The Fun Researcher

Aren’t those the old menus though? I thought the navigator moved to the stripped down menus already. I haven’t seen the stripped down ones yet and am very curious about that for the 9 nighter.

Dan

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I have seen line ups outside of Sorrentos on quite a few occasions. Last year while on Harmony there were long line ups almost every night after the shows got out.

Lines for pizza were significantly longer on our only Oasis class cruise. We’ve never had a problem otherwise on our Freedom and Voyager class cruises.

The most annoying on our Oasis cruise(and maybe it was just that cruise)... but quite a few people were asking for the WHOLE pizza when they got up to the counter rather than a slice or two. Made the wait ridiculously long and frustrating sometimes.

Dan

We booked the 9 night next March (2019) on the Navigator. Can't wait. We sailed an 8 night Eastern on her spring of 2016 and loved it. It feels very much like a Freedom class ship but here are the main differences (to us):

Promenade is a little shorter, and Cafe Promenade and Sorrento's are combined into one venue (actually it was kind of convenient).

The pools are salt water, and there is no kid splash zone.

It doesn't have the cantilevered hot tubs off the side, but the actual width of the ship is the same as Freedom class.

We thought the entertainment in the theater was a little sub par versus other cruises, but that changes with each cruise. Good friends of ours just did the same 9 night last month and loved the entertainment. The ice show was great though, best we've seen.

One thing that our friends noticed, (and we tend to have similar opinions, so I value their feedback) was that the MDR food and options were the worst to date. We're going to remedy this by doing a 4 or 5 night specialty dining package, and then visiting the MDR for the two formal nights. That should get plenty of good dinner options.

Happy sailing. The Navigator will be fresh off a dry dock refurbishment that is Jan and Feb of 2019 so she should be fresh and ready to go!! We're on the March 15th sailing, and I think there are two 5 night sailings and one 9 night sailing before that, so hopefully that gets all the crew back into the swing of things and ready before when we arrive.

Can't wait. That itinerary is stellar.

Dan

15-20 years ago Western Caribbean was the more expensive route. We took a Feb cruise back then and was about $500 for per Balcony cabin when the Voyager Class came out... Never figured out why to changed to Eastern costing more now. Off/On I lived on US/Mex boarder from 2002-2008. Would cross boarder couple times a month, Navy Families/kids would also. By 2008 none would cross at nite, most wouldn't even in daytime for a while. Mexican violence been going on 10 yrs+ but just shifts to different parts of that country. I worked & supported the US govt in US Army and then for Federal Gov't doing drug interdiction... But first to admit at times was more afraid in Flint/Detroit Michigan in late 1980's-early 1990's during Crack violence

I just traveled for work to Chicago and Detroit. From my screen name, you might be able to figure out what I do for a living, or perhaps you think I like the pink fuzzy ones. Who knows. But...I took my gun with me to these two fine locales. Was I over reacting? Maybe. Have I even once considered (if I only could) taking my gun with me on a cruise? Nope. But I am aware when I travel.

First, ONECRUISER, thank you for your service.

No doubt that there are high crime areas in the USA. Flint happened to be THE POOREST city in the USA in 2017, so it's really cherry picking examples when comparing to Mexico. I get the point though. I doubt most people would recommend venturing into the high crime areas of Flint, Detroit, or Chicago either. Some absolutely wonderful people, the people of Flint, but yeah, the budget issues and crime speaks for itself. If you want another view of Flint BTW, check out the new Netflix documentary called Flint Town. Doesn't touch much on the water crisis that has saturated the media, but moreso on the police and budget woes.

Speaking of cruising to Mexico, right now there are just too many reasons that I would rather go elsewhere and crime is really a small part of it. It does factor in my decision and if I can eliminate a lot of that factor by cruising Eastern and Southern Caribbean, it is a little extra peace of mind. Plus, I just flat out prefer the Eastern ports, and we'll be doing Southern early next year which I'm excited about. We just got done with a Western in January and really enjoyed it, but I struggle more to find good excursions. We did two all inclusive beach days at Cozumel and Costa Maya, (Nachi Cocum and Maya Chan Beach) which were wonderful by the way. We did a full island tour of Roatan, and man that was an eye opener. Armed non uniformed men at gas stations with shotguns, many armed guards around the port area, etc... it was just a little off-putting. Still had a great day though with the family. Very poor island, and I feel for the locals. Hopefully the cruise industry and tourism pumps extra $$$ into that island to build it up.

