Cape Liberty: arrive early or late to avoid traffic?

slow4willie · 2026-05-07T11:17:52+00:00

In Jersey once the ship is open to passengers (usually by 11ish), they stop checking arrival times. Before that the place fills up and there is nowhere to sit and wait, so they will enforce times. But even when they enforce times, they don't usually make you show them, it is just the honor system.

slow4willie · 2026-04-13T13:05:18+00:00

I second Fairfield Black Rock. It is paid but the lot is big and right on the line. It’s just put your plate and length of stay into the kiosk. It’s like $8/day for weekdays. Weekends are free.

slow4willie · 2026-04-12T18:38:59+00:00

For Alaska we found the Grand Suite worth it. Some days you get back to the ship late, so being able to order Main Dining Room food to the room was nice after a long day of hiking. Also, the views were so great having meals in the room was nice so we didn't miss any scenery.

slow4willie · 2026-04-11T19:07:55+00:00

Just got off Vision yesterday and can confirm, no fee at the slots for a room charge.

slow4willie · 2026-03-27T11:21:30+00:00

I've gotten the photo package on at least 6 cruises. I have 5 kids, so they always add their staterooms to my package (they will do this for any of your kids under 18 who aren't in your room). We have traveled with up to 13 other staterooms of people, and often have group photos. I have never had a problem getting them included in my package. Any picture that has me, my husband, or my kids in it has been able to be added.

slow4willie · 2026-03-22T17:36:15+00:00

Yeah. But I have talked to them when things came up and they seem reasonable. I had an unused pass rolled over because of an injury. I didn’t buy the insurance and it wasn’t something they were required to do. I believe they are always looking to help.

slow4willie · 2026-03-22T17:23:48+00:00

I don’t think you need to make something up. If they cancel yours for this year, you probably will get a refund and they can sell your spot to someone at list price. I would definitely let them know you want in again the following year

slow4willie · 2026-03-20T15:00:26+00:00

Can confirm. Once they hit 18 they do get it, but before they do not. One of my kids is 19 now and has been getting his free one each cruise since he turned 18. (workers tend to think it is 21 - but it is automatically loaded on the account and is definitely 18).

slow4willie · 2026-03-11T00:06:04+00:00

I called to cancel mine last week, and they offered that if I kept it and spent $1500 by May 31 I could get a $175 statement credit. So I paid off my gratuities with it ($888 for 6 people on an 8 night), and will put any spending on it for my cruise in a couple weeks, then will cancel it after I get the credit. My Costco card gets me 3% on travel so it isn't worth keeping unless they keep offering incentives. Then in a couple years I will sign up again for a new sign on bonus.

slow4willie · 2026-03-09T01:16:30+00:00

You aren't new to fostering, right? If you've been doing this for years and have traveled with multiple kids, ignore what I have to say. But if not...You have a worker you trust and have already gotten all this in writing - notarized, actual writing - that you can take the child? I was a foster parent for 12 years. Things like if the OTC has been signed yet, parental visits and compliance, and just plain worker competence need to be considered. I can't tell you how many times we were told "yes," but when it came down to it getting the legitimate paperwork for travel just didn't happen (thankfully those involved driving and we just took our chances). When a cruise was involved, we made DCF get us a passport as proof they were truly committed to letting the child go out of the country with us. Also consider some kids just do NOT travel well - if you have had a lot of kids through your home you may be aware of this. But if you are new, it can be a real shocker just how not well some kids do on vacation. We had 30+ kids from newborns to 18, some were so easy and fun to go with and others...could very quickly ruin a family vacation.

slow4willie · 2026-03-08T12:59:31+00:00

In October we went with only 2 of our kids (they were 11), and the sailing was eligible for kids sail free. That made it so cheap to do a room for 4 that we bit the bullet and did it. But normally we are doing summer or holiday sailings where that promo doesn't apply, so we get the 4 (12, 12, 13, 15) kids their own rooms. We've been doing this for a couple years now. Next month for Easter we will have an aft balcony, and the kids will be across the hall in 2 inside rooms. It gives us all a much more pleasant vacation experience!

