laurieal

I don’t know, but I know there