Anyone sail out of Cape Liberty? We are looking at booking Anthem next year and will be driving to the port. Any suggestions of hotels for one night before cruise? How close is the parking to the ship? How safe is this area? Thanks, Steve
Just got back from cape liberty today! the parking is very close to the ship terminal - right across a small street. they are building a garage which is almost completed, and should be done next year, which is attached to the terminal. i find the whole parking/embarking/debarking process there waaaaay easier than most of the florida ports. my DH usually drives, drops me at the terminal with the luggage, and i hand the luggage over to a porter while he parks.
the parking lot is (and presumably the garage will be) guarded. hard to say how safe the area is because it's on a peninsula that really only contains the port. parts of it are commercial and then there is the cruise passenger terminal, and that's it. we've never felt worried about leaving our car there, but i have a pretty high risk tolerance. ; ) there aren't really any good off-site parking lots like in florida, so your other option is to find a hotel that offers shuttle service, and leave your car at the hotel. honestly, i feel like my car in the fenced and guarded lot at the port is a lot safer than in the parking lot at a hotel.
we stay at the hampton inn and suites staten island the night before. i don't think they have a shuttle, though, if you decide to do that. it's quicker to get to the port from northern staten island than newark airport, and you come into the port a back way so you avoid all the traffic of everyone coming from newark to the cruise. that said, you would cross the bayonne bridge from staten island into bayonne, and there is currently major construction on the bayonne bridge, including some weekends when it's closed. it's supposed to be done in early 2016, so if you're sailing then, you're better off staying near the airport. i'd say spring 2016 or later, staten island's probably easier. if you do a google search for "bayonne bridge construction" there are websites with updates etc.
