laurieal

Day 4 Hello from the North Star Bar where they will make you a Lime & Coconut (or two) if you ask nicely. I woke up with a mission: not eat too much during the day to make sure I would be extra hungry that evening for Chef’s Table. With that in mid, I got a latté from the Diamond Lounge and headed up to the Solarium for some yogurt. They were having a lecture on ship navigation in Two70, which was very well attended. I stayed in Two70 for a while reading and watching the ocean line go up and down in those big windows. Yes, we were still moving quite a bit. That day, they were unveiling the Icon of the Seas and there was a presentation in the theatre where they showed the three episodes of Making an Icon. They also had some mimosas and bites, but I stayed away from the latter because of Chef’s Table. While I was investigating the snacks, I took a moment to take some pictures of the elevator that can take you down to the very front of the theatre if you have mobility issues and would like to see the shows from up close. When at the back of the theatre and facing the stage, it’s on the left side. What does everyone think of Icon? I think it looks spectacular and despite not being able to go on some of the new shiny things, I would love to sail this new class of ship. Originally, they had announced the Icon would be sailing out of Southampton in late 2023 before moving to Miami, so I was hoping to book a crossing. However, it has now been confirmed that it will debut in Miami in 2024. I still made an appointment with NextCruise on October 25th to see what my options are.

Day 4 Compass

Good idea, I will absolutely do that!

Yes, we made it! The captain had announced that we would be arriving around 11:00, but we were early 😊

I saw someone ask this on the group for this sailing (if it was you, sorry for repeating the info). Apparently Perry Grant will be leaving the ship after this cruise.

Wow, 11 times! You must be a real Anthem connaisseur. What’s your favourite thing to do and favourite thing to eat on Anthem?

Day 3 - continued I haven’t commented on my Voom Surf and Stream package yet, but I think it’s quite good. Good enough to stream some Netflix from my stateroom as I was getting ready for dinner. The videos take longer to open, but once they start I get no interruptions at all. Now if only my VPN could get its act together and let me watch the latest episode of House of the Dragon on Crave, I would be a very happy cruiser. As I was heading out to dinner, there was an announcement to say that this evening’s representations of Spectra’s Cabaret had been cancelled because of the weather. I can barely stay still in an elevator, so I can’t imagine dancing while the ship is moving that much. They should be moving those shows to another date. I was hoping to sit in Two70 and watch the ocean before dinner, but the venue was closed, so I went to Jamie’s and asked if they could sit me a bit earlier than my reservation time. They still had several open tables and it was no problem accommodating my party of one. I started with a Bellini. Then, I went with my waitress’ recommendations and had the Garlicky Prawns and the Truffle Tagliatelle. If you don’t have a big appetite and usually struggle to make it to dessert, you can ask for a half portion of the pasta, which I did. I also had some Posh Fries. For dessert, I had the Amalfi Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. My favourite thing I ate was the pasta. Those flavours really hit the spot for me and the half portion was very manageable for me. I also really enjoyed the cheesecake, particularly the blackcurrant coulis. The prawns were nothing to write home about, a bit more chewy than I would have liked, but I love prawns and I still ate the whole thing. I finished dinner just in time to catch the headliner show starring comedian Josh Daniels. It was a fun show and a good way to spend part of the evening. After the show, cruise director Mario announced that the next day they would be having an iconic celebration in the Esplanade for the Icon of the Seas. Like many people, I’ve been following the Icon’s construction since it started, so I’m pretty excited for all the Icon announcements happening right now. After the show, I went for one last drink in the Music Hall. I tried the Tribute, which was nice, but not as nice as the Strawberry Fields from the night before. And that was drink voucher number four! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I did it! I decided to end the night on a victory and I took myself to bed where I was violently pushed around to sleep.