Dan

Frankly, yes. IMO the only benefit to a western Caribbean cruise is the (typically) lower cruise fare. We much prefer eastern but don’t always have the choice of ship or class that we prefer.

Dan

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I played hell getting them to switch me amenities on my booking next month for the upgrade they booked me with. We initially booked an ocean view balcony on Allure because it was a good deal with a promotion they were running last fall. We then switched to a guarantee central park for the specialty lunch for two and some final cost savings. Sure enough, cabin assignments come out and they put us in a central park balcony with lunch for 4 at Johnny Rockets and soda packages. We were only sailing with three people (one of which is a vegetarian) and even if we had four I have ZERO desire to eat at Johnny Rockets, the adults already have the deluxe beverage and the child doesnt drink soda.

 

After numerous phone calls, being transferred to managers, etc they gave us the central park balcony amenities package but left us with a central park balcony and added some additional funds to my OBC.

Wow, Johnny Rockets a specialty lunch? Yikes. Yeah I would have been calling too.

Dan

We didn’t notice that the beds were hard a few months ago in January. So they were already changed by then? Interesting.

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I don’t mind people wearing lanyards and I doubt many others care as well. What I do mind is if someone actually acts superior or entitled.

Dan

Completely agree! Same thing I didn't hate the cruise but I won't book another Quantum class. I have noticed the reviews on the Oasis class are mostly positive and that class is bigger. So maybe I will give that class a chance. The Oasis class seems like a giant Voyager class ship to me similar design. I believe the Quantum Class is actually a Celebrity design that Royal Caribbean used. If you look at the Celebrity Equinox it is a similar design. The lack of Oceanviews I didn't like. I go on cruises in the middle of winter to escape cabin fever.... [ATTACH]420021[/ATTACH][ATTACH]420022[/ATTACH]

 

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That is a little odd to me though. We were on the Celebrity Equinox last year and probably felt the most connected to the ocean of any cruise ship we have been on. The top deck with the grass and the sunset bar and other areas galore to look out at the seas. It is a beautiful ship however by the sixth or seventh day I was running out of things to do on that ship. There are just not that many extras like with Royal Caribbean (ice rink, rock climbing, mini golf, etc...). . Super relaxing though

Dan

Thanks again for all of your cruise updates! It’s been very fun to follow along. Can’t wait to be on the navigator again next spring for 9 nights

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No set time, keep checking.

It's fairly random, but to give you some perspective, I was able to book a dining package in February for my cruise in November.

Thank you both.

Dan

So my bookings have shown up but it must be too early to book dining packages. It says I can't purchase them yet. Any idea how many months before a cruise they open up for purchase?

Thx, Dan

Yeah, the Oasis class will WOW you for their size, that's for sure.

Dan

Thank you Bob... much appreciated.

Now if I can only get my dang bookings to show up! It's been over 48 hours.

Dan

Comment - I see a positive spin on the removal of free room service meals. No more stacks of full plates in the hallways every morning!

 

Either no one is ordering room service or the crew is doing a great job picking up.

That is a positive spin. In all of our cruises we've never made use of room service so the fee doesn't really matter much to us.

However, this is almost purely to RCCL's benefit, not the customer. It reduces the demand on staff (due to less room service being ordered), and they actually recoup some of the cost of the food and service versus before.

Sounds like the cruise is going well so far! Happy cruising!

Dan

We put a refundable deposit down on a March 2019 cruise, and are strongly considering the 5 night specialty dining package for us all. I will know well ahead of time (more than 90 days) if we are going to cancel the cruise or go as planned.

If I cancel the cruise 90+ days out, I assume the specialty dining is refunded as well?

I just want to make sure, because prices are only going to go up between now and March 2019 for dining, so I figure I would rather purchase now than later.

