NCL cruiser ready to jump ship to the Anthem. Need help!

[suometar]

   We have cruised mostly on NCL because of the freestyle concept, but our cruise on the Getaway last week left us somewhat dissatisfied. Maybe it is time to try something new? We were sitting on our aft balcony in Nassau looking at the aft duplex cabins of the Anthem and I told my husband: I want one of those! I have just started my research and find it very confusing so I am hoping that you experienced  RCI cruisers might be able to help.

   We love the aft cabins and book the corner penthouse 1 bedroom cabins, with access to the Haven. Does the Anthem have something similar to the Haven (private lounge, restaurant, sundeck, etc.?) 

   Beverage package: NCL offers a "free" beverage package which isn't really free because you are charged a 20% gratuity on it (about $137 p.p. per week). RCI's website does mention a beverage package but the pricing isn't very clear. NCL also has a specialty meal package where you only pay the 20% gratuity. The RCI webisite doesn't mention prices.

   I am interested in the Sky Loft Suites. Which deck is preferable? Any noise/vibration issues? (The vibration on our deck 9 cabin was horrendous!)

   We also do not like the regimented set dining times/table mates, or formal nights (the reason we cruise NCL). I understand that RCI has "anytime" dining. How well does that work? How formal is formal nights?

   Any and all information will be much appreciated!

[smakl]

Royal has MyTime dining which we usually do.  You can schedule your times in the cruise planner before your cruise or just show up in the evening and wait in line.  Formal Night on Royal is "Dress your best night" and you will see a wide variety of attire.  Not sure shorts are appropriate but I'm sure you'll see it.

 

I haven't cruised on Anthem yet so I'll let someone else answer those questions.

[Biker19]

43 minutes ago, suometar said:

 Any and all information will be much appreciated!

Choose Anthem on the main RCI page here at CC to get all the Anthem related threads- those should answer most of your questions. 

[njkruzer]

If you're looking at a suite then you'll get free access to Coastal Kitchen for meals and to Suite Lounge,  may show as Concierge Lounge on deck plans,  that is available all day with concierge there in mornings and late afternoon/evenings with coffee always available.  Mornings has a continental breakfast and snacks in the evenings.  Great room.   Not sure what other suite benefits are.

[xtremegk]

You won't find the ship-within-a-ship concept on Anthem, but you will get a lot of amenities. Coastal Kitchen is the suite guest restaurant, there's a Suite/Concierge Lounge and a Suite Sun Deck.

 

Drink and dining packages are in the cruise planner that you get access to after booking. Pricing is dynamic and they run frequent sales (always look at the final price, not the %age off). I've seen the deluxe beverage package run from the mid/upper-$50s to the upper $60s post-pandemic (per person per day, +18% gratuity). The ultimate dining package really depends on the length of your trip (that covers all meals in most restaurants, with just minor upcharge for things like hibachi). They also offer packages for x-amount of nights in the specialty restaurants.

 

I'm sure you'll find it to be a different experience from NCL. Whether it's better or worse, that really depends on you as individuals and your preferences.

[Broons77]

I've cruised in a suite on Anthem and as stated prior, there is no Haven like courtyard, but you do get dedicated lounge, restaurant and sundeck.  While you do have to pay extra for the drinks and specialty restaurants, I've priced out dozens of NCL vs RC trips of similar length and itinerary and even factoring in the extra drink/dining costs, RC is equal or less than NCL.  In fact recently, I've found that you can get bookings on the Celebrity Summit out of Bayonne for less than comparable categories on the older NCL ships out of NYC.

 

Full disclosure, I'm sailing the Pearl in May out of Boston for my first NCL trip and I'm looking forward to seeing how I like it.

[smplybcause]

For drink package pricing I'd assume $65 per person per day plus 18%. You might get it for less, depending on ship and when you sail, but that seems like a good "worst case" price. 

[suometar]

Thanks, guys, this is very helpful. The drink package doesn't seem to be such a bargain, compared to NCL's. If I have four drinks a day at $15 each I basically come out even.  Actually I don't even know what the prices for individual drinks were since we both had the package. 

 

Brons77, I read your Anthem trip report and it was very informative and entertaining. We were on the Getaway the same week and you guys were following us. (If you look very hard at the picture of the Getaway in Nassau you might see me and DH on Deck 9 starboard corner balcony of the drooling (well, I was) over those duplex aft balconies on the Anthem).

[Broons77]

3 hours ago, suometar said:

Brons77, I read your Anthem trip report and it was very informative and entertaining. We were on the Getaway the same week and you guys were following us. (If you look very hard at the picture of the Getaway in Nassau you might see me and DH on Deck 9 starboard corner balcony of the drooling (well, I was) over those duplex aft balconies on the Anthem).

 

Those suites look pretty.... well... sweet.  I mean how bad can a 2 level suite with a huge balcony be?

 

I have a friend who swears by NCL, and I truly am excited to see how I like it.  I've only sailed Royal to this point, but really haven't been disappointed at any time.  I'm glad you enjoyed my thread, I'm thinking of doing one from the Pearl.

