Rare aring75 Posted October 17, 2018 #1 Share Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) So, with all the website (we'll call them) issues as of late, I've been debating whether or not to do a LIVE posting for my upcoming Canada/New England Cruise on the Anthem leaving tomorrow from New Jersey. But it occurred to me, this is precisely the time time to do a LIVE posting. Cruise Critic NEEDS this. I have relied on so many "live from" threads to get me through the tough times until my next cruise, who am I to deprive the CC community ESPECIALLY now in these dark times. So...you're welcome. Today is the day before the cruise. The day for packing, the day for online airline check-in, the day for looking out my back patio window and seeing this. Huh. It is 8:30 In. The. Morning. That means it is daylight on the west coast of Florida. Isn't this thing supposed to be nocturnal?! And should I be concerned that he seems entirely UNconcerned that he is up at the wrong time of day? Okay. So here I am. Standing on my screened patio. Suddenly overtaken by the soul of my 87 year grandma. I am shouting at a freakin' raccoon. "Shoo raccoon! Shoo!" "Go Away, raccoon!" "Shoo now! GO!" And I see my neighbor standing at the fence watching (at what I can only imagine she thinks is me yelling at my bird feeders) while I'm cowering behind the safety of my patio screen. She waves and turns to go back in her house. Clearly not realizing I'm about to be overtaken by a rabid animal over here. Okay. Time to get the big guns. I find a broom and begin to hit the side of the patio door. Yep. That'll scare him. Cripes! Obviously rabid. Well, he decided I was making to much noise for him to enjoy a relaxing breakfast and he sauntered, yes SAUNTERED! his way off through a hole underneath the fence to the neighbor's yard. Hope she has a broom ready. This is our planned itinerary. Time to do our online check-in. We had complications at work and will be flying in the same day as our cruise. I am freaking out about that, so you may get to live through my panic attack in real time! Yay! Edited October 17, 2018 by aring75 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare aring75 Posted October 17, 2018 Author #2 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Okay. Anyone know why my pictures aren't showing up? 🤨 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFunInTheSun Posted October 17, 2018 #3 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Not sure. When we click on it, they open a new window and show the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare aring75 Posted October 17, 2018 Author #4 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Hmmm...I'll keep working on it. I have the settings set to publicly viewable. Maybe it's a CC issue. Not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelGirlinDallas Posted October 17, 2018 #5 Share Posted October 17, 2018 I see the racoon pics and a map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quince Posted October 17, 2018 #6 Share Posted October 17, 2018 We will be on this cruise with you, but I'm following because I think you will be having more fun Hope to meet you on board. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisinUngs Posted October 17, 2018 #7 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Thanks for doing this! I also see the pics of the map and raccoon 😱 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare aring75 Posted October 17, 2018 Author #8 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Great. Pics are showing up now. I think it was my fault. Not CC. Let’s place the blame correctly at least. I have no idea what I did wrong, but I finagled a few things, tweaked a couple more, turned around while patting my head for good measure and...voila. Pictures. So yeah. My fault. Just did the online check-in for tomorrow’s flight and learned that our gate number “has not yet been assigned.” That doesn’t make me nervous at all. But on happier note, my measly United Miles I’ve saved up over the past year got us upgrades to First Class on our 2-1/2 hour nonstop from Tampa to Newark. Whoop! Current Situation. Keeping the backyard safe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christinampl Posted October 17, 2018 #9 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Hi aring75, I am on this sailing with you and see you are from Tampa Bay. I am over in Clearwater and also flying United tomorrow. Are you on the 6:10am flight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare aring75 Posted October 17, 2018 Author #10 Share Posted October 17, 2018 5 minutes ago, Christinampl said: Hi aring75, I am on this sailing with you and see you are from Tampa Bay. I am over in Clearwater and also flying United tomorrow. Are you on the 6:10am flight? Worse. The 7:30 am. We don’t land until 10:00 am. Now can you see the reason for my panic? Lol. My husband and I own our own company and things come up from time to time which make me thoroughly question that decision. But then I remember that we take three cruises a year and somehow it all comes back into perspective. I will not relax until we get to the port tomorrow. Right now I’m a bundle of nerves. And it’s basically Wild Kingdom in my backyard. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christinampl Posted October 17, 2018 #11 Share Posted October 17, 2018 There are SO many flights TPA to Newark so I am sure all will be fine. We are at Gate A6 and you may be on the same if that gives you any peace. Hope to meet you on the cruise! I am BEYOND looking forward to some cooler, no humidity temps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare aring75 Posted October 17, 2018 Author #12 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Thanks Christinampl. I appreciate the reassurance! I agree about the temperatures. It’s been 90 plus degrees every afternoon for the entire month of October. I’m pretty sure there’s something wrong there. And thanks to everyone for following along! I look forward to possibly seeing some of you on the ship. A little about us... Traveling together is my husband (Mark) and I (Angela). We have sailed on 40+ cruises on various lines - Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess, Holland America, Disney. And we’ve never had a bad cruise. Never. Not one. It’s true that there are things we think this line does better or at which that line always impresses, but let’s be honest, mainstream cruise lines are truly more alike than different. We sail for the itinerary, then the ship, then the cruise line. Pretty much in that order. We last sailed in December 2017 on the Celebrity Reflection. We were suffering from major cruise withdrawal symptoms...somewhere around March 2018. I started looking, but another Caribbean cruise just wasn’t going to cut it. We had a 20th Anniversary cruise booked for June 2019 on the Vision, but could we fit something in before that? That’s when I found the Canada/New England itineraries. Plus, we’d never sailed an Anthem class ship before. Sold! The downside was, we had to wait until October!! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue is the best Posted October 17, 2018 #13 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Looking forward to following you for your 9 night cruise. Have a great cruise and please keep everything in order on the ship as I will be boarding with my wife as you are leaving the ship on Sat 10/27/18 Steve, Medford, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesnake2002 Posted October 17, 2018 #14 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Thank you for this very needed live review!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seahorse Posted October 17, 2018 #15 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Sailing tomorrow too...…….yea!!!😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramja96 Posted October 17, 2018 #16 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Following - we're on Anthem next April - it's a Bermuda itinerary, but I'm interested in getting your perspective/opinions on the ship. What kind of room are you in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare aring75 Posted October 17, 2018 Author #17 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Hi ramja96, we are in a regular OV Balcony on Deck 12. From the deck plans it looks like the balcony is slightly angled, but it's not classified as a large balcony so I'm not expecting anything other than a standard run-of-the-mill balcony. And I'm totally fine with that! Just so happy the cruise is finally here. I will take pictures when we board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare aring75 Posted October 17, 2018 Author #18 Share Posted October 17, 2018 3 hours ago, blue is the best said: Looking forward to following you for your 9 night cruise. Have a great cruise and please keep everything in order on the ship as I will be boarding with my wife as you are leaving the ship on Sat 10/27/18 Steve, Medford, NY Absolutely! 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BND Posted October 17, 2018 #19 Share Posted October 17, 2018 We're on this cruise also. We have a fairly small roll call too. We just got to Newark via Amtrak about an hour ago. Ready to cruise 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croozin Soozin Posted October 17, 2018 #20 Share Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) Got off Anthem 2.5 weeks ago and can't wait to get back on in 5.5 weeks. I will enjoy reading your live review - I'm sure the weather is going to be very different from what it was a couple of weeks ago. There was no color at all in September - hope you see lots of beautiful foliage! Susan Edited October 17, 2018 by Croozin Soozin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merdon Posted October 17, 2018 #21 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Looking forward to your review. We too will be boarding when you return so take good care of our ship. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuCruise Posted October 17, 2018 #22 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Excited to follow along. We have Anthem booked in 2020. Looks like an amazing ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahqueen310 Posted October 17, 2018 #23 Share Posted October 17, 2018 We will be on the Anthem for the first time in November. Looking forward to your review. Please post photos of complimentary food and drinks, if you can. We didn't buy any packages. Thanks so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
138east Posted October 17, 2018 #24 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Just walked in the house coming from Bar Harbor. Leaves were gorgeous today. But it is nippy on the water. Should have taken light gloves and a hat. You need layers and a jacket, particularly early morning and late afternoon and if you're going to the top of Cadillac Mountain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbeyg Posted October 17, 2018 #25 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Yay!! We will relive our cruise from September vicariously thru you. 😁 We were hesitant about Anthem, because of the size. We loved it, didn’t want to get off. Heads up, 270 is a great place to be when the ship docks. We got to see all kinds of interesting things, including the first rate parallel parking our captain did at one dock. 🙂 Have a truly wonderful time! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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