Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Live review Anthem of the Seas - 18th April 2016

novicetraveller
 Share

Recommended Posts

novicetraveller

novicetraveller

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I look forward to your review and your excursions, we will be on the anthem in January for a 12 night, and deciding on excursion has been tough, I look forward to see how you like yours. Of course great photos are always a bonus.

I won't be able to provide any links to the excersions, and I don't know what I am allowed to say. However, I hope some of the locations are fun and enjoyable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cynt

cynt

Posted
Posted

The Anthem is AN ABSOLUTELEY BEAUTIFUL ship!! I cruised on her in November. You are going to enjoy her. I love that class of ship.

 

Thanks for the LIVE review. I board the Oasis in 5 weeks. I have already checked out of work. :eek: I need something to keep me occupied and a LIVE review is just what the doctor ordered.

 

Seat back and get ready to be WOWED!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
maggieq

maggieq

Posted
Posted
We will be on Anthem for the sailing after yours!

 

Looking forward to your review!

 

Bon Voyage!

 

Donna. No celebrity summit? We loved quantum so looking forward to maybe trying the anthem this year. What did you like about the anthem vs summit?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
novicetraveller

novicetraveller

Posted
  • Author
Posted

It's almost time for me to leave home and head to the airport. Am I looking forward to the cruise, by heck I am!

 

I also have a Facebook page where I will be uploading more images in order to keep this live review short. Sadly, I'm not allowed to post a link here. But the main live review will be here.

 

Bye for now!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
M_BA

M_BA

Posted
Posted
It's almost time for me to leave home and head to the airport. Am I looking forward to the cruise, by heck I am!

 

I also have a Facebook page where I will be uploading more images in order to keep this live review short. Sadly, I'm not allowed to post a link here. But the main live review will be here.

 

Bye for now!

 

Have a good flight!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
novicetraveller

novicetraveller

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I finally made it. Immigration was painless. Went for the GOES interview. Again, painless. No heavy grilling. Just a technical hitch with the fingerprint machine and a joke or two with the guys behind the desk.

 

A bit of advice to everyone. Read the cruise doc's. RCI won't meet you at the airport, unlike Miami. You have to go to P4 on the Airlink and you may need to call for the courtesy bus. More to follow soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
novicetraveller

novicetraveller

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Ok, just to clarify my last post. If you booked your hotel via Royal Caribbean, rather than independently, you won't be greeted at the airport by Royal if you are flying to Newark International. This is unlike Miami airport for those who are sailing out of Fort Lauderdale (and possible Miami). If you are staying at the Hilton Penn Station Hotel, you will need to call for the courtesy bus once you get to P4 on the Airlink.

 

I decided to apply for GOES in advance, mainly to avoid the queues at the airports in the future. I expected the interview to last 30 to 60 minutes, but it was more like 10 or 20 minutes including the hiccup. GOES is available for some international visitors where there are reciprocal agreements between the US and the respective international government. It's not cheap, but it's worth going through if you are regular visitor to the US. The application lasts for 5 years. You will get a code that you can use when you book online via a US based airline (e.g. Delta, JetBlue, etc). This will act as your pre-screening. I forgot to ask if I still have to go through ESTA. I am going to go on the assumption that you still do.

 

Todays immigration process was relatively painless. I thought there was Automatic Passport Control, but this was not the case. Not a deal breaker for me.

 

My room is facing 2 glass / mirror buildings and a road. I don't know if I will be able to see the cruise ship from the hotel, or if I have to go somewhere else to see it.

 

I was planning on going out tonight, but I didn't get much sleep on the plane. So I will do my "I'm a tourist" thing tomorrow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
judymag

judymag

Posted
Posted
Ok, just to clarify my last post. If you booked your hotel via Royal Caribbean, rather than independently, you won't be greeted at the airport by Royal if you are flying to Newark International. This is unlike Miami airport for those who are sailing out of Fort Lauderdale (and possible Miami). If you are staying at the Hilton Penn Station Hotel, you will need to call for the courtesy bus once you get to P4 on the Airlink.

 

 

 

I decided to apply for GOES in advance, mainly to avoid the queues at the airports in the future. I expected the interview to last 30 to 60 minutes, but it was more like 10 or 20 minutes including the hiccup. GOES is available for some international visitors where there are reciprocal agreements between the US and the respective international government. It's not cheap, but it's worth going through if you are regular visitor to the US. The application lasts for 5 years. You will get a code that you can use when you book online via a US based airline (e.g. Delta, JetBlue, etc). This will act as your pre-screening. I forgot to ask if I still have to go through ESTA. I am going to go on the assumption that you still do.

 

 

 

Todays immigration process was relatively painless. I thought there was Automatic Passport Control, but this was not the case. Not a deal breaker for me.

 

 

 

My room is facing 2 glass / mirror buildings and a road. I don't know if I will be able to see the cruise ship from the hotel, or if I have to go somewhere else to see it.

 

 

 

I was planning on going out tonight, but I didn't get much sleep on the plane. So I will do my "I'm a tourist" thing tomorrow.

