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Frugal Husband’s Anthem of the Seas Review


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Back in the water we go and then we notice some girls standing up on this huge rock...if they found a way up there then we can too!

 

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The climb was easy for us. The rock is very smooth where travelers have come before us. Coming back down took some care as it is steep. So just take your time and you will be fine.

 

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The view is worth it

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Just trying to give you a sense of the height

 

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Ok time to grab our things and head off the ship. Today we are headed to Horseshoe Bay. We went back and forth between doing this or doing the aquarium and caves. Ultimately we decided to do Horseshoe because we kept hearing how amazing it was.

 

Thank you! I have been to Bermuda 4 times and have yet to make it to Horseshoe. We are sailing on the Grandeur in October, can't wait to see it for myself. Oh, and your review is awesome. Thanks for letting us tag along.

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Horseshoe was perfect. The sand: perfect. The water temp: perfect. The waves: perfect. And there was stuff to climb and explore. It is my favorite beach in the world (that I've been to). We stayed for about 4 and a half hours, and remember I'm not a beach guy. I'm of the thought of if you've been to one beach you have been to them all. Not this one. Go. You will LOVE it.

 

So we start heading back up the beach about 2:30-the only reason we left was because we wanted to walk around the pier area and this was our only chance to do that since our excursion tomorrow would take the entire time left in Bermuda. Now the beach was getting CROWDED. That area right at the start was even more crowded. My advice is to go early and beat most of the crowd. The cruisers were coming.

 

There is also a grill there that sells the standard beach grill fare but man, the line was long. And besides, frugal husband has lunch he has already paid for back on the ship ;)

 

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Glad these guys weren't around

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There is also a bathroom and changing area, and there is a foot wash just before you get back to where the buses pick you up-all of that is on the left as you leave the beach area.

 

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This poor guy was trying to wash the sand down the drain but it was a losing battle. Just too many people. He gave up and just started spraying people's feet. But as you can see there are foot washing stations along the wall.

 

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Goodbye Horseshoe Bay, I love you.

 

Back to the bus pickup area and we didn't wait any time for a bus. One was there already and then another was pulling up. With this being such a popular destination the mini-shuttles run nonstop especially when a cruise ship is in port so you won't have to wait long at all for a ride back.

 

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Some pics of the ride back to the ship.

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Again, took about 30-40 minutes, and we were dropped off right at the pier. So nice.

 

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Went back to the cabin and dropped off our beach bag...maybe we took a shower too? Not sure. Before that though we went to the top deck and exchanged our towels for clean ones. We would need them tomorrow. My tip about the towels is to check out your towels the night before your port day (unless you need them for the pool) that way you don't have to waste time going to the pool deck to check them out on port day-time is limited. But it was a little after 3 and we hadn't eaten since breakfast so off to 270 we went.

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Horseshoe Bay is so so BEAUTIFUL. Totally enjoyed your photos. And I'm so glad that you followed your nose and kept going left. That is where all the rocks and hideaways are..when the waves are big the rocks create almost blow holes. Haven't been there for about 7 years but it looks as beautiful as ever.

Thanks for the memories !!

 

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Is there another Drew that is a CD? We had a Drew on our 2015 Oasis cruise, and we thought he was very lackluster. But, again, subjective. I enjoyed Spectre (didn't understand it, but appreciated the music, etc.). Didn't care for The Gift, but we were sitting on the side of the Balcony (our preferred seats) and maybe just couldn't see enough to be able to follow along.

 

I have to laugh at your not wanting to talk other people at dinner. I can be rather shy, but have learned to make small talk over the years and to include those sitting near us. I'm betting it was an "older" couple, married for a while, with nothing to talk about to each other! After being together for 48 years, DH and I always welcome new people to talk to. But I don't think if you were giving off vibes that you didn't want to talk, I'd still be talking to you. Some people just like to chat with new people, and since they'd seen you before, they felt you were old friends! Don't let it ruin the rest of your cruise!!

 

 

 

Hey Joan, it’s Dru Pavlov and I believe there is a Drew but don’t know the last name. We had Dennis on Anthem last January and he was terrific. Sang, danced, was all over the ship. Maybe he had an off week[emoji57]

 

 

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Ok I have to make this one post with one picture because it’s on my phone and the rest are on Shutterfly.

 

Here is the transportation map of Bermuda. Super helpful and I wish I remembered the name of the poster who shared it with me.

 

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That’s what great about Cruise Critic. The sharing of information is wonderful!

 

 

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That is when you go through ship security. They have the reader. Port security does not have access to the reader. That is why you normally show some sort of photo ID and your card for port security.

 

Oh of course. Always take real ID with you into a port. Port security may require it. And I know there are conflicting views on this, but I always take my passport. If I end up in a hospital or otherwise delayed retuning to the ship I don't want an extra day trying to get out of the country with help from the Embassy.