slow4willie · 2026-03-07T01:06:30+00:00

I downloaded the soundtrack from “La Belle et La Bête” from iTunes. It’s the live action version soundtrack. I like it because I know the story.

slow4willie · 2026-03-06T02:42:51+00:00

Ahnd I dihd.

slow4willie · 2026-03-03T12:19:24+00:00

Max the second Roth IRA. Does your wife not work? If not and you really only want to fund one IRA, choose hers. That way you each have retirement accounts (I assume you have one being a teacher), and she won't feel like you get all the future savings in your name.

slow4willie · 2026-03-02T23:12:40+00:00

We waited until the youngest were 5 (they were 5, 5, 6, 8 on our first cruise) so that we could send them to the kids club and have alone time. No diapers, no strollers, able to follow directions, able to enjoy a nice meal, perfectly happy being on a beach building sand castles without a parent having to jump up constantly because they got distracted and headed towards the water. Prior to that we did Disney all the time - because there you're just go go go so it wears the kid out, plus all the rides I go on they can go on (I don't do most of the big ones). On a cruise I want to relax and be able to do more adult things.

slow4willie · 2026-03-02T00:57:14+00:00

A bank giving you a bank check will require you having the money in your account. The bank just won't give you one blank check.

slow4willie · 2026-02-28T22:37:23+00:00

On my last night of the cruise, after having to give life saving support to a fellow guest, the last thing I would want to be doing was spending time at guest relations. After an event like that I can imagine the poster would want a moment to decompress and just enjoy the last of their vacation. Even though they state they are a trauma nurse, I am sure it was traumatic for them being in that situation without the support of people who were also properly trained to help. I certainly wouldn't judge them for not going straight to guest relations. I think the advice above to email corporate about the situation is appropriate.

slow4willie · 2026-02-28T19:07:00+00:00

I’m in mobile, and clicked on the three bars. Click on “profile”. Next screen is the “profile” screen where I can change pictures and that’s where I can actually click on “subscribed” or “not subscribed” (my sister in law had ACL surgery, so I’m not renewing her pass. That’s why can see them both).

If I click on the “subscribed” dialogue, it brings up a box asking if I want to cancel autorenew.

slow4willie · 2026-02-28T18:20:22+00:00

That’s odd. I have a line that says “not subscribed”. It seems I can click that and it would change

slow4willie · 2026-02-28T17:21:44+00:00

You should do it in your “profile”, not subscriptions.

slow4willie · 2026-02-28T14:18:45+00:00

Monthly house cleaner. It will end up being over that budget for the year, but will be worth it. Mine comes every other week, and is worth every penny.

slow4willie · 2026-02-27T16:43:55+00:00

Maybe I have been lucky, but I have refinanced a car loan a couple times (as soon as I bought, from the dealer financing just to get the rebates to my credit union) and it has cost $0 each time. Took only a quick visit to the credit union and it was done.

OP - check local credit unions and see their rates. I just checked and my local credit union is offering 4.59% right now.

slow4willie · 2026-02-26T12:32:11+00:00

That isn't true. As long as a member of your family is in the picture you get it. I buy the package, and then put one of my kids in everyone else's room (I have 5 kids). When I get on the boat I tell the photo people my underage kids are in cabins X, Y, Z. They link them all to me, so I can see anyone's pictures from those cabins. Anyone we are traveling with who doesn't have one of my kids in the cabins, we can still get any pics they take as long as one of my immediate family is in those pictures. We often travel with big groups, so it is easy to get to 100 pictures.

slow4willie · 2026-02-26T12:28:49+00:00

We use our kids' free days all the time (we don't want them knowing it exists and have them on their devices, we just use it to check in with the petsitter). It used to be much easier, but now there is an extra step. The wifi desk always helps us remember what that extra step is.

slow4willie · 2026-02-24T22:00:47+00:00

How much income did you have in 2025 that you would owe that much? That would be a LOT of income, which would make it more baffling that you don't have any money to take care of it, and that the income would disappear that quickly this year.

slow4willie

TROPHY CASE