swim13

NCL should pay you for bringing all of us "Loyal to Royal" over! Have a great trip!

Being a swimmer in the U.S. I totally feel you on the speedo thing! I don't understand why everyone here is so weird about it...

Hahahaha glad you got a drink from Jelena! Tell her Mike (her "prince charming") said hello!! :')

Stargazing on a ship is one of my absolute favorite things to do ever!! And how about seeing a full moon's reflection on that water?!

I wish they allowed access to the helipad on the Oasis and Quantum class! I used to love going out there, especially a night when the stars are out! Enjoy!

Would love to try the ATS! Following

Jelena at the Schooner bar was our favorite bartender in June of last year! I wonder if she is still there!

Have a great sailing!

Looking forward to following along! Hoping to get over to Europe and do a med cruise next summer! :cool:

You're right, iPhone 7 Plus does take incredible photos! People probably won't even notice! (y)

There are a lot of good points on here, but wow people are harsh behind a computer screen!! I would expect this kind of harassment and behavior from my generation (millennials), but apparently, it's never going to get better like I was hoping as I get older! :o

I feel sorry for OP and I can guarantee you ALL if you just put yourselves in their shoes for 5 seconds, you'd all be very angry/upset too. If you don't like OP's tone - just move on to the next thread. All she really wanted was our help. Who are we to judge when we don't know the full story on either side.

This is going to be fun!

I love Anthem too and while you may be joking about the U.S. and its relationship to technology, I think there is some truth to it all! ;p Looking forward to the rest

Kevin - Harmony looks absolutely incredible! I've been on both Allure and Anthem and loved both, so I can only imagine what it is like to be on a ship with the best of both worlds! I also love the Freedom class and think you will very much enjoy Freedom of the Seas herself.

Glad I am not the only "young" cruise reviewer with a big passion for RCI here! Keep up the good work! :cool:

Can't wait! I have a Sony NEX camera, love that series! Getting my 7 plus soon and can't wait to check out the camera and new portrait mode!

Excited for this review, enjoy! :)

Everyone seems to be freaking out over nothing. I understand where to OP is coming from. It's a simple observation that the Freedom class ships looked absolutely gorgeous externally when they first came out of the ship yard. Now with all of the additions, the ship is looking a bit off. It's simply not as beautiful as it once was, but it's not going to stop people from vacationing obviously.

Have you ever been to an extraordinarily beautiful place? It's all the small details an architect or designer put into that place. For people who are detail oriented like me, you would notice this. Could you imagine not noticing this when walking up to the ship? I would be worried that if I didn't notice these dramatic changes, I must not be noticing a lot of things in my life! :eek:

Going back to read this now! We'll be on Anthem in October, also coming from Upstate.

I'm in the Finger Lakes region! Have fun on your cruise!

Thank you looking forward to sharing your review at next family dinner.

Certainly! :)

Great Review! Thank You!

Thank you!

Thank you for the review. If you have time, can you please go to deck 11 and get the nursery & aquanauts compasses and the family info sheet? Thank you in advance. I am trying to figure out the time of activities to figure out dinner time. It is hard to find this info online.

I wish I could simply go to Deck 11, but I am not on the ship! I unfortunately didn't get to the part of the ship on day 1 and it was closed off to adults like me after that. I hope you get your info! Most people with children do early seating around 6:30.

I really enjoyed your review and pictures. We're sailing in November and this was a great read to start planning!

Thank you!! Enjoy your vacation!

Mike thank you; your review is a beautiful gift that keeps on giving. Information is a powerful tool. Due to a great promotion a few months back our family of 7 DH and 4 daughters, booked 2 cabins for next August. We are on CC and NCL this summer, have sailed both before so we are familiar with their product. I was wondering if I should stick to NCL as they have an amazing night life. 3 of our daughters are 21-25.

 

My questions are how is the club scene for that age group?

 

Our 6 year old DD loves the dreamworks characters( which was one of the reasons we chose this brand) did they pull out completely?

 

Are there any waterslides on this ship?( somehow I thought there was and also a big kids splash area)

 

Whats the puzzle room?

I am happy you are trying RCI, it's such a great brand! I am 21 and enjoyed the night life. I was up past midnight always and found the main areas to be full of activity/people! There are many things to do until midnight, including late night comedy, dancing, etc. Music Hall turns into a nightclub from 12 till 2 am. During the last night Two70 turned into a "high energy" (las vegas style) nightclub. Very cool!

Dreamworks is still on the ship! In fact they will make character appearances, so keep an eye on the cruise compass to find out when and where!

There are no waterslides on this ship, but RCI is putting them on most of the new builds and the older ships that are getting revitalized. This ship has rock climbing, FlowRider, and skydiving simulator! These all beat waterslides in my opinion and kept everyone very busy! Of course SeaPlex also keeps kids busy. There is so much to do on this ship for every age group. They really thought of it all!

