New England..Grandeur or Anthem

Looking at 9 day New England cruise in Sept. Grandeur from Baltimore or Anthem from Bayonne. Love the convenience of Baltimore and it is a great port to sail from. Sailed to Bermuda a couple of years ago and can't say enough nice things about that port. The ship is smaller and starting to show its age, but we have no complaints from our Bermuda trip.

Anthem looks like an amazing ship, but there have been some not so nice reviews of the ship and its service and I'm not talking about the big Atlantic storm it went thru.

Is Anthem worth the extra $700 or so it will cost us plus an extra 5-6 hours of car time?

Also, the virtual balcony...is it as good as I've been reading about?

What are you looking to do onboard?

I don't know your preferences, so I can only say that if you believe that the new things on the Anthem are worth the extra expense and inconveniences then go for it. Otherwise, go for the Grandeur.

Dear cwms,

Septemebr is such a grand month.

Your choice given is well as each location does have it's attributes.

One thing on Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey .. the ride up can and is an adventure always from our Virginia.

Coming up over the Bay-Bridge is awesome as well along the way too. Fishing, ship watching, wild horses, flora/fauna, use of cameras...etc..

Getting the Lewes, De. to Cape May, N.J. ferry and up the Garden State Parkway from Exit 0..

Planning as in all things is the key.

What ever ship you choose to take on the cruise I do hope you have fair weather and calm seas.

Looking at 9 day New England cruise in Sept. Grandeur from Baltimore or Anthem from Bayonne. Love the convenience of Baltimore and it is a great port to sail from. Sailed to Bermuda a couple of years ago and can't say enough nice things about that port. The ship is smaller and starting to show its age, but we have no complaints from our Bermuda trip.

Anthem looks like an amazing ship, but there have been some not so nice reviews of the ship and its service and I'm not talking about the big Atlantic storm it went thru.

Is Anthem worth the extra $700 or so it will cost us plus an extra 5-6 hours of car time?

Also, the virtual balcony...is it as good as I've been reading about?

I'd suggest Boston instead of those two. We used to love the Baltimore, but looking at the 2016 homicides, they haven't dropped off. Most of the shooting victims are not closed.

We've cruised out of Boston and liked it. They also have some transitional cruises out of Quebec City. The Snowbird Migration cruise last year started in Quebec city and we hit the same ports we did for the Baltimore Canada/New England plus a couple extra stops.

I'm doing that cruise in May and looked at both ships as well as I'm traveling from Ireland I choose Baltimore as it allows me a trip to Washington and also a quick trip at the end to NYC using the money I saved. Part of my reason for choosing grandeur over anthem also was the lack of sea days to enjoy the extras as it's such a busy iternery there's only 2 sea days one at the start and one at the end .

Enjoy your cruise which ever u choose

There is a world of difference between the Grandeur and Anthem.

We have cruised to New England on the Grandeur several times. This year we are booked on the Anthem. For us, an additional $700 to sail on the Anthem is worth it.

The Grandeur is older and has fewer entertainment venues and restaurants than the Anthem. The Grandeur's draw for us is its wonderful, friendly crew.

We have cruised on both the Quantum and the Anthem, did not encounter problems and found both to be more exciting than the Grandeur.

We also live in Virginia (southeast) but enjoy driving therefore the extra distance to Bayonne, NJ does not bother us.

I'd suggest Boston instead of those two. We used to love the Baltimore, but looking at the 2016 homicides, they haven't dropped off. Most of the shooting victims are not closed.

Nice suggestion, but driving to Boston ain't going to happen and I would hope that the possibility of being shot in the middle of the day driving to the port is remote. Getting shot is the least of my concerns.

Beachnatve...I've read reviews that the Grandeur crew is friendlier and more accommodating. As I mentioned, we enjoyed our time on it going to Bermuda. Just wondering if the glitz of the Anthem is worth the extra cost.

I appreciate all the comments.

Thanks

Nice suggestion, but driving to Boston ain't going to happen and I would hope that the possibility of being shot in the middle of the day driving to the port is remote. Getting shot is the least of my concerns.

 

Beachnatve...I've read reviews that the Grandeur crew is friendlier and more accommodating. As I mentioned, we enjoyed our time on it going to Bermuda. Just wondering if the glitz of the Anthem is worth the extra cost.