Day 3 - continued On my way to the restroom, I spotted Johnny Rockets. Because I had Jamie’s Italian booked for that evening, I didn’t really want to have lunch, but I figured that an adult milkshake was a light enough lunch and I went for that. The person manning the counter said the safe option was to go for vanilla and Malibu rhum, but if I felt wild I should have the chocolate with Captain Morgan. One look at my hair after spending a couple of hours in the wind should have told him everything. I was feeling wild! While I was waiting for my milkshake, the captain made an announcement to update us on the weather. They had to divert to the south more than anticipated to avoid the storm between Southampton and the Azores, so it’s uncertain if we’ll be able to make our stop over there. Either way, I know some people on our roll call are really suffering from sea sickness, so hopefully we get calmer waters soon. In the afternoon, I went to the Love and Marriage show in the Royal Theatre. It wasn’t very well attended and the activities manager struggled to find three couples who wished to participate. It ended up being a fun show with a few good laughs, but my favourite part had to be the uncontrollable giggles of the ladies sitting in front of me. After the show, I went to the Schooner Bar for Game of Thrones trivia. They were still doing the afternoon trivia when I arrived and it was extremely well attended with some participants having to sit on the floor. Having won the Game of Thrones trivia on the Wonder, I felt pretty confident, but I did terrible. Clearly it’s time for not only a rematch, but also a re-read as some of those questions were specific to the books. Head bowed down in shame, I went back to my stateroom while the other passengers assembled around me and yelled SHAME!! At least in my head they did.

Day 3 - continued It was so beautiful outside that I wanted to take advantage of it. Deck 15 was closed because of the wind, but I found a nice spot in the sun on Deck 14 close to the outdoor pool, which they were repainting. I got a Goombay Smash and I enjoyed the sunshine while I worked on my review.

Day 3 Hello from a very busy Schooner Bar. I am trying to split my day in several posts, so let me know if you have any feedback on that format. The ship was still moving a lot when I woke up, but I could see blue skies on my virtual balcony. I wobbled down to the Diamond Lounge where I got myself a latté and then I went up to the Solarium for some breakfast. I was feeling sweet this morning and went for the pancakes. It was the Crown and Anchor event that morning at 10:30 and when I arrived at Two70 the place was packed. They showed a short movie to showcase what the robot screens can do, which was neat. Then, the Captain had some jokes for us and they honoured the C&A members who were reaching milestones. After that, they showed another short movie on the robot screens and it was over.

If the image is yellow-ish, then I scanned the paper compass (like Day 2) with the iScanner app on my phone. For the non-yellow compasses I took a screen capture of the digital compass.

Day 3 Compass

Hopefully it’s better late than never… Day 2 Compass

I was surprised too, considering the weather. As I’m writing this, it’s Day 4 and I came to the Solarium around 8:30. There were a good amount of loungers with just towels on them, but also a good amount of available ones, some even facing the windows.

Just passed by the indoor pool on my way to breakfast and I can confirm it’s only the one pool and a couple of hot tubs.

Someone suggested bringing some unopened cans to my stateroom on my last cruise and I thought it was a really good idea. I ended being a running joke with my friends because I would keep forgetting to put the cans in the fridge and I would end up carrying a bunch of cans around in my backpack 😂 Sharing is a good idea! I could turn it into a Scavenger Hunt on the roll call when I have a voucher left: “first person to come and find me where an untitled head watches over the swimmers gets a drink” I wish you an amazing time on the Wonder. If it’s your kind of activity and they are doing it, I recommend the Wonderful Race.

For now, Deck 10 seems like a good location and I don’t have anything bad to say about it. However, I also don’t really have anything to say in favour of that deck over the other ones. Perhaps someone who has more experience with this class of ship would like to comment? Being close to the aft elevators, you will be able to access the dining rooms, Two70, the Windjammer and the Seaplex quite quickly. This ship seems built to sail in colder weather with a lot of indoor spaces. We haven’t had the best weather and the indoor spaces feel more crowded than I would expect if people were out sunbathing, but I wouldn’t say they feel overcrowded.

It looks like it’s for this sailing only. It was written on the C&A welcome letter in our staterooms on Day 1. Others have mentioned that it can happen when there are a lot of Diamond and higher members or when the coffee machine is broken in the Diamond Lounge. In this case it’s most likely the former because the coffee machine is alive and well.

I will try my best not to spill any drinks 🤞 Where is the Anthem heading after the crossing? I hope you’ll have a wonderful time.

