Anthem 9 night July 28....live....at times

[Merion_Mom]

Thank you for the info. I find all the information provided here very useful. I am still new to cruising. 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 when I should book the nursery and when we shoul do activities together. It is hard to find this info online.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic! All of the different threads can be somewhat overwhelming at first.

 

There is a separate "family cruising" forum. Here is a thread from there:

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2171495

Edited July 30, 2016 by Merion_Mom

[ncbn0902]

We left maybe 15 minutes late aching wad lucky for one family that came right before the ambulance left.

 

Not sure what happened, but it looked like a woman in late 60s? She was awake on the stretcher. They took her and husband (?) and and all their luggage. So, no I didn't ask around what happened.

 

Can not believe the stupidity of people running for the boat at 4pm when that was the time we were supposed to leave.

 

Last night was coastal kitchen (parents are in a junior suite with the family rooms adjoining so 1 door leads to 3 which was a regular d1, an inside with a virtual window and the jr. Suite. My part of the family it's right next door with all the balconies connecting

 

I seen 3 people running to make the ship at 3:55 before I seen the ambulance.

[densol]

Thank you for sharing :)

[Plainoldt]

Chic last night. Really bad food-I'm talking school cafeteria bad. Service, while nice, was really bad.

 

Water never refilled, drinks were wrong time and time again, food (pork chop s, chicken Parm & chic fingers ) inedible.

 

Prime rib over cooked but edible. Spaghetti vongolle..My father and I agree it but...yeah, weird

 

Every drink ordered we had to give sea cards and wow bands rather than at the end of the meal

 

Desserts sub par.

 

Tonight were at wonderland.

 

We're on deck 13 and I heard complaints from others about being under the pool deck and I can report no noise at all. Plus it's so convenient to pools, coastal kitchen buffet.

 

Elevators suck.

 

Sorrento's pizza? I am a born and bred nyer who is picky about their pizza but I have to say- it's tasty. It looks like frozen pizza. It doesn't look appetizing AT ALL but Damn ...It was tasty.

 

Not not enough pools for the amount of people.

 

Crew? Not one compliant here. Always smiling and nice.

 

North star in a bit.

[Plainoldt]

A few quick notes on board....I'll add pics and cruise compass and kids activity pages when I'm home.

 

All the free dining is some if of the worst food I've had any where. Chic, grande and American icon....bad, horrid and eh, passable.

 

The specialty ones? REALLY good. Not top 10 ever, but very very good food.

 

 

Wonderland is NOT for everyone but it our group of 10 enjoyed the experience.

One of my girls ended up with a bowl of pays from Jamie's because although she tasted most things, it wasn't really enough for a meal.

 

The fabulous, and I mean FABULOUS wait staff offered to get the kids anything they wanted from any where.

 

Chops was perfect. Going back again tonight.

 

Jamie's tomorrow.

 

Laberdee? Cluster f***. Just glad we got two bungalows. The food was so bad we didn't eat lunch at all. Snacked on fruit and cookies

 

Puerto Rico was way too short, but wet got a quick tour in.

 

Save yourself money, don't book through the cruise. Just walk off the ship and plenty of people set to take you around for 10$ a head

 

Bermuda...if you have kids, right off the boat there's a small pirate ship with water park stuff for only $5 a head with an inexpensive bar to watch them in

 

St martin....we also didn't get the cruise tour. We got 6 beach chairs with 3 umbrellas (covering a pair a seats) for $40. That includes free wifi, bathrooms (clean but primitive) showers and lizzie's restaurant there and they'd bring you food and drinks

 

Didn't find any alcohol deals that the ship didn't beat

 

People on the ship come out by 7 to reserve seats by the pools. I questioned deck crew and they said the y monitor the 30 minute rules but they really didn't

[Clarea]

Appeciate the report. Sorry the food was not to your liking.

[lottiedee]

I'm sailing on the Anthem next week for 9 nights and we have the dynamic dining classic, can you tell me how many formal nights this cruise has? Did you do the zipline in Labadee? TIA!

[Clarea]

I'm sailing on the Anthem next week for 9 nights and we have the dynamic dining classic, can you tell me how many formal nights this cruise has? Did you do the zipline in Labadee? TIA!

There are no shipwide formal nights on Anthem. However, if you dine in Grande on other than the first or last night, you are expected to dress formally.

[lottiedee]

Formally for men means jacket and tie?? TIA!!

[Yorkvillain]

Formally for men means jacket and tie?? TIA!!

 

A jacket is good enough. You don't need the tie.

