Sailing Out of NY During April Question

[DublinFC]

Hello,

I wanted to ask the more experienced cruisers if there are rougher waters typically during the month of April when sailing out of the NY area?  We found a good deal and are contemplating changing our sailing out of Galveston on Liberty to NY on Anthem.  My wife gets hit with motion sickness when the ship is rocking more than usual.  So I was hoping for some ideas.  The NY itinerary is down to the Bahamas and back.  We sailed out of Orlando during April before with no issue. The travel from and to the NY area is what is making me hesitate.  SO after that long winded explanation i welcome any contribution to help aid in the decision making process.  Happy New Year!

[WAAAYTOOO]

It has been my experience that the seas out of Bayonne can be rough...no matter what time of the year it is.  I wouldn't think that it would be bad enough to abandon your plans to sail out of Bayonne though.   Even though there is always a possibility of spring storms, I would think that April would be on the safe side, as far as months to sail out of the NY area.  We hit a nor'easter a number of years ago sailing out of Bayonne and had one hell of a rough few days but I don't think you have to worry about that in April.  I think you would be a-ok.

[DublinFC]

13 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

It has been my experience that the seas out of Bayonne can be rough...no matter what time of the year it is.  I wouldn't think that it would be bad enough to abandon your plans to sail out of Bayonne though.   Even though there is always a possibility of spring storms, I would think that April would be on the safe side, as far as months to sail out of the NY area.  We hit a nor'easter a number of years ago sailing out of Bayonne and had one hell of a rough few days but I don't think you have to worry about that in April.  I think you would be a-ok.

Good to know, thank you!

[Lovetocruise2002]

We have sailed Anthem twice out of Bayonne.  Once was in March, the other time was in July.  My daughter and I are both sensitive to motion and both of us felt that the waters were considerably rougher in March compared to July.  @twangster will always tell you that there is no way to really predict the weather and the seas could be rough regardless of the time of year.  I agree with this totally. 

However, I will also say that we did not enjoy sailing Anthem out of Bayonne in March not just because of the waters but also because of the temperature.  We felt that we lost too many days waiting for it "warm up" and then "cooled down" way too fast on the way back.  Unless we stumbled upon a really good deal, we said we wouldn't do it again in March.  Not sure when in April you were thinking but it can still be quiet chilly at that time of year in NJ.

If you have time, I documented more of our feelings around our March trip and the weather here.

[DublinFC]

3 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

We have sailed Anthem twice out of Bayonne.  Once was in March, the other time was in July.  My daughter and I are both sensitive to motion and both of us felt that the waters were considerably rougher in March compared to July.  @twangster will always tell you that there is no way to really predict the weather and the seas could be rough regardless of the time of year.  I agree with this totally. 

However, I will also say that we did not enjoy sailing Anthem out of Bayonne in March not just because of the waters but also because of the temperature.  We felt that we lost too many days waiting for it "warm up" and then "cooled down" way too fast on the way back.  Unless we stumbled upon a really good deal, we said we wouldn't do it again in March.  Not sure when in April you were thinking but it can still be quiet chilly at that time of year in NJ.

If you have time, I documented more of our feelings around our March trip and the weather here.

I totally get not being able to predict the weather, especially so far in advance . We decided to book it and take what Mother Nature throws at us. We both think Anthem will be a better fit for us and we found a great price though our TA. 

[WAAAYTOOO]

I don't think you will regret it.  Anthem is an awesome ship and much more interesting than Liberty.  As Sabrina mentioned, it will be coolish on the first few days out and the last two days back but the ship is designed for that.  There is SO much to do.

[KathyC]

Don't forget, Anthem has a lot of indoor activities that you can participate in, including a covered pool, so you are not really missing out on anything other than getting a tan.  

[twangster]

I’ve done Anthem in November, December and January.  I’m going again this coming January.  

It starts and ends with “long pants days”.  Lots to do, works for me. 

