Anthem of the Seas out of Cape Liberty, NJ

[tnshsms]

Two questions:

1. How early can you get off the ship and make it to a flight at EWR (Newark)? AA just changed our flight from a 12:45 flight to an 11 am flight.

2. Is it best to use a car service from port to EWR (like Dial 7) or a taxi? I want the easiest and quickest way...which I know is not always the cheapest. I'm ok with that if I can make my flight.


Thanks!!

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

Two questions:

1. How early can you get off the ship and make it to a flight at EWR (Newark)? AA just changed our flight from a 12:45 flight to an 11 am flight.

2. Is it best to use a car service from port to EWR (like Dial 7) or a taxi? I want the easiest and quickest way...which I know is not always the cheapest. I'm ok with that if I can make my flight.


Thanks!!

I am looking to possibly book Anthem out of NYC and I'm finding more info on it over on the cruise critic forum.
You can try to ask there?
I don't know for sure but the 11 am flight sounds like a tight squeeze.

 

[KashasMom]

If you do an early walk-off with your own luggage you should be able to make an 11:00 flight. It's about 20 minutes to the airport. Take a taxi.

 

[mevelandry]

I would love to read your review (and infos) when you come back.

To be honest, I have sailed on the DCL Dream twice and I am about to sail on the Wonder and as we are starting to compare ships to do a Bermuda cruise in 2018 (comparing the Anthem and the Breakaway) I am SHOCKED to see what the Anthem (and most RCCL ships) has compared to the DCL Dream and I don't understand why DCL still has the best reviews... On paper, RCCL beats them easily. And I don't really believe the "best service" hype because we have received a very similar service (if not better) on the Carnival Victory.

For the price difference, it has a lot to offer. So, please... I would love to know what you thought about the Anthem.

 

[tnshsms]

I would love to read your review (and infos) when you come back.

To be honest, I have sailed on the DCL Dream twice and I am about to sail on the Wonder and as we are starting to compare ships to do a Bermuda cruise in 2018 (comparing the Anthem and the Breakaway) I am SHOCKED to see what the Anthem (and most RCCL ships) has compared to the DCL Dream and I don't understand why DCL still has the best reviews... On paper, RCCL beats them easily. And I don't really believe the "best service" hype because we have received a very similar service (if not better) on the Carnival Victory.

For the price difference, it has a lot to offer. So, please... I would love to know what you thought about the Anthem.

I will be writing one for sure but we don't go until the middle of May. But I totally understand where you are coming from. Its kind of why we booked it really. Our DD loves Disney and its why we've sailed it 4 times on all 4 ships. But now that she's 8...almost 9 for our RCL cruise its time to see what everyone else has to offer and see if she's just as happy on RCL as she is on DCL. We've never been to either NYC or Bermuda so we are excited for both. And yes, this trip is a little less than half our 7 day Fantasy we looked at. Granted its 2 days less but it was still surprising!

 

[ljcrochet]

I just got off the anthem. Had an amazing time. This was my 11th cruise but not my favorite. Lots of little touches missing. With that said we are booked for a 5 day to Bermuda.

It was very easy getting off the ship. We were home in Long Island before 9am, but we are platinum crown and anchor members so had luggage number 9.
You can carry your own luggage off the ship to get off quicker.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

I will be writing one for sure but we don't go until the middle of May. But I totally understand where you are coming from. Its kind of why we booked it really. Our DD loves Disney and its why we've sailed it 4 times on all 4 ships. But now that she's 8...almost 9 for our RCL cruise its time to see what everyone else has to offer and see if she's just as happy on RCL as she is on DCL. We've never been to either NYC or Bermuda so we are excited for both. And yes, this trip is a little less than half our 7 day Fantasy we looked at. Granted its 2 days less but it was still surprising!

We are looking to book the May 20th Bermuda, is this by chance the cruise you are going on? We have a hold on and can't decide, so scared to book outside of Disney!!!!
We can only squeeze in a shorter cruise though and with the May long weekend the timing is perfect, not to mention we can easily drive to NYC!

 

[mevelandry]

I will be writing one for sure but we don't go until the middle of May. But I totally understand where you are coming from. Its kind of why we booked it really. Our DD loves Disney and its why we've sailed it 4 times on all 4 ships. But now that she's 8...almost 9 for our RCL cruise its time to see what everyone else has to offer and see if she's just as happy on RCL as she is on DCL. We've never been to either NYC or Bermuda so we are excited for both. And yes, this trip is a little less than half our 7 day Fantasy we looked at. Granted its 2 days less but it was still surprising!

