Anthem Dec 23 2016 Trip Report

[windjamming]

Here is my review of our Anthem holiday cruise.

 

This will be a stream of consciousness retelling of our experience, but I’ll break it up by sections so folks can fast-forward to topics of interest. My goal is as much to remember our vacation as it is to share info and tips.

 

Background

 

- This was a 10 day Eastern Caribbean cruise out of Cape Liberty going to Labadee, San Juan, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.

- Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years were all onboard.

- There were many, many families, and a large portion of the ship appeared to be from the NYC metropolitan area. (More on that later)

 

Prepping for the cruise

 

- Given the easy going itinerary, we did little prep.

- We booked North Star and iFly, reserved seats for The Gift, Spectra’s Cabaret, and We Will Rock You, made reservations at Coastal Kitchen and Wonderland, and ordered 2 cases of water.

- I packed mostly summer clothes — it started getting warm by the end of the second day.

 

 

 

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Edited January 12, 2017 by windjamming

[windjamming]

DAY 1: CAPE LIBERTY

 

It was finally the day! Since we are local, I loved the luxury of waking up in my own bed and spending a leisurely morning finishing my packing. We got to the port by 11:30, dropped off our bags, parked in the garage, and were on the ship well before 12:30. Picked up a parking ticket before entering the garage. Payment is at the end of the cruise. $20/day.

 

Tip: We embarked the ship on Deck 5. To avoid the Windjammer crowds and elevators, take a left, and head straight to 270, on the same deck. The cafe is open for lunch, and while there may not be many tables, there is plenty of seating, and it is much calmer than the Windjammer. Shh… keep this between us.

 

To pass the time, there was a video of the cruise director, Dru Pavlov, introducing the various special venues on the ship. At some point, Dru himself walked by to grab some food from the Cafe and greeted people. That was one of the really great things about this cruise - both Dru and Captain Ban were very visible, very approachable.

 

Staterooms opened at 1.

 

We were in a Family Junior Suite and can I just say - O M G. Two bathrooms. Larger room. Wide balcony. I believe this class stateroom is special to Quantum class, and, with 3 adults, it is a winner. Our D+ water, cases of water, and freshly baked cookies (D amenity?) were all waiting for us in the stateroom. No more pre-packaged almonds and shortbread.

 

Muster was at 2:30 .. all muster stations are inside on Decks 4 and 5.

 

 

We set sail shortly afterwards. Sailing under the Verrazano is always a thrill.

 

Edited January 12, 2017 by windjamming

[windjamming]

Dinner at Wonderland was a delicious and fun experience. The waiter makes selections for you, 2 from each section.

 

 

The restaurant was rather dim so I won’t share my poorly lit photos - plenty online I’m sure - but the food was very innovative and interesting. For appetizers, there was tomato water in a beaker, deviled eggs that came with it’s own cloud of smoke, liquid lobster, an amazing lime tuna tartare, and crispy crab cones. The mains were spectacular too: the pork belly and beef were unreal. We also had a fish, but after countless dishes it was less appealing. Dessert was more uneven. There was a chocolate globe type thing that melted after caramel was poured atop - that was awesome. The others (key lime popsicles, baked Alaska) were just average.

 

My parents and I all thought it was a great experience and glad we went.

 

Note - we made the reservation online but when onboard we were able to use our D+ BOGO coupon and get a refund for one person.

 

That ended a spectacular day 1, with 9 more days to spend on the Anthem of the Seas!

Edited January 12, 2017 by windjamming

[windjamming]

DAY 2 - CHRISTMAS EVE - AT SEA

 

It is one of the best feelings in the world to wake up to your first full day on a cruise. It’s that feeling to the nth degree when it’s Christmas Eve.

 

It would be in the 60s today, getting up to 71 by the afternoon.

 

Breakfast was at Chic (overflow for the Grande) — hours on sea days were from 8 to 9:30.

 

Stopped by the Diamond Club on Deck 4, had a cappuccino. It was never too packed during the day. Later I learned there were about 200 Diamonds, 83 Diamond Plus, and 6 Pinnacles on the ship. Not surprising given this sailing.

 

Shot a couple of rounds of pool with my Dad in the Music Hall. Lost both. The Music Hall pool tables were regular tables, as far as I can tell, not the super self-leveling ones on the Radiance class.

