steps involved, doesn't mean it is confusion. We couldn't have been more pleased with our embarkation last September. IMO they are very organized. It was no biggie.

[PR1957]

Bayonne is certainly different than Florida ports, however, I didn't find any major problems earlier this month and did enjoy driving to a cruise instead of the flight hassles.

 

The longest delay I encountered was waiting to drop off the luggage. I arrived at the port around 11:45am and 30 min in a line of autos until we reached the porters. After dropping off the luggage I made a few left turns around a building and was at the parking lot. Note that the cost of parking was raised on 1-Jan to $19/day. A short walk from the parking lot back to where the luggage was dropped off. From there you enter a building to get your sea pass card and then if the ship is ready board a bus for a short ride to EOS. I think the ship started boarding around 12:30pm. If you have priority boarding (platinum, diamond or suite) then you board the bus first before picking up non-priority passengers.

 

No problems leaving the ship. A bus is again used to take you back to the building that contains the luggage and then a short walk to the parking lot.

[B-52]

From what I'm reading, it's a breeze, unless you are driving because they moved the parking lot? Might be better to park and carry luggage as opposed to drop off luggage then park?

We're on the 6/11 cruise, and we're driving ourselves so I will be keeping my eye on this situation.

[sha88]

I have been reading that embarkment has been awful in New Jersey port. These reviews were from a few months ago, has it gotten any better?

 

October 2007 - very long and tedious.

[megr1125]

From what I'm reading, it's a breeze, unless you are driving because they moved the parking lot? Might be better to park and carry luggage as opposed to drop off luggage then park?

We're on the 6/11 cruise, and we're driving ourselves so I will be keeping my eye on this situation.

 

138east & i are there in 2 weeks..we will let you know..

 

PS..love your avatar!!!!!!!!!

[Tatka]

When we sailed in August 2007 Explorer was 1 hour late to arrive for our cruise and 1 houre (or more) do arrive back to Bayonne. So we had to wait to embark and to disembark.

 

There is something strange about this in NY.. our ship (NCL Spirit) arrived 2 hours late for our cruise from NYC Manh. port.

 

Both times we were told about some mandatory wait near Verizanno bridge. :confused:

[blegaleyes]

I will check the arrival time of Explorer. If it is late, I will call RC to find out what the plan is. I'm traveling with my 90 year old mother and we ALWAYS go prepared to wait, but I can't have her sitting in the terminal for hours on end.

 

 

How do you check the arrival time???