Nice! I've been to NYC seven times and I am going again in June... I'm madly in love with Manhattan. I think you'll love it as there are something for everybody over there.

 

[mevelandry]

I just got off the anthem. Had an amazing time. This was my 11th cruise but not my favorite. Lots of little touches missing. With that said we are booked for a 5 day to Bermuda.

It was very easy getting off the ship. We were home in Long Island before 9am, but we are platinum crown and anchor members so had luggage number 9.
You can carry your own luggage off the ship to get off quicker.

What would be the little touches missing?

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I will be writing one for sure but we don't go until the middle of May. But I totally understand where you are coming from. Its kind of why we booked it really. Our DD loves Disney and its why we've sailed it 4 times on all 4 ships. But now that she's 8...almost 9 for our RCL cruise its time to see what everyone else has to offer and see if she's just as happy on RCL as she is on DCL. We've never been to either NYC or Bermuda so we are excited for both. And yes, this trip is a little less than half our 7 day Fantasy we looked at. Granted its 2 days less but it was still surprising!

I'm looking forward to your review! Just booked Anthem of the Seas for February 2018. It's such a loooong way away. Never sailed on Anthem before and only sailed once on RC but that was nearly 20 years ago.

 

[mevelandry]

We are looking to book the May 20th Bermuda, is this by chance the cruise you are going on? We have a hold on and can't decide, so scared to book outside of Disney!!!!
We can only squeeze in a shorter cruise though and with the May long weekend the timing is perfect, not to mention we can easily drive to NYC!

You should give it a try.

I went through the same kind of fear when I booked the Carnival Victory for a Bahamian cruise and I have to say: We loved our Carnival cruise! While I like the classic look and the «looking brand new» of the DCL Dream, there are activities that we ended up liking just as much as DCL (like the included buffet and counters and the broadway-style shows, even though there were not Disney) and things that we actually enjoyed more, like the comedy shows and the dining room food.

My advice is: don't go there looking for Disney. Expect that it's not going to be like Disney. Take a lot of info and then you'll know pretty much what to expect and then... let life surprise you.

 

[ljcrochet]

What would be the little touches missing?

Most were so minor, I wouldn't have even notice if we did do a smaller RCCL last February.

• Had to get our own coffee at windjammer for breakfast.
• Waiter for dinner got annoyed at my daughter for ordering more than one meal for dinner. Then head waiter tried to give them children's menus. Last year we never saw the kids menu.
• At lunch in MDR, did ask about dessert. When I ordered the dessert, the rest of the people at the table had to be oh I didn't know we have to order dessert now.
• Did the sushi making class both trips. Last year included soup and a drink. My daughter was given a virgin strawberry daiquiri. Chef had helpers which moved class along. This year no helps, no soup or daiquiri.
• Daughter was excited for basketball court, but since it was part of seaplex it wasn't open a lot.
• Seaplex schedule not published unless you went into seaplex, even then it wasn't always correct. DH and dd did a family bball tournament. Supposed to use whole seaplex, but because lots of people were, they did half court. Other half was open for soccer I think. This mean they started to run out of time, I think it was around 16 teams. First 8-10 teams played a 4 minute game. Rest did one shot won. Same thing in the follow up rounds.
• People star lining up for bumper cars about 45 minutes before it starts. So figure 45 minute wait. It is a lot of fun but not worth the wait. ( we did it 3 times)
• Rock climbing staff wasn't as friendly as on other rccl ships
• When we went to disembark at end of cruise, dd card said see guest services. Could not get off ship with out. The girls have their own cabin but don't have charging privileges. Any tips not covered by their obc was supposed to go to our card. It did not. DD's card was charged for her sushi making class. It would have been nice to know this when we where waiting to get off the ship.
• This was first cruise that I had to go to guest services twice during the cruise to get errors off our account.

We had a great time. We did book on harmony for next year, and have anthem booked again for a 5 night to Bermuda.

Make sure you reserve your shows, North Star and ifly in advance.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

Most were so minor, I wouldn't have even notice if we did do a smaller RCCL last February.