[Pima1988]

The thing to also remember regarding Anthem, is that they have an indoor pool plus the Solarium and the outdoor pool.  Thus, for pool options, it is not outdoor or nothing.  If it is just you and your wife, you will LOOOVVVEEE the Solarium on Anthem.   It is not only a great set up, but the Solarium Bistro is connected to it.  You will also love the WJ once you get into warmer areas because it has an outdoor eating area.  

We actually sailed on Anthem as it skirted not one, but 2 hurricanes.  It was only one day that the ship was really rocking.  Our cruising partners tend to get motion sickness and wear a patch, they were fine.

We typically try to sail out of Bayonne over Miami since we can drive to Bayonne.  There is nothing like going under the Verrazano bridge, nor being able to see the Statue of Liberty in the distance from the ship.  

Last summer we did Adventure out of Cape Liberty.  I want to say that we were somewhere on the NC/SC border by early/ mid-day on the 2nd day.  That itinerary had us doing 1 sea day and arriving in Bermuda on what would be considered day 3.  

Anthem is a nice ship.  The true negative I have with Anthem is that it has an Esplanade, not a Promenade.  It can get a little packed from a traffic flow compared to the Promenade style. 

Make sure you book the acrobatic show (can't recall the name) that is in the 270 for the beginning of the cruise.  We booked The Gift, We Will Rock You and the acrobatic show in that order.  Unfortunately, the night we had for the acrobatic show, was at the end of the cruise and they canceled the show.  However, we were not too disappointed.  The only place to get the Kummelwreck sandwich is in the 270.  If you go @30 mins before lunch ends, the acrobatic crew comes out to practice for the show that night, not using music.  We sat there after we finished our lunch and watched them go through their show..  At least we got to see them perform ….somewhat.

If you have to miss any of their shows, everyone will tell you, miss The Gift.  I.000.000% agree.  Make sure you stay until after the actors take their last bow for We Will Rock You.  In other words, let everyone rush for the door, stay in your seats.  

 

 

[twangster]

Everytime I return to Anthem (or Ovation) I feel good. 

Yes the Esplanade can be a choke point at times but at least there is the Bionic Bar/Wonderland bypass one deck up to get fore or aft to avoid the Esplanade.  Voyager and Freedom class isn't exactly a picnic during the 2 for $20 sale either but no bypass except through cabin halls so...

Oasis class is great and all but I really like Quantum class.

As someone who loves sea days, the days up and down the coast don't bother me.  

Before sailing from Bayonne I once said "Who in their right mind would fly to Bayonne to cruise when you can fly to Florida and cruise?".  Since then I've done a number of cruises from Bayonne including a B2B on Anthem in the winter.  That's four sea days in a row with a turn around day in NJ snow flurries.  I loved it.  

I'm actually really looking forward to going back to Anthem very soon.  

[JohnK6404]

I've never sailed out of Bayonne in April, but we've sailed out twice in October. Once in mid-OCT and once in late OCT through Halloween. 

At that time of year, it's light jacket/sweatshirt weather out of NY. We did not notice rough seas going down on either sailing (Explorer and Liberty), but in both cases it was rocking noticeably late evening/early morning on the way back. My wife joked on the Explorer cruise that she felt like a baby being rocked to sleep! I think part of the reason we had so much motion is because they were trying to make good time back into Cape Liberty.

 

[Pima1988]

I agree twangster regarding the choke point.

Will say I see the Bionic bar and Wonderland as been there done that and collected the check.  The Bionic bar just doesn't grab me.  I do love the 270, especially when it comes to the Quest.  I think it is the perfect lay out.

As my husband loves to tell me, I am navigationally challenged.  It was easy for me to navigate the ship, as big as it is, within a day I knew the quickest way without using the elevators to get to where I wanted.  As much as the Esplanade is not my favorite, we always enjoy it from a people watching aspect.  Get a slice of pizza and watch people walk by...just remember that smell of popcorn will cost you $$$.  