Thanks,

Dan

Yep, besides the Cruise, taxes, port fees and the $14.50 per day gratuity per person, there is not a single dime more that you would have to pay.

Things that can cost you additional money if you choose: (I'm sure I missed some)

• Specialty Dining
  
• Soda, Specialty Coffees, Drinks that contain alcohol
  
• Excursions
  
• Ship tours and special classes or events (galley tour, wine tasting, sushi making class, etc...)
  
• Johnny Rockets cover charge
  
• Arcade
  
• Hand dipped ice cream (not the soft serve)
  
• Photos or photo packages
  
• Anything from the ship's shops
  
• Bingo
  
• After hours baby sitting
  
• Exercise classes
  
• Spa treatments
  
• Room Service
  
• Internet
  
• Casino
  

Dan

When fully dark, make your way out to the walking deck on Deck 4 and work your way to the front of the ship. When you get to the stairs, take them up to the helipad area and you can walk to the very ,very front of the ship and enjoy the warm Caribbean breeze. Then take a seat in one of the benches and look up at all the stars without all the light pollution.

One of our favorite things to do on the Freedom and Voyager class ships.

Dan

Thanks Dan! I figured Freedom Class would be fine on size it looks like all it is a is slightly larger Voyager class. Good to know cause I was thinking about booking Liberty of the Seas soon.

 

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Freedom class feels like a stretched Voyager class. Same width, but the promenade is longer and Sorrento's and the Cafe promenade are at each end of the promenade rather than being combined. Freedom class has the cantilevered hot tubs off the side of the ship (which make the stats look wider even though the main beam of the ship is roughly the same as Voyager). Freedom class has room for the splash park for kids on the pool deck. Freedom class also has fresh water pools, which is a nice bonus. Other than that they feel virtually the same.

We just got off the Liberty in January and LOVED it, despite our cold weather. We've been on all three Freedom class ships, and it might be our favorite. Great crew. Best dining of the three. Granted we've only done the Freedom once, Independence twice, and Liberty once, so we have limited exposure.

Happy sailing.

Dan

I am sure I will get criticized because there are some people who really love Anthem and that is fine to each their own. I didn't like how overcrowded Anthem was. I don't necessarily oppose bigger ships having been on Explorer and Mariner which are still pretty big ships even with today's mega ships. Explorer and Mariner never felt crowded or claustrophobic, Anthem did. I also wasn't a fan of the ship's layout it was almost like they forgot about the Ocean when they designed her and though she is built for colder climates, she was still too enclosed for me with lack of oceanviews.

 

Most ships have a bunch of observation decks, not Anthem. Anthem mainly had the crowded pool deck to view the ocean, a small deck off the Windjammer (Which was also crowded), and barely an outer promenade that had dead ends where most ships it wraps around the whole ship.

 

Even after booking activities months before the cruise we still waited in line for everything! It felt more like an amusement park/shopping mall at sea instead of a cruise ship which call me old school, but that is not why I cruise. I cruise to sit back relax and enjoy the ocean air. Everything was mainly inside, the Esplanade looked a lot like a shopping mall to me and was crowded most of the time.

 

That being said do I regret booking Anthem? Absolutely not, the worst cruise is no cruise at all! However would I ever book a Quantum class ship again? Absolutely not, I like the other Royal Caribbean ships better and I will probably not book anything larger than a Freedom Class in the future. (Though I suspect the Oasis Class might spread the crowd out enough)

 

Now that I got the negatives out of the way, here are the highlights of Anthem that were positive, like I said it wasn't like I had a terrible time I was still on a Cruise Vacation instead of sitting at home in the cold! She is just my least favorite ship in the fleet that is all....

 

Positive Stuff:

Great Cabin, probably the biggest nicest cabin I have ever had on a cruise ship so if a cabin is important to you then you will like Anthem. (I don't care much about cabins cause I just mainly sleep there)

270 Lounge and Cafe 270 was cool, this was one spot you could get away from the crowd.

Overall the ship is beautiful full of nice decor and elegant artwork.

Solarium was very nice.

Shows and Entertainment very high quality. (Cabaret and We Will Rock You show was great, The Gift was ok but still worth seeing, comedians and music was good also)

Food was excellent once you got into the dining room.

