Pima1988

We did KW almost 4 yrs ago on Enchantment (Nov 2016)
Here are my takes.
1. Be prepared to wait a long time for that photo at the buoy.  We walked from Hemingway's house to it and there were about 100 people in line waiting to take a pic.  My husband and I looked at it, looked at the line, looked back at each other and said....nope!  I do actually have a picture of us in front of it from across the street with the 100 tourists waiting in line!
2.  Best restaurant to this day that we ate at in any port was in KW. https://blueheavenkw.com/    
It is such a cool place.  Order their Key Lime pie.  It is insane.  Basically as tall as your wrist to the top of your index finger.  The building has history.  
Through the years the property has hosted cock fighting, gambling and Friday night boxing matches refereed by Ernest Hemingway. 
The outdoor courtyard is paved with the slate pool table tops from the days the downstairs operated as a billiard hall and ice cream parlour.
A dance hall, a bordello and a playhouse have occupied the second floor. Today inside the Bordello Gallery above the restaurant, one can still peek through the sliding peep holes into the tiny rooms
3.  Beware it is an expensive place for buying any gifts.  It is an artisanal town, but expensive.
4. The roosters make that town so much fun!  They roam freely up and down the non-busy streets.  Our niece was our tour guide so she took us off the main streets for shortcuts.  
5.  KW is an open container city.  If you enjoy imbibing go to Fat Tuesday on Duval street.  You can get a drink in their re-fillable cup, walk the streets and it will make you feel more willing to spend that money on your souvenirs. 
 

That would be my number 1 fear of booking a gty right now.

It has not returned to Symphony.  I have a sailing in May 2021 and my TA said Symphony never has and most likely never will have the Chef's table.
I am probably like @WAAAYTOOO not too picky, but I am not adventurous as my husband.  Let's put it this way...snails....I'll pass on it everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.  Same with sushi!  Now if you offered me any Indian dish, including goat and I am good to go!  
The 1st time we did the Chef's table and I looked at the menu I swore I was only going to like maybe 3 items.  I decided I would at least take 1 bite.  To my surprise I enjoyed every single item they served.  After that we have always done it on any ship that offers this option.
To me I think they try to push the envelope just a tad.  For example, the soup was a smoke tomato bisque with parmesan croutons.  The scallops were served as shaved carpaccio with some type of vinegarette.    The fish was branzino with parsnip puree.  The steak course was a filet with asparagus (can't recall how it was created).   As you can see it is not too far out there, just enough to make you feel like you are getting a meal that can't be found anywhere else on the ship.
The Chef's that come out to meet you are typically the Executive from 1 of the Specialty restaurants.  They are usually the highest end restaurant.  IE.  On Adventure Chops is their highest end, so that was our chef.  On Anthem,, we had the Wonderland chef since they classify that as the highest end.

It has not returned to Symphony.  I have a sailing in May 2021 and my TA said Symphony never has and most likely never will have the Chef's table.
I am probably like @WAAAYTOOO not too picky, but I am not adventurous as my husband.  Let's put it this way...snails....I'll pass on it everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.  Same with sushi!  Now if you offered me any Indian dish, including goat and I am good to go!  
The 1st time we did the Chef's table and I looked at the menu I swore I was only going to like maybe 3 items.  I decided I would at least take 1 bite.  To my surprise I enjoyed every single item they served.  After that we have always done it on any ship that offers this option.
To me I think they try to push the envelope just a tad.  For example, the soup was a smoke tomato bisque with parmesan croutons.  The scallops were served as shaved carpaccio with some type of vinegarette.    The fish was branzino with parsnip puree.  The steak course was a filet with asparagus (can't recall how it was created).   As you can see it is not too far out there, just enough to make you feel like you are getting a meal that can't be found anywhere else on the ship.
The Chef's that come out to meet you are typically the Executive from 1 of the Specialty restaurants.  They are usually the highest end restaurant.  IE.  On Adventure Chops is their highest end, so that was our chef.  On Anthem,, we had the Wonderland chef since they classify that as the highest end.