Without a doubt, Bayonne is my favorite.  From dropping off your bags with the porter to stepping on the ship, I don't believe it has taken us more than 25 mins.  The real reasons it is my favorite, is tied to me personally.  I love the 9/11 Memorial at the port.  @DublinFC  I am not talking about the 9/11 Memorial.  This is a beautiful teardrop made out of the steel from the Twin Towers aka World Trade Center.  It was gifted by the Russian Govt.  The 2nd is, as a Jersey girl, the Verrazano is a big deal to us.  The Anthem only clears the bottom of that bridge by 30 or so feet.  Thus, when you are up on the pool deck,  you actually can hear the tires whizzing over your head....okay let's be real, no whizzing by, just the horns honking and looking at the brand of the cars tires.  Thirdly, if you have a balcony, and are an early riser, get up the day you will debark.  Pulling back into Bayonne, and seeing the night lights, including the Statue of Liberty is awe inspiring.  It is unique.  

We will be sailing out again next summer, but on Oasis.  After that we will be flying to Miami.  Nobody flame me.  I just don't like sailing out of Miami.  Nothing against the port.  Everything against how I hate the Miami airport.  I am seriously thinking about going into FLL, that is how much I hate that airport.  I know Atlanta always ranks in the bottom for airports, but my husband and I believe that is only because those that grade airports never went to Miami.

@DublinFC  Make sure you also book your NorthStar for the 1st days of the cruise.  The reason why is the same as the acrobatic show.  If the seas start rocking, they may not send up the NorthStar.  You can also pre-book the IFly, but the seas, to the best of my knowledge has an impact on whether it is open or not.

 

[Pima1988]

4 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

I think part of the reason we had so much motion is because they were trying to make good time back into NY/NJ.

On our sailing this past July out of Bayonne (Adventure) we remarked too that the last night there were a lot of white caps and the ship was rocking.  My husband had gone on the tv and said we were sailing faster than we had the past 7 nights (8night cruise).

@DublinFC also has not said when in April.

As a Jersey girl that now lives in Northern VA., I would say 1st week of April compared to the last week of April will be night and day regarding weather.  It is not uncommon to have a snow storm the last week of March.  Just as it is not uncommon to be in the 70s the last week of April

Easter for 2020, will be April 12th.  East coast schools typically will give spring break the week before Easter or the week after.  JMPO, be prepared for full occupancy from April 6th through April 19th. 

 

[DublinFC]

All wonderful input thank you all for the info. I really appreciate it!!

[WannaCruise]

13 hours ago, Pima1988 said:

Make sure you book the acrobatic show (can't recall the name) that is in the 270 for the beginning of the cruise.  We booked The Gift, We Will Rock You and the acrobatic show in that order.  Unfortunately, the night we had for the acrobatic show, was at the end of the cruise and they canceled the show.  However, we were not too disappointed.  The only place to get the Kummelwreck sandwich is in the 270.  If you go @30 mins before lunch ends, the acrobatic crew comes out to practice for the show that night, not using music.  We sat there after we finished our lunch and watched them go through their show..  At least we got to see them perform ….somewhat.

If you have to miss any of their shows, everyone will tell you, miss The Gift.  I.000.000% agree.  Make sure you stay until after the actors take their last bow for We Will Rock You.  In other words, let everyone rush for the door, stay in your seats.  

 

 

Oh Oh...not OP but reading this thread with interest.  We have Spectra (which is what I assume you mean by the acrobatic show) booked for night 6 out of 7.  But we don't really have a choice based on the other show times.  It's the domino effect.  Hopefully it won't get cancelled.  Travelling in March so similar timing to OP....and even a bit cooler.

Haven't been yet but really looking forward to Anthem.  We know we are travelling in winter so it's not like our expectations will be off.  But it seems like there is so much to do inside.  Our kids will be happy with an indoor pool (no sunscreen!) and the Sea Plex, etc.  And the 270 looks amazing...and just looking forward to a Royal ship that seems a bit different.  Plus, sailing out of NY will be amazing (shorter flight too is a bonus).  Think the hardest thing will be how to pack.  We're coming from cold weather too, so no problem there but winter clothes are much bulkier than summer clothes and then how much to pack for each.  

