Jump to content

Back from our Anthem cruise


RCIfan1912

Recommended Posts

Well back from our Anthem cruise that Bermuda was shortened to just 8-9 his instead of 36 hours it was supposed to be. 

We had a freaking blast. What a great and beautiful ship. This was our second time on her and I like it, getting to know the ship and it kinda becomes like home. 

We learned a few things here or really agreed upon a few things here. My wife and I agree that 5 day cruises are not worth it. It's just too short in our opinion. We also agreed not to sail in hurricane season anymore. We have almost exclusively sailed in hurricane season but I think we are done with it. 

We are already booked for Oasis May 10th from NJ so we are very excited. It's just about the first time we are sailing outside of official hurricane season. Could it happen, if course but at least it really shouldn't. 

Oh and diving to Cape Liberty and the process was insanely easy and stress free. We always get dropped off but decided to drive this time. Beyond way and Matt's and everyone here had great advice. It was pretty much exactly as people described and that gave us advice. So thank you to everyone that gave us advice!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Well back from our Anthem cruise that Bermuda was shortened to just 8-9 his instead of 36 hours it was supposed to be. 

We had a freaking blast. What a great and beautiful ship. This was our second time on her and I like it, getting to know the ship and it kinda becomes like home. 

We learned a few things here or really agreed upon a few things here. My wife and I agree that 5 day cruises are not worth it. It's just too short in our opinion. We also agreed not to sail in hurricane season anymore. We have almost exclusively sailed in hurricane season but I think we are done with it. 

We are already booked for Oasis May 10th from NJ so we are very excited. It's just about the first time we are sailing outside of official hurricane season. Could it happen, if course but at least it really shouldn't. 

Oh and diving to Cape Liberty and the process was insanely easy and stress free. We always get dropped off but decided to drive this time. Beyond way and Matt's and everyone here had great advice. It was pretty much exactly as people described and that gave us advice. So thank you to everyone that gave us advice!

Agree that 5 day trips are more of a "getaway" than a vacation, and I only did that on my first trip to see what cruising was like.  My wife has also decided to skip sailing on the East Coast/Caribbean in September -- since moving to NC we've had three hurricanes in three years.  Welcome back, and enjoy your next cruise!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, ChessE4 said:

Agree that 5 day trips are more of a "getaway" than a vacation, and I only did that on my first trip to see what cruising was like.  My wife has also decided to skip sailing on the East Coast/Caribbean in September -- since moving to NC we've had three hurricanes in three years.  Welcome back, and enjoy your next cruise!

Thank you. We agree with you and your wife. September seems to be a particular tough month hurricanes wise. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@RCIfan1912, how about sailing in October out of NJ? Now you're at the tail end of hurricane season / solidly in shoulder season so you get some pretty good rates on those last couple of Bermuda sailings. Combine with a B2B 9-night Canada/New England (or, in 2020 if you do a S2S on Oasis, Caribbean) sailing and you get a nice 2-week vacation. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

@RCIfan1912, how about sailing in October out of NJ? Now you're at the tail end of hurricane season / solidly in shoulder season so you get some pretty good rates on those last couple of Bermuda sailings. Combine with a B2B 9-night Canada/New England (or, in 2020 if you do a S2S on Oasis, Caribbean) sailing and you get a nice 2-week vacation. ?

That is funny, we were just saying how cool it would be to do a B2B of Bermuda and then 9 day Canada/NE. That would be fun. Do you get any kind of perks for doing a B2B cruises?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Do you get any kind of perks for doing a B2B cruises?

No, no real perks to speak of.

Well... except for the schadenfreude you'll feel while watching all the other poor sods with their sad faces as they leave, knowing you're re-boarding in just a few minutes. ?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

No, no real perks to speak of.

Well... except for the schadenfreude you'll feel while watching all the other poor sods with their sad faces as they leave, knowing you're re-boarding in just a few minutes. ?

 

Wait a second, they don't make you get off the ship do they? That would be really dumb. Do people usually have the same cabin? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, RCIfan1912 said:

Wait a second, they don't make you get off the ship do they? That would be really dumb. Do people usually have the same cabin? 

You have to briefly leave the ship to do your second leg checkin and also satisfy the maritime or other legal requirements that all passengers must be disembarked before the passengers of the next sailing can board. There are other reasons that it makes sense for the B2B passengers to disembark: the ship could have a USCG inspection sprung on them (and that's always a surprise from what I've heard), which also requires all passengers to be off the ship; if there was any incidence of norovirus or other illness, the crew needs to be able to fully disinfect the entire ship; etc.