A friend of mine has had their sons do something like this on Liberty (country music sailing).  They have done it now for 3 yrs running.  Their fan base has increased ALOT from this exposure!  This past yr they were invited to sing at the Grand Ole Opry (prior to Covid).  
Just like anything else in life, people get curious about anything tied to "special" events.   Passengers will talk at Schooners, WJ, Solarium, etc. about the "special" show and meet/greets.  Other passengers will wonder how they got that opportunity and about the band.  Many passengers have Voom.  They will than look them up on line.  Hence, even if they are not seeing their show, their social media exposure will increase.   

LMAO on this comment in total agreement.  
Our 1st cruise (10 night Med) was the exact opposite.  We were 27/28 yrs old.  It was the size of Enchantment.  They sold 50% of it to AARP.  It was the strangest feeling ever.  It actually felt like you were on your own personal yacht.  9 pm and the bars/dance venues were just a handful of passengers.  However, since this was back in the 90s, at 11:30 they all came back out again for the midnight buffet to take pics.  12:15 and the ship was silent again.  
I would never do it again even though it felt like my own yacht.  It just had the wrong vibe. OBTW I am now eligible for AARP.
 
 

LMAO on this comment in total agreement.  
Our 1st cruise (10 night Med) was the exact opposite.  We were 27/28 yrs old.  It was the size of Enchantment.  They sold 50% of it to AARP.  It was the strangest feeling ever.  It actually felt like you were on your own personal yacht.  9 pm and the bars/dance venues were just a handful of passengers.  However, since this was back in the 90s, at 11:30 they all came back out again for the midnight buffet to take pics.  12:15 and the ship was silent again.  
I would never do it again even though it felt like my own yacht.  It just had the wrong vibe. OBTW I am now eligible for AARP.
 
 

I am for it.  I have a JS balcony, thus I have no problem lounging on my balcony.  Only exception would be that long walk to a car to get my drink.  
To me the issue I am seeing is the "chair hogs"  It is bad enough already with chairs slammed up right next to each other to the point you have to shimmy in to the lounger.  Imagine now if they reduce those chairs by even 25%.  What time in the a.m. will you have to be there to get a lounger at the pool?  4;30 in the a.m.?  
The upshot of this maybe RCL pool attendants might become more pro-active removing towels.  Before they didn't want to upset passengers that "hogged" the chair.  I would think now if they reduce the chairs, the non-hoggers will be pointing out to attendants at a higher rate and demanding the attendants remove the towels.  

LMAO on this comment in total agreement.  
Our 1st cruise (10 night Med) was the exact opposite.  We were 27/28 yrs old.  It was the size of Enchantment.  They sold 50% of it to AARP.  It was the strangest feeling ever.  It actually felt like you were on your own personal yacht.  9 pm and the bars/dance venues were just a handful of passengers.  However, since this was back in the 90s, at 11:30 they all came back out again for the midnight buffet to take pics.  12:15 and the ship was silent again.  
I would never do it again even though it felt like my own yacht.  It just had the wrong vibe. OBTW I am now eligible for AARP.
 
 

I am for it.  I have a JS balcony, thus I have no problem lounging on my balcony.  Only exception would be that long walk to a car to get my drink.  
To me the issue I am seeing is the "chair hogs"  It is bad enough already with chairs slammed up right next to each other to the point you have to shimmy in to the lounger.  Imagine now if they reduce those chairs by even 25%.  What time in the a.m. will you have to be there to get a lounger at the pool?  4;30 in the a.m.?  
The upshot of this maybe RCL pool attendants might become more pro-active removing towels.  Before they didn't want to upset passengers that "hogged" the chair.  I would think now if they reduce the chairs, the non-hoggers will be pointing out to attendants at a higher rate and demanding the attendants remove the towels.  

