This was our first vacation to New England and Canada. We chose this cruise because of the ship (similar to the Liberty of the Seas) and the ports of call. We did not realize this particular cruise is a favorite of seniors from the Tri-State area. I am not being critical of seniors, just attempting to educate those wanting to take this cruise in the future so they can be prepared for the on-board passenger "culture" (e.g., lots of wheel chairs, scooters and walkers, an impatient attitude sprinkled with enough anxiety to make Sister Theresa reach for a bottle of Valium.)

Embarkation:

Most other reviews of Bayonne / Cape Liberty are very positive about the ease of boarding. We experienced something a bit different. We arrived at the cruise terminal at 11:45am. The terminal was in a state of chaos due to the terminal staff giving conflicting information to the passengers. For example, we asked an attendant which line we should join because we are Crown & Anchor Platinum members and the staff was directing folks to a variety of lines. The response we received was "How nice for you" and the person walked away. Perhaps she did not hear our question clearly, but it was rude to just walk away. The next staff person we saw was trying to be helpful. He told us that so many Platinum and Diamond members had arrived early which clogged the system. Since boarding cards are kept in 2 separate areas it took quite a while for the staff to find our information and allow us to board. Read more