Stayed the night before at the Hilton Garden Inn Ridgefield Park, NJ - highly recommend the stay, park and cruise package. Hotel was clean and comfortable - free breakfast the next morning, shuttle to and from the cruise port. Cost $50.00 less than parking at the cruise terminal and was so nice to be shuttle back and forth without having to drive in that Manhattan traffic.

Embarkment - got there at 10:30 - had my luggage tags on the luggage (you may want to print them on a color printer - makes it easier for them to figure out where you luggage goes). they took them right from us and off we went into the terminal. Quickly through customs and not that long a wait to check-in. However, there were no seats by 11am and we had to stand for about 40 mins till others with an earlier number were called to board. I think we got to board by 12:30 or so.

You board and are immediately in O'Shehans - the bartenders ignored us for the first 10 mins for some reason - finally got a drink and they headed to drop our bags at the room. Lucked out that it was a beautiful warm sunny day so we went up top to the highest point to view the sail away - crowded but it was still nice. Read more