LMAO on this comment in total agreement.  
Our 1st cruise (10 night Med) was the exact opposite.  We were 27/28 yrs old.  It was the size of Enchantment.  They sold 50% of it to AARP.  It was the strangest feeling ever.  It actually felt like you were on your own personal yacht.  9 pm and the bars/dance venues were just a handful of passengers.  However, since this was back in the 90s, at 11:30 they all came back out again for the midnight buffet to take pics.  12:15 and the ship was silent again.  
I would never do it again even though it felt like my own yacht.  It just had the wrong vibe. OBTW I am now eligible for AARP.
 
 

A friend of mine has had their sons do something like this on Liberty (country music sailing).  They have done it now for 3 yrs running.  Their fan base has increased ALOT from this exposure!  This past yr they were invited to sing at the Grand Ole Opry (prior to Covid).  
Just like anything else in life, people get curious about anything tied to "special" events.   Passengers will talk at Schooners, WJ, Solarium, etc. about the "special" show and meet/greets.  Other passengers will wonder how they got that opportunity and about the band.  Many passengers have Voom.  They will than look them up on line.  Hence, even if they are not seeing their show, their social media exposure will increase.   

LMAO on this comment in total agreement.  
Our 1st cruise (10 night Med) was the exact opposite.  We were 27/28 yrs old.  It was the size of Enchantment.  They sold 50% of it to AARP.  It was the strangest feeling ever.  It actually felt like you were on your own personal yacht.  9 pm and the bars/dance venues were just a handful of passengers.  However, since this was back in the 90s, at 11:30 they all came back out again for the midnight buffet to take pics.  12:15 and the ship was silent again.  
I would never do it again even though it felt like my own yacht.  It just had the wrong vibe. OBTW I am now eligible for AARP.
 
 

I am for it.  I have a JS balcony, thus I have no problem lounging on my balcony.  Only exception would be that long walk to a car to get my drink.  
To me the issue I am seeing is the "chair hogs"  It is bad enough already with chairs slammed up right next to each other to the point you have to shimmy in to the lounger.  Imagine now if they reduce those chairs by even 25%.  What time in the a.m. will you have to be there to get a lounger at the pool?  4;30 in the a.m.?  
The upshot of this maybe RCL pool attendants might become more pro-active removing towels.  Before they didn't want to upset passengers that "hogged" the chair.  I would think now if they reduce the chairs, the non-hoggers will be pointing out to attendants at a higher rate and demanding the attendants remove the towels.  

LMAO on this comment in total agreement.  
Our 1st cruise (10 night Med) was the exact opposite.  We were 27/28 yrs old.  It was the size of Enchantment.  They sold 50% of it to AARP.  It was the strangest feeling ever.  It actually felt like you were on your own personal yacht.  9 pm and the bars/dance venues were just a handful of passengers.  However, since this was back in the 90s, at 11:30 they all came back out again for the midnight buffet to take pics.  12:15 and the ship was silent again.  
I would never do it again even though it felt like my own yacht.  It just had the wrong vibe. OBTW I am now eligible for AARP.
 
 

I am for it.  I have a JS balcony, thus I have no problem lounging on my balcony.  Only exception would be that long walk to a car to get my drink.  
To me the issue I am seeing is the "chair hogs"  It is bad enough already with chairs slammed up right next to each other to the point you have to shimmy in to the lounger.  Imagine now if they reduce those chairs by even 25%.  What time in the a.m. will you have to be there to get a lounger at the pool?  4;30 in the a.m.?  
The upshot of this maybe RCL pool attendants might become more pro-active removing towels.  Before they didn't want to upset passengers that "hogged" the chair.  I would think now if they reduce the chairs, the non-hoggers will be pointing out to attendants at a higher rate and demanding the attendants remove the towels.  