• Had to get our own coffee at windjammer for breakfast.
• Waiter for dinner got annoyed at my daughter for ordering more than one meal for dinner. Then head waiter tried to give them children's menus. Last year we never saw the kids menu.
• At lunch in MDR, did ask about dessert. When I ordered the dessert, the rest of the people at the table had to be oh I didn't know we have to order dessert now.
• Did the sushi making class both trips. Last year included soup and a drink. My daughter was given a virgin strawberry daiquiri. Chef had helpers which moved class along. This year no helps, no soup or daiquiri.
• Daughter was excited for basketball court, but since it was part of seaplex it wasn't open a lot.
• Seaplex schedule not published unless you went into seaplex, even then it wasn't always correct. DH and dd did a family bball tournament. Supposed to use whole seaplex, but because lots of people were, they did half court. Other half was open for soccer I think. This mean they started to run out of time, I think it was around 16 teams. First 8-10 teams played a 4 minute game. Rest did one shot won. Same thing in the follow up rounds.
• People star lining up for bumper cars about 45 minutes before it starts. So figure 45 minute wait. It is a lot of fun but not worth the wait. ( we did it 3 times)
• Rock climbing staff wasn't as friendly as on other rccl ships
• When we went to disembark at end of cruise, dd card said see guest services. Could not get off ship with out. The girls have their own cabin but don't have charging privileges. Any tips not covered by their obc was supposed to go to our card. It did not. DD's card was charged for her sushi making class. It would have been nice to know this when we where waiting to get off the ship.
• This was first cruise that I had to go to guest services twice during the cruise to get errors off our account.

We had a great time. We did book on harmony for next year, and have anthem booked again for a 5 night to Bermuda.

Make sure you reserve your shows, North Star and ifly in advance.

What month did you cruise on the Anthem? Was it a school break? I'm just wondering if the 45 minute wait for bumper cars is the norm???
I'm also confused by your first point above.. "Had to get our own coffee at windjammer for breakfast". Don't you have to get your own coffee at Cabanas on the Disney cruise?
I don't mean that as a snarky remark, just wondering what you mean.
We are seriously considering booking Anthem for a 5 night cruise to Bermuda to try it. I would prefer to go on an Oasis class ship, but our schedule in May won't allow it.

 

[Denise W]

I cruised on Anthem in October for 12 days in the western caribbean. I didn't write a trip report, but will answer any questions you may have. I have also sailed on Disney 7 times, so can compare and contrast things you may ask.

Denise

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I cruised on Anthem in October for 12 days in the western caribbean. I didn't write a trip report, but will answer any questions you may have. I have also sailed on Disney 7 times, so can compare and contrast things you may ask.

Denise

Thanks for the offer!

-How soon can I make reservations for shows, specialty restaurants, and onboard activities like ifly and Northstar? I've read conflicting reports some say 90 days before embarkation.

-Are there any reservations that are particularly difficult to get? Do I have to be online to make these reservations the minute they become available? What would you say is the "BOG" or "CRT" equivalent on the ship? LOL.

-We're traveling with DD10 and DS3. Would like to take advantage of the children's on-board activities any maybe squeeze a date night in for DW and myself. Do the kids clubs fill up quickly?

TIA!

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

Thanks for the offer!

-How soon can I make reservations for shows, specialty restaurants, and onboard activities like ifly and Northstar? I've read conflicting reports some say 90 days before embarkation.

-Are there any reservations that are particularly difficult to get? Do I have to be online to make these reservations the minute they become available? What would you say is the "BOG" or "CRT" equivalent on the ship? LOL.

-We're traveling with DD10 and DS3. Would like to take advantage of the children's on-board activities any maybe squeeze a date night in for DW and myself. Do the kids clubs fill up quickly?

TIA!

Thanks for asking the questions! Mine are pretty much the same

I am also wondering about the general "vibe" on the ship. I know it's not Disney, but do you feel like you are on a really nice and fun ship?

We are looking to go at the end of May, and I'm a little worried that we wouldn't be able to get reservations for the North Star or the sky diving simulator...

 

[Denise W]

Thanks for the offer!

-How soon can I make reservations for shows, specialty restaurants, and onboard activities like ifly and Northstar? I've read conflicting reports some say 90 days before embarkation.

-Are there any reservations that are particularly difficult to get? Do I have to be online to make these reservations the minute they become available? What would you say is the "BOG" or "CRT" equivalent on the ship? LOL.