Pinging @twangster, who's a serious B2B / B3B / B4B veteran at this point and well-versed in the experience of turnaround days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

You have to briefly leave the ship to do your second leg checkin and also satisfy the maritime or other legal requirements that all passengers must be disembarked before the passengers of the next sailing can board. There are other reasons that it makes sense for the B2B passengers to disembark: the ship could have a USCG inspection sprung on them (and that's always a surprise from what I've heard), which also requires all passengers to be off the ship; if there was any incidence of norovirus or other illness, the crew needs to be able to fully disinfect the entire ship; etc.

Pinging @twangster, who's a serious B2B / B3B / B4B veteran at this point and well-versed in the experience of turnaround days.

Ok, do you actually have to sit with everyone coming in the holding area and everything? That would really suck. I mean if you have to get off you have to get off the ship but to sit in the holding area is a bit crazy to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Ok, do you actually have to sit with everyone coming in the holding area and everything? That would really suck. I mean if you have to get off you have to get off the ship but to sit in the holding area is a bit crazy to me.

You don't sit there.  You sit in a lounge on the ship.  Then they walk you off the ship and back onto the ship, typically parading in front of everyone waiting to board.  Then they start the priority boarding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

You don't sit there.  You sit in a lounge on the ship.  Then they walk you off the ship and back onto the ship, typically parading in front of everyone waiting to board.  Then they start the priority boarding.

Oh thank goodness. That's actually kinda cool then. Run straight to the buffet before it gets completely nuts. 

That is another thing, we don't go to the buffet that first day at all. It's too bad because it's a great place to start your cruise but it's too insane. It's just too crowded and too many rude people in there. In fact I think going forward I am going up try to book a specialty restaurant lunch for embarkation day. Can you even do that? I'd like to do that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Wait a second, they don't make you get off the ship do they? That would be really dumb. Do people usually have the same cabin? 

Royal doesn't,  US Customs does.  

Sail in EU and do a B2B, never leave the ship.  Sail in the US and do a B2B, you must leave the ship.  

CBP requires a ship to be reduced to a zero guest count before they will allow new guests for the next cruise to begin boarding. 

The same cabin is often desirable but not always possible unless you book well in advance.  Changing cabins isn't as big of a deal as it sounds.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Royal doesn't,  US Customs does.  

Sail in EU and do a B2B, never leave the ship.  Sail in the US and do a B2B, you must leave the ship.  

CBP requires a ship to be reduced to a zero guest count before they will allow new guests for the next cruise to begin boarding. 

 

There is a Holland America Captain that has a blog.  Recently he has been taking on more of a floating advisory/training role, and moving from ship to ship.  He mentioned that when he is in this role, US Customs classifies him as a non-revenue passenger and not a crew member, and they make him get on and off the ship too!

https://www.captainalbert.com/15-april-2018-tampa-florida/

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Well back from our Anthem cruise that Bermuda was shortened to just 8-9 his instead of 36 hours it was supposed to be. 

We had a freaking blast. What a great and beautiful ship. This was our second time on her and I like it, getting to know the ship and it kinda becomes like home. 

We learned a few things here or really agreed upon a few things here. My wife and I agree that 5 day cruises are not worth it. It's just too short in our opinion. We also agreed not to sail in hurricane season anymore. We have almost exclusively sailed in hurricane season but I think we are done with it. 

We are already booked for Oasis May 10th from NJ so we are very excited. It's just about the first time we are sailing outside of official hurricane season. Could it happen, if course but at least it really shouldn't. 

Oh and diving to Cape Liberty and the process was insanely easy and stress free. We always get dropped off but decided to drive this time. Beyond way and Matt's and everyone here had great advice. It was pretty much exactly as people described and that gave us advice. So thank you to everyone that gave us advice!

Went on a transatlantic cruise a few days ago, Hurricane caused us to instead of going to Halifax and Sydney (CAN) We got stuck with 2 more sea days and we spent a overnight in NYC, Nice to have more time in the city before I left but the cruise was mostly sea days, It was a bit disappointing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

In fact I think going forward I am going up try to book a specialty restaurant lunch for embarkation day. Can you even do that? I'd like to do that. 