Puzzle room I am not too sure on. Apparently your family/group will get "locked" in and you have 1 hour to figure out how to get yourselves out. It's a neat concept from what I hear.

Hope that helps! :)

On our June 2nd cruise, she had the port side facing the dock.

Great review, thanks for getting me excited for our trip on her next month! It will be my second cruise on Anthem- I think the ship is great- sorry to hear the crew has a rough time on her though- thanks again!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Thank you! You're lucky. Can you pack me in your bag?!

Most excellent review and pics!! Really appreciate the time and effort you put into it! We board in 9 days and this upped the excitement level a few notches....thank you so much!!

Thanks! You're welcome, have a fantastic time!

Thank you for sharing. This is one of the best reviews I've ever read. Great job!

Thanks so much!!

Thanks so much; this info was really helpful!

Yes, all of the above information given from Ocean Boy and Wildcatfish is correct! Don't worry about walking far to get to the ferry in St. Maarten or Bermuda. Definitely walking distance.

Now I believe the price was $14-15 roundtrip per person to Hamilton and back. Yes, USD bills are perfectly fine anywhere you travel while on this itinerary. They love our currency! :cool:

Mike,

First of all, your review was wonderful and the photos were glorious. I’m on the Aug. 11th sailing and after reading this, I feel like I’m a veteran Anthem passenger without ever having been on board. I’m hoping you’re still checking this post because I have a few questions about the itinerary that you might be able to help me with.

 

1) In Bermuda, I know the ship docks at King’s Wharf, so you have to have transport to get anywhere else. Do you know if the ferry to Hamilton (or St. George) is within close (no more than 5 or 6 minutes) walking distance to the ship? And do they let you off in the center of those 2 towns? And I’ve read they take American money on the ferry itself; can you confirm that?

 

2) Does the ship dock within close walking distance of the center of Phillipsburg?

 

3) I’m not really a beach person, but I would like to do one snorkeling trip while on this cruise. If you know, which port (Bermuda, St. Maarten, or Labadee) would be the best to do that? (and which specific excursion, if you did one)

 

Thanks so much for any answers you can give me. And thanks again for the tremendous time and effort you put into your review![/size][/size]

Thank you! I can easily give you some answers!

1. The ferry is very close to the dock. If you sprint (like we did!) it will only take you about 2-3 minutes. If you are walking it will probably be more around 5-6 minutes. You will go into a small building to get tokens for the ferry ride and they do take $USD. I did not travel to St. Georges, but it took about 15-20 minutes, I believe, to get to Hamilton. It will drop you off in a central location in Hamilton. I think I read somewhere that the ferry ride to St. Georges takes about 45 minutes.

2. The ship docks close to Phillipsburg, but I do not suggest walking to town. There is a ferry that is really cheap ($7 round trip) and only takes a few minutes to get you there.

3. I did not do any snorkeling, however I know that Bermuda was a great place for it and I saw many beach-goers put on some snorkeling gear and snorkel right at Horseshoe Bay beach. A local said that Tobacco Bay beach near St. Georges was a great place to snorkel. Your other best bet would be in St. Maarten!

Have a fantastic cruise!

 

 

HI Mike :)

 

Terrific review!! Thank you!

 

 

 

:)

 

Thank you!! :)

Is there a Pets at Sea still on anthem? Thank you and GREAT review.

Thank you for your kind response! Unfortunately there is not a "Pet's at Sea" on Anthem. I believe that is only on Oasis class to compliment the Boardwalk theme!

Someone mentioned this being an answer to Seaside and I totally agree! I am sure they feel slightly threatened and Oasis 4 would be a great answer, especially with this new terminal. I like that RCI is putting so much into ports and terminals. It really shows that they are really committed to the total experience, on and off the ship.

I don't think we would see Oasis class in NYC unless they designed some kind of glass ceiling for at least Central Park. You can really only bet on the weather up here from mid June to mid September. Then you have the issue with whether she would fit at the Bermuda dock or not. I am assuming she is too big for Bermuda.

Amazing! Thanks for sharing. This will be a wonderful addition to Miami and hopefully we will see even more new itineraries for Oasis class. :D

I like to drink on vacation too, and found the premium package to be worth it. Even on the days in port. Those $10-$15 small drinks add up quickly! Remember it also includes a beverage cup to fill with soda/water, and bottles of water to take on land. :)

for letting my family and I relive our wonderful cruise all over again, as we were on the same cruise. Even saw a couple of your photos, with us in it!!!!

 

Awesome ship, would definitely cruise her again.

 

Lou

That is awesome! Never thought I'd have someone on the review see themselves in it! :p Of course, glad you found it!

Great photo, always love aerials. Thanks for sharing!