I think it's also about attitude. DH has already decided he won't like Anthem...too crowded (esplanade plus we are going at our March break), too cold (even though he doesn't like sitting in the sun), and too large.  So...he most likely won't enjoy Anthem.  I can't wait to try Anthem...and despite the weather and crowd in the esplanade, think we (kids and I) will love it.

[Flacruiser99]

Most folks don't realize that the water temp lags the air temp. That being said and not checking I would think the North Atlantic water temps will be at their coldest in early March and warmest in September.

[Lovetocruise2002]

2 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

I think it's also about attitude. DH has already decided he won't like Anthem...too crowded (esplanade plus we are going at our March break), too cold (even though he doesn't like sitting in the sun), and too large.  So...he most likely won't enjoy Anthem.  I can't wait to try Anthem...and despite the weather and crowd in the esplanade, think we (kids and I) will love it.

Haha...DH sounds like me!  Tell him that however much I don't like Anthem, I have managed to now sail it twice and have another sailing booked on her. lol

Coming from Canada, just like you, I really did not appreciate sailing out of NJ in March.  In retrospect, I think that was the main thing.  When we did the GC in July, it was much more enjoyable.  I still did not care for the ship, but it was a step up from  March. 

For packing, I would wear what you normally wear at home in March on the day of the cruise.  That cruise was the only cruise that I have ever had to wear a down filled jacket and base layers for sail away.  By the end of time you reach Florida, it "should" warm up a bit.  We had bad luck that cruise.  Even in Florida it was cold and all I had packed at that point was shorts and tank tops.  I was freezing when we went to Kennedy Space Center.  So just be prepared.

[WannaCruise]

14 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Haha...DH sounds like me!  Tell him that however much I don't like Anthem, I have managed to now sail it twice and have another sailing booked on her. lol

Coming from Canada, just like you, I really did not appreciate sailing out of NJ in March.  In retrospect, I think that was the main thing.  When we did the GC in July, it was much more enjoyable.  I still did not care for the ship, but it was a step up from  March. 

For packing, I would wear what you normally wear at home in March on the day of the cruise.  That cruise was the only cruise that I have ever had to wear a down filled jacket and base layers for sail away.  By the end of time you reach Florida, it "should" warm up a bit.  We had bad luck that cruise.  Even in Florida it was cold and all I had packed at that point was shorts and tank tops.  I was freezing when we went to Kennedy Space Center.  So just be prepared.

Thanks for the feedpack and comments on packing.  Yeah...can imagine it being really strange wearing a down filled jacket at sail away.  Think we'll find a spot inside. 

Good to know that Orlando, our first stop after the sea day, can still be chilly.  We currently have plans to go to Disney Springs, which is outside, so good to know.  Will dress/pack accordingly.  

I remember you did the two cruises, different times of year...and DH too.   Can see Anthem not being for everyone.  I see from your comment about to OP that March did have rougher seas. That's probably my one worry as DS is sensitive. 

Our last day of our Adventure cruise was rainy and cool (for Caribbean).  And it did feel strange wearing pants and long sleeves that day.  So that was like practice...lol.  Still found lots to do.  And we are not "lounge by the pool in the sun" people anyways.  Anthem doesn't have the waterslides so nice weather won't change that. 

One thing DH likes about Anthem is the closeness of flying to NY.  He reminds me that "we can" drive there. Probably never will (9hrs)...but the fact that it's possible is a bonus.  (Another reason why Freedom out of NY is great too...but that is in August).

[Lovetocruise2002]

2 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Think we'll find a spot inside. 

That is what I wanted to do but Hubby wanted to see the ship pass under the bridge. 

2 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

One thing DH likes about Anthem is the closeness of flying to NY.  He reminds me that "we can" drive there. Probably never will (9hrs)...but the fact that it's possible is a bonus.  (Another reason why Freedom out of NY is great too...but that is in August).

I agree.  Airfare is cheaper to Newark than to Florida usually but still not enough to make me want to sail out of there in March again. 

We enjoy sailing out of NJ in the summer though.  Last summer for the GC, we spent a day or two in Manhattan and loved that.  This July, when it's just Hubby and I, we plan to do the same.  Stay and do a few things in Manhattan before heading out on Adventure.

