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CRUISE LOG
Anthem of the Seas

Coming in 100 days: New York's hottest cruise ship ever

Gene Sloan
USA TODAY
Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas was christened on April 20, 2015.

Let the countdown begin!

Today marks exactly 100 days until one of the hottest new cruise ships of the year, Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas, begins sailing year-round out of the New York area -- a deployment that has had the line's fans in the Northeast buzzing for months. And now even Royal Caribbean executives are getting excited.

"It's huge for us," senior vice president for hotel operations Mark Tamis tells USA TODAY. "The Northeast is such a hot bed of people who either have cruised with Royal Caribbean and are really loyal to the experience or are new to cruising."

For the newbies in the region, Tamis says the expectation is that Anthem's presence in the New York area starting on Nov. 4 "will kind of push them over the edge" into giving cruising a try.

Unveiled in April, Royal Caribbean's latest mega-resort at sea has spent its first few months cruising around Europe, but Royal Caribbean has been saying for more than a year that it eventually would make its permanent home at the New York area's Cape Liberty Cruise Port, located seven miles south of Manhattan in Bayonne, N.J. The ship will sail five- to 12-night voyages to Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and New England.

The 4,180-passenger vessel is a sister to the eight-month-old Quantum of the Seas, which sailed a brief season out of the New York area over the winter only to be redeployed earlier this year to China.

As can be seen in the photo tour in the carousel above, Anthem is packed full of such gee-whiz features as a deck-top ride into the sky and a bar with robot bartenders, both concepts that first debuted on Quantum. Other first-for-the-industry features from Quantum making a comeback include a skydiving simulator and a deck-top fun zone called the SeaPlex with bumper cars and roller skating.

Tamis says the ship is perfect for year-round sailings out of the New York area, as it has a wide variety of indoor fun zones and experiences that will appeal to passengers on off-season sailings when "it's not quite bikini weather."

One of the ship's pools has a glass-covered magrodome that can be closed during inclement weather, and there's also the adult-only Solarium sunning area at the front of the vessel that is enclosed in glass while still offering an outdoor feel, Tamis notes.

Anthem also boasts Royal Caribbean's new fast-like-on-land Voom Internet service, which surely will be a hit with a fast-paced New York crowd. No other New York-based ship offers Internet speeds that come close.

But perhaps Anthem's biggest appeal to would-be cruisers in the Northeast will be its location just a short drive away.

"This just gives them that option to not have to fly (to cruise hubs in Florida and elsewhere) and have that convenience to have the newest, greatest ship in their backyard," Tamis says.

USA TODAY Cruise in April was among a handful of U.S. media outlets to get early access to Anthem before its christening in Southampton, England. For a look inside the vessel's swankiest suites, click through the carousel below. For more of our coverage, including nearly a dozen videos, follow the links below or head to USA TODAY's Cruise Hub.

Live from Anthem of the Seas 
Peek inside the bridge of world's hottest new cruise ship
Five things to love about the new Anthem of the Seas
New giant cruise ship sets sail on maiden voyage
Video: Man vs. machine: Who makes the ultimate cocktail?
First look: Inside the super suites on Anthem of the Seas
Video: The luxurious suite feature you just can't get at home
Photo tour: Inside Anthem of the Seas' swankiest suites
Third largest cruise ship ever christened by singing godmother
Video: Why your next vacation needs a 'fairy' godmother
Video: Sail onto the water in Anthem of the Seas in 30 seconds
Small changes mark Royal Caribbean's latest megaship
Video: Take a 360 degree tour of Anthem's most luxurious suite
Watch 'terrified' reporter on Anthem's edge 
Video: Inside look at Royal Caribbean's Quantum class
Video: Dangle over the edge of Anthem of the Seas
Photo tour: Inside the new Anthem of the Seas
Meet Gigi, Anthem of the Seas' giant mascot
Video: Meet Anthem of the Seas' 32-foot mascot
Video: Soar above Anthem of the Seas as it sails into Southampton
First look: Inside Anthem of the Seas

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