Anthem of the Seas Picture Review October 6th to 15th 2016

[Yorkvillain]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great review madra! For the first time I am actually intrigued about doing a NE/Canada cruise. Looking forward to the rest of your report.

[madra2112]

Reading back over what I've written, I haven't mentioned two things that became important parts of the Anthem experience for me. Mike, Kelly, Pauline and I became quite involved in playing trivia, bringing home several highlighters, zipper pullers and pens after a number of victories. We were contenders for the Progressive Trivia, but lost out in the end on a 10 pointer question!

 

The other thing we did, and I don't want to say too much about it, was the Puzzle Room. 'Escape from the Future' was a wonderful experience, the four of us and eight other people we didn't know locked in a room and given a number of clues to solve in order to find a key. Effectively, it throws strangers together and forces them to communicate, identify each other's strengths and work together as a team. We solved in it 43 minutes. The record is 39. I will say nothing about the format or the clues, but would urge anyone to book it.

 

My second habit was twofold - Pool and whirlpool twice a day. In the morning, I would rise at 5.45, walk for 40-45 minutes, do 30 - 40 minutes in the gym, swim a few lengths of the main pool, and then spend 15 minutes or so in the Solarium whirlpool.

 

I would also return to the whirlpool around 4.30 or so after returning from shore trips. It was a great way to unwind and work up an appetite. Anthem certainly has the best pools and solarium I've experienced (I've not been on Oasis, Allure of Harmony, so can't comment on that class), and that an important part of my day.

 

Right, to Day 3, and Portland, Maine

 

My fear was that we would see bad weather in most ports at some point. IN reality, all the rain was concentrated into one Port of Call, and Portland drew the short straw.

 

We had booked the Portland Fire Engine Tour, which was enjoyable and engaging, with a crew who were entertaining and engaging despite the weather.

 

 

One of the upsides of the weather was we got to wear the fire jackets and helmets. I decided to participate with enthusiasm!

 

 

 

Sadly, a mixture of rain, low cloud and mist meant visibility was very low, and much of the tour consisted of lines like "If you could see through the cloud you would see a lighthouse.....", or "If you were here yesterday, you would have seen.......".

 

That said though, it was a very enjoyable trip, not spoiled by the rain.

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2016 by madra2112

[madra2112]

After getting off the fire engine, we headed up to The Holy Donut, voted one of the best donut shops in the US. Made with potato, they were delicious. I reckon any donut shop which has a queue outside on a rainy Sunday morning is special, and this certainly was!

 

 

Later, when we got back to the ship, we got some Starbucks, and had a rather tasty early lunch!

 

 

 

Before that though, we did some shopping, bought some souvenirs to bring home and then headed back to the ship, getting some shots as we returned.

 

 

 

One thing I noticed about Anthem is the queues to get back on the ship have been some of the longest I've seen. Portland was a typical example just before lunchtime.

 

[madra2112]

One of the key innovations of the Quantum class is 270, and we got a nice shot of it from the outside as we returned from Portland.

 

Later that night, those windows became the screen upon which was projected a great set from Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns.

 

 

 

And so, a rainy day in Portland came to a close, and that was the last we saw of the rain. However, the weather wasn't finished with us. Not by a long shot.

 

Day 5 - Bar Harbour, Maine

 

The next morning started very promisingly. Dry and bright, and as the sun came up, I was in the gym. I'd been looking forward to Bar Harbour for a long time, and things were looking good.

 

 

 

The first tender was already en route, and our plan was to get tender tickets at about 8.45, ad then head for Acadia National Park. I had my phone with me, so I took the opportunity to grab some shots of the pool and solarium. At 7.30 each morning, this was practically my personal fiefdom, with hardly anyone else about.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2016 by madra2112

[madra2112]

 

 

 

[madra2112]

.....and we're back!.

 

Apologies for the break in service, real life began intruding in a very disruptive manner!

 

The plan for Bar Harbour was for the four of us to meet at 8.45, get tender tickets and then head for Acadia National Park. Abe had made it clear the previous evening that tickets would be required between 8 and 11, and then from 11 on, it would be a matter of heading straight to the gangway.