Totally hijacking the thread now lol...sorry

[DublinFC]

Sailing April 18th. 

[WannaCruise]

1 hour ago, DublinFC said:

Sailing April 18th. 

Hopefully mid-April should feel more spring-like and with calmer seas for you.

[DublinFC]

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

That is what I wanted to do but Hubby wanted to see the ship pass under the bridge. 

I agree.  Airfare is cheaper to Newark than to Florida usually but still not enough to make me want to sail out of there in March again. 

We enjoy sailing out of NJ in the summer though.  Last summer for the GC, we spent a day or two in Manhattan and loved that.  This July, when it's just Hubby and I, we plan to do the same.  Stay and do a few things in Manhattan before heading out on Adventure.

Totally hijacking the thread now lol...sorry

recommendations on where to stay are welcome too.  With the sailing still over a year out so loads of time to figure out where to stay.  My wife and I are thinking of coming in 2 days early to do some fast sightseeing before the cruise.

[Lovetocruise2002]

10 minutes ago, DublinFC said:

recommendations on where to stay are welcome too.  With the sailing still over a year out so loads of time to figure out where to stay.  My wife and I are thinking of coming in 2 days early to do some fast sightseeing before the cruise.

Are you looking to stay in New Jersey or in New York City?

[DublinFC]

4 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Are you looking to stay in New Jersey or in New York City?

I guess it depends on ease of getting to the cruise terminal on the morning of the cruise.  Is getting to the terminal easy to do from NYC?

[Lovetocruise2002]

33 minutes ago, DublinFC said:

I guess it depends on ease of getting to the cruise terminal on the morning of the cruise.  Is getting to the terminal easy to do from NYC?

I cannot say that I am an expert at NYC and traffic in the area.  For that I am going to tag @KathyC @ellcee and @JLMoran on that one.  I can however tell you about both our experiences from sailing out of NJ in March 2018 and July 2019.

In March 2018, we had no desire whatsoever to see the city.  We flew into EWR and stayed at Embassy Suites in Elizabeth, NJ.  It is close the airport and roughly about 20 mins to the port.  Cape Liberty is located in an industrial area and there are not really any hotels within the vicinity.  It's not like sailing out Miami or Fort Lauderdale.  We found Embassy suites to be excellent for what we wanted.  It's clean, modern, right across the street from a shopping outlet, they have a complimentary airport shuttle, complimentary breakfast and happy hour and spacious accommodations as all rooms are suites.  They also offered shuttle service to the port the morning of, but we did not take it, we usually use ride share instead.  I don't like waiting around for shuttles to load and with 4 people, it is more expensive because you pay per person.  I would not hesitate to stay here again if all I wanted was to get on the ship.

In July 2019, we still flew into EWR, but we stayed in Manhattan this time.  Because we had the time, we went two days prior to cruise to explore NYC with our kids.  Initially, we had Embassy Suites booked again but in thinking about it further, we decided to cancel the booking and stay right in the heart of Times Square.  There are some who will tell you that it is still better to stay in NJ and just take that PATH train to explore the city but for us, we like the convenience of just starting our day right in the city and not have to worry about getting into the city and then back out of it at night.  We booked at the Intercontinental Times Square (this trip was documented here) and thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.  It cost us about $100 for the ride into the city and about $100 to the port the morning of the cruise.  Seeing that there were 4 of us, I did not find that to be ridiculous. There was minor traffic both ways but from what I know, that can really vary depending on the day and time.  Going into NYC, our plane landed around 2pm so we ran into minor rush hour traffic.  The morning of the cruise, we left our hotel just after 9am, and there was not much of anything heading into Cape Liberty.    As far as time goes, it was just under an hour each way.

This summer, Hubby and I are sailing out of Cape Liberty again (but on Adventure) and we have once again decided to stay at the Intercontinental Times Square because we are going to catch a Broadway show pre-cruise.  Hope that helps.