LMAO on this comment in total agreement.  
Our 1st cruise (10 night Med) was the exact opposite.  We were 27/28 yrs old.  It was the size of Enchantment.  They sold 50% of it to AARP.  It was the strangest feeling ever.  It actually felt like you were on your own personal yacht.  9 pm and the bars/dance venues were just a handful of passengers.  However, since this was back in the 90s, at 11:30 they all came back out again for the midnight buffet to take pics.  12:15 and the ship was silent again.  
I would never do it again even though it felt like my own yacht.  It just had the wrong vibe. OBTW I am now eligible for AARP.
 
 

LMAO on this comment in total agreement.  
Our 1st cruise (10 night Med) was the exact opposite.  We were 27/28 yrs old.  It was the size of Enchantment.  They sold 50% of it to AARP.  It was the strangest feeling ever.  It actually felt like you were on your own personal yacht.  9 pm and the bars/dance venues were just a handful of passengers.  However, since this was back in the 90s, at 11:30 they all came back out again for the midnight buffet to take pics.  12:15 and the ship was silent again.  
I would never do it again even though it felt like my own yacht.  It just had the wrong vibe. OBTW I am now eligible for AARP.
 
 

I am for it.  I have a JS balcony, thus I have no problem lounging on my balcony.  Only exception would be that long walk to a car to get my drink.  
To me the issue I am seeing is the "chair hogs"  It is bad enough already with chairs slammed up right next to each other to the point you have to shimmy in to the lounger.  Imagine now if they reduce those chairs by even 25%.  What time in the a.m. will you have to be there to get a lounger at the pool?  4;30 in the a.m.?  
The upshot of this maybe RCL pool attendants might become more pro-active removing towels.  Before they didn't want to upset passengers that "hogged" the chair.  I would think now if they reduce the chairs, the non-hoggers will be pointing out to attendants at a higher rate and demanding the attendants remove the towels.  

I really do believe that the club passes are limited to the 200-250 range.  If you add in the cabanas, you are at the 450 range.  As someone that has done cabanas, there is really no need to leave your cabana, unless you want to just go and explore.  Your attendants bring you your food and drinks.   Just saying that as for finding loungers, or food lines, the cabana passengers are not a factor in that kind of way.
Think of the Club like the Key.  They want to  keep that exclusive and to achieve that goal they limit the numbers. 

I am actually shocked that excursions have already popped up. 
My May 2021 cruise on Symphony did not have any excursions pop up until about 400 days out.  We jumped on the Coco beach pass the day it came up.  It is only 2 of us, so that was the best option for us, we too are like @Ogilthorpe, usually like Chill Island cabana when in a group.  When we purchased the pass in late April, the only other Coco Cay excursion on the planner was the beach bed.  Mid May the over water and Chill cabana came on line.  It was only a week or two ago that Thrill came on line.  Oasis cabanas came on line that day too.
If I knew I was going in a group I would jump on that price, especially with children since the cabanas have a water slide attached.  I could see doing the water park since you are on Anthem.  If you said to me you were on Oasis, I probably would have said that the water park is not worth it since the ship has water slides.  I get Thrill has a bigger slide, but to me, even when I was a kid, a large slide like on the ship is a large slide.  The only thing that would sway me is the fact that I am a beach girl and love jumping waves.  I could live all day in a wave pool.
FWIW, if you do not know this, if the cabana price drops (I highly doubt since that is such a low price), purchase the new cabana at the lower price and than go back and cancel the higher price one.  There are limited numbers of cabanas, however, unlimited number of people looking on the planner.  They could have only 1 left.  By the time you cancel and come back to rebook at the lower price it can sell out.  I have seen this occur multiple times.
~ The way my husband and I have done this is:  1st purchase would be under his name.  2nd purchase (re-pricing) would go under my name.  Went back in and cancelled his purchase. We do this so we don't mistakenly cancel the cheaper cabana.  
 
