Anthem of the Seas - Review - Southern Caribbean - Feb 3, 2019 - Feb 15, 2019

[Noreen411]

February 2019 - Royal Caribbean - Anthem of the Seas - 12 night Southern Caribbean Cruise

 

Who are we?

 

Noreen - 50 years old; Senior Vice President at an Investment Banking Firm in New York City.  I will be the author of the report.

 

Scott - 49 years old; my husband; Independent Contractor and Owner of BounceU in New York.

 

Guest Appearances - Rich and Eileen.  The live in Michigan and are mid 50’s (I think).  Rich is a radio DJ and Eileen works for a moving company.  We met Rich and Eileen on Celebrity Reflection April 2018.  They ended up changing their March 2019 Anthem cruise to this one to join us.

 

General Comment...

I am doing most of this from memory and looking through my pictures.  I texted myself throughout the trip some of the things we were doing to help me remember.  I like detailed reports with a lot of information some of which not everyone will care about.  I like writing these reviews as a travelogue that I can go back to and re-read about our trips.  I took pictures throughout but ended up with more food pictures than activity pictures since it’s easier to remember to pull out the phone to take a picture when sitting down to eat rather than when you are running around having fun.

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2019 by Noreen411

[Noreen411]

Here is a picture of Scott and I from Anthem last year (2018) so you’ll know what we look like before I start including more pictures...

[Noreen411]

Quick question for those of you that have included pictures since the new version of cruise critic...

 

I clicked on the paper clip to choose files to include and chose my picture.

 

Loading that one picture took about a minute and the size seems big.

 

Is that normal?  Is there another way I should be including pictures?

 

Thank you
Noreen

[Noreen411]

Planning:

 

We have cruised out of Bayonne NJ the last few winters.  Our original plan for winter 2019 was to fly to Fort Lauderdale, FL for a back to back cruise on Harmony of the Seas.

 

When we were on Anthem Jan/Feb 2018, Scott kept saying he would miss being on Anthem next winter if we don’t go.  He doesn’t really like the idea of having to fly to Florida to get on the ship.

 

He suggested we add a cruise to our fall 2018 Disney World trip (when we are already in Florida) so we changed what was supposed to be an almost 2 week Disney World trip to one week on Allure of the Seas and one week at Disney World.  This was made even easier when we received a casino certificate for a free balcony cabin on Allure that week.  We upgraded the free cabin to an Owner’s suite.  Unfortunately, we had a conflict with the date of the cruise and a charity even Scott needed to attend so we cancelled the Allure cruise and went to Disney for almost 2 weeks as we originally planned.

 

When we got home from our winter 2018 Anthem cruise I booked the 2/3/19 Anthem cruise.  Prices were higher than they were for 2018 so I booked a Junior Suite with large balcony (J1) - cabin #8632 and will continue to watch pricing and casino deals and possibly upgrade us before we go.

 

When we cancelled the allure cruise, we used our casino certificates towards the Anthem February 2019 cruise.  It’s not the best bang for your buck this way but it was still an additional amount of money off.

 

We cancelled our back to back on Harmony when we returned from Anthem in 2018 and will stick with Anthem for winter 2019.

 

Royal Up Progam:

 

I kept checking prices thinking of possibly upgrading us but we ended up with a pretty good casino rate and it would cost about double to go from our Junior Suite to a Grand Suite.  We actually prefer the layout of the Junior Suite to the Grand Suite (we were in a Grand Suite Jan/Feb 2018) so we kept waiting.

 

When the Royal Up Program was announced, I thought it sounded Iike a fun way to try to upgrade.  However, I didn’t get the email.  Brenda (our friend and travel agent) called to check on it and was told you can only participate if you get the email.

 

Finally, on Friday 1/4/19 I received the Royal Up email.  The odd thing is the whole sailing is sold out so I’m guessing our chances of getting an upgrade is pretty slim.

 

We had the opportunity to bid on Royal Loft Suite, Upper Loft Suite (which I’m assuming is either Grand Loft or Owner’s Loft), Sky Loft Suite, Owner’s Suite, and Grand Suite.

 

We bid strong for both the Owner’s Suite and the Grand Suite and bid middle for Royal Loft and Upper Loft.

