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Going On Our First Cruise Since 2013 and I'm Worried. CC Peeps: Tell Me Something GOOD!

teddie

By teddie,
in Royal Caribbean International

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teddie

teddie

Posted
Posted (edited)

Our last cruise was way back in 2013.  We are sailing on the Anthem out of Bayonne on Feb 4 2023, and after reading through CC for the past few weeks, you guys have gotten me worried. We are sailing our first cruise as Diamonds--and I think the daily drink vouchers are a great perk,  But aside from that,  I need to hear some  good stuff because so far, these are my CC takeaways:

 

  • Food has gone downhill and is terrible
  • Waitstaff are annoying
  • Anthem is too narrow and too tall and therefore, it (gasp!) rocks too much
  • Coco Cay is a bore
  • Entertainment stinks
  • RCI IT stinks
  • RCI Customer Service stinks

 

C'mon! Tell me something GOOD!

 

Teddie

 

 

Edited by teddie
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wreckem2013

wreckem2013

Posted
Posted (edited)
21 minutes ago, teddie said:

Our last cruise was way back in 2013.  We are sailing on the Anthem out of Bayonne on Feb 4 2023, and after reading through CC for the past few weeks, you guys have gotten me worried. We are sailing our first cruise as Diamonds--and I think the daily drink vouchers are a great perk,  But aside from that,  I need to hear some  good stuff because so far, these are my CC takeaways:

 

  • Food has gone downhill and is terrible
  • Waitstaff are annoying
  • Anthem is too narrow and too tall and therefore, it (gasp!) rocks too much
  • Coco Cay is a bore
  • Entertainment stinks
  • RCI IT stinks
  • RCI Customer Service stinks

 

C'mon! Tell me something GOOD!

 

Teddie

 

 

CoCo Cay is way better than it was in 2013 and the the best of any cruise line private islands.

 

I was on Odyssey a few weeks ago and didn’t notice it being any rockier than other classes of ships.

 

Entertainment on the newer ships is better than the older ships.

 

I cannot comment on MDR food or servers but specialty dining is on par with precovid.

 

Royals IT is bad but it’s a toss up if it’s worse than Disneys.

Edited by wreckem2013
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teddie

teddie

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3 minutes ago, wreckem2013 said:

CoCo Cay is way better than it was in 2013 and the the best of any cruise line private islands.

 

I was on Odyssey a few weeks ago and didn’t notice it being any rockier than other classes of ships.

 

Entertainment on the newer ships is better than the older ships.

 

I cannot comment on MDR food or servers but specialty dining is on par with precovid.

 

Royals IT is bad but it’s a toss up if it’s worse than Disneys.

Thanks for your take. Appreciated!

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njkruzer

njkruzer

Posted
Posted

Anthem is one of our favorite ships. Sailed her on October TA.  Enjoy bumper cars.  Eat at cafe 270 on embarkation.  Less crowded than WJ, though obviously fewer choices, but we like it.  Try a ride on northstar.  Staff is very helpful. Of the specialty restaurants we like Jaimie's.  Hope that helps.

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bonsai3s

bonsai3s

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, teddie said:

Our last cruise was way back in 2013.  We are sailing on the Anthem out of Bayonne on Feb 4 2023, and after reading through CC for the past few weeks, you guys have gotten me worried. We are sailing our first cruise as Diamonds--and I think the daily drink vouchers are a great perk,  But aside from that,  I need to hear some  good stuff because so far, these are my CC takeaways:

 

  • Food has gone downhill and is terrible
  • Waitstaff are annoying
  • Anthem is too narrow and too tall and therefore, it (gasp!) rocks too much
  • Coco Cay is a bore
  • Entertainment stinks
  • RCI IT stinks
  • RCI Customer Service stinks

 

C'mon! Tell me something GOOD!

 

Teddie

 

 

You'll love the new muster drill.:classic_smile:

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teddie

teddie

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24 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Anthem is one of our favorite ships. Sailed her on October TA.  Enjoy bumper cars.  Eat at cafe 270 on embarkation.  Less crowded than WJ, though obviously fewer choices, but we like it.  Try a ride on northstar.  Staff is very helpful. Of the specialty restaurants we like Jaimie's.  Hope that helps.

Definitely does. Thank you! 

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drjohn4

drjohn4

Posted
Posted

Went on my first cruise since 2006 this summer on Odyssey and it was fantastic!  There is a lot more to do on ships now then there was then.  MDR food was great.  Buffet was sometimes crowded, but that is no different than before.  Service was great.  You will have a good time. Shows are way better than they were before, though showrooms did seem more crowded than I remember, and reservations are required for some shows.

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Jasukkie

Jasukkie

Posted
Posted

Anthem is a great ship, you will be fine. It's so convenient to sail from Bayonne since you are from NJ. You also are used to the NJ/NY vibe so there shouldn't be any culture shock that some people from other places feel. There's a bit of a learning curve with the app, the onboard staff can be very helpful.