I can do that for sure. As a reader, how many pictures per post approximately would you consider manageable?

Day 2 Hello from the outdoor pool deck! I started my day by visiting the Diamond Lounge for the first time. The breakfast offerings looked nice, but I skipped those and went straight for the coffee machine for a cappuccino. Fun fact, I think the Diamond Lounge has the only non-automatic door I have encountered so far. Having to open my own door on vacation like a peasant, can you imagine? I brought my coffee up to the Solarium, which was a favourite breakfast spot of mine on the Wonder. It was quiet and very enjoyable. The captain made an announcement that I couldn’t hear at the time, but thanks to someone who commented on this thread I now know that he was saying there was a storm in the Atlantic that he would be trying to avoid. The weather did look lousy and I had no desire to venture outside of the Solarium’s glass protection. After breakfast, I went to the Music Hall for a round of Family Animated Movies trivia. I like that venue a lot and I’m looking forward to seeing more from it. Last cruise, I figured out that day drinking is the secret to using all four of my drinks vouchers, so I returned to the Solarium and I got started on that with a Passion Spritz which I figured was close enough to a mimosa that I could justify drinking it in the morning. I worked on my review until it was lunch time and then I headed over to the Café@Two70 for a kümmelweck sandwich. With the weather being so bad, most of the seats in Two70 were occupied and the space felt pretty crowded, but I managed to find a spot. The good thing about being in a wheelchair all the time is that I never need an empty seat. The sandwich was good, as expected, but next time I’ll need to ask for extra jus because it was on the dry side. I was on a mission to inquire about diet tonic, so I went to the bar in Two70 and chatted with the bartender for a while. I figured that while I was at a bar I should continue my day drinking project, so I asked for the bartender’s favourite drink. He made me a Goombay Smash, which I enjoyed a lot. Fruity, but not overly sweet. Perfect for day drinking. One part of the bar is lower for wheelchair users, which I appreciated. While I was there, someone was doing an enrichment lecture about Personal Power Mastery. Did anyone attend? Did you enjoy it? The bit I caught seemed a little heavy on the self promo, but I did end up leaving before the end so maybe I missed all the good bits. Someone on this thread had mentioned a lift to get to the upper level of Two70, so I went on a mission to explore that. The view from upstairs seems very good and I would like to watch Spectra’s Cabaret from up there if I get the chance. Then, I went to Sorrento’s to check out the marinated spicy cheese situation. They had some! It looked quite different from what they had on the Wonder, but I went for it anyway. Sadly, it wasn’t for me. It tasted like some cheese drenched in ketchup and I’m not really a fan of ketchup. Feeling a bit dejected, I decided to lift my spirit by gambling all my money in the casino. And by all my money, I mean all my Diamond member casino credits. Thanks to @little britain I got $8 instead of $6 by using my credits on Day 2 and that $8 actually kept me busy for quite a while. At one point I even won a whopping $5 in one spin! You should have seen the machine flashing and beeping like I had just won an early retirement. Having walked away from the casino with nothing, I went to a venue I could afford: La Pâtisserie for my free non-alcoholic specialty coffee of the day. Apparently those are not loaded on my card and they had to fiddle on the computer to make it happen, so I’ll need to visit Guest Services eventually to take care of that. After my coffee, I went up to the Windjammer where I made myself a small antipasti plate. It was formal night and it wasn’t very busy in the Windjammer so I could find a quiet spot next to a window from which I could watch the sky go dark. Fun fact about this sailing: they brought back the Captain’s Reception. I didn’t attend, because I really didn’t feel like dressing up, but they were doing drinks and pictures in the Royal Esplanade. By then, we were really moving and grooving and the barf bags were out in the staircases. Feeling very unstable, I went to Music Hall for a round of Name that Tune: Songs with colours. I tried a cocktail I had never had before, the Strawberry Fields. Very good, would drink again. After trivia, it was time for Rock the Room, which was completely different from how I’ve seen it done in the past, but it was loads of fun. Kudos to all the participants who did an amazing job singing and dancing. I left and headed for bed, having once again failed to use all four of my drink vouchers despite starting earlier. Maybe I’m just a three vouchers type of person. It took me a while to fall asleep because of the ship’s movement. While I usually enjoy being gently rocked to sleep, this was more like being thrown to sleep. I even kept my bin close just in case…stay tuned to see if I needed it. (I didn’t. I was fine.) So, here are my initial impressions of the ship after spending two days on it. I think it’s absolutely beautiful. I love the Solarium, the Music Hall, and Two70. The Via is really cool looking, although I can’t pretend to understand what’s going on with the music and the animals as we enter it. I’m just glad to be along for the experience. The carpet, though. Why so much carpet? And why so thick? A lot of times it’s a struggle to get from one place to another. I also feel like the elevator doors are closing waaaay too quickly. Considering a lot of elevator bays have carpet, I have lost a few elevators because I wasn’t quick enough to catch my ride. And believe me, I am quite fast. To those who have sailed this class of ship before, what’s your favourite spot to hang out? What’s your favourite place to eat? Any hidden secrets I need to know about?

