A bunch of random Anthem questions - please help thanks!

I’d appreciate it so much if anyone can help answer any of my questions! Thank you in advance!

I’m planning my and my husband‘s 50th birthday cruise/20th wedding anniversary on Anthem on March 31, 2018 seven nights from Cape Liberty to Florida and the Bahamas. We are a group of 45 booked with a travel agent.

1) Once we board can people in rooms be switched around? In order to book all of our rooms I used the names of family members I was certain would come along and split up families. For example, I put my husband and myself and our two children each in separate rooms so we would be able to hold four rooms with four people each while we waited for RSVPs. As people RSVPed we put them in the rooms with us because triple and quad rooms were sold out. So now I have families all mixed up because I’ve had to keep one original name on each reservation. I’m wondering if once I get on board can I switch names around in rooms so immediate families are together? The travel agent told me I have to give final names by December 15, 2018 and that if I change anything after that I’ll be charged $25 per name.

2) This cruise has been sold out for cabins with more than double occupancy for months now. I was thinking rooms would open up as we get closer to final payment but I haven’t seen any. What do you think the chances are that triple or quad rooms open up before final payment December 21, 2018? We have two families of four that want to join us but the double occupancy rates aren’t within their budgets. Easter is April 1 so it’s a vacation week for us and I think that’s why this cruise so busy.

3) We wanted to have a birthday dinner but the rates the cruise line is giving us for restaurant buyouts for Chops and Wonderland are expensive compared to what it would be to pay for our guests individually. Right now I’m able to book 2 groups of 16 people each in those restaurants. That leaves me with 13 people without seats. If I have seats booked in for example Chops for 32 people, do you think I’ll have a hard time getting 13 more seats when I’m on board? The travel agent only gives me the option to do a buyout or seat 12 people at a time and then I have to stagger my group by 30 minutes which is of course not what we want to do.

4) I have a meeting booked with the group coordinator onboard on embarkation day at 2 PM and I’ve been told that’s when I can plan our group activities, not before. That seems kind of late to me as I prefer to book before we get there so I can distribute the time information to everyone. Has anyone been able to plan before embarkation day for groups for Ifly and Northstar?

5) Would the North Star bar be the best suggestion for sailaway? We want everybody to be able to look up and see when we go underneath the Verrazano bridge. I’m estimating since sailaway is 3 o’clock that we would be going underneath the Verrazano bridge at 3:30PM. Would that be right?

6) Finally, would anyone know which nights will be formal nights on this seven night cruise?

Thank you again so much in advance for any help!

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Yes...once onboard, those wishing to switch cabins will go to the customer service desk and get the correct keys for their cabins. You can't just trade keys, as your photo is "linked" to your seapass.

I can't help with the other questions...sorry!

Sailing under the Verazzano is so exciting. You really can't miss it anywhere up top. We stood on the rail though because it was a good spot to take pictures of the skyline too. On our sailing, it was as crowded as the cruise was the whole week, everyone having their sail away drinks, the pool was packed, music playing. We did the 5pm Northstar just after that. I would guess our sailing under time was around 4:30pm or so.

At 45 you are basically taking up every seat in the restaurant at once. So you either do a buy out, or you stagger( staggering is so the staff can keep up and not be overwhelmed with 45 courses coming out at once). It is much easier for the smaller parties who have already pre booked a day to be accommodated on a different day or time than it will be to fit 13 more on board for the same frame. Hence you buying out the entire venue. And from past experience, I would be royally peeved if a very large group such as yours took over, which causes the staff to basically ignore smaller tables, not to mention the loud boisterous nature of having 45 throwing a party.

Group activities can only be done on board.

Would not suggest North Star. Bad weather can cause it to be shut down. Is it even runnI g at sailaway? Or while going under a bridge?

Formal nights are typically the first full day and the second to last day.

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Yes...once onboard, those wishing to switch cabins will go to the customer service desk and get the correct keys for their cabins. You can't just trade keys, as your photo is "linked" to your seapass.

 

I can't help with the other questions...sorry!

Phew thanks! Hopefully the group coordinator can help me do that as customer service is usually packed on embarkation.

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At 45 you are basically taking up every seat in the restaurant at once. So you either do a buy out, or you stagger( staggering is so the staff can keep up and not be overwhelmed with 45 courses coming out at once). It is much easier for the smaller parties who have already pre booked a day to be accommodated on a different day or time than it will be to fit 13 more on board for the same frame. Hence you buying out the entire venue. And from past experience, I would be royally peeved if a very large group such as yours took over, which causes the staff to basically ignore smaller tables, not to mention the loud boisterous nature of having 45 throwing a party.

 

Group activities can only be done on board.

 

Would not suggest North Star. Bad weather can cause it to be shut down. Is it even runnI g at sailaway? Or while going under a bridge?

 

Formal nights are typically the first full day and the second to last day.

 

 

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Thanks for your reply! Chops seats I think 110 and Wonderland I think 60, so I will look at Wonderland instead. Our big birthday party is the night before the cruise in NYC and on board we were thinking of a more relaxing birthday dinner. If we don’t do a specialty restaurant we will be in one of the normal dining rooms as we have my time dining.

I’ll hopefully find an alternative to the North Star idea just in case.

Glad to hear I guessed right on the formal nights!

Thanks again!