Yes.  The challenge is knowing what's going to be open on embarkation day for sure.  There typically is at least one specialty restaurant open on embarkation day.  If you have the ultimate dining package you can eat at one if it is open.  You may be able to buy a specialty lunch in your cruise planner and make a reservation that way as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

. My wife and I agree that 5 day cruises are not worth it. It's just too short in our opinion.

I would have to agree with this as far as we are concerned. The cost and hassle of flying to any port we would want to sail out of, just doesn't seem to be worth it. If we lived within a couple of hours of a port, it would be the same as taking a long weekend, so that would be worth it. Until RC brings a ship to Chicago, it's 7 day plus cruises for us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, FManke said:

I would have to agree with this as far as we are concerned. The cost and hassle of flying to any port we would want to sail out of, just doesn't seem to be worth it. If we lived within a couple of hours of a port, it would be the same as taking a long weekend, so that would be worth it. Until RC brings a ship to Chicago, it's 7 day plus cruises for us.

We are only 30 minutes from the port and still consider it not worth it. I mean we go on vacation once a year and to only go on a 5 day cruise is like I said, to us not worth it. 

We paid 2,150 for 2 adults and a kid who was free in a balcony to Bermuda and not RCI fault but only got 9 hours out of Bermuda. 

Next May we paid 2,300 for 2 adults and kid was free but for 7 days. Now we are not in a balcony, we have a central park inside view. So we have a view of something and sun light each day. 

I really, really wish Royal Caribbean would switch to 7 day Bermuda cruises like NCL does and where you are in port for 3 days. In any event we are done with hurricane season and 5 day cruise. I mean when my salary goes up to my top salary we will be able to afford to cruises a year. One short 5 day and then a 7 or 9 day might be a good idea. My wife doesn't get nearly as much time off as I do though. I'll be up to 19 days vacation soon. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a per person, per day basis, the shorter the cruise, the more expensive it is....especially on the newly amped ships.  The cruises we took in June and July on NAV are some of the expensive pp/pd cruises we’ve ever done.

If you only have a few days then it’s worth paying the high premium but if you have the time, it’s definitely a better deal to go on longer cruises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

On a per person, per day basis, the shorter the cruise, the more expensive it is....especially on the newly amped ships.  The cruises we took in June and July on NAV are some of the expensive pp/pd cruises we’ve ever done.

If you only have a few days then it’s worth paying the high premium but if you have the time, it’s definitely a better deal to go on longer cruises.

I have to agree.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you want a 7-night to Bermuda, take a look at the Empress sailings from Cape Liberty next year. 7 nights starting at $578 pp ($82.50 pp/pn) for an inside cabin. Just need to understand the ship has no "regular" balconies, just interior, OV, and suites; and is tiny compared to Anthem. But if you want a 7-nighter this is probably your best bet from a cost-value POV.

Celebrity also has sailings with 3 nights in Bermuda in 2020, along with stops in Newport (7-night sailings) or Newport and Charleston (10 nights). Definitely a step up for a cruise vacation, but now you're starting at $1,200 pp for an inside and $1,760 for a verandah on the 7 night option ($171 pp/pn and $251 pp/pn); or $1,680 / $2,780 for the 10-nighter ($168 pp/pn / $278 pp/pn).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

If you want a 7-night to Bermuda, take a look at the Empress sailings from Cape Liberty next year. 7 nights starting at $578 pp ($82.50 pp/pn) for an inside cabin. Just need to understand the ship has no "regular" balconies, just interior, OV, and suites; and is tiny compared to Anthem. But if you want a 7-nighter this is probably your best bet from a cost-value POV.

Celebrity also has sailings with 3 nights in Bermuda in 2020, along with stops in Newport (7-night sailings) or Newport and Charleston (10 nights). Definitely a step up for a cruise vacation, but now you're starting at $1,200 pp for an inside and $1,760 for a verandah on the 7 night option ($171 pp/pn and $251 pp/pn); or $1,680 / $2,780 for the 10-nighter ($168 pp/pn / $278 pp/pn).

We like the bigger ships, Empress is kinda a no go for us. 

I was on the Celebrity website just yesterday and loved a bunch of cruises they do from NJ but not a fan of Summit. I really wish Celebrity would put one of their bigger, newer ships up here but I don't think Royal will do that. I don't think they want anything to take away from the Royal ships they have up here like Oasis and Anthem. We definitely would do an Adventure of the seas cruise. Actually almost booked one before we saw Oasis coming here and almost immediately booked it. 