I seem to have lost my digital Cruise Compass for Day 2, so I will have to scan it once I go back to my stateroom. I’ll post it later today.

We Will Rock You is scheduled for Day 10 and 11 and I’ll make sure not to miss it. It looks like a lot of fun. Have you sailed on this class of ship before?

I was in Two70 when I saw your question and I asked the bartender there. This is what they have on board. He called it the “Slim Line”

Day 1 Hello from the Solarium! As I mentioned previously, I had been staying in London for four days before the cruise. On the morning of the cruise, I had the hotel call me a cab to get to Waterloo Station where I would be taking a train to Southampton. According to my cab driver, all the London black cabs have a ramp and can accommodate a wheelchair. Unlike the taxis at home, those don’t have restraints to secure the wheelchairs, but I had plenty of things to hang on to and overall I felt pretty safe. I arrived at Waterloo with plenty of time to spare, so I grabbed a bacon roll for breakfast. I must say I approve of any country who sticks some bacon between two pieces of bread and calls it a meal. A+ would recommend. The train ride was smooth and uneventful, just like I like them. It looked like most of the passengers were also cruisers, but the train wasn’t too full and there was enough room for both people and suitcases. At Southampton Central Station, there were plenty of cabs waiting. While none of them was an adapted vehicle that could accommodate a wheelchair, I took a large vehicle into which I transferred easily. There was plenty of room for my wheelchair in the back without the driver having to disassemble it. It was a very short ride to the cruise terminal where I got my very first look at the Anthem. She’s quite the beauty, isn’t she? My check-in time was between 13:00 and 13:30. I’d be interested in hearing from people who had the earliest boarding times, but by the time I arrived things felt relaxed and organized. I experienced no wait at security and check-in and it wasn’t long before I was heading up the gangway. Here’s my first look as I boarded. I had some very serious business to attend to, and I got to work as soon as I boarded. First stop was a Specialty Dining kiosk to make dining reservations for my three nights package I had previously booked. Since I was now travelling solo and I’m not too keen on doing the MDR solo, I decided to also make a reservation at Izumi, even if the menu shows no ramen. Seriously, Anthem? No ramen? Come on! Sushi is great, but I want to slurp some noodles! I suppose the number of bookings for the Chef’s Table was quite low, or maybe I’m just incredible charming. Either way, the man making my reservations offered me a 50% discount. I’ve never done that experience and I don’t think I would have booked it at the full price of $99.99, but I was happy to try it at the discounted price. The man helping me with my reservations is the sommelier for the Chef’s Table experience and he sold it very well. Also, there’s a salted caramel martini on the menu, so what is a girl supposed to do? I made the very solemn promise to have a very light lunch on my Chef’s Table day and I left the kiosk feeling pretty pleased. Then, I headed over to the Voom desk. Before the cruise, I had booked a two devices Surf package for my mother and I. Since she is no longer on the cruise, I had them switch my package to a one device Surf and Stream. The person manning the desk got it done quickly and he helped me get started by logging me in on my phone. Again, it was a quick, efficient and pleasant experience. Once I was done, I felt like I deserved my first cocktail of the cruise and I went up to Deck 15 to grab a Pineapple Guava Sangria at the North Star Bar. Drinks packages offers on Day 1: The North Star was already running, so I inquired about the free sessions. Everyone gets one free session in the first 10 days of the cruise, but then after Day 10 it resets and you can get another free session. I decided to wait until Ponta Delgada for my first free session and then maybe try to get another one for Day 11 in Boston. I would also like to try one session on a sea day where the North Star goes to the sides of the ship (I think