 

However, hearing some updates from Abe over the speaker system, it was clear that the slightly choppy seas were affecting the tendering, and there were some delays.

 

After my walk and gym session, I swam, soaked and showered, and then headed to Windjammer, bringing some fruit, cereal and Danishes down to the cabin. As we ate, Pauline said she'd like to stay in bed, read for a bit and then go into Bar Harbour at 11 or so.

 

I messaged Mike and Kelly, suggested they go on ahead, and we might meet in town later. We relaxed and read, and at 10.40 or so, headed down to get the tender. I had gone online and found Oli's Trolleyn was running a trip to Cadillac Mountain at 12.45, with space onboard, so I booked that for the two of us.

 

Tickets were still being distributed, so I picked up two tickets for Tender 15, hearing Tender 10 being called as I got them. 11 was called shortly afterwards. All going to plan!

 

 

We grabbed a coffee and watched the next tender approach, first through the window at the Cafe Promenade, and then from the deck.

 

 

 

It was clear that things were not going smoothly, there were no issues on the ship, but the seas in the harbour were choppy and the tender boat was rocking. Abe came back on the tannoy, apologising for the delay, and then indicating that tendering had been suspended.

 

The ship began to move, in search of a more sheltered position for the tenders.

 

At this point, Pauline vocalised what I was also thinking. "Soon, they'll stop allowing people off, and just concentrate on bringing people on shore back".

 

I emailed Oli's Trolley, they cancelled our booking, and within the hour, it was clear that we wouldn't be leaving. A short time later, Abe confirmed that, and announced an extra film in the theatre. Not sure what it was, wouldn't it be great if there was an app we could use to load up Cruise Compasses etc. on our mobiles? That would mean we could then be updated with news and changes in th....................sorry, just fantasising for a moment!

 

In the meantime, Mike and Kelly were updating us on their Acadia adventures via FB Messanger. If only...............

 

We got ever nearer the town, these pics reflect that......

 

 

[madra2112]

 

 

 

 

 

[madra2112]

Another aside. Earlier in the cruise, we had gone to Michael's to hear Bob, the "We Will Rock You" guitarist play what was described in the Cruise Compass as an 'Art Rock' set.

 

It was a wonderful instrumental set, featuring instrumental versions of classics by Led Zepellin, Pink Floyd and other classic / prog rock artists. The following night, I saw him play Rush's "La Villa Strangiato" in the Schooner Bar, what was probably the single greatest musical performance I have ever seen on a cruise ship.

 

It's a matter of taste, of course, but this was special!

 

Tonight, Bob had promised to play a Pink Floyd album in full at the 'Eve' sculpture outside Vintages, and myself and a few other '50 something' men sat mesmerised as Bob played The Dark Side of the Moon in full, before finishing with a jaw-dropping interpretation of Comfortably Numb.

 

 

As we headed back to our cabins, the fact that the sea was a bit choppy was reflected in the new decorations which appeared on the stairs.

 

However, queasiness had no place on my agenda, as I was on the verge of achieving a long-standing ambition. I was heading for Canada.

 

 

Next morning, we pulled into Halifax, Nova Scotia, to be greeted by Disney Magic, which had been diverted North as a result of Hurricane Matthew.

 

Shortly afterwards, we were joined by Carnival Sunshine, which was scheduled.

 

After our enforced stay on the ship the previous day, we were looking forward to setting foot on Canadian soil for the forst time.

 

 

 

 

[Mewissy]

I'm really enjoying your review and that lobster roll had my mouth watering!!

[cruisercathy]

Waiting for more.....LOL...We are going on the Anthem next August!

[riclop]

thanks for the review.

[cruise47]

Thanks for sharing your review & photos. Loved those pictures of that lobster roll and the Maine doughnuts .

[3dogmom]

I was on this same cruise and can't wait to see more of your pictures to relive the trip all over again! What an awesome itinerary!

[madra2112]

As I mentioned previously, I've been a Rush fan all my life. That's reflected in my CC name - madra is Irish for dog ; my name on some Rush forums (fora?) is "Madra Sneachta" - Snow Dog, a reference to an early Rush song.