 

 

Once you have your esta and customs filled out you'll be fine the que is usually the wait it took me 5-6 minutes in total to do emigration in Orlando and Vegas it depends on how many staff are working and how many planes arrive at the same time I'm lucky this year I pre clear in Dublin before I leave

Link to comment
Share on other sites
novicetraveller

novicetraveller

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Once you have your esta and customs filled out you'll be fine the que is usually the wait it took me 5-6 minutes in total to do emigration in Orlando and Vegas it depends on how many staff are working and how many planes arrive at the same time I'm lucky this year I pre clear in Dublin before I leave

 

The folks in Ireland who travel via US approved airports are lucky in that they can clear immigration quite quickly. I'm not quite in the same boat. I don't mind queuing, but if the option exists to fast track, I may as well take that option, especially after doing a 7+ hour flight. I think I cleared immigration in about 20 or 30 minutes today. Not too bad, but I am guessing on a busy day it can take a lot longer.

 

Credit to Newark International, they do things quickly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
judymag

judymag

Posted
Posted
The folks in Ireland who travel via US approved airports are lucky in that they can clear immigration quite quickly. I'm not quite in the same boat. I don't mind queuing, but if the option exists to fast track, I may as well take that option, especially after doing a 7+ hour flight. I think I cleared immigration in about 20 or 30 minutes today. Not too bad, but I am guessing on a busy day it can take a lot longer.

 

 

 

Credit to Newark International, they do things quickly.

 

 

Oh I've done the clearance in the states quite a lot as usually fly via gatwick to the states as my travelling pal lives in the uk but we are lucky that we can clear in Dublin I remember the first time flying to the states in the 80's I was only 14/15 and the ques were awful we got priority as my granny was wheelchair bound

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Madison81

Madison81

Posted
Posted
Just make sure you don't mention the triangle to the Captain. :o

 

Yeah, that would probably be a really bad idea, sort of like when I was at a wedding on a Navy base and asked the bartender for a Pearl Harbor - I won't live that one down for a l-o-n-g time, nor will I forget his reaction, but we all did have a good laugh about it after I realized what I had done, LOL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DonnaK

DonnaK

Posted
Posted
Donna. No celebrity summit? We loved quantum so looking forward to maybe trying the anthem this year. What did you like about the anthem vs summit?

lol...Hi Maggie! We didn't care for Quantum. The ship was beautiful, but there weren't enough activities scheduled (the weather was too cold for the pool, so a lot of people were wandering aimlessly looking for things to do) and we didn't like the original Dynamic Dining. We tried Anthem in March, and it was much better. We liked the rotational traditional dining concept, and there were plenty of indoor activities during the day. We didn't like We Will Rock You on Anthem. We are doing Anthem again in 2 weeks because it is our homeported ship and we got a great senior rate.

 

We loved Summit, but it's not fair to compare it to Anthem. They are two totally different experiences.

 

We will likely sail both again because we like sailing from NJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AAAAmerican

AAAAmerican

Posted
Posted

Oh a longggg time acoming back..eh..

 

On NYC, NY now where you do have to catch the Ferry Back to New Jersey for that French Gifting..

 

Right to left on the Battery you have a very short hop where the both Somothers Brothers were born and the first fortification on any English/Dutch flagged lasnding too.

That island now called Governors Island is NPS.gov ( National Park Service ) a ferry to it for a walkpoboiut may be taken.

The original Island was round , now oblong from all the fill from the now attacked and demolished World trade Centers were.

 

 

That island you will see the Y Pier. , facing Brooklyn Borough, NYC and Pier 12 where a lot of Cruise Ships used to depart from in Red Hook, yes it sure made a lot of Hookers.. Red Hookers that is..

 

From that mainland the Dutch used to Graze Cattle and Sheep and walk them over .. it was quite shallow till World War II when they dredged it to allow US and other War Ships to pass through that water now called the east River.. but in actality it is a tidal way and not a river...

 

Governors island is a nioce biking and/or walkabout now but the Staten Island Fwerry (Gratis) should be on your List this weekend now too.. A r/t then your time to see Miss liberty in New Jersey..

 

On your Hotel I do not think our (TAX) VAT is returnable as your UIK and Canda is to us Americans. I think it sould be.

 

 

On the Staue of liberty as it lays in NJ Waters and is powered in both Gas and Electric by PEG : NYSE you should only have to pay a 7 % NJ Sales Tax and Not the Higher NY and NYC Taxes. The legal address is 3 Communipaw Avenue, Hudson County, New Jersey.

 

Hope this helps more now. :cool:

 

GOD Speed on your journey over. see ya aboard.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
novicetraveller

novicetraveller

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

My plan this morning was to go up the Statue of Liberty. My ankles are a little sore from the flight, so I have opted to admire the statue from Liberty Park, take a few photos and then move onto NYC and best spend my time there. I will try and do the Statue of Liberty on my next visit.

 

A piece of information to the Brits. If your phone provider doesn't offer the ability to make calls home to the UK or surf the internet from within your allowance, get a pre-pay Three Mobile Sim. You can make phone calls home from within your call allowance without incurring any additional charges. You can even surf the internet from within your allowance as well. I won't go into too much details, but it's worth looking into.

 

Going back to my live review. I did a quick walk around the streets near the hotel. I couldn't really get my head around where to find some of the fact that some of the shops are closed on a Saturday. I guess I am used to shops being open in the UK 7 days a week. No drama.

 

If I ever come back to the US, I won't be staying in the Hilton Penn Station. The Air conditioning is noisy and is in need of some general facelift. Also, the windows are not sound proof. With Penn Station being nearby, you can be awake quite early, and kept awake until late. Visitors beware. The hotel is ok to stay in, but I am sure there are better ones around.

Edited by novicetraveller
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...