those sessions have a fee; I’ll keep an eye out for them in the app). After my first cocktail, I had a look around Deck 15. The giraffe’s name is Gigi, right? She looks so big in person! Not to be dramatic, but I would give my life for Gigi. At least she has a floating donut thing going on, so in the unlikely event of an emergency I think she’s settled. This elevator will allow you to navigate between both floors of the Seaplex. By then, it was nearing 15:00 and my breakfast at Waterloo station was a distant memory. I decided that dinner that day would be a Dining Around the Anthem type of event. Here is Act I: The Dog House. I had loved the hot dogs on the Wonder, but I feel like my dog on Anthem wasn’t quite the same and I was a bit disappointed. I probably won’t visit again. Hot Dog gone, it was time to visit my stateroom. I had booked the accessible stateroom 10171 which has a virtual balcony. My only reason for booking this particular stateroom was its proximity to the elevators and it did not disappoint. It’s so close! I think the virtual balcony is pretty fun and a good way to see if the sun is up when I wake up during the night. The room feels pretty spacious and it has plenty of storage space for me. The bathroom is fine. I’m not a fan of the shower bench, which seems like it has enough space for exactly one of my buttocks, so I’ll need to figure out where I’ll put the other one. I much preferred the large wooden bench on the Wonder, even if it was a bit harder on the aforementioned buttocks. Overall I think I am happy with my stateroom choice. If I remember correctly, there were no accessible porthole staterooms left when I booked and I just couldn’t justify the price of an actual balcony. I quickly unpacked and headed to the Casino to get some American monies for tips. The ATM was the only machine open, so I grabbed some pictures while the casino was empty. Then, I went to the Solarium. Waiting for me in my stateroom had been an invitation for a Diamond and higher sailaway event and I wanted to check it out. It was so hot and stifling and people-ey that I noped out of there almost as soon as I arrived. The weather was so beautiful that I decided to watch us sail away from Deck 15. A lot of people had had the same idea, because the North Star Bar was packed. I grabbed a Piña Colada and found a quieter spot on the side of the ship. Once it got a bit too chilly (even for this Canadian), I returned to the Solarium where things had died down a bit. There were some nibbles in the Solarium Bistro for the event, so I decided to have Dinner Act II: Bites in the Solarium. I ordered one complimentary glass of sparkling wine, but was brought some sparkling wine AND a mimosa. I am not a fan of wasting perfectly good bubbles, so I soldiered on. Feeling slightly light-headed and a bit giggly, I made my way over to Boleros for Name that Tune: Classic Rock edition. I did horrible, which I fully expected, but it was a lot of fun and the guy from the activities team did a terrific job hosting. Here is drinks voucher #3 which I used on a Painkiller. After trivia, I went to Two70 for the first showing of Spectra’s Cabaret, which I enjoyed a lot. I feel like one glass of sparkling wine, one mimosa and one Painkiller put me in the perfect mood to enjoy the show to the fullest. I really liked it a lot, but I do like singing and dancing for the sake of singing and dancing. If you like a good dose of plot with your shows, this one may not be for you. It could still be worth seeing just to see Two70 in action. It looks like a great venue and I look forwards to seeing more from it. After the show, it was time for Dinner Act III: Late Night Pizza. I feel like the pizza at Sorrento’s gets better the later it is, so it wasn’t quite late enough for it to reach its max potential, but it was still a good way to end the evening. Those who followed my Wonder review may remember I developed a bit of an obsession with the spicy cheese at Sorrento’s. I am sad to report that they didn’t have it on Day 1, but I will visit again and will be sure to update you on the spicy cheese situation. With my Dinner Around the Ship completed, I took myself to bed and fell asleep quickly to the light rocking of the ship.