 

2112 was their breakthrough album way back in the 70s.

 

They are a Canadian band, and since my teens, I've wanted to visit Canada for that reason. Now, I know Halifax and Toronto are probably as different as Dublin and Dusseldorf, but that maple leaf flag stirred something in me as I walked on to Pier 21, singing "The Spirit of Radio".

 

 

We headed up towards the Public Gardens, a beautiful park with a very nice bandstand and a lake with some model ships on it, one of which looked rather familiar.

 

To get there though, we had to pass Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny's home patch!

 

 

 

 

 

[madra2112]

Then, we headed towards the Citadel, which incorporates a military museum, including a reproduction of a World War 1 trench.

 

Particularly appropriate as the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme is being marked.

 

We managed to time it that got to the Citadel just before the cannon was fired at 12 noon, followed by the Changing of the Guard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[madra2112]

 

You can see from the Citadel the impact the ship has on the Halifax skyline!

 

 

We then headed towards Prince's Street for a bite of lunch. I'm very much involved in the amateur music scene here in Donegal, and a friend had tipped me off about a bar called The Old Triangle, named after a famous Brendan Behan song, and co-owned a guy who was born 20 miles away from my home.

 

To be honest, I usually avoid Irish pubs like the plague when I'm overseas. I'm sure US citizens often raise their eyebrows when they see "Genuine American Diners", it's very much the same for Irish people and bars.

 

However, this was different. A lovely pub with a mixture of Irish and international food. My favourite entry on the menu was "Aer Wingus", but as I was in Canada, I couldn't not have the Seafood Chowder. It was excellent, and four plates were cleaned in very short order!

 

 

 

 

[madra2112]

Halifax is a city on and of the sea, and that maritime history is evident everywhere you go. Basic research at the early stages of preparation very quickly convinced me that the centrepiece of our Halifax visit should be the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

 

 

We considered the Titanic Graveyard, but decided against it. The museum was excellent, and obviously, Titanic loomed large in its presentation, both in terms of the physical exhibits and the films and audio / visual presentations.

 

 

One of the points echoed in those presentations was that the living were brought to New York, the dead were brought to Halifax.

 

Living, as I do, two hours from Belfast, I've visited the exhibitions in the Titanic Quarter there (motto "It was fine when it left here!), so to find myself in the city where many of the dead are buried was an interesting next step.

 

Of course, it wasn't all heavy stuff, the exhibits also made provision for children to play..........children of all ages, naturally!

 

 

 

Theodore Too is part of the outdoor section of the museum, which also contains what is probably the most poignant memorial I have seen. Many of those from Canada who fought in World War 1 left from Halifax on the Saxonia. "The Last Steps" features a gangplank and lifebelts of the ship attached to an arc, towards which footsteps burnt into the deck are pointing.

 

 

Beside it is the SS Acadia, an old marine research and surveying vessel which I boarded as part of the museum ticket.

 

All in all, a superb way to spend a day, and Halifax turned out to be one of the highlights of the cruise.

 

A lovely boardwalk and seafront as well.

 

[madra2112]

 

 

 

 

Back on board, I paid my customary visit to the solarium, before a good dinner in The Grande. Then, to the theatre where we had booked tickets for that night's performance of We Will Rock You.

 

As a long standing Queen fan who saw them on 'The Works' tour with Freddie Mercury in 1984, I loved this show. The story was a little ludicrous, but the music was great and the performances were solid.

 

 

Later, we adjourned to bed, with a long awaited day ahead. On Saturday October 12th, 1991, two couples who didn't know each other got married on opposite sides of the Atlantic. On Wednesday October 12th 2016, two couples who now do know each other planned to celebrate!.

[reallyitsmema]

Enjoying your review. One comment though, you said you wish there was an app with compasses, there is an app that you can use on Anthem called Royal IQ. Once you register in the app, you have access to your cruise calendar, can make and cancel reservations, view cruise compasses and see your on board account. Was Royal IQ not available for your sailing? We used it in September on our Anthem cruise and can't wait until it is available on all ships.