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Sailing under the Verazzano is so exciting. You really can't miss it anywhere up top. We stood on the rail though because it was a good spot to take pictures of the skyline too. On our sailing, it was as crowded as the cruise was the whole week, everyone having their sail away drinks, the pool was packed, music playing. We did the 5pm Northstar just after that. I would guess our sailing under time was around 4:30pm or so.

I’m really looking forward to the sail away! Most in our group have never cruised before so it will be an amazing start! Did you leave Cape Liberty at 4?

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I’d appreciate it so much if anyone can help answer any of my questions! Thank you in advance!

 

I’m planning my and my husband‘s 50th birthday cruise/20th wedding anniversary on Anthem on March 31, 2018 seven nights from Cape Liberty to Florida and the Bahamas. We are a group of 45 booked with a travel agent.

 

1) Once we board can people in rooms be switched around? In order to book all of our rooms I used the names of family members I was certain would come along and split up families. For example, I put my husband and myself and our two children each in separate rooms so we would be able to hold four rooms with four people each while we waited for RSVPs. As people RSVPed we put them in the rooms with us because triple and quad rooms were sold out. So now I have families all mixed up because I’ve had to keep one original name on each reservation. I’m wondering if once I get on board can I switch names around in rooms so immediate families are together? The travel agent told me I have to give final names by December 15, 2018 and that if I change anything after that I’ll be charged $25 per name.

This may not be as easy that cb at sea wrote. :rolleyes: Anthem is a more complicated ship than some others. The SeaPass cards have an RFID chip in them, and GS is not so thrilled about making multiple changes such as you describe. While it may work out just fine, I think that you should mentally prepared for problems.

2) This cruise has been sold out for cabins with more than double occupancy for months now. I was thinking rooms would open up as we get closer to final payment but I haven’t seen any. What do you think the chances are that triple or quad rooms open up before final payment December 21, 2017? We have two families of four that want to join us but the double occupancy rates aren’t within their budgets. Easter is April 1 so it’s a vacation week for us and I think that’s why this cruise so busy.

I think that your reasoning is correct. It's a school vacation week. I would not be optimistic about quad cabins becoming available, but you never know. Just keep checking.

3) We wanted to have a birthday dinner but the rates the cruise line is giving us for restaurant buyouts for Chops and Wonderland are expensive compared to what it would be to pay for our guests individually. Right now I’m able to book 2 groups of 16 people each in those restaurants. That leaves me with 13 people without seats. If I have seats booked in for example Chops for 32 people, do you think I’ll have a hard time getting 13 more seats when I’m on board? The travel agent only gives me the option to do a buyout or seat 12 people at a time and then I have to stagger my group by 30 minutes which is of course not what we want to do.

How about a birthday lunch in Nassau? Or Cocoa Beach?

4) I have a meeting booked with the group coordinator onboard on embarkation day at 2 PM and I’ve been told that’s when I can plan our group activities, not before. That seems kind of late to me as I prefer to book before we get there so I can distribute the time information to everyone. Has anyone been able to plan before embarkation day for groups for Ifly and Northstar?

iFly takes 10 people at a time. Northstar, 13 or 14. Your group cannot do these activities en masse.

5) Would the North Star bar be the best suggestion for sailaway? We want everybody to be able to look up and see when we go underneath the Verrazano bridge. I’m estimating since sailaway is 3 o’clock that we would be going underneath the Verrazano bridge at 3:30PM. Would that be right?

If the weather is good, outside and high as possible is your best viewing choice. It IS a good idea to meet at the NorthStar Bar and then look around from there. If you see a better spot, go for it.

6) Finally, would anyone know which nights will be formal nights on this seven night cruise?

 

Thank you again so much in advance for any help!

#2 & #6

This may not be as easy that cb at sea wrote. :rolleyes: Anthem is a more complicated ship than some others. The SeaPass cards have an RFID chip in them, and GS is not so thrilled about making multiple changes such as you describe. While it may work out just fine, I think that you should mentally prepared for problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think that your reasoning is correct. It's a school vacation week. I would not be optimistic about quad cabins becoming available, but you never know. Just keep checking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How about a birthday lunch in Nassau? Or Cocoa Beach?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

iFly takes 10 people at a time. Northstar, 13 or 14. Your group cannot do these activities en masse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the weather is good, outside and high as possible is your best viewing choice. It IS a good idea to meet at the NorthStar Bar and then look around from there. If you see a better spot, go for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2 & #6

Thank you! I will mentally prepare myself for room key problems - good tip!

Lunch would be difficult as we will all fan out in different directions in those ports. Hopefully I’ll have a luck with a dinner reservation. [emoji4]

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Wonderland is not going to work well with that large of a party. The venue is small and narrow, one large group is liable to be on one side of the restaurant and the other large group, the other side. Not sure where they would fit a third large group.

Plus, Wonderland is about the experience of the food, they bring 6 appetizers out at once and explain the food and how to eat it. We saw them bringing out the first round of appetizers to a large group of around 12 last week and all the waiters in the restaurant had to help out. How are they going to handle 45 of you at once?

You would really do better with a restaurant buyout so they will be able to staff the restaurant appropriately to serve you all at once.

I don't think North Star Bar is a good sail away for such a large group. The area is not that large to begin and is usually crowded with guest trying to purchase drinks. Why not pick an area on the running track on port side, this will enable you to get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan.

Have you considered having your special dinner at Jamie's? The size of the restaurant might be a better fit for your group. The price of the Jamie's is also more reasonable than either Wonderland or Chops.