Karl WP Beyer The population of the New York, Newark and Jersey City metro area was estimated at approximately 2021 million as of July 19,8. Almost 8,5 million of these were in the city of New York. It's not surprising that a metropolitan area of this size has three cruise terminals:
Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with Queen Mary 2
They are the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and the Cape Liberty Cruise Port. The latter deserves our special attention.
Cape Liberty Cruise Port
The Cape Liberty cruise port is located on the Upper Bay across from Manhattan/NY The motto of the dock, located within sight of the New York Statue of Liberty, is "Sailing From Lady Liberty's Front Door".
Cape Liberty Cruise Port - Waiting Area
To put it bluntly, the port area presents itself as a desolate area of gantry cranes, containers, trucks, mobile cranes, old warehouses, a water tank and huge piles of scrap ready for loading, seen from the inside and outside. The upstate residential buildings and handsome clubhouse of the Liberty National Golf Course do little to gloss over the wasteland. And the terminal also has few visual stimuli.
Junk ship in Port Liberty
Worth knowing about Bayonne and the port
What do we know about Bayonne? The city is located in Hudson County of the US state of New Jersey. According to the April 2020 US census, almost 72.000 people live in Bayonne. The city stands and falls with its port. We don't know any sights. Instead, the metropolis New York lures with all its charms.
The Port Authority's website states that in the 1930s, a group of investors had a 174-hectare artificial peninsula built for commercial use. With the beginning of the World War II, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Navy were also interested in this area, which promised multiple uses. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entry into the war, a naval base with supply depots and dry docks for aircraft carriers and battleships was built on the peninsula. Up to ten warships could be supplied at the same time on the site. Changing functions ensured the continued existence of the military base, which was officially closed on September 23.09.1999.
Cape Liberty Cruise Port – Royal Caribbean Group cruise port
In December 2003, the conversion authority established for the rededication of the naval base and Royal Caribbean known to want to establish a cruise port in Bayonne. The official slogan was: "Your Closest Point To Sea". Since then, only ships from the Royal Caribbean Group and residents such as TUI Cruises have used the port as a starting point for tours to the Caribbean, to Bermuda and for trips to the eastern United States and Canada. At the end of 2014, a modern terminal building was handed over to its intended purpose.
Cape Liberty Cruise Port with the Brilliance of the Seas
The port’s second phase of life began with the “Voyager of the Seas”. In May 2004, the cruise ship cast off from Bayonne for the first time. Other ships followed. The group company Celebrity Cruises also lets some of its cruise ships call at the port. The Cape Liberty Port Authority put the number of passengers in 2016 at more than 509.000. More recent figures are not available. So far, 2023 calls by ships from the Royal Caribbean group are planned for 97.
The Cape Liberty Cruise Port location advantage
The big plus of Cape Liberty is its proximity to New York. Even from the cruise ship, passengers can enjoy the view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and downtown Manhattan with the new World Trade Center during entry and exit maneuvers.
How to get to Bayonne?
For example by plane. To the west of the port area is Newark Liberty International Airport, which, in addition to JFK in New York, is also served by Germany. We don't even have to talk about the other traffic routes. The region is very well developed in terms of transport.
Newark Liberty International Airport
Especially to and from JFK Airport it is recommended to use the services of Lyft or Uber. We recommend taking a taxi to and from Newark Liberty International Airport. Alternatively, take a short AirTrain ride to NJ Transit's Airport Station. From there, take the train to Newark Penn Station. Afterwards, a taxi is transferred in Bayonne, which takes the travelers to the port.
What to do when stopping at Cape Liberty Cruise Port?
As already said: Bayonne offers few sights; but New York is so close. We know three options to get to New York: the car, the train or the ferry.
New York by car
The easiest way for visitors to get to downtown Manhattan/New York and back is by car via Jersey City through the "Holland Tunnel". Lyft, Uber or conventional taxis are recommended as service providers. These are available at ship arrivals in the terminal area.
New York - Entrance to the Holland Tunnel
New York by train
The "Blue" and "Red" lines run from Newark Penn Station to the centrally located New York Pennsylvania Station in New York. From there you can take the subway everywhere. The inexpensive trains run every four minutes during rush hour. The journey takes 24 minutes. – Newark Penn Station is a minimum of 17 kilometers from the terminal, taxis are essential in such conditions.
Newark penn station
New York - World Trade Center Station
New York by ferry
The ferries of the "NY Waterway" offer pure pleasure compared to the Holland Tunnel or the train journey. At all times, the spectacular New York skyline never falters.
View of the Statue of Liberty and Downtown Mmanhattan
The ships operate between the Port Liberté / Chapel Ave ferry terminals. and Pier 11 in downtown Manhattan. From the New York Terminal it is only a few meters to the south end of Wall Street and ten minutes later to the New York Stock Exchange. And Manhattan's worth seeing Battery Park on the Hudson River is also in the immediate vicinity.
Facade element of the New York Stock Exchange
Battery Park in Manhattan - The Sphere sculpture
We recommend taking the ferry because of the visual appeal. The journey with the comfortable and fast ships covers a distance of about ten kilometers. It lasts 20 minutes under normal conditions. The ferry terminal is eight kilometers from the Cruise Terminal.
Update February 2023