[madra2112]

Enjoying your review. One comment though, you said you wish there was an app with compasses, there is an app that you can use on Anthem called Royal IQ. Once you register in the app, you have access to your cruise calendar, can make and cancel reservations, view cruise compasses and see your on board account. Was Royal IQ not available for your sailing? We used it in September on our Anthem cruise and can't wait until it is available on all ships.

 

 

Sorry, I was being sarcastic. I had the Royal IQ app, the point I was trying to make (badly, it seems) was that having designed the app, it couldn't be updated, so we knew there were extras things happening on board, but there was no way to figure out what they were.

 

I think it's a major lost opportunity to have the Royal IQ, which functions quite well as an app, but not make it more interactive.

 

I agree it is a very good resource, and look forward to it being on all ships. It could be so much more though, and I'm sure it will in the future.

[madra2112]

And so came the date that this whole cruise was centred on - October 12th 2016, 25 years to the day since we said "I Do".

 

On my early morning walks, I try to take in all the residential corridors at some point, just to view the artwork. Fittingly, as I was walking along one of the corridors that morning (Deck 11?), I saw this!

 

 

Quite a lot!

 

Out on deck, the sun was rising, and another beautiful day was on the cards.

 

 

Exercise done and ablutions complete, we went to The Grande for breakfast. While Bruce's omelettes in the Windjammer were very well made, at least once a cruise, I like to have an Eggs Benedict, and this one was excellent.

 

 

We headed up to the Schooner Bar where we met up with Kelly and Mike for morning trivia, and then headed out to Deck 15 for what something I'd been looking forward to trying since first viewing the first Quantum video way back in 2013. I was booked into Ripcord by iFly.

 

After a quick training video, we suited up and headed into the simulator. I won't try to describe it, I'll just say if you have the chance to do it - DO!!!!

 

A superb experience which I look forward to repeating again at some point in the future!

 

 

We relaxed for a bit, and then went to Cafe 270 for lunch. A very tasty roast beef sandwich with crisps (chips!). I headed upstairs to pick up a crossword from the library, again marveling at the versatility of the space.

 

 

One thing I had considered was a formal vow renewal onboard, but after some basic research, quickly concluded that something more informal would be better.

 

And so, Kelly, Mike, Pauline and I went out onto their balcony with some self-penned vows and a few glasses of Prosseco, we had a few moments.

 

After discussing this for so long, it was finally happening!

[madra2112]

The day needed something special to bring it to new heights. Thankfully, Royal Caribbean have that covered on Anthem, and almost three months earlier, we had booked North Star for that afternoon.

 

It was superb, my one regret was that it only went up, and didn't extend over the port and starboard sides of the ship.

 

Apparently, they only do that now on sailings of 12 days or more. No idea why!

 

That small quibble aside, it was a wonderful experience, and again, something I'd been looking forward to since seeing the first Quantum class reveal all those years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[madra2112]

 

And all too soon, the sun was going down, and the four of us had a date at Chops Grille.

 

The meal was excellent and marked the first time in seven cruises that we'd eaten there.

 

I was too busy eating and enjoying it to engage in food porn, but I did get a quick snap of the dessert!

 

 

Now that's what I call Red Velvet Cake!

 

Bellies full, we went out for a drink, caught a comedy show in 270 (Robbie Printz), and rounded off the night with a quiet drink at Michael's Genuine Pub. This was always going to be a special day, and what better place to spend it than on board Anthem of the Seas.

[Cruzinbabe06]

Wow! Enjoying your review.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post.

[madra2112]

Next morning, it was back on the deck for a walk in the wind, but very quickly I escaped inside for Abe's morning show on the treadmill followed by a little news (just a little mind, I was on holiday!)

 

 

I watched the pilot come aboard as we headed into Saint John, the last port of call, and a town in which we just planned to walk and explore.

 

 

We docked just behind a heliport, and this was a very good test for the virtual balcony. It passed!

 

 

One of the things I loved about Saint John was the street art, much of it quite "cartoony", including one really clever 3D piece. First though, in deference to the fact that this is Canada, here's a picture of a moose!