Waiter, Assistant Waiter, and Cabin Attendant were great.

 

Negative Stuff:

Ship design doesn't really let you appreciate the Sea.

Too many people, even though she is a large ship they stuffed way too many people on this class and didn't spread them out enough.

Crew seemed stressed and service level was inferior to other Royal Caribbean ships probably because they had to handle way too many passengers.... (With exception to the waiter, asst waiter and cabin attendant)

Even after making reservations in advance waited in line for everything forget about doing anything in the Seaplex it was jammed all the time, pools were also too crowded.

For a new ship believe it or not lots of stuff was broken like the xBoxes my niece and nephew wanted to play, drink machines and etc...

My Time Dining is a big Cluster F. Anthem for some reason, where it hasn't been on other RCL cruises I have been on.

 

That was just my opinion you very may well love Anthem it really comes down to the type of cruiser you are. I will say though since you have traveled on Carnival in the past Anthem is very different from the rest of the RCL ships, so don't judge the whole line on this one ship. I to have sailed with Carnival and I like both lines, majority have been RCL just because of the loyalty points, and I always thought their ships were slightly more elegant than Carnival, but both lines are pretty comparable to each other..

 

Best advice I can give is book everything you want to do on the website well in advance, you will still wait for stuff but won't wait nearly as long as the people who book on the ship. Also if you are going to dine in the main dining rooms just pick an early or late seating instead of the My Time Dining option, it may not be as flexible but you will get into the dining room faster. If you can afford a Balcony Cabin, spring for the balcony as I said the ship itself lacks a lot of views best just to get that view from your cabin and to get away from the crowds.

 

Good luck enjoy your cruise!

 

Past Cruises:

 

Carnival Ecstacy

Sovereign of the Seas

Enchantment of the Seas

Majesty of the Seas

Carnival Victory

Explorer of the Seas

Mariner of the Seas

Empress of the Seas

Empress of the Seas

Anthem of the seas

 

Future Cruise Booked:

Empress of the Seas again! Love Key West this ship goes there a lot....

Two of the key reasons that you didn't like the Anthem were the same as why we didn't care (much) for the Oasis class. Lack of a connection to the ocean, lack of views. People, people everywhere, even late hours when things are typically quieting down. ...in addition, the workout facilities were by far the poorest of any ship we've sailed.

The staterooms were nice though, and the main promenade and central park were beautiful. We also liked the extra "club" venues for dancing/drinking at night.

Love the Freedom class. For us, it hits the sweet spot of big, but not too big and crowded. Still plenty to do. Love the promenade. Great views of the ocean.

Dan

A couple of other notes. Surf internet speed checked today at 410 kB - slow.

 

Last nights prime rib and coq a vont (chicken).

 

Was the prime rib up to par? Really enjoying tagging along for your cruise updates BTW. :)

Dan

St. Thomas has two amazing beaches to choose from

1) Take ferry over to St. Johns and go to Trunk Bay. This is the best beach we've ever been to at any of our ports. (13)

2) Take a taxi on St. Thomas and go to Magens bay (our second fav)

Dan

For our family, it would be a sad, sad day to see the MDR turn into something else. We greatly value the family time at dinner in the MDR, enjoying good conversation and excellent food (so far) in an elegant atmosphere. In all of our cruises we've only missed the MDR twice for dinner.

We cruised the NOS back in 2016 and were very happy with the MDR. However, we heard the same thing about the MDR from friends that just returned from the 9 night on the Navigator. We are booked on the NOS next March, so hopefully the MDR improves between now and then.

Dan

Curious. Where are the dry docks performed?

We are looking at the March 15 2019 sailing.

It looks like the first cruise out of dry dock is Feb 24th (5 night), then a March 1st (9 night), and at March 10th (5 night). Hopefully that is enough for the crew to get back in the swing of things before March 15th?

Dan

We've only done Freedom Class, Voyager Class, Oasis Class and the Celebrity Solstice Class (sorry not technically Royal Caribbean).

In order of preference:

Freedom Class

Celebrity S Class (almost a tie with Freedom Class)

Voyager Class

Oasis Class