 

[KathyC]

Since I'm in NJ I can't offer much coming from NYC to NJ, but @JLMoran or @josepena12 can definitely help you more.  I can tell you traffic will depend on the day of the week and time of the day.  If you are doing a POST cruise trip into NYC it will be worse than a pre-cruise trip.  

It will be expensive, but there are lots of tolls that increases the costs.

[Tom Cruises]

1 hour ago, DublinFC said:

I guess it depends on ease of getting to the cruise terminal on the morning of the cruise.  Is getting to the terminal easy to do from NYC?

I used to work in NYC, Long Island and Northern New Jersey. Generally speaking, I do not recommend staying in new york or its immediate surroundings unless you need to. I don't recall how early you are arriving ahead of the cruise but if it's only one day in advance and you don't plan on visiting the City...don't do that to yourself. You are going to find better hotel rates within an hour of the port (Jersey side) than you are staying in the City or its boroughs. Not to mention, you're going to pay to take any of the bridges/tunnels into the city or its boroughs. Were it not for my husband who's a light sleeper we would stay in one of the Newark airport hotels. However, I used to do a lot of business in Northern New Jersey and stayed near the expo center in the Meadowlands on many occasions. There are several different major hotel chains represented their, as well as multiple restaurants and a movie theatre. We're going to be staying there ahead of our cruise on Anthem this spring. I recommend that area!

[JLMoran]

I'm going to also suggest against staying in NYC, as there's no good way to easily or quickly get from there to the port. I will also go against @Tom Cruises thought about the Expo Center by the Meadowlands. The American Dream "ultra-mega mall" has now opened in that area, and traffic there is going to be bananas on a weekend when a cruise is typically departing.

I would say go with one of the airport hotels like @Lovetocruise2002 mentioned, or as an alternative take a look at hotels in nearby Weehawken or Hoboken. From both places, you have access to the NY Waterway ferries and can get into NYC for a reasonable price, and the ferries run fairly regularly. There are hotels right on the Hudson river with views of the NYC skyline, and others a bit removed from the waterfront that will be more reasonable.

Another option is to stay in Jersey City, which is a bit closer to Bayonne where the cruise port is actually located. Staying there gives you access to the PATH train (subway) that also regularly goes to NYC for just a couple bucks per person. The main line on that can get you to the World Trade Center and Wall Street area of Manhattan.

Any of those places will require getting a ride, either shuttle provided by the hotel or a Lyft / Uber. Like others have mentioned, there's nothing remotely close to the cruise terminal and port area; you have to figure on a 20-minute ride minimum, and that's if staying in Newark at the airport.

[Tom Cruises]

8 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

I'm going to also suggest against staying in NYC, as there's no good way to easily or quickly get from there to the port. I will also go against @Tom Cruises thought about the Expo Center by the Meadowlands. The American Dream "ultra-mega mall" has now opened in that area, and traffic there is going to be bananas on a weekend when a cruise is typically departing.

I would say go with one of the airport hotels like @Lovetocruise2002 mentioned, or as an alternative take a look at hotels in nearby Weehawken or Hoboken. From both places, you have access to the NY Waterway ferries and can get into NYC for a reasonable price, and the ferries run fairly regularly. There are hotels right on the Hudson river with views of the NYC skyline, and others a bit removed from the waterfront that will be more reasonable.

Another option is to stay in Jersey City, which is a bit closer to Bayonne where the cruise port is actually located. Staying there gives you access to the PATH train (subway) that also regularly goes to NYC for just a couple bucks per person. The main line on that can get you to the World Trade Center and Wall Street area of Manhattan.

Any of those places will require getting a ride, either shuttle provided by the hotel or a Lyft / Uber. Like others have mentioned, there's nothing remotely close to the cruise terminal and port area; you have to figure on a 20-minute ride minimum, and that's if staying in Newark at the airport.

Thanks for that update @JLMoran, I had no idea that the mall has been built since I’ve worked in that area!

[JLMoran]

Just now, Tom Cruises said:

Thanks for that update @JLMoran, I had no idea that the mall has been built since I’ve worked in that area!