 

I appreciate all the comments.

Thanks

We stayed at the Renaissance Harbor, which is within easy walking distance of a mall, the Constellation, National Aquarium (wonderful). You can even take a water taxi to Ft. McHenry. But you may know all that.

We stayed in a GS on Grandeur, and loved the extra service. Francis, our Concierge, was fabulous. But we found the furniture old. We also found the furniture in the JS (on other Vision Class Ships) more to our liking. We could sit on the couch across from the television. In the GS, they tucked the TV in a corner so you had to turn your head to watch. Awful furniture in our GS, and we brought in one of the patio chairs. We were concerned w/ the low backed chairs on Anthem as well. Looks like they are really catering to the young.

Which ports are you seeing? Ours was eight days. But we also did another Bermuda, Boston and Newport out of Baltimore as well. If you look, sometimes, you can get a more unique itinerary.

Sounds like flying's out for you. Flying's such a hassle these days. Even when it goes well, it's still plenty stressful.

We had a lady in our Hawaii cruise that took the train down to FLL from New England, got on a ship and cruised to San Diego, flew to San Francisco, then got on another ship to Hawaii, stayed on the ship up to Alaska, then hopped a train back to New England. And she was grumbling that she should have stayed on the ship in San Diego because she didn't need to fly to SF.

We like the size of the ship and the friendly crew and the convenience of driving to the port and really like Baltimore and all there is to do there. Plus, folks in Baltimore are quite friendly and helpful.

I'd choose Grandeur - a $700 price difference is $700 saved.

WE just did a trip on Grandeur and Baltimore was easy. We live in Williamsburg, VA but decided to drive north the previous day. We got our hotel at Best Western Plus, Elkridge. It was a pleasant stay at a newly renovated hotel. They provided a safe place to park our car for the duration of the cruise and provided a shuttle to the port. The shuttle took less than 20 minutes to get to the port. The price of the hotel was less than the port parking. Anthem is a fabulous ship with a lot of different amenities. If these are important to you then YES it is worth the difference. If you cruise for the ports and not the ship then go with less expensive one. Each will offer something different. IF you want the high tech stuff and that interests you then it will be money well spent to experience something new and different. Only YOU can make that decision.

September may be too early for the fall color. We've cruised in late September, Mid-October and Late-October to November, and the best we saw was the late-October sailing.

I wold pick the Anthem. Iv'e sailed on the Quantum, and will be on the Anthem in July. This class ship is great. We loved it or would not be going on the Anthem. We had a balcony, but the people who had the virtual balcony thought it was very realistic, especially with the curtains around it.

I must admit I just like new ships.

Another point to consider is that currently the Grandeur is experiencing engine problems and is cutting ports off it's itinerary. This could happen on any ship at any time, but with that being said, it is older, and worn. I would pay the extra $700 to be on the Anthem if that was for 2.

Also, a point to think about, instead of driving you can use Amtrak from Baltimore to Newark. Then a cab ride to Bayonne.

September may be too early for the fall color. We've cruised in late September, Mid-October and Late-October to November, and the best we saw was the late-October sailing.

This is true. Peak color is usually mid to late October. Everything is pretty much green in September with a few exceptions.

My comments aren't all that useful because I haven't sailed yet but I'm in a similar position because the Baltimore port is really convenient for me. I'm going to Bermuda as my first cruise but I've definitely been interested in the New England/Maritimes itinerary as well - not for this year but maybe in the year or two after. I used to go to New England every summer and always wanted to go up to the Maritimes. Lovely region.

As long as the engine issues are sorted, I'm looking forward to the Grandeur for my 5 day Bermuda cruise. I think that for a lengthier itinerary, I might go for a bigger, more unusual ship. That said, convenience might ultimately win out for me.

I'm just saying that I'm understanding what you are thinking.

My comments aren't all that useful because I haven't sailed yet but I'm in a similar position because the Baltimore port is really convenient for me. I'm going to Bermuda as my first cruise but I've definitely been interested in the New England/Maritimes itinerary as well - not for this year but maybe in the year or two after. I used to go to New England every summer and always wanted to go up to the Maritimes. Lovely region.

