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Hey all! So sadly my June cruise was cancelled. I’m considering doing a lift and shift and my TA told me you can lift and shift using a different port. I originally was going to sail to CocoCay from Galveston (3 hour drive from home) but there’s no sailings to CocoCay from Galveston in 2021. My TA gave me the option of sailing on Oasis out of NY. While I would love to spend a few day’s in the city before cruising - how are the logistics for this? Which airport is best and what area is the best to stay (It’s my 10 year anniversary next year so we were thinking of doing early and seeing the sights) in the city?

Thanks in advance! Here’s to planning again!

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We always fly into Newark.  While the other 2 NYC airports will work, the logistics of getting to NJ from those airports is significantly more complicated (so I hear.  We have never done it).

We have cruised out of Port Liberty 4 times and never yet spent the night in a hotel prior to the cruise with the unfortunate exception of our last cruise, which was Anthem, Feb. 15, 2020.  It was the cruise that was delayed/truncated due to a CV-19 scare (which was unfounded).  So while I cannot give you a recommendation for a hotel, I can recommend one to avoid.  We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard, Newark.  The hotel itself was fine but the location was - well, not fine.  I have read that it is generally best to avoid Newark entirely and perhaps stay somewhere else, like maybe Elizabeth, NJ.  

The port is fine.  Easy in, easy out.  We used Uber to get to/from the port from the airport every time except for once when we used the Royal bus/shuttle.  Both are fine.

If your Agent has recommended this as possible L&S then I assume he/she has already confirmed that it will qualify.  I didn't think there were any 7 night cruises from Bayonne that included Coco Cay (I thought those were all 8+ nights) but I must be mistaken.  The one thing that they seem to be very strict about is that the # of nights must be the same on both cruises.  Good luck !  I think the L&S seems to be a great option for those who want to postpone their cruise.

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3 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

@spursfreak21, for my own understanding -- Even though your cruise is now officially canceled, you can still do a Lift & Shift? I thought that once canceled, the only option was to get the 125% FCC.

Yes !  The latest cancellation allows for L&S up until some time in June.  10th, I think

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3 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Yes !  The latest cancellation allows for L&S up until some time in June.  10th, I think

Good to know. Either my TA is having no luck in getting through to Celebrity to finish my L&S, or (much more likely based on my recent interactions) dragging his feet in the worst way imaginable.

I will never be using this particular TA again. Not part of MEI, no black mark against them thank goodness. I went with someone else who was able to make this Iceland & Greenland trip more affordable, and now I'm paying the hidden price. ? 

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If you've never been to NYC, it's a great opportunity to double up your vacation.  As a local, I fully agree with @WAAAYTOOO, EWR is the way to go unless you can find SUBSTANTIAL savings into JFK.  Only go to LGA if it's life or death. Now if it were me, I'd fly in a few days early and find a nice hotel in Jersey City to home base in for a few days.  The rooms should be significantly cheaper, and as long as you are comfortable on public transportation, taking the PATH into NYC from Jersey City is a fast and easy way to get in and out.  See the sights, do the tourist thing, and getting a shuttle to Cape Liberty the morning of your cruise should be cheaper and easier from the NJ side of the Hudson.  Just this Jersey boy's two cents!

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3 hours ago, JLMoran said:

@spursfreak21, for my own understanding -- Even though your cruise is now officially canceled, you can still do a Lift & Shift? I thought that once canceled, the only option was to get the 125% FCC.

Yep, very nice that they just added that option!  ?

Matt posted this handy, dandy chart of options yesterday... 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2020/05/20/royal-caribbean-will-cancel-all-sailings-through-july-31-due-coronavirus

july31cancellationsrefunds.jpg

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4 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

If your Agent has recommended this as possible L&S then I assume he/she has already confirmed that it will qualify.  I didn't think there were any 7 night cruises from Bayonne that included Coco Cay (I thought those were all 8+ nights) but I must be mistaken

Yes they do. We were supposed to be on Oasis 7 night to CocoCay this 8/16 but lifted and shifted to next August. The itinerary is Orlando, Coco Cay and Nassau. With 3 sea days. 

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6 minutes ago, darketower said:

Yes they do. We were supposed to be on Oasis 7 night to CocoCay this 8/16 but lifted and shifted to next August. The itinerary is Orlando, Coco Cay and Nassau. With 3 sea days. 

Was supposed to be on that same cruise!  I L&S'd it to 8/8/21.

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6 minutes ago, USCG Teacher said:

Was supposed to be on that same cruise!  I L&S'd it to 8/8/21.

We’ll see you there! That is when we L&S’d to.  It’s a family affair with my parents and my sister and her husband. Was disappointed to push it a year but no one was comfortable with possibly being the very first to go out. 

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6 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I didn't think there were any 7 night cruises from Bayonne that included Coco Cay (I thought those were all 8+ nights) but I must be mistaken

 

1 hour ago, darketower said:

Yes they do. We were supposed to be on Oasis 7 night to CocoCay this 8/16 but lifted and shifted to next August. The itinerary is Orlando, Coco Cay and Nassau. With 3 sea days. 

Yep, that's the one we have planned for September ... 

2 hours ago, USCG Teacher said:

If you've never been to NYC, it's a great opportunity to double up your vacation.  As a local, I fully agree with @WAAAYTOOO, EWR is the way to go unless you can find SUBSTANTIAL savings into JFK.  Only go to LGA if it's life or death. Now if it were me, I'd fly in a few days early and find a nice hotel in Jersey City to home base in for a few days.  The rooms should be significantly cheaper, and as long as you are comfortable on public transportation, taking the PATH into NYC from Jersey City is a fast and easy way to get in and out.  See the sights, do the tourist thing, and getting a shuttle to Cape Liberty the morning of your cruise should be cheaper and easier from the NJ side of the Hudson.  Just this Jersey boy's two cents!

I am from upstate NY and second everything said here ... Before Secaucus Junction was a thing, I'd take the NJ Transit / Metro North from upstate NY (Rockland County) to Hoboken NJ and jump on the PATH. Once in the city I could jump on a subway if needed to get to destination. 

We did fly out of JFK once after a cruise from Bayonne to extend our honeymoon in Dominican Republic. As a local-ish, I drove, it was a Thursday morning, traffic sucked, not horrible but not what I needed after a 5 day cruise. EWR has a bad reputation but still the best choice IMO.

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10 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Either my TA is having no luck in getting through to Celebrity to finish my L&S, or (much more likely based on my recent interactions) dragging his feet in the worst way imaginable.

I don't know if he reads the site or what, but I got an email from him today that the L&S was going through today. Checked Celebrity's site a couple of hours later, and it was indeed moved to next year's sailing. So at least I have that ulcer cause gone now...

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