It only opened in October, and even then it was just some of the restaurants plus the indoor water park / amusement park. For some reason they didn't that actual shopping stores needed to be open at the same time or maybe as the first thing. Those won't be fully opened until some time this month. In the meantime, the place has already lost hundreds of millions of dollars because the traffic isn't what they were expecting at opening.

No shopping, I wonder why no one came? 

[Lovetocruise2002]

@Tom Cruises and @JLMoran, I believe that @DublinFC has mentioned going in 2 days prior to do sight seeing pre-cruise.  That's why I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to stay in NJ or surrounding areas.

[DublinFC]

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I cannot say that I am an expert at NYC and traffic in the area.  For that I am going to tag @KathyC @ellcee and @JLMoran on that one.  I can however tell you about both our experiences from sailing out of NJ in March 2018 and July 2019.

In March 2018, we had no desire whatsoever to see the city.  We flew into EWR and stayed at Embassy Suites in Elizabeth, NJ.  It is close the airport and roughly about 20 mins to the port.  Cape Liberty is located in an industrial area and there are not really any hotels within the vicinity.  It's not like sailing out Miami or Fort Lauderdale.  We found Embassy suites to be excellent for what we wanted.  It's clean, modern, right across the street from a shopping outlet, they have a complimentary airport shuttle, complimentary breakfast and happy hour and spacious accommodations as all rooms are suites.  They also offered shuttle service to the port the morning of, but we did not take it, we usually use ride share instead.  I don't like waiting around for shuttles to load and with 4 people, it is more expensive because you pay per person.  I would not hesitate to stay here again if all I wanted was to get on the ship.

In July 2019, we still flew into EWR, but we stayed in Manhattan this time.  Because we had the time, we went two days prior to cruise to explore NYC with our kids.  Initially, we had Embassy Suites booked again but in thinking about it further, we decided to cancel the booking and stay right in the heart of Times Square.  There are some who will tell you that it is still better to stay in NJ and just take that PATH train to explore the city but for us, we like the convenience of just starting our day right in the city and not have to worry about getting into the city and then back out of it at night.  We booked at the Intercontinental Times Square (this trip was documented here) and thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.  It cost us about $100 for the ride into the city and about $100 to the port the morning of the cruise.  Seeing that there were 4 of us, I did not find that to be ridiculous. There was minor traffic both ways but from what I know, that can really vary depending on the day and time.  Going into NYC, our plane landed around 2pm so we ran into minor rush hour traffic.  The morning of the cruise, we left our hotel just after 9am, and there was not much of anything heading into Cape Liberty.    As far as time goes, it was just under an hour each way.

This summer, Hubby and I are sailing out of Cape Liberty again (but on Adventure) and we have once again decided to stay at the Intercontinental Times Square because we are going to catch a Broadway show pre-cruise.  Hope that helps.

 

This is really great information.  Thank you!

[DublinFC]

This is all great information and will make the planning process so much easier.  Thank all of you very much!

[FionaMG]

Thanks for posting this question @DublinFC and to all who have answered. 

We are considering this same cruise (Anthem 18 April 2021) so the information is priceless.

Can I do a mini hijack and ask how much better the weather might be a couple of weeks later, since we are wavering between this one and Oasis on 9 May?

[twangster]

6 hours ago, FionaMG said:

Can I do a mini hijack and ask how much better the weather might be a couple of weeks later

As you can imagine weather can vary. It could be an early spring or a late spring any year.  One week a cold front could move through so there is no accurate way to gauge weather plus or minus a couple of weeks.  Generally speaking though weather will be improving as it moves closer to summer.  

Oasis doesn't have the indoor pool and indoor solarium areas so your risk is cool nights or days as the ship sails through waters that haven't heated up as much as the air might have in early May.  

[DublinFC]

11 hours ago, bytheslice said:

Your cruise sails on April 18, 2021which is a Sunday, traffic should be minimal from NYC and I don't think there are major parades in NYC that month. If you decide to stay in NYC, you could use a car service or Uber with the goal of arriving at Cape Liberty no later than 10:30 am. There is significant traffic back up on the only road to the terminal starting about 10:45 am. There is also public transit option but that would involve transfer and you would still need a taxi/Uber for the last part of the journey.