 

Lunch at the Windjammer, where I had a salad. My cruise appetite wasn’t entirely in shape yet, and after the heavy breakfast in the MDR I wasn’t really hungry yet. Amateur.

 

In the afternoon, we just chilled. I had started the Alexander Hamilton biography before the cruise and relished the interrupted time to read. Aside: I highly recommend the book — written by Ron Chernow. He makes history alive and SO interesting! It was the book that inspired the play. (I’m a bit obsessed with Hamilton now. In fact, it's his birthday today!)

[windjamming]

Wow bands

 

At some point today we tried our Wow bands and realized they didn’t work. Is this normal? We went down to Guest Services to get them fixed. My Mom ended up wearing it a few times during the cruise, but my Dad and I didn’t use ours at all. So, I could have actually done without it.

 

Christmas/Hanukkah dinner

 

Dinner in Chic tonight for Christmas Eve & first night of Hanukkah. Early seating 5:30, late 8:00. We were in early seating. Many people showed up late, and one family didn’t show up until 6:30. Special menu with Christmas turkey and Hanukkah brisket (as was called on the menu). The buche de Noel (Yule log) was cute.

 

 

The waitstaff and Santa danced through the dining room.

 

The Gift

 

We had reservations for The Gift this evening. D+, Pinnacle, and Suites reserved seating was in the middle section of the balcony. A few people gave the Cruise Director's staff trouble when they learned they couldn’t sit there, but she handled it beautifully. We made sure to mention her on the survey.

 

The Gift is very abstract. There’s a train. And a bicycle. And a sailor, I think. And many songs from the 80s and 90s. I wouldn’t go for the story (a theme throughout this ship’s productions - my opinion) but as entertainment, it was pretty good.

 

For the side show, we had the pleasure of a family of latecomers next to us, who then proceeded to talk in their outside voices . I gave them a first warning look, and when they continued to blab, both my Mom and I shushed them, as did the people behind them.

 

Later, they had caroling, and Midnight Mass in the theater.

 

Anyway, that was Christmas Eve. And it was fantastic.

Edited January 12, 2017 by windjamming

[windjamming]

DAY 3 - CHRISTMAS - AT SEA

 

You know what’s better than waking up on a cruise ship on Christmas Eve? Waking up on Christmas Day on a cruise ship.

 

Today was 75 degrees and sunny.

 

Santa arrived somewhere .. 270 I think? We missed it. He gave gifts to children in 270, and for those who don’t believe in Santa, they could get gifts later in the day, too.

 

Breakfast at the Grande. Picked up some egg nog on the way out. Had a couple of sips before remembering I don’t like egg nog. Which I will forget again next Christmas.

 

Tried lunch at the Solarium Bistro today. It was actually brunch on Sea Days, served from 9 to 1, with mostly breakfast items, a salad bar, and some lunch food. I had some salad. It was probably one of my least favorite meals on the cruise — just a bit blah - but given the large breakfast no real loss.

 

Went to the Windjammer just to check it out, and they had all sorts of Christmas type bread — panettone, Norwegian skolbred, and stollen with fruit and marzipan. And a huge Christmas sheet cake, which of course we had to have! Yum.

[borntobehappy]

Fun. Sounds amazing.

 

 

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[Croozin Soozin]

Wow bands

 

At some point today we tried our Wow bands and realized they didn’t work. Is this normal? We went down to Guest Services to get them fixed. My Mom ended up wearing it a few times during the cruise, but my Dad and I didn’t use ours at all. So, I could have actually done without it.

 

 

Our wow bands didn't work either on our last cruise. We didn't even bother getting them fixed, just used our cards.

[Snoopycollector]

Following along in prep for our March trip on Anthem.

 

Can you please post pics of the Family Jr Suite ? That's what we've booked and I'm so excited for the 2 bathrooms !!! (we had an inside last time on Anthem.)

 

Thank you !!

[Jenjer]

great review please keep it coming

[windjamming]

Fun. Sounds amazing.

 

Thanks borntobehappy. It was a great cruise - equal parts fun and relaxing and exciting.

 

Our wow bands didn't work either on our last cruise. We didn't even bother getting them fixed, just used our cards.

