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Just off Anthem (Bayonne, NJ) 12/5-12/12, AMA!


MattG

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  • 2,789 passengers out of 4,905 max is 56.8% capacity
  • Windjammer was open for dinner
  • Deck 3 MDR was for unvaccinated guests and families, with social distancing in place (every other table closed off)
  • Deck 4 MDR was for vaccinated guests with no distancing between tables (we did lunch here one day)
  • Adventure Ocean
    • Three sessions: 9am-12pm, 2pm-5pm, and 7pm-10pm
    • Maximum of 12 hours through day 3, we had more hours open up starting Day 4.
    • Royal Babies and Tots is $6/hour, except at night when it's $8/hour
    • We did morning session for Day 2, 3, 4, and 7
    • On Day 4, we tried to book morning session of Day 6, and it was full, so we settled for Day 7.
    • We did not try to book afternoon or evening sessions
    • Kids in Aquanauts and above had to wear masks.
    • No social distancing enforced in AO that we saw - kids had plenty of interaction, activities, and crafts
    • Each session of each day had it's own unique theme, and the kids left every day with some crafts
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2 hours ago, MattG said:

Adventure Ocean

  • Three sessions: 9am-12pm, 2pm-5pm, and 7pm-10pm
  • Maximum of 12 hours through day 3, we had more hours open up starting Day 4.
  • Royal Babies and Tots is $6/hour, except at night when it's $8/hour
  • We did morning session for Day 2, 3, 4, and 7
  • On Day 4, we tried to book morning session of Day 6, and it was full, so we settled for Day 7.
  • We did not try to book afternoon or evening sessions
  • Kids in Aquanauts and above had to wear masks.
  • No social distancing enforced in AO that we saw - kids had plenty of interaction, activities, and crafts
  • Each session of each day had it's own unique theme, and the kids left every day with some crafts

 

Thank you!

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We were on Anthem for Thanksgiving.  Were there many kids on your sailing?  We also had the 12 hour restriction in Adventure Ocean (which they also lifted after a few days for any slots that were still open), but  I assumed it was because it was a holiday sailing with a lot of kids.

My only critique was the unvaccinated dining room is on Deck 3.  So for kids to use the bathroom during dinner they had to go up to Deck 4 (since Deck 3 bathrooms are in the casino).  Would have made more sense for them to have kids on deck 4 or 5 so they had a bathroom closer.  Not a huge deal for my sons to go up to the next deck alone at dinner, but with two daughters who have delays we couldn't just let them go themselves that far (yes I know it isn't THAT far.  But when you're an easily confused 8 year old who can't remember what deck they're supposed to be on, it may as well be another state).

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18 minutes ago, sleepy425 said:

My only critique was the unvaccinated dining room is on Deck 3.  So for kids to use the bathroom during dinner they had to go up to Deck 4 (since Deck 3 bathrooms are in the casino).  Would have made more sense for them to have kids on deck 4 or 5 so they had a bathroom closer.  Not a huge deal for my sons to go up to the next deck alone at dinner, but with two daughters who have delays we couldn't just let them go themselves that far (yes I know it isn't THAT far.  But when you're an easily confused 8 year old who can't remember what deck they're supposed to be on, it may as well be another state).

100% agree, the greatest challenge during dinner was making it to the bathrooms on Deck 4. Swapping vax and unvax decks for MDR would have helped!

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33 minutes ago, egd207 said:

Thank you.  We're traveling Anthem in Apr. with 3 kids.  Ages 4, 7, 14 - so this information was very helpful.

Check out my live blog for a LOT more detail. If you can get the 4-year old vaccinated by then, your whole trip will go a lot smoother. For iFly and North Star, make sure you check the Royal app EVERY DAY at 8am for complimentary times, otherwise you're paying for the "extended experience".

 

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19 minutes ago, sleepy425 said:

Were there many kids on your sailing? 

Kind of - kids were noticeable, but not overwhelming. After Day 3, you started to see the same families over and over, and by Day 6 all the kids are friends with each other as they also play together in AO.

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4 minutes ago, D Alt said:

did you park in the cruise terminal lot or a nearby lot? 

I'm trying to figure out if i should drive and leave my car there for the $25 a day or try to find a cheaper lot near EWR or have someone drive me and drop me off. 