 

I am actually shocked that excursions have already popped up. 
My May 2021 cruise on Symphony did not have any excursions pop up until about 400 days out.  We jumped on the Coco beach pass the day it came up.  It is only 2 of us, so that was the best option for us, we too are like @Ogilthorpe, usually like Chill Island cabana when in a group.  When we purchased the pass in late April, the only other Coco Cay excursion on the planner was the beach bed.  Mid May the over water and Chill cabana came on line.  It was only a week or two ago that Thrill came on line.  Oasis cabanas came on line that day too.
If I knew I was going in a group I would jump on that price, especially with children since the cabanas have a water slide attached.  I could see doing the water park since you are on Anthem.  If you said to me you were on Oasis, I probably would have said that the water park is not worth it since the ship has water slides.  I get Thrill has a bigger slide, but to me, even when I was a kid, a large slide like on the ship is a large slide.  The only thing that would sway me is the fact that I am a beach girl and love jumping waves.  I could live all day in a wave pool.
FWIW, if you do not know this, if the cabana price drops (I highly doubt since that is such a low price), purchase the new cabana at the lower price and than go back and cancel the higher price one.  There are limited numbers of cabanas, however, unlimited number of people looking on the planner.  They could have only 1 left.  By the time you cancel and come back to rebook at the lower price it can sell out.  I have seen this occur multiple times.
~ The way my husband and I have done this is:  1st purchase would be under his name.  2nd purchase (re-pricing) would go under my name.  Went back in and cancelled his purchase. We do this so we don't mistakenly cancel the cheaper cabana.  
 
 

Hope this posted/

The thing is Cape Liberty is not in NY, it actually is in Bayonne, NJ.  NCL sails out of NY.  NJ governor has been moving along with re-openings.  I believe they moved into Phase 3 this week.  (My family lives in NJ, we live in VA)
This is also one of the reasons I can see RCL opening it up when they come back.  People can easily drive from as far west as OH, as far south as NC and as far North as Maine and do it in 8 hrs of driving.  
Another reason is they have said multiple times that it would be the larger ships that they roll out 1st due to various reasons.  Liberty has both Oasis and Quantum.  Also remember Celebrity sails out of Bayonne too.  
Finally, although you may not feel safe flying, many Europeans like sailing out of Liberty due to its proximity to NYC.  They can fly into Newark and be at the port within 30-45 mins.  You do not have that option if you fly into Texas regarding the distance to the port.
 

I am actually shocked that excursions have already popped up. 
My May 2021 cruise on Symphony did not have any excursions pop up until about 400 days out.  We jumped on the Coco beach pass the day it came up.  It is only 2 of us, so that was the best option for us, we too are like @Ogilthorpe, usually like Chill Island cabana when in a group.  When we purchased the pass in late April, the only other Coco Cay excursion on the planner was the beach bed.  Mid May the over water and Chill cabana came on line.  It was only a week or two ago that Thrill came on line.  Oasis cabanas came on line that day too.
If I knew I was going in a group I would jump on that price, especially with children since the cabanas have a water slide attached.  I could see doing the water park since you are on Anthem.  If you said to me you were on Oasis, I probably would have said that the water park is not worth it since the ship has water slides.  I get Thrill has a bigger slide, but to me, even when I was a kid, a large slide like on the ship is a large slide.  The only thing that would sway me is the fact that I am a beach girl and love jumping waves.  I could live all day in a wave pool.
FWIW, if you do not know this, if the cabana price drops (I highly doubt since that is such a low price), purchase the new cabana at the lower price and than go back and cancel the higher price one.  There are limited numbers of cabanas, however, unlimited number of people looking on the planner.  They could have only 1 left.  By the time you cancel and come back to rebook at the lower price it can sell out.  I have seen this occur multiple times.
~ The way my husband and I have done this is:  1st purchase would be under his name.  2nd purchase (re-pricing) would go under my name.  Went back in and cancelled his purchase. We do this so we don't mistakenly cancel the cheaper cabana.