 

Thanks Croozin Soozin. Good to know it wasn't just us.

 

Following along in prep for our March trip on Anthem.

 

Can you please post pics of the Family Jr Suite ? That's what we've booked and I'm so excited for the 2 bathrooms !!! (we had an inside last time on Anthem.)

 

Thank you !!

 

Eek, Snoopycollector -- I just went through my phone, and I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the room! I remember thinking all during the cruise that I need to take pictures, but I guess I got too comfortable enjoying it. You'll love it -- it's a great size. Both bathrooms are in white marble, and the full bathroom was a good amount larger than a regular stateroom bathroom. It sounds silly, but having the additional bathroom made a HUGE difference. Have a great time!!! (I love Snoopy too)

 

great review please keep it coming

 

Thanks Jenjer. Glad to know I'm not only talking to myself, haha.

[windjamming]

Thanks for continuing to follow.

 

All right, we are still on Christmas Day on the Anthem, where it is sunny and about 75 degrees. We're probably around Florida or the Bahamas by now.

 

I forgot to post this cute gingerbread cookie we got on Christmas Eve:

 

 

And this also cute towel animal which I've never seen before. A rare breed - the rhino of the towel animal kingdom, if you will:

 

 

North Star

 

Reservations for North Star today. A bit chaotic as folks who were booked for the last 2 reservations hadn’t gone up yet, and standby’s were also hanging around to try to snag an open spot. They need to have a more organized system. We ended up going up a half hour later than our booked time. No biggie, as we watched the belly flop competition.

 

North Star only goes up and down now, seems the side to side trip takes 30 minutes, which is too long to accommodate the demand. Each group is for only 14, and they are very strict about height requirements, due to the size of the zipline harness (in the case of an emergency).

 

The cruise director’s staff who was in charge said 3 groups are booked for each half hour (so 42 people total), and that North Star was booked solid all cruise. She tried to put together neat groups of 14, but in our case, there was one no show and a family that didn’t want to be split up, so we took a few standbys.

 

Dinner

 

One of the new menus for dinner tonight, which felt like a combination of the old Dynamic Dining menus. It would be interesting to know (perhaps someone can report this) if they made these menus fleet wide. We had salmon tartare and Asian tacos (from the old Silk menu), lamb chops, tiger shrimp, and banana bread pudding.

 

And, one of my favorite parts of the Anthem are the animal prints in the elevator, and this is the one that always makes me smile, Mr. Ostrich:

 

Edited January 15, 2017 by windjamming

[windjamming]

Spectra’s Cabaret (Take One)

Tonight we had reservations for Spectra’s Cabaret at 270 for 9pm. We showed up about 8:30, thinking it would be early enough to get seats together, but.. no. The seats you can see as you walk in on Deck 5 were 70% “taken” already. I say “taken” rather than occupied, because the front tables were reserved for suites - fair enough - but also because one lady had claimed a clump of seats for her (not yet arrived) family. It was a bit like watching Twister and Whac-a-Mole, as she tried to put a hand on each of “her” seats while folks were trying to sit down.

 

Luckily, in 270, the balcony is also designated for suites, D+, and Pinnacle, so we were able to get comfy in some nice seats and watch the seat savers vs. the seat takers. (Spoiler: her family did finally show up.)

 

Sadly, at about 5 minutes to 9, Dru came to the stage and announced that the show would be canceled due to the high winds. It would be too dangerous for the acrobats, and it seems the Captain had even tried to circumvent the weather to no avail. Our reservations would automatically be moved to the next day, same bat time, same bat channel.

 

I don’t remember what we ended up doing instead, but we had a very nice Christmas.

 

Next .. after 3 days at sea, we reach land!

[cruisin0504]

I am enjoying your review - keep 'em coming!! Thanks!

[cruisewithbaby]

Enjoying your review!

 

 

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[Snoopycollector]

No worries on the lack of pics of the Family Jr Suite - I can wait a few more weeks !! I am so excited for the 1 1/2 baths !! (I too always try to take cabin pics every cruise - early before I start making a mess of it !!) DH took a video of our Jr Suite on Adventure - he had forgotten just how roomy it was ! (oh to have a closet like that at home !!!):)

[windjamming]

Sorry for the delay. January just zipped by. I'm determined to finish this, though!!