If you stay in New Jersey, the best area for hotels would be in Jersey City/Hoboken area which has easy access to PATH trains for quick transit to NYC. Another benefit from those locations are the spectacular views of the lower Manhattan skyline. Best to Uber/car service to Cape Liberty but public transit is also an option. Newark hotels, but not by the airport, are an option but much more time consuming traveling to NYC than from Jersey City/Hoboken.

 

 

I was thinking a Sunday morning drive to the port wasnt going to be too bad.  I was in NYC once a few years ago.  I didn't drive, but I do remember my taxi rides to and from the airport were held up a some with traffic.  I am guessing that is par for the course in NYC though.

[ellcee]

12 hours ago, bytheslice said:

Your cruise sails on April 18, 2021which is a Sunday, traffic should be minimal from NYC and I don't think there are major parades in NYC that month.

Agreed. Sunday mornings NYC is a ghost town.

[JLMoran]

6 hours ago, FionaMG said:

Can I do a mini hijack and ask how much better the weather might be a couple of weeks later, since we are wavering between this one and Oasis on 9 May?

Generally, the difference between mid-April and early May is pretty minimal temp-wise. We're still typically in the mid- to upper-60s for the daily highs, maybe creeping into the low 70s by the time you are getting into early May.

April is generally one of our rainiest months, but this past year May also had a lot of rain so I won't say you'll find things better on that front with the later sailing. And the past two years have seen more frequent nor'easters in late March / early April.

I have to agree with @twangster that going on Oasis could be a risk. Not only do you lose the indoor pool and solarium, but on Oasis you have far more of the venues located in an outside area like the boardwalk or Central Park. I haven't sailed Oasis and don't know if those venues have "back entrances" to allow getting there without having to walk outside and get soaked when it's raining, but that might be another factor to consider. It's a small factor -- you're only really going to be dealing with that kind of weather risk on the first day and last day for the most part. But definitely want to consider it.

Personally, I'd rather sail Anthem until at least June, but I'm also the official Oasis Class Denier of this group.  

[twangster]

14 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

don't know if those venues have "back entrances" to allow getting there without having to walk outside and get soaked when it's raining

No back entrances really.  To reach Playmakers you walk outside.  To reach Park Cafe you walk outside.  

This past December Florida had some cooler temps at times, and rain.  There are umbrellas splattered around central park so rain isn't a huge issue, rain can happen anytime on a cruise.  The cooler days near Florida did make venues like Playmakers less enticing.  A day into the cruise and there was a noticeable change in air temps where the outer decks were more inviting.  The brave kids were still doing the water slides but in smaller numbers.

I didn't think about it at the time but that is probably what an early May "Oasis in Bayonne" experience is going to be like.   It didn't ruin the cruise, packing a sweater or light jacket would fix much of it.  That's probably what NJ locals do that time of year.  (light jackets haven't be relegated to the back reaches of the closets just yet)

[FionaMG]

58 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Generally, the difference between mid-April and early May is pretty minimal temp-wise. We're still typically in the mid- to upper-60s for the daily highs, maybe creeping into the low 70s by the time you are getting into early May.

Personally, I'd rather sail Anthem until at least June, but I'm also the official Oasis Class Denier of this group.  

 

37 minutes ago, twangster said:

I didn't think about it at the time but that is probably what an early May "Oasis in Bayonne" experience is going to be like.

Thanks, this is really helpful.

We have sailed Oasis twice before (Caribbean in December) and Harmony once (Med in September). DH really likes this class of ship and is keen to return but I can see it's going to be a whole different ball game in early May out of NY. We have not sailed a Quantum class ship before but SIL did one of the very first European cruises on Ovation and says it is her absolute favourite class. Decisions, decisions... I suspect it's going to come down to ancillary costs, such as airfare and accommodation in the NY area. Like @DublinFC (apologies for hijacking your thread!) we are looking to have 2 or 3 days of sightseeing in the Big Apple beforehand.