-We're traveling with DD10 and DS3. Would like to take advantage of the children's on-board activities any maybe squeeze a date night in for DW and myself. Do the kids clubs fill up quickly?

TIA!

The first thing I did was join the meet and great thread for my particular cruise on cruise critic. I followed that thread and would find out when people could book things.
It appears RCCL does not open things online at the same time for each cruise, so you have to check often. As soon as I saw something open, I would book it. I ended up booking the major shows, the Ripcord (sky diving simulation) and the Northstar prior to the cruise. We also booked early dining (at the time you had the choice of fixed doning or my time. If you are in my time dining I would suggest you go online prior to the cruise and book a time for each day. It is much easier to change the time when you get on board than trying to get a reservation if you wait.

We were in a suite, so were able to eat in the suite dining room (Coastal Kitchen) 3 meals a day, but we only ate there a few times during the cruise. We also didn't need to reserve the shows, as there was special seating for suite guests. Since we were on a long cruise, the main shows were repeated a few times, so it was easy for everyone to get into them. We enjoyed all of them, and also enjoyed a lot of the varied entertainment all over the ship.

We had no kids with us, but visited the kids clubs and they looked fantastic. The Seaplex area is a great place for tweens and teens. It is huge and has video games along the sides. The main area rotates between bumper cars, soccer, basketball, circus training, and possibly more.

We had no trouble booking the italian specialty restaurant once we got on board. You can see your accpunt and book reservations on your tv in your room.
Denise

 

[Denise W]

Thanks for asking the questions! Mine are pretty much the same

I am also wondering about the general "vibe" on the ship. I know it's not Disney, but do you feel like you are on a really nice and fun ship?

We are looking to go at the end of May, and I'm a little worried that we wouldn't be able to get reservations for the North Star or the sky diving simulator...

The vibe of the ship for us was elegant and fun. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Remember, Disney was very late getting into the cruise business. I was on the sixth cruise of the original ship the Magic, and it took Disney a long time to correct their mistakes and bring their quality up to where they are now. RCCL has been cruising a lot longer.

As I advised above, check your cruise online every few days and go to the emtertainment area to see if it allows you to book the Ripcord (Ifly) and Northstar. If you can't book anything online, wait until you get onboard and go to the entertainment desk to try and book them then. My husband did Ripcord and he actually only "flew" for 60 seconds. There is a lot of training in your group and then waiting your turn to get in the tube. It is fun, but short. The Northstar is nice, but you are only up for about 10-15 minutes. We booked it for a port day, so we would have something to look at besides the water!

Denise

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

The first thing I did was join the meet and great thread for my particular cruise on cruise critic. I followed that thread and would find out when people could book things.
It appears RCCL does not open things online at the same time for each cruise, so you have to check often. As soon as I saw something open, I would book it. I ended up booking the major shows, the Ripcord (sky diving simulation) and the Northstar prior to the cruise. We also booked early dining (at the time you had the choice of fixed doning or my time. If you are in my time dining I would suggest you go online prior to the cruise and book a time for each day. It is much easier to change the time when you get on board than trying to get a reservation if you wait.

We were in a suite, so were able to eat in the suite dining room (Coastal Kitchen) 3 meals a day, but we only ate there a few times during the cruise. We also didn't need to reserve the shows, as there was special seating for suite guests. Since we were on a long cruise, the main shows were repeated a few times, so it was easy for everyone to get into them. We enjoyed all of them, and also enjoyed a lot of the varied entertainment all over the ship.

We had no kids with us, but visited the kids clubs and they looked fantastic. The Seaplex area is a great place for tweens and teens. It is huge and has video games along the sides. The main area rotates between bumper cars, soccer, basketball, circus training, and possibly more.

We had no trouble booking the italian specialty restaurant once we got on board. You can see your accpunt and book reservations on your tv in your room.
Denise

All great info! Thank you! I'm going to track down the meet and greet thread for our cruise. We're sailing Feb./2018 so plenty of time to learn the "ins and outs". Thank you again for all the great info.

 

[Denise W]

All great info! Thank you! I'm going to track down the meet and greet thread for our cruise. We're sailing Feb./2018 so plenty of time to learn the "ins and outs". Thank you again for all the great info.

You are welcome, and if you have any other questions, please let me know.
Denise