 

Here's a few shots of the Getaway sailing up the Hudson past our hotel the morning both you and we embarked on our separate trips!

 

 

[Broons77]

Which one were you guys in?

 

[suometar]

15 hours ago, Broons77 said:

Which one were you guys in?

 

We were in 9916 on deck 9,  it is the large corner balcony. By the way, this board won't allow me to see the pictures (see below). I hope you like the Pearl. She is a sweet little ship, although not as glitzy as the newer megaships.

 

[Starry Eyes]

20 hours ago, suometar said:

Thanks, guys, this is very helpful. The drink package doesn't seem to be such a bargain, compared to NCL's. If I have four drinks a day at $15 each I basically come out even.  Actually I don't even know what the prices for individual drinks were since we both had the package. 

 

Brons77, I read your Anthem trip report and it was very informative and entertaining. We were on the Getaway the same week and you guys were following us. (If you look very hard at the picture of the Getaway in Nassau you might see me and DH on Deck 9 starboard corner balcony of the drooling (well, I was) over those duplex aft balconies on the Anthem).

The drink package is handled differently on the two lines.  For many categories on NCL, the fare includes the drink package option for first two guests if you pay about $20 per day per person in gratuities…if you have more than two adults, the extra packages for those extra adults seem pretty pricy (base price $99 per day plus 20%).  On Royal, the fare does not include the drink package; each party makes their own decision.  As suite guests have a free happy hour in the SL, some suite guests do not feel the need for a drink package; others do…your call.

[swmichigan cruiser]

Just my two cents. Since 2016 we have only cruised once on Royal and a lot of times on NCL. But sometimes you need to look around to see what changes have been made. On NCL we have gotten used to having the beverage package but that being said right now we have booked some cruises again on Royal and I like their prices better than NCL. Hard to compare everything but on two Alaska cruises we have booked on the Quantum later this summer the prices are about half of the cost of comparable NCL cruises and have alternating  itineraries where NCL repeats the same ports every week. . And yes we do lose some perks but because of past Royal cruises we are Diamond Plus so we each get 5 drinks per day included. For us makes sense for others maybe not. Looking forward to getting back to Royal more often.

[smplybcause]

1 hour ago, Starry Eyes said:

The drink package is handled differently on the two lines.  For many categories on NCL, the fare includes the drink package option for first two guests if you pay about $20 per day per person in gratuities…if you have more than two adults, the extra packages for those extra adults seem pretty pricy (base price $99 per day plus 20%).  On Royal, the fare does not include the drink package; each party makes their own decision.  As suite guests have a free happy hour in the SL, some suite guests do not feel the need for a drink package; others do…your call.

 

They switched it a bit before covid it's now passengers 1-8 that get the drink package. However if the passenger is under 21 they'll only get the soda package if they're guest 1 or 2.

 

Specialty dining and wifi is still only guests 1 & 2. 

[Oceansaway17]

I see you are from NY area.  Getting to Bayonne is easy and they have a 4 llevel parking garage.

 

Anthem is a great ship from the NY aera with the nice solarium, and Two 70 venue in the back.

And one of the large pools is enclosed.  I think there will be enough variety in food to please you.

Solarium is great for breakfast and Two70 is good for lunch in the back. Solarium pool is a cascading multi level with views out the front.  And they have a nice bench swing down front too.

Anthem has 4 small MDR and you will be assigned one based on time and perhaps vaxxed or non.

 

Anthem has Jamie Oliver's which is great for lunch. Anthem as a great show call "We will Rock You" based on the songs of Queen.  Everyone loves that show.  they have shows in Two70 as well.

 

If you have never been on a Quantum class ship, it is a must try. And then try the Oasis OTS ship which is coming to Bayonne again this summer.  Both of those classes give NCL a run for their money.

I have done Escape and Epic and Dawn.  I do like NCL and will sail on the new Prima next year.

But the larger RCI ships are a must at least once.

 

[luckyinpa]

OP u should do oasis since you are out of NY. we went october and booked on the first cruise in may. i never was on anthem but you will love oasis. we do the crown lofts. if you do them or star loft you will be up on 17 near the suite and restaurant.  if you can spend for the star loft i'm sure it would be fantastic too.  royal has so much better and cheaper internet. if you are in a suite on oasis you get free low end drinks all day in the suite lounge so we never buy any packages. also cans of soda and water in there. 11 till 11 every day. the suite restaurant is right next door to the lounge. 

 

sadly i just realized i never posted my oasis report. ill have to do that someday. the aqua show is worth seeing at least 2x. nothing like it on ncl.  also you seem to value a balcony and crown lofts have a nice size for 2 loungers. i recently stayed in a 2 BR on NCL the it was the same size balcony as a 700 dollar cabin. pretty sad.  that being said, the NCL staff is FAR more pervasive and friendly throughout the ship. i'm sure it's due to the smaller size. royal was nice and great service but NCL seems more friendly..cozy.. hard to explain. everyone is always really trying and being nice. 