I jumped when I saw Oasis coming here and amplified. I waited for a kids sail free and jumped on Oasis. I mean there is no guarantee Oasis will come back to NJ. I think it will but there is no guarantee. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I jumped when I saw Oasis coming here and amplified. I waited for a kids sail free and jumped on Oasis. I mean there is no guarantee Oasis will come back to NJ. I think it will but there is no guarantee. 

Heh, I on the other hand looked at the itineraries offered for that and decided that was a no-go; I've no interest in going to an uber-water park or Nassau, and the ship is never the destination for me at this point in time.

And I'm currently booked on Summit for her 14-night Iceland & Greenland sailing next year. So something tells me we're on somewhat opposite ends of the cruising preferences spectrum. ? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Heh, I on the other hand looked at the itineraries offered for that and decided that was a no-go; I've no interest in going to an uber-water park or Nassau, and the ship is never the destination for me at this point in time.

And I'm currently booked on Summit for her 14-night Iceland & Greenland sailing next year. So something tells me we're on somewhat opposite ends of the cruising preferences spectrum. ? 

That's why cruise vacations are the best. Something for everyone. 

First of all, Iceland and Greenland is incredible! Would freaking love to do that. 14 days is a bit long but I wouldn't mind it. Returns to NJ or is a reposition? That sounds like an awesome cruise. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, RCIfan1912 said:

First of all, Iceland and Greenland is incredible! Would freaking love to do that. 14 days is a bit long but I wouldn't mind it. Returns to NJ or is a reposition? That sounds like an awesome cruise. 

It's a very unusual repositioning, happening in two legs -- first leg is the one I'm on, going from NJ to Dublin; second leg goes from Dublin back to all the same ports, but ends in Boston. From there, Summit will do her fall sailings out of Boston port.

I'm actually going to be a bit more than 14 days, since we're extending the trip after getting to Dublin and taking some time to explore the country. I might have a few pints of locally-made Guinness while I'm at it. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, JLMoran said:

It's a very unusual repositioning, happening in two legs -- first leg is the one I'm on, going from NJ to Dublin; second leg goes from Dublin back to all the same ports, but ends in Boston. From there, Summit will do her fall sailings out of Boston port.

I'm actually going to be a bit more than 14 days, since we're extending the trip after getting to Dublin and taking some time to explore the country. I might have a few pints of locally-made Guinness while I'm at it. ?

Sounds really awesome. I was just on the Celebrity website, quite expensive. All the cruises are extremely expensive. Too rich for my blood right now. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Sounds really awesome. I was just on the Celebrity website, quite expensive. All the cruises are extremely expensive. Too rich for my blood right now. ?

Yeah, it's more than I'd like to be paying, for sure. But it's a real bucket-list cruise for me, and a unique sailing from Celebrity, so I'm dealing with it. Celebrity does have a reputation for still being a cruise line that has a lot of last-minute cancellations that drive prices way down at or very close to final payment; and they recently started offering perks like the drink package and internet as part of all bookings; so I'm hoping that I'll luck out closer to final payment and be able to reprice for lower than my current rate while also being able to get the perks I missed out on (not offered until after I had booked).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Kathleen, Summit is equivalent in size and capacity to a Radiance class ship, which I think is what Royal normally uses for those Arctic Circle sailings. Royal also has a very similar northern Transatlantic repositioning cruise on Brilliance that leaves from either Copenhagen or Amsterdam (seems to vary year to year) and ends in Boston. I was originally looking to do that latter sailing for 2020, but the dates didn’t work with my kids’ school / college schedules and the price (at the time) was roughly equivalent to this Celebrity sailing, so Celebrity became a really nice Plan B option.

I’ll definitely be keeping everyone here up to date on that as the time gets closer! Actually have to see about booking our first excursion pretty soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/26/2019 at 1:13 PM, RCIfan1912 said:

We are already booked for Oasis May 10th from NJ so we are very excited. It's just about the first time we are sailing outside of official hurricane season. Could it happen, if course but at least it really shouldn't. 

 

We went on the Anthem in May (loved the ship) and have the same booking as you next May.  I can't wait!  Did you join the Facebook group for the May 10th sailing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...