[Plainoldt]

Appeciate the report. Sorry the food was not to your liking.

 

To be honest, I thought that the wind jammer, although more casual, offered a wider selection of better food.

 

But we had fabulous meals at the specialties

[Plainoldt]

I'm sailing on the Anthem next week for 9 nights and we have the dynamic dining classic, can you tell me how many formal nights this cruise has? Did you do the zipline in Labadee? TIA!

 

Book it NOW or if it's to late, book it the first thing when you get on the ship. It was sold out for us. We were bummed

[Plainoldt]

I'm sailing on the Anthem next week for 9 nights and we have the dynamic dining classic, can you tell me how many formal nights this cruise has? Did you do the zipline in Labadee? TIA!

 

If you're not doing any specialties, you'll have 2.

 

There's a small possibility that you'll get the grande on nights 1, 5, & 9 but the first and last nights aren't mandatory formal

[Plainoldt]

And just to really drive home the point...The crew has been fantastic.

 

In fact, the closest thing I could say that isn't raving if that there were two times that a crew member wasn't super nice, and that's only because they were both so busy they were trying to get things done and were under staffed. Two tiny times when they weren't perfect on a

9 night cruise.

[Clarea]

To be honest, I thought that the wind jammer, although more casual, offered a wider selection of better food.

 

But we had fabulous meals at the specialties

We have also started to use WJ for dinner occasionally, for the variety.

[DaniDanielle]

Really enjoyed the stir fry on our 5 day Anthem. That was in the Windjammer.

[shukapaw]

We are trying to decide on this ship in the fall or the Breakaway (which we've been on before)...I will be anxiously waiting for your posts! Thanks!

 

@WMQueenie,

 

We sailed both lines this summer. First, 9 days on the Anthem and then flew to Miami and boarded the Getaway (with only one day in between)

 

It depends on what you look for in a cruise.

 

Anthem pluses:

9 days vs 7,

More pools and usable sunning areas,

set dining times available (if that is important to you),

Better cabin size and layout

Better itinerary

 

NCL pluses: (We sailed Getaway but ship is same)

Better MDR service

Better shows and more variety of entertainment

 

 

Food was good on both.

Getaway seemed very crowded due to poor ship layout (Breakaway has same design).

 

We loved the Anthem's design and layout

 

I would definitely sail either again (and probably will)

 

NCL is getting numerous black eyes lately for all the changes they are making.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Brian

Edited August 4, 2016 by shukapaw

[marci22]

Really enjoyed the stir fry on our 5 day Anthem. That was in the Windjammer.

 

Did they have this on a certain day? My kids really like this.

[Plainoldt]

We will be in a JS this Jan please let me know how CK is and a must is the Grand great food there. And thanks for the reports

 

Coastal kitchen was fab. Second favorite on the ship. Chops was the favorite

 

The Grande? Yikes, except for the lobster tails, it was NOT good.

[fishbonz]

Coastal kitchen was fab. Second favorite on the ship. Chops was the favorite

 

The Grande? Yikes, except for the lobster tails, it was NOT good.

 

Yes the lobster was good and so was the beef wellington. What show are they doing now and how were they? And who is the CD? thanks for all the reports.

[WMQueenie]

@shukapaw -

 

Thanks, Brian....We enjoyed the Breakaway but want a change in itinerary, plus I have Royal points on my charge card to use up! Anthem is only about $200 more total for 2 more nights....but on the Breakaway booze and specialty dining is included.....decisions, decisions....

[4everAfamily]

Chic last night. Really bad food-I'm talking school cafeteria bad. Service, while nice, was really bad.

 

Water never refilled, drinks were wrong time and time again, food (pork chop s, chicken Parm & chic fingers ) inedible.

 

Prime rib over cooked but edible. Spaghetti vongolle..My father and I agree it but...yeah, weird

 

Every drink ordered we had to give sea cards and wow bands rather than at the end of the meal

 

Desserts sub par.

 

Tonight were at wonderland.

 

We're on deck 13 and I heard complaints from others about being under the pool deck and I can report no noise at all. Plus it's so convenient to pools, coastal kitchen buffet.

 

Elevators suck.

 

Sorrento's pizza? I am a born and bred nyer who is picky about their pizza but I have to say- it's tasty. It looks like frozen pizza. It doesn't look appetizing AT ALL but Damn ...It was tasty.

 

Not not enough pools for the amount of people.

 

Crew? Not one compliant here. Always smiling and nice.

 

North star in a bit.

 

What were your cabin numbers on Deck 13? Thanks!