 

Thanks cruisin0504 and cruisewithbaby for the kind words. snoopycollector, I'm with you all the way on the JS. You must be coming up on your cruise soon - so excited for you!

 

Ok, on with the cruise ...

 

DAY 4 - LABADEE, HAITI

 

We would finally reach land today! It was in the low 80s all day - sunny and breezy. No complaints at all - it’s December 26!

 

Tried the Windjammer breakfast for the first time. Crowded. Ate too much. Pretty much like every Windjammer experience I’ve ever had.

 

Went ashore. Christmas decorations on Labadee.

 

 

The usual 'take a picture of your ship' shot. After 3 days at sea, it was nice to be on land!

 

 

Headed back to the ship for lunch. While we used to be big fans of the Labadee BBQ experience, the last couple of times we’ve decided to just Windjammer it. It’s not crowded at all, and with the pier, it’s no big deal to come back, cool down a bit, and head back out.

 

Note - the casino is open while at Labadee.

 

Took a massive nap in the afternoon, before getting ready for dinner.

 

Solarium Bistro

 

Tonight we had reservations at Solarium Bistro. The appetizers and dessert are a buffet, and the entrees are ordered. Our waiter was fantastic but very overworked. It was a packed restaurant, and he was also responsible for a huge table of 10 who kept him very busy. I had the grilled shrimp, my mom had the mahi-mahi, and my dad the chicken. Lobster ($20) and lamb chops ($10) were also offered. The appetizers included stuffed peppers and grilled fish, so you could definitely fill up.

 

The entire meal was ok - nothing bad but nothing special either. Because of the small space, and perhaps because of the large groups, the ambiance wasn’t what I remembered of past Solarium Bistro experiences. When we were here last, it was still Devinly Decadence, and it was quiet, peaceful, and relaxing.

 

We ended up canceling our other reservation.

 

Spectra’s Cabaret (Take Two)

 

We piled back into 270 tonight and went straight to the reserved balcony section. No one was checking the suites/D+/P section, so folks who had got clued in last night all found their way to the seats here - including the seat saver lady from last night, who, this time, had her family in tow. At some point, a cruise director’s staff member showed up and asked everyone for their SeaPass. Most people who couldn’t sit in those seats left, except for one family who decided to raise a stink. I’m not sure what ended up happening, but when I looked again, they were no longer there.

 

Anyway, on with the show. In my notes, I’d written: Spectra’s Cabaret - strange. And it was. Not in a bad way. It was a random mix of acrobats and dancing and singing and costumes and - for lack of a better word - stage flair. The music and talent were very good, but I found the plot confusing.

 

Dancing with the Stripes was right after Spectra’s Cabaret, so many of us stayed in our seats. I wrote here — funny. It was a similar premise as the TV show, where crew members were paired up with passengers and asked to perform in the style of certain dances, like disco or an Irish jig. The judges were a Royal Caribbean dancer, a Royal Caribbean singer, and the cruise director who described at the start of the show what they wanted to see from the participants:

 

RC dancer (effusively) : I’d love to see some enthusiasm! Show me excitement! Give it your all!

RC singer (ebulliently) : I’d love to see some individuality! Show me who you are! Make the dances your own!

RC cruise director (deadpan): I’d love to see no one get injured. That’s all.

 

(We later heard from another CD staff member that on a previous cruise someone did get hurt.)

 

The pair who ended up winning were absolute rock stars. The woman went ALL OUT — hiking up her long sundress and tucking it into her Spanx to give her legs more mobility — and her partner, on the cruise director’s staff, ripped his pants.

 

Good fun. I’d recommend it.

 

Tip: There is a secret exit out of 270 from deck 6. It leads to the staterooms, so you’ll need to be quiet, but much easier than going downstairs and exiting with the crowds on deck 5.

 

And that was how December 26th went.

Edited February 4, 2017 by windjamming

[windjamming]

I may just skip the photos for now, in the interest of posting the review itself more quickly, and post the photos later.

 

DAY 5 - SAN JUAN, PR

 

Today was a partial sea day. We wouldn’t dock until 2:30pm, so we had the morning and early afternoon to hang out on the ship. The stores and casino were all open.