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Hey Joan, it’s Dru Pavlov and I believe there is a Drew but don’t know the last name. We had Dennis on Anthem last January and he was terrific. Sang, danced, was all over the ship. Maybe he had an off week[emoji57]

 

 

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Thanks, Marietta. Yes, when we were on Brilliance in 2008, Dennis was everywhere. He would even hang out with us a bit in Schooner Lounge after a show. Kinda hoping he’s back onboard in April.

 

 

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BigHouseFootball thank you for the review. Thoroughly enjoy it... somehow in the back of head, I kept on thinking maybe one day you and Harryfat1 will take a cruise together and do an epic trip report together afterwards.

 

 

 

Haha thank you for the high praise!

 

 

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Back on board and looking for fuel. We have reservations at Wonderland tonight so we don’t want to ruin our appetite. At 270 I got the famous roast beef sandwich that I had been having dreams about because they were so melt in your mouth good.

 

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Sadly the Anthem version did not measure up. Maybe I had just built it up in my mind for the past 2 years but i was disappointed.

 

My wife got some kind of fancy grilled cheese. Pssh chick food ;-) she said it was really good but it’s still just grilled cheese. She also got the garlic soup and that didn’t please either of us. Swing and a miss on lunch at 270 for us on this day.

 

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Impromptu photo shot

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Ok back off the ship to do our only chance at Souvenir shopping...frugal husband style. You all know what I was on the hunt for: more pins baby.

 

We checked out the gift shop right in the port building steps from the ship-didn’t find anything that struck us. Onward.

 

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Anthem is so different from the other ships, I don’t believe the CDs act the same way. They just seem to come out at the end of a show; then you never see them again. I have to say we sailed and met Dennis (he was going by his actual last name then) in 2008 on our Panama Canal cruise, and he became one of our favorites. Maybe he’s been cruising so long, he expects everyone to know him? [emoji23][emoji23] But CDs are like cruise food, it’s all subjective. There are some I don’t care for that other people love, but I remember all of them from our Royal cruises. None from our other cruises!

 

 

And we didn’t care for either Spectre’s Cabaret or The Gift. We live the Anthem,but other than a couple of comedians, have been underwhelmed by the shows.

 

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I used to read discussion on CDs and wonder what the fuss was about. Then we had “Hello Clo”on Anthem last year and I understood. She was great.

 

A and we didn’t care for either Spectra’s Cabaret or The Gift. We love the Anthem, but other than a couple of comedians, have been underwhelmed by the shows.

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The port area is really well done. It was an old fort years and years ago with quarters for soldiers and their families to stay. It is a huge complex and here you can find several restaurants, shops, the dolphin experience, and mini golf.

 

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Side note: dont waste your money on a dolphin experience on a cruise. It is insanely expensive for an hour. Like $232 bucks a person. Go to Discover Cove in Orlando instead. It’s put on through Sea World and for the same price you get an entire day will all the food and drink you want. Plus they have an aviary, a snorkel reef, and they cap the attendance so it’s never crowded. One of our favorite days in Orlando...when we cheat on Mickey.

 

Ok back to our regularly schedule cruise review.

 

We ducked into some of the shops that have some local artwork on sale. Nothing interests us so we move on. We head into some other shops and they all have the same stuff, T-shirt’s, magnets, hats you know the typical things. Still no pin. I’m starting to lose hope. When I can’t find a pin my backup is a magnet.

 

We head into another shop and look what I found

 

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Boom! I am going to have so many pins to add to my cork board.

 

We also pick up a magnet because we wanted something about Horseshoe Bay but we couldn’t find a pin.

 

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Finally we picked up a bottle of sand. Haha I know it’s cheesy but it was only $5 and it’s funny.

 

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So I think we spent maybe $20 total on our memories.

 

 

 

 

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I have been following along since the start. Thought I should send a big thank you! I’m also a big Disney fan and love cruising. Going on Anthem in Feb for first time. I’ve started using your very entertaining review as motivation. Told myself today after I got the house clean I could sit down and catch up on the review. Thanks for the clean house!

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I am loving the photos; that Monday was a great day for Horseshoe Bay, the temperature and humidity were through the roof.

 

On another topic brought up here, on this cruise Port Security does in fact want your seapass and a photo ID too. They stopped a 15 year old in our party who had not brought her passport and yet to have a drivers license. Much reviewing of papers and calling around, but ten minutes later, off we went.

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Great review- i am headed to Bermuda on Grandeur in October and had a question about the mini-bus shuttles. Do they just go to Horseshoe and back? We were planning on taking the public bus to Hamilton-stopping at Horseshoe on the way. But reading about the "big hill" has me thinking we will take the mini-bus to Horseshoe and then maybe find another way to get to Hamilton from there

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