Parked in the garage closest to the terminal. 
 

I tried to find something cheaper, but logistically, trying to get everyone and everything moved from the cheaper lot to the terminal was more of a hassle. In the end, $175 for the week was worth it for the ease of getting in, but also getting out. I built it into the cost of the cruise and just forgot about it. 
 

I vote for the garage at the terminal. 

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5 minutes ago, MattG said:

Parked in the garage closest to the terminal. 
 

I tried to find something cheaper, but logistically, trying to get everyone and everything moved from the cheaper lot to the terminal was more of a hassle. In the end, $175 for the week was worth it for the ease of getting in, but also getting out. I built it into the cost of the cruise and just forgot about it. 
 

I vote for the garage at the terminal. 

thanks! sure is convenient and easy, but I may investigate other local lots that are much cheaper that also have free shuttles to the cruise terminal.  or if i can coax someone to drive me and pick me up a week later, i'll be set. 

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1 hour ago, MattG said:

Check out my live blog for a LOT more detail. If you can get the 4-year old vaccinated by then, your whole trip will go a lot smoother. For iFly and North Star, make sure you check the Royal app EVERY DAY at 8am for complimentary times, otherwise you're paying for the "extended experience".

 

While we were waiting for test results, my parents (who they wouldn't let wait with us during testing even though my boys were staying in their room and had just driven with them to the port...) went straight to guest relations onboard and booked iFly for that day.  So we got on the ship, ate, and headed there.  It was nice to get it done early in the cruise so we didn't have to worry about getting a free slot another day.

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4 minutes ago, sleepy425 said:

While we were waiting for test results, my parents (who they wouldn't let wait with us during testing even though my boys were staying in their room and had just driven with them to the port...) went straight to guest relations onboard and booked iFly for that day.  So we got on the ship, ate, and headed there.  It was nice to get it done early in the cruise so we didn't have to worry about getting a free slot another day.

I didn’t even think to go to Guest Services! I’ll try that next time!

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5 hours ago, MattG said:

100% agree, the greatest challenge during dinner was making it to the bathrooms on Deck 4. Swapping vax and unvax decks for MDR would have helped!

That's interesting because I'm going on the Freedom in a couple weeks and I was looking at recent Cruise Compass. On Freedom, Deck 3 is for vaccinated passengers and 4 and 5 are for non.

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We will be on Anthem in January.   Was there anything on the ship that was closed or had limited access?  

With less capacity, did you have any issues with chair hogs at the pool or solarium?

Did you go to the casino; if so, was it crowded or smoky?

Did they use the rubber or fabric vaccinated bracelets?

 

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1 hour ago, Va4fam said:

Was there anything on the ship that was closed or had limited access?

The video game areas on the second floor of the SeaPlex were turned off - you could go into those areas, but there wasnt much to do (ping pong in one, paid air hockey in another). No roller skating or trapeze in the SeaPlex. No “sexiest man” or “bellyflop” competitions - these are the only things I can think of that were full casualties.

In terms of limited access: balcony of main theater and all of Two70 had lots of sections “reserved for social distancing”. Third floor MDR for unvaccinated parties had tables kept empty for social distancing (not true on fourth floor for fully vaxed). All staffed sporting activities (climbing wall, iFly, FlowRider) had half the staff than normal, so there were times the activities were limited. 

1 hour ago, Va4fam said:

With less capacity, did you have any issues with chair hogs at the pool or solarium?

Yes, chair hogs were still abound, especially in close proximity to the pools (indoor and outdoor). The Solarium was actually mostly full each time we went in, so there were few chairs without someone actually in them. However, you could still find a reasonable seat with minimal effort anywhere on the pool deck. 

 

1 hour ago, Va4fam said:

Did you go to the casino; if so, was it crowded or smoky?

Yes - about 75% of the casino is smoking, and it was smelly, but not hazy. I was concerned if I lingered too long I’d come out smelling bad.  The other 25% is non-smoking, but the smell lingers. I never smelled smoke outside the boundaries of the casino. The casino was always busy, but not overly crowded. Always an energy and a presence of people.

 

1 hour ago, Va4fam said:

Did they use the rubber or fabric vaccinated bracelets?

Rubber, removable bracelet issued in the terminal before boarding. Many people wore the bracelet on their lanyard with their seapass card. 

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