 

Another beautiful day, low 80s, a bit windy, and sunny.

 

We start with another breakfast in the Grande.

 

Top Tier party

 

The Top Tier party was this morning in the theater. I don’t remember all the numbers, but I believe there were 6 P’s, 200 D+, and I’m guessing several hundred D, P, and E. No snacks but plenty of cocktails being passed.

 

When you know the ship is from NJ:

 

The house band played on stage while the party was just getting started and people were finding seats. No singing, just light instrumentals. They covered Springsteen’s “My Hometown”. More in the style of the elevator than at Giants Stadium, if you know what I mean.

 

At the end of the song, a guy still stands up and shouts “Bruuuuuuuuce!”

 

A part of me feels a twinge of Jersey pride, too.

 

All the officers are introduced, and Captain Shrecko Ban speaks. He talks about bringing Quantum out, and it seems the reason she ended up leaving Cape Liberty was because the dredging was not done in time in Bermuda for the season. Quantum would not have been able to fit, and thus was sent to China. I did not know this.

 

After lunch in the WJ, we watch sail-in from our balcony. The Disney Magic is next to us. I believe there are something like 6 or 7 ships docked that day, so San Juan was busy.

 

San Juan

 

Since this was meant to be a relaxing cruise, we take our time getting off the ship with no plans other than wandering around Old San Juan. While we have sailed out of San Juan more recently, it has been more than 10 years since we’ve docked in OSJ. It is probably around 4 by the time we set foot on the ground.

 

We visit the Walgreens, which is mobbed with cruise passengers. This must be one of the most profitable Walgreens anywhere. It’s a genius business model, because by Day x of a cruise you *always* realize you forgot something or ran out of something or just need something.

 

Note: there is both a Walgreens and a CVS right outside the pier. Steps away.

 

The Ralph Lauren outlet shop is also right at the pier. I am not sure if it’s because it’s right after Christmas, or if it’s just regularly busy because of the location, but the shelves are in disarray. The sales associates are super nice. My dad gets a jacket and a pair of trousers. Note — I don’t remember what it was exactly, but sales tax for clothing is high, compared to the 0% clothing sales tax in NJ.

 

My dad decides that after his new jacket and trousers, he is good for the port visit, and heads back to the ship.

 

Mom and I continue wandering around the shops and squares, enjoying the festive atmosphere of San Juan. Unfortunately, after about an hour, it starts raining, and, while we know it’s likely just a shower, we still decide to head back, too.

 

Coastal Kitchen

 

Tonight marks the start of a new experience.

 

For whatever reason, we had not been to the Coastal Kitchen yet. We knew it was a perk, yet between Wonderland and the Solarium Bistro and being curious about the Christmas menu in the MDR (we later learn the same holiday menu would be available at CK), we just hadn’t set foot there yet.

 

Tonight was the night, and we were not disappointed (understatement). It was like a different world behind those beautiful double doors of the CK. A world where every request was responded with a cheerful “of course”, where children were adorable and well-behaved, where conversation at other tables were low, dishes were hot, drinks were prompt and cold, every selection sounded (and was) delicious. The captain even stops by to chat for a few minutes.

 

OK, Royal Caribbean. You got me. I’m sold on the suite experience now. And to think, we didn’t even make it here until Day 5.

 

snoopycollector — I’m sure you know this already, but don’t be us! Go to the CK right away!

 

That night I had an octopus appetizer, short ribs, and a coconut custard. All delicious. When I got home I saw that many of the menus were similar to the suite restaurant on Celebrity (Lumiere?).

 

I don’t see any notes on what we did that evening, so I’m guessing there was no show. It was a late sailaway from San Juan.

[Snoopycollector]

snoopycollector — I’m sure you know this already, but don’t be us! Go to the CK right away!

 

Hey !! Don't worry -- if the menus I've seen are true, Day 1 has filet mignon - we're headed to CK !! I have a lot of food allergies so we'll head there right after lunch and make a reservation, ask to see menus, make additional reservations. My mom and sister are now joining us and they are not in a suite, so I hope to be able to bring guests at least once or twice. (I've seen posted that you can bring guests a max of 3 times, space permitting.)

 

Sandy