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Midway7934

Midway7934

Posted
Posted

Take it from this Jersey Girl, you will love my favorite, Anthem……..not too big, not too small…just right. The crew has always been great. (Still communicate with my favorite waiter.) Enjoyed the food from buffet to specialty. Entertainment was great. It will be new to you. People just complain because the main shows have been around for a while, but they are enjoyable. The only change I have noticed is there is a more casual vibe to cruising now. However, If you still like the “formal” you will find others who make that choice.One other “good “ comment. Jersey is one of the most relaxing ports to leave from. You will be greeted, guided, and on the ship in no time. Have a great cruise. Welcome back.

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jean87510 Great Review Rare

jean87510

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, teddie said:

Our last cruise was way back in 2013.  We are sailing on the Anthem out of Bayonne on Feb 4 2023, and after reading through CC for the past few weeks, you guys have gotten me worried. We are sailing our first cruise as Diamonds--and I think the daily drink vouchers are a great perk,  But aside from that,  I need to hear some  good stuff because so far, these are my CC takeaways:

 

  • Food has gone downhill and is terrible
  • Waitstaff are annoying
  • Anthem is too narrow and too tall and therefore, it (gasp!) rocks too much
  • Coco Cay is a bore
  • Entertainment stinks
  • RCI IT stinks
  • RCI Customer Service stinks

 

C'mon! Tell me something GOOD!

 

Teddie

 

 

Leaving out of Bayonne is always good especially if from NJ in February.  You dont have to worry about flights delayed with snow.  It's a little cold going down first day and a half so no chair hogs.  Coco Cay is fine.  Free food, drink, chairs and nice area.  Husband and I not big fans of these types of ports and had a great day there.  

 

All the other stuff, well, I don't do the shows or MDR rarely and I still have a good time.  RC IT is fine if you can grasp the basic knowledge and can follow directions.  RC CS has had a lot of issues for the past 3 years so just bear with it.  The Anthem looks like a great ship.  I haven't tried the Quantum class yet.  

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Peachestravels

Peachestravels

Posted
Posted

All the cruises we have been on have been wonderful. Even if the food was not so good or there were rude people on the ship. We made memories, beautiful memories to always keep close in our hearts. It was our time together. Make those memories and you will have a wonderful time. 

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time4u2go

time4u2go

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 hours ago, teddie said:
  • Food has gone downhill and is terrible
  • Waitstaff are annoying
  • Anthem is too narrow and too tall and therefore, it (gasp!) rocks too much
  • Coco Cay is a bore
  • Entertainment stinks
  • RCI IT stinks
  • RCI Customer Service stinks

My opinion:

 

Food has gone downhill but I wouldn't say it's terrible. Yet.

Annoying wait staff seems to be the exception and not the rule.

Any ship will rock under the right circumstances.

Coco Cay is not a bore but it is definitely worse than it used to be. 

Entertainment is pretty good. 

IT and customer service do stink.

 

Edited by time4u2go
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LittleJoefromKokomo

LittleJoefromKokomo

Posted
Posted
  • There are several great things about RCL but a few that I can think of:

1. You can not overeat on lobstertails for free anymore on lobsternight. Good for your health.

2. You will have to make several long pauses when you eat in the MDR to talk to your waitor and listen to his stories. Good for digestion not to eat too fast.

3. You will not be fighting your way through the crowded Concierge lounge anymore. Good for your and suiteguests mood.

There are many other good things but these are a the ones I came to think of right now 🙂

 

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LuCruise

LuCruise

Posted
Posted (edited)

I was annoyed when I saw a post yesterday all about "tell me the bad things about Royal".  Why would someone start such a negative post?  (just found the title...it was "Top 5 Overrated Things".  I mean, really?)

 

Anyways, on CC, people like to complain so take things with a grain of salt.  We went on Anthem for the first time in March and loved it.  Wonderful ship.  The 270 has amazing views.  We didn't spend time in it as we came with our kids but the Solarium looks really nice.  We Will Rock You is the best show of the fleet, North Star is really neat and different.  The 270 cafe has pretty good selection. Windjammer is nicely spaced out.  We also really like the MDR...food and service is great.  I would say though on Anthem, you don't get that wow dining room since it's not built like the others of one big room that is multi layered (blame their attempt at dynamic dining).  The Robot bar is fun to watch (I forget the name offhand).  Lots of activities going on in the Music Hall.  Our kids loved the SeaPlex and iFly.  And Anthem has indoor pool and areas in case of bad weather (plus start and end of your trip out of NJ).  So much for everyone.

 

And...the redo of CoCo Cay is amazing.  If you like the beach, that is still there (and with additional options too for a fee).  If coming with kids, the waterpark is amazing.  They also have this beautiful huge pool (it does get busy though).

 

So ignore all the negative comments.  Guess that's the second C in cruise critic.  You'll have an amazing cruise.  Enjoy!

Edited by LuCruise
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time4u2go

time4u2go

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

I was annoyed when I saw a post yesterday all about "tell me the bad things about Royal".  Why would someone start such a negative post?  (just found the title...it was "Top 5 Overrated Things".  I mean, really?)

That's just it...the title wasn't "tell me the bad things about Royal".  The title was "Top 5 Overrated RC things".  Big difference.

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LuCruise

LuCruise

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Posted
2 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

That's just it...the title wasn't "tell me the bad things about Royal".  The title was "Top 5 Overrated RC things".  Big difference.

It still had a negative tone to it, and pretty much was the same thing.

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