 

As long as the engine issues are sorted, I'm looking forward to the Grandeur for my 5 day Bermuda cruise. I think that for a lengthier itinerary, I might go for a bigger, more unusual ship. That said, convenience might ultimately win out for me.

 

I'm just saying that I'm understanding what you are thinking.

DH prefers larger cabins for longer itineraries. He's said that he won't do an 18 day in less than a JS.

DH prefers larger cabins for longer itineraries. He's said that he won't do an 18 day in less than a JS.

I can't tell if that is a good or bad problem to have. Lol.

Looking at 9 day New England cruise in Sept. Grandeur from Baltimore or Anthem from Bayonne. Love the convenience of Baltimore and it is a great port to sail from. Sailed to Bermuda a couple of years ago and can't say enough nice things about that port. The ship is smaller and starting to show its age, but we have no complaints from our Bermuda trip.

Anthem looks like an amazing ship, but there have been some not so nice reviews of the ship and its service and I'm not talking about the big Atlantic storm it went thru.

Is Anthem worth the extra $700 or so it will cost us plus an extra 5-6 hours of car time?

Also, the virtual balcony...is it as good as I've been reading about?

I recently went through the same debate with my sisters! The oldest likes New, Big and Shiny (Anthem) next oldest likes Smaller, Quaint, family feel (Grandeur) Then me, I could make an argument for either one...

Since we could not decide (and I am smart enough not to take sides against either of them) We showed pictures of both ships to my mom and her friend, since we will be celebrating both of their milestone birthdays, and they decided on Anthem.

The main deciding factor for them was Anthem seems to have more activities for all ages...

They weren't sure if we were bringing kids/grand kids along or not.

If its a tight budget, I would say Grandeur.

I have seen pics and read great reviews about the VB.

I have read more positive reviews about Anthem than I have Grandeur...

but I am very easy to please, just get me near the water and I am a happy cruiser.

I'd suggest Boston instead of those two. We used to love the Baltimore, but looking at the 2016 homicides, they haven't dropped off. Most of the shooting victims are not closed.

[color="We've cruised out of Boston and liked it. They also have some transitional cruises out of Quebec City. The Snowbird Migration cruise last year started in Quebec city and we hit the same ports we did for the Baltimore Canada/New England plus a couple extra stops.

According to FBI Statistics West Texas has the highest crime rate in all of Texas. So your point is ?

The Grandeur is an older ship with fewer of the amenities that are found on the Anthem, but ultimately the question is what are you looking for in the cruise? Does thinks like a flow rider or a bionic bar or high speed internet aboard mean much to you?

Do you want really interesting dining choices in terms of specialty restaurants (such as Wonderland)?

If so, then you would be best served by Anthem.

If you're looking for a smaller, intimate and more traditional experience... laying out on the pool deck with a frozen drink, a nightly show before/after dinner, etc... then Grandeur is the one for you.

I was on Grandeur last May and had an absolutely fantastic time aboard. We loved it so much that we booked two additional cruises aboard. One leaves in 40 days (Allure) and the other this October (on the Anthem actually).

No matter what, I think you would enjoy either ship. But the question comes down to what matters more in the experience to you.

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all the suggestions and comments.

Take it from us Old Guys and Galls,

For a 'Grand Cruise' sail on the Grandeur of the Seas!

For a number of reasons, we probably won't book the cruise until June, but I think we are leaning towards the Grandeur even though the glitz and glitter of the Anthem is very appealing. Maybe some day....

I went with Grandeur for budget and "am I even gonna use 10% of this extra stuff to justify the cost difference?". Profile: 50+ year old woman, traveling with friend. Cruise goal, 9 days of RELAXATION with a few tourist spots... Easy choice for me. :-) This will be my third cruise. My first was the Monarch of the seas, 2005, 3 days from Los Angeles to Ensenada (freebie from timeshare presentation with late hubby), next up was last year 7 days Seattle to Alaska on Jewel (with same friend, also 50+ single) and I fell in love with cruising.

For a number of reasons, we probably won't book the cruise until June, but I think we are leaning towards the Grandeur even though the glitz and glitter of the Anthem is very appealing. Maybe some day....

I will do a cruise on one of those floating states someday too ;-)

First time on a RCCL ship what are the best balcony or junior suite cabins to book. We are looking at the New England cruise for September 2016.