 

oasis has many places to hide on a rainy day. ships like breakaway and getaway are limited if the outside decks are closed. there's an escape room on oasis which is fantastic. can you tell i prefer the oasis to NCL.  at least ship wise. crew wise gotta give the win to NCL. 

 

but our 2 suite stewards were beyond great on oasis. 

 

here are our CLS pics. you wont regret it!

[luckyinpa]

one other thing i noticed is the CLS on oasis are cheaper than anthems loft suites. they are different designs though. another thing is the CLS is so much cheaper than on other ships like harmony/symphony etc. so we get a steal out of NYC

 

we were just in nassau so got this pic of the rear of anthem and the suite balconies. probably just where you were. no idea why these are sideways..sigh

[Starry Eyes]

2 hours ago, smplybcause said:

 

They switched it a bit before covid it's now passengers 1-8 that get the drink package. However if the passenger is under 21 they'll only get the soda package if they're guest 1 or 2.

 

Specialty dining and wifi is still only guests 1 & 2. 

Oops, thanks for updating me.  I guess you can tell we are light drinkers; we have been declining NCL’s drink packages (gratuities are more than cost of our drinks).  We pay corkage on some bottles of our favorite wine instead.

[Midway7934]

On 3/27/2022 at 11:23 AM, suometar said:

   We have cruised mostly on NCL because of the freestyle concept, but our cruise on the Getaway last week left us somewhat dissatisfied. Maybe it is time to try something new? We were sitting on our aft balcony in Nassau looking at the aft duplex cabins of the Anthem and I told my husband: I want one of those! I have just started my research and find it very confusing so I am hoping that you experienced  RCI cruisers might be able to help.

   We love the aft cabins and book the corner penthouse 1 bedroom cabins, with access to the Haven. Does the Anthem have something similar to the Haven (private lounge, restaurant, sundeck, etc.?) 

   Beverage package: NCL offers a "free" beverage package which isn't really free because you are charged a 20% gratuity on it (about $137 p.p. per week). RCI's website does mention a beverage package but the pricing isn't very clear. NCL also has a specialty meal package where you only pay the 20% gratuity. The RCI webisite doesn't mention prices.

   I am interested in the Sky Loft Suites. Which deck is preferable? Any noise/vibration issues? (The vibration on our deck 9 cabin was horrendous!)

   We also do not like the regimented set dining times/table mates, or formal nights (the reason we cruise NCL). I understand that RCI has "anytime" dining. How well does that work? How formal is formal nights?

   Any and all information will be much appreciated!

The cabins at the back of the Anthem are "sky class" and "star class". I stayed in the top middle suite, one of the last cruises before covid. It is deck 10. The lower level is deck 8. Anthem is in the RCI class of ships on which you will have a Genie. Look up Suite Class for RCI and all this will be explained. If you go star class, absolutely everything is included. There are no add ons. Yes, the Genie can literally get you whatever you want. I did this for my 50th anniversary and had the most amazing cruise of my life!  Too much included to even begin. You said you book a penthouse suite. I don't know what that includes on NCL. I will say there is a big difference in amenities between sky class and star class. Look them up and see what works for you. Also, you asked, no problem with noise.

[suometar]

Thank you all for your replies, great information, and gorgeous pictures! So I pulled the trigger and booked a Sky Loft Suite for Mar.12, 2023 and am so looking forward to our 40th anniversary cruise! It has become a tradition for us to celebrate our anniversary with a cruise, mostly the boring FL-Bahamas  run on NCL because it sails out of NYC and no flight is included. We missed our Mar. 15, 2020  37th anniversary cruise on the Bliss which was cancelled (in Friday the 13th, no less!) as well as 38, so Getaway was our 39th. And to tell the truth, it was rather underwhelming. I had booked a Haven aft one bedroom, two bath suite with large balcony (inexplicably NCL calls these "penthouse" suites). It was on deck 9 and the vibrations made it difficult to sleep at night. We've been on this particular cabin on other ships and vibration has never been a problem, so I don't know if was the ship or the sea conditions that caused  it, but it certainly detracted from our enjoyment.

I don't mean to write a critical review of the Getaway (that's what the NCL board is for!), but when I saw those aft duplex cabins on the Anthem I thought that maybe it is time to try something new. I looked at a youtube video of her and am very excited, especially about the Solarium, which looks amazing!

   

[Broons77]

Hope you enjoy your time on her, she's a lot of fun with great spaces.  Suite perks are great and you get to go to Coco Cay too!  Quite frankly, if you don't have a good time on this cruise you may be in need of  a qualified medical professional!  ⚰️😄

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Broons77

[suometar]

1 hour ago, Broons77 said:

Hope you enjoy your time on her, she's a lot of fun with great spaces.  Suite perks are great and you get to go to Coco Cay too!  Quite frankly, if you don't have a good time on this cruise you may be in need of  a qualified medical professional!  ⚰️😄

 

I may need a medical professional but certainly not for this ... 😃 The ship looks like a lot of fun and I am looking forward to visiting Coco Cay. It'll be a pleasure not to have to tender, like NCL's Great Stirrup Cay.