 

Then the waiting began to see if anything comes from the bids.  I checked my emails constantly.  It is kind of fun.  We’re also gamblers so enjoy the chance aspect of it.  And while we’re picky about cabin locations, since we were bidding on higher suites, we know where they are located and would be find with any of them.

 

The Cruise:

 

The Anthem itinerary is as follows:

Sunday - Leave from Cape Liberty, Bayonne NJ

Monday - At Sea

Tuesday - At Sea

Wednesday - San Juan, Puerto Rico - 3pm-11pm

Thursday - St Maarten - 10:30am-7pm

Friday - Antigua - 7am-5pm

Saturday - St Lucia - 7am-6pm

Sunday - Barbados - 7am-4pm

Monday - St Kitts - 10am-6pm

Tuesday - At Sea

Wednesday - At Sea

Thursday - At Sea

Friday - Return to Cape Liberty, Bayonne NJ

 

Transportation:

We live in Northern New Jersey (Bergen County) so will drive down to Bayonne for the cruise and park at the pier.

[Noreen411]

Dining:

 

When I booked this cruise, they asked what dining we wanted (Fixed early, Fixed late, or Anytime) but I expect we will eat in Coastal Kitchen most nights and maybe a specialty restaurant so I chose Anytime Dining so there is not an empty table in the dining room waiting for us.

 

I purchased the Refreshment package for both of us on August 9, 2018.  There was a sale and it was $20 per day / per person rather than the usual $26 per day.  I had $100 on board credit showing in the cruise planner so used that towards the purchase of the Refreshment package.

 

I cancelled and repurchased the Refreshment package for both of us on November 22, 2018 (Thanksgiving) as it was on sale for $17 per day / per person.

 

Entertainment:

 

I was able to book Northstar on November 20, 2018.  I booked for 2/4/19 (day 2) at 11am.

 

The shows were not available to book yet in late November.

 

I was able to book the shows on Wednesday December 5, 2018.  While we have seen them already, I enjoy them so we may go see them again.  I like to have them booked in case we want to go.  I booked the following:

 

We Will Rock You - Monday 2/4/19 at 8pm

Spectra’s Cabaret - Tuesday 2/5/19 at 9pm

The Gift - Wednesday 2/13/19 at 8:45pm

 

I purchased Surf & Stream for 1 device at $13.99 per day on August 9, 2018.  

 

On August 23, 2018 I cancelled and repurchased Surf & Stream for 1 device at $11.99 per day.

 

 

[janetz]

Following

Sailing next January 😎

[Noreen411]

Excursions:

 

We are not fans of organized excursions.  We prefer the flexibility to go at our own pace and do what we want.  We had a good time visiting different beaches on our last cruise.  I started researching some of the options of what to do on the various islands.

 

One thing we always do is get Scott T shirts from the various islands.  And Christmas ornaments from each island.  And I like to get post cards; not to mail, but to put in a photo album with pictures to distinguish one day from the next.  The postcards are usually a much nicer picture with the name of the island than I could take.

 

Puerto Rico - We will probably do some shopping and walking around.  

 

St Maarten - We are thinking of going back to Divi Little Bay.  We were there in 2017 but after the hurricanes, they were not up and running in 2018.  Another option is maybe going to Orient Bay.

 

Antigua - We would like to go back to Beach Limerz.  We went last year, the water was very rough and one of the guys in the group dislocated his finger when he was knocked over by a wave and Scott went with him to the hospital so he didn’t get to enjoy the beach.  Another option I read about a Wellness Center at Valley Church Beach where you can get massages on the beach.  When I mentioned this to Scott, he said he would rather have a massage at a regular spa than on the beach.

 

I emailed Beach Limerz about making a reservation the weekend of 12/8/18 but didn’t hear back.  I sent a reminder email right after Christmas and heard back the same day.  They take deposits with PayPal which I do not use and asked if there are other payment options.  Gail from Beach Limerz gave me her phone number and I was able to call and make the deposit on the credit card directly.  She is also going to arrange transportation for us.

 

St Lucia - We’re still up in the air on this one.  Possibly Rodney/Reduit Beach?  I’ve heard mixed things about it.  We tried Vigie Beach last year but were not comfortable there.  We arrived, looked around and took a cab back. Another idea could be trying an all inclusive resort day pass.

 

Barbados - We may go back to Pirates Cove.  Or we may try Harbour Lights instead.

 

St Kitts - We will probably go back to Carambola Beach Club.  We were thinking of trying the Marriott, but you can’t reserve in advance and have to call the night before to see if there is any availability for a day pass.  I was able to reserve lounge chairs / umbrella at Carambola online the weekend of 12/8/18.

[Noreen411]

The week before the trip

 

The weekend before the trip we did our usual fashion show.  We tried on things we want to bring and model them for each other.  We then end up ordering a few more things online with rush delivery.

 

We started packing.

 

Work was busy getting ready to be out for 2 weeks.

[Noreen411]

The day before the trip - Saturday 2/2/19

 

A regular start to Saturday morning had us working out then getting ready to start our day.

 

I went to the spa to get a manicure and pedicure.  I did a shellac manicure in a sparkly peach color that will last the whole trip.  I did a regular pedicure in a turquoise blue that reminds me of the water in Barbados.

 

 

 

Scott went to work and had a busy day.

 

At one point Scott and I were talking about the internet package.  I bought the one device surf & stream and figured we would share since it’s not like either of us need to be connected constantly.  Scott suggested maybe we get the two device package but it was too late now to do so online since we leave tomorrow.  We will take a look at the onboard prices.

 

I received emails that our Royal Up bids were unsuccessful.  These emails came about 6:30pm.  Each bid received a separate email that it was unsuccessful.

 

Most of the packing is finished and we just need to pack the dinner clothes in the garment bag tomorrow morning.

Edited May 18, 2019 by Noreen411

[Max and Ruby]

Oh goody, another Anthem review you. I enjoyed your 2018 one! We’re going on a 9 night this July. Last year was Disney for 10 days. 😊 We are now 60 days out and can’t book any entertainment. I know you can do so using* Royal IQ on ship, but just getting ancy.

 

Your review will get me even more excited for my trip.

[Noreen411]

Sunday 2/3/19 - Embark - Bayonne NJ

 

We worked out in the morning.

 

We packed our dinner clothes.  We ended up having to use two garment bags rather than one.  We now have 5 bags to check (2 big suitcases, 2 garment bags, and 1 medium suitcase).  Then we each have our rolling carry on bags.  I admit we both overpack.  I cannot imagine how people pack for a world cruise lasting a few months, when we have so much stuff for 12 nights.

 

 

 

We left the house about 11:30 and arrived in Bayonne just after 12.  It was a very quick ride there.  However, there was a huge line of cars once we made the turn into the pier area.  It took about an hour to get to the front to drop our luggage.  My guess is they wee short staffed on porters.

 

Once we parked in the garage the check in process itself was very quick.

 

We stopped for the boarding photo.  I always like to have these.  

 

 

We proceeded right onto the ship.  Since the cabins are ready we walked up (Scott carried the carry on bags).  Once in the cabin Scott wiped everything down with Lysol wipes.

 

I took some pictures of the cabin.

 

 

Edited May 18, 2019 by Noreen411

[Noreen411]

Sunday 2/3/19 - Continued...

 

I also took some pictures of the documents in the cabin

 

 

[Noreen411]

 

Sunday 2/3/19 - Continued...

 

We went up to Coastal Kitchen and made dinner reservations for the trip. I was unable to do so on the cruise planner in advance.  We booked dinner tonight at 5:30 since it is Super Bowl Sunday.  They were able to book Chops for us for tomorrow.  Then the rest of the trip we will have dinner at 7pm in Coastal Kitchen each night.

 

We asked if Rajeev is still working there and if we could be in his section.  He was our waiter in Coastal Kitchen last year and we got along great.  He is still there so we will be in his section again.

 

We walked across the pool deck.  We stopped to get soda and water and one of the bartenders that used to work in the casino remembered Scott.  It is about 50 degrees out today and sunny so a bit unusual for this time of year.

 

 

 

We stopped at the Voom/Internet desk and asked about adding the second device.  We would need to buy a new one device package for about $220.  That seems a bit much when I got such a great price with the pre-cruise sale so we will see how sharing the one device package goes and decide from there.

 

We went to the muster drill in American Icon.  It was relatively quick.  The captain mentioned we will have some waves tomorrow then it should be smooth sailing the rest of the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped back at the cabin and three of our checked bags were there so we unpacked them.

 

We started sailing and didn’t even realize we were moving.  We wanted to be on the pool deck going under the Verrazano Bridge.  Instead we ended up going out on the balcony to catch the tail end of going under the bridge.

 

 

 

I saw the two other checked bags down the hall so grabbed them and dropped them in the cabin.

 

At 4:30 we stopped at the casino host’s desk so I can have my Prime sticker put on my card since it was not pre-printed.  On Scott’s card it was already printed.  This was very quick.

 

We played some slots

 

We ran into Rich and Eileen.  It was so nice to see them and we picked up as if we just saw each other recently rather than almost 10 months ago on Celebrity Reflection April 2018 when we met.  A few of their friends are also on this sailing.

Edited May 18, 2019 by Noreen411

[thegraminator]

Loving  your  review .   Thanks  for  sharing !  

[LuCruise]

We'll be on Anthem in March.  Great review so far.  Can't wait for more.

[zooma]

Thank you for your review -- following along!

 

Quick question re your Royal Up thoughts: You obviously know the ship well and mention you're picky about cabin location. Our Royal Up offer included options for Grand Suite and Owners Suite (and something higher as well). I could tell that all the OS were in great locations, but it looked like some of the GS (specifically, the Grand Suites with Large Balcony (GB)) were up on Deck 13 and possibly subject to noise from Deck 14. Now perhaps the GS offer in our email was really just for a regular GS, which would be on a lower deck (there was no specific offer mentioning GB), but I'm curious whether you had any concern about this at all.

 

I completely understand that these upgrades are total long shots, and I'm probably overthinking this, but c'est la vie. Looking forward to the rest of your review. 🙂

 

[Noreen411]

4 hours ago, janetz said:

Following

Sailing next January 😎

Hi

 

We really like Anthem.

If you have any questions let me know and I will do my best to answer.

[Noreen411]

53 minutes ago, thegraminator said:

Loving  your  review .   Thanks  for  sharing !  

Thank you for the kind words

[Noreen411]

42 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

We'll be on Anthem in March.  Great review so far.  Can't wait for more.

Thank you

 

Loading the pictures is taking way longer than it used to.  I have to poke around and see if I am doing something wrong

[Chelleum]

Great review so far. Will be on Anthem in Jan 2020. 

[Noreen411]

23 minutes ago, zooma said:

Thank you for your review -- following along!

 

Quick question re your Royal Up thoughts: You obviously know the ship well and mention you're picky about cabin location. Our Royal Up offer included options for Grand Suite and Owners Suite (and something higher as well). I could tell that all the OS were in great locations, but it looked like some of the GS (specifically, the Grand Suites with Large Balcony (GB)) were up on Deck 13 and possibly subject to noise from Deck 14. Now perhaps the GS offer in our email was really just for a regular GS, which would be on a lower deck (there was no specific offer mentioning GB), but I'm curious whether you had any concern about this at all.

 

I completely understand that these upgrades are total long shots, and I'm probably overthinking this, but c'est la vie. Looking forward to the rest of your review. 🙂

 

Hi

 

I usually try to book a cabin between decks of other cabins.  We also prefer midship or Aft, but not forward cabins.

 

The Owner’s and Grand suites are mainly midship.  

 

In 2018 we booked a grand suite guarantee and had the larger grand suite on deck 8.  You can see pictures in my review of that sailing linked in my signature.

 

While I wouldn’t choose deck 13 if I am picking a cabin, I would be OK with it if I ended up in a Grand or Owner suite there.

 

You can’t go wrong in any of the suites.

 

Noreen

[Noreen411]

5 minutes ago, Chelleum said:

Great review so far. Will be on Anthem in Jan 2020. 

Thank you.

 

We have been on Anthem several times so feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer

 

Noreen

[FirstAnthem]

Following. I love your reviews! 

[perfect match]

Enjoying your review! Like you, we are over packers, but I think you’ve got us beat! 😀 Great minds think alike.  

[Woodmnky]

Following along as we are going on Anthem next week. Wondering if you made it to Divi Little Bay and if you liked it. This is what we have planned for our St Maarten day. We also prefer a more go with the flow style of shore excursions. Last time we were in St Maarten it was raining most of the day, so we opted to skip Divi Little Bay in favor of just some shopping around the port, but I am hopeful that things will work out for this trip.