Help please.....Anthem questions

[Lovetocruise2002]

Can anyone out there comment on sailing out of NJ in early March (to the Bahamas) and how rough or calm the waters are the first day out and the last day back? We have never sailed from NJ before and none of the other Caribbean or Mediterranean sailings have bothered us in the past but I have heard about rougher waters in the Atlantic....

Another thing I was wondering about is which side of the ship gives you a better view of the NY/Manhattan skyline when sailing out?

Also looking for recommendations for a nice 3 or preferably 4 star hotel near the port?

Last question...if we fly in the day before what is the best way to get to the terminal the next day? Car service? Taxi? 

 

[zgilliam]

We sailed in April 2017 and had room 12300. We had a great view of the NYC skyline as we sailed out. The wife did a vlog of our room with the view from port about 2:00 in.

There were some rough seas one night, but it was because we ran into a thunderstorm by the Carolinas that had put down tornados on land. Even with that, it wasn't too bad at all.

We stayed at the Marriott Renaissance by EWR for a night before and then Hilton Penn Station for a night after. The Renaissance was a nicer hotel, but the Hilton was hard to beat for easily getting into NYC.

We took Uber to and from the port and had no problems.

Overall we really enjoyed Anthem and will definitely sail on her again.

[CGTLH]

Spent the night at the Doubletree Suites Jersey City. Used Lyft Plus (4 adults plus luggage) for transportation to the port, cost was $23.15. Ride time was 24 minutes and distance was 9 miles.

[JLMoran]

According to reporting by Matt, cabins on the port (left) side of the ship are best for views of the NYC skyline during sail away. With that in mind, I'm in room 7238 (a Junior Suite) for my trip to Bermuda next October.

While I'm a NJ native, I haven't had occasion to stay in any hotels in the Newark / Bayonne area. I'm sure the recommendations from @zgilliam and @CGTLH are solid, and if you decide those don't work you can definitely take a look on TripAdvisor. I've booked plenty of hotels based on the recommendations / reviews there, and I find them a lot more accurate (honest?) than what I find on Expedia, Hotels.com, etc.

[Stephanie]

We always go up to the top deck for sailing out of port.  I like to listen to the live band at the pool, but that's just my preference.  We stayed at the Sheraton in Weehawken.  It's about 30 minutes by car to the port, but the ferry to NYC is literally right outside the hotel's front door.  We used uber to get to the port, and I think it cost about $15.

[chrisd596]

We sailed in Aug on Anthem after many cruises on DCL ships. We sailed up North to Canada. Very, very smooth. Couldn't feel a thing. The ship is big and the adult areas are amazing. The Solarium is completely enclosed so it could be snowing outside, but u can be in the Jacuzzi's.

Loved the DCL cruises, but sailing out of NJ was super convenient and we enjoyed the ship at lot. Lot's of pluses. Wouldn't worry about rough waters.

 

Chris 

[Matt]

I've had very calm and moderate waves cruising in/out of NY in Feb/March.  There's no definitive way to know what to expect.  It's the same sort of advice about cruising in the Caribbean during hurricane season...you could have rough waters due to a hurricane, but likely not.

[Lovetocruise2002]

Thank you all for the feedback.  We booked our cruise for 8 nights on the Anthem for March 9, 2018 

I was wondering a few more things though....this is our first time bringing our kids (9,11) with us on Royal Caribbean.  Anyway, as far as Adventure Ocean goes will they end up in the same group?  And is there an option to sign them up for AO precruise or do you have to wait until embarkation?

Second question is this...I know logically in my head that booking 2 balcony staterooms makes the most sense and it is cheaper.  However, I was super spoiled by Sky Class last cruise and am still considering upgrading if the price was right.  This might be the deal breaker though...for those who have been in a suite on Anthem, does the fold out couch turn into a double bed or does it turn into a twin and a trundle. I have read on some reviews on CC that there are couches like that but not sure which rooms those are in?? My kids hate sharing a bed....

[Lovetocruise2002]

One more question....has anyone ever stayed at Embassy Suites Newark Airport in Elizabeth, NJ.  I looked into all the above recommendations (thank you) but I came across Embassy Suites in my research and it is right across the street from outlet shopping!  What could be better than retail therapy pre-cruise? lol...

[Matt]

2 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

Anyway, as far as Adventure Ocean goes will they end up in the same group?

Yes, 9-11 year olds are in Voyagers

2 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

And is there an option to sign them up for AO precruise or do you have to wait until embarkation?

You do it on embarkation day. There will be open hours in the afternoon.

2 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

for those who have been in a suite on Anthem, does the fold out couch turn into a double bed or does it turn into a twin and a trundle.

In our Grand Suite, the bed turned into a double bed that my 6 and 2 year olds shared.

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 hours ago, Matt said:

Yes, 9-11 year olds are in Voyagers

You do it on embarkation day. There will be open hours in the afternoon.

In our Grand Suite, the bed turned into a double bed that my 6 and 2 year olds shared.

Thanks Matt! Do you by any chance have a picture of what that room looked like with the sofa bed set up? I read your live blogs for that sailing and have found many pics of the GS but none with the bed out. Just wondering if that takes away a lot of the space?

 

[Matt]

On 9/25/2017 at 10:00 PM, Sabrinaklai said:

Do you by any chance have a picture of what that room looked like with the sofa bed set up?

I checked my photos, but didn't take a photo of that, sorry!