rjac Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 We are planning a cruise to Bermuda in August 2019 on board the Anthem of the Seas. She sails out of Cape Liberty, NJ. Our concern is two cruising days on the open Atlantic Ocean, could be kind of "bumpy". Looking for comments from anyone here who has done this cruise in the past. Also comments on the Anthem will be appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 We are booked on Anthem for a 2018 Bermuda cruise and looking forward to smooth sailing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 Ditto! I'm actually in the port-side cabin exactly 1 floor down from Wilson. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 We've done the trip to Bermuda (7-night) on the Explorer of the Seas in 2013 and Bermuda/Caribbean (10-night) on Liberty of the Seas in 2015 out of Bayonne, NJ/Cape Liberty. I believe our Liberty cruise was the last, or one of the last, trips out of Cape Liberty before they moved her and brought in Anthem. We went in early October both times, so it was of course a little cooler out of NY/NJ until we were half way down the coast. I remember the trip down was smoother, but that may be due to the fact that the ship's cruising speed south was a little slower from what I recall. The trip back was a little "rougher" (I remember the last night was a little rocky) due to the time of year, the ocean that night, and the fact that the ship was moving faster to get back into Bayonne. I definitely believe you will enjoy yourself even more than we did since you're going on Anthem and in August! Anthem is on the wishlist since we live here on Long Island, but the next booked cruise for us is Allure in APR 2018! We also are eyeing the 12-night Southern Caribbean cruise they offer on Anthem during the winter months! Have a great time! It's fun sailing out of NY harbor, past the Freedom Tower, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and sailing under the Verrazano Bridge... you get so close to the decking you think the ship will not make it! Here are a couple shots from that hazy/misty OCT 2015 departure day on Liberty of the Seas! coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted May 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 2 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said: We've done the trip to Bermuda (7-night) on the Explorer of the Seas in 2013 and Bermuda/Caribbean (10-night) on Liberty of the Seas in 2015 out of Bayonne, NJ/Cape Liberty. We went in early October both times, so it was of course a little cooler out of NY/NJ until we were half way down the coast. I remember the trip down was smoother, but that may be due to the fact that the ship's cruising speed south was a little slower from what I recall. The trip back was a little "rougher" (I remember the last night was a little rocky) due to the time of year, the ocean that night, and the fact that the ship was moving faster to get back into Bayonne. I definitely believe you will enjoy yourself even more than we did since you're going on Anthem and in August! Anthem is on the wishlist since we live here on Long Island, NY, but the next booked cruise for us is Allure in APR 2018! We also are eyeing the 12-night Southern Caribbean cruise they offer on Anthem during the winter months! Have a great time! It's fun sailing out of NY harbor, past the Freedom Tower, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and sailing under the Verrazano Bridge... you get so close to the decking you think the ship will not make it! Sailing out of NY harbor sounds like a blast! By the way, John, we will be on the Allure next year March 25-April 8. Two week B2B. How about you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 8 minutes ago, rjac said: Sailing out of NY harbor sounds like a blast! By the way, John, we will be on the Allure next year March 25-April 8. Two week B2B. How about you? We are booked for the April 22-29 (Western Caribbean itinerary) next year. I've always wished RC would offer longer cruises on the Oasis class ships since there is so much to do... I would love to be able to do a B2B one day! Are both cruises the same itinerary or do they switch from Western to Eastern Caribbean or vice versa? Do you have the option of keeping the same cabin or is it effectively the same as booking two separate cruises in that respect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted May 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 1 hour ago, JohnK6404 said: We are booked for the April 22-29 (Western Caribbean itinerary) next year. I've always wished RC would offer longer cruises on the Oasis class ships since there is so much to do... I would love to be able to do a B2B one day! Are both cruises the same itinerary or do they switch from Western to Eastern Caribbean or vice versa? Do you have the option of keeping the same cabin or is it effectively the same as booking two separate cruises in that respect? I booked these last year and was able to get the same cabin for both weeks. First week is the western Carib. and the second is the eastern. We've been doing B2Bs on a lot of our cruises. We drive from NC to Florida and visit friends an end up at the port in Ft. Lauderdale. We used to fly, but not anymore. Too many restrictions on baggage and the cost. Our first cruise was a 7 night on the Navigator and we both felt that was just not long enough for us. So, we seek out the 10-12 night cruises or go B2B, especially on the Allure! JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 22 minutes ago, rjac said: I booked these last year and was able to get the same cabin for both weeks. First week is the western Carib. and the second is the eastern. We've been doing B2Bs on a lot of our cruises. We drive from NC to Florida and visit friends an end up at the port in Ft. Lauderdale. We used to fly, but not anymore. Too many restrictions on baggage and the cost. Our first cruise was a 7 night on the Navigator and we both felt that was just not long enough for us. So, we seek out the 10-12 night cruises or go B2B, especially on the Allure! That's awesome! Love that the itinerary is different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 When we went to Bermuda last September (out of Baltimore) --- We literally were on the heals of a hurricane (Karl ) on the way out --- it was a little rough ... but nothing to, to bad. But, on the way back ..... smooth as glass ..... Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfaninfl Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 Like Coneyraven above, we cruised to Bermuda last August out of Baltimore and had smooth sailing both ways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 Just got back from this cruise last week. It was a little rockier compared to our Southern Caribbean sailing. If you've ever done Alaska, it's comparable as far as ocean waves. We sailed through a rain storm on Wednesday morning. That was some major rocking - I have video of major tidal waves in the swimming pool. Anthem is gorgeous! And massive!! Lots of really cool venues, like the Music Hall, Boleros, Two70, etc. I wasn't a fan of not having a main dining room, but other guests we talked to liked the smaller feel of the restaurants. The amount of storage in our stateroom was phenomenal - and I way over-pack! Honestly, I'm not sure I like how big the ship is, and I'm a little apprehensive now b/c we have already booked a cruise on Symphony next year... It may be our last cruise on the massive ships. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 31 minutes ago, Stephanie said: Anthem is gorgeous! And massive!! Lots of really cool venues, like the Music Hall, Boleros, Two70, etc. I wasn't a fan of not having a main dining room, but other guests we talked to liked the smaller feel of the restaurants. The amount of storage in our stateroom was phenomenal - and I way over-pack! Honestly, I'm not sure I like how big the ship is, and I'm a little apprehensive now b/c we have already booked a cruise on Symphony next year... It may be our last cruise on the massive ships. What size cabin did you stay in? I'm booked in a superior balcony on Anthem (room 9244) going to Bermuda Oct 13 next year, and I'm curious to know what we can expect for space. Wife and I are really looking forward to it; while it's short, it will be our first trip without the kids in almost 15 years. I'm also not sure about this massive ship, but I wanted to try it out since I live so close to the port and would like to have a "home port" option to sail out of without needing a flight, letting us book balconies without breaking the bank. I know Adventure is also being re-homed there, but she's mainly doing the northeastern itineraries and Anthem is the only option for Bahamas, Caribbean and Bermuda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 We were in an obstructed view balcony on deck 6. I did a ton of research & found a room where the view was actually not obstructed at all - except that we did have a lovely view of the lifeboat. The room seemed longer and maybe a few inches wider. There are small open shelves in the bathroom which were much more practical and useful than the corner medicine cabinets. In the room, instead of a hard to access closet, there were cabinets on each side of the sofa. One with double hanging space, one with full-length hanging space, open shelves and 2 large drawers below. On the opposite side, there was a bank of drawers beside the sitting table / mirror. Small, open shelves on each nightstand for things like glasses, books, etc. Above the bed, 2 large shelves w/ fold up doors. And, beneath the bed was open, so you could easily slide your large suitcases underneath. Overall, very well thought out storage. Great use of a smallish space. Only negative about the room is that you have to have your seapass card inserted into the wall to operate the lights and the A/C, and the bed and pillows were not as comfortable as I remember on Explorer... Then again, maybe I was too exhausted / inebriated to tell a difference? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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