2023.01 New York City and Caribbean Cruise (Part 4)

It was a clear, sunny, and another unseasonably warm January day.  We took a cab out to the cruise port.  From the hotel its route took us down FDR Dr., and then through dthe Holland tunnel into New Jersey to make the short drive to the cruise port.  Unlike airport terminals, this cruise port had one ship, ours.

Once out of the vehicle we deposited our larger luggage onto carts that were collected together and shuttled onto the ship.  Then our luggage is then delivered to the room during the first day.

Once inside the cruise ship terminal, a quick security check is required before check-in.  We had completed all the online check-in steps, so our check-in in person was quick and given the hour of our arrival (the same time as many others), we had a short wait before we were allowed on board the ship.

Anthem of the Seas

First up, itinerary.  Upon departure, it would be a full 72 hours before the ship was scheduled to make its first stop, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  From there each morning we’d wake up at a new location, with Philipsburg, St. Maarten being second, then St. John’s Antigua and Barbuda, fourth was Castries, St. Lucia, and fifth and final was Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.  Then it would be around 86 hours onboard to return to Cape Liberty.

Weather for this trip was excellent, throughout the whole voyage southbound had calm seas and clear weather.  On the return, weather was good until the last full sailing day, when some winter weather moved off-shore during the day, that caused a bit of rougher seas, clouds and rain as the final day progressed.  It wasn’t anything of great concern, as the ship had made excellent time, so it wasn’t trying to slice through the inclement weather at any high rate of speed.

During the cruise at dinner one evening we made a joke about the well behaved children at a nearby table.  The waiter informed us that the prior cruise had over 1,000 children on board.  He joked that children would be everywhere, “…under every table, behind every door, children!”

Now onboard, what is there to do?

Explore other parts of this trip:

Part 1 – Air Canada Flight Toronto to New York City, LaGuardia

Part 2 – Millennium Hotel New York, One UN Plaza

Part 3 – Things to do in New York City

Part 4 – Caribbean Cruise Introduction (this post!)

Part 5 – Things to do while Cruising

Part 6 – Cuisine onboard

Part 7 – Port, Puerto Rico

Part 8 – Port, St. Maarten

Part 9 – Port, Antigua and Barbuda

Part 10 – Port, St. Lucia

Part 11 – Port, St. Kitts and Nevis

Part 12 – Maple Leaf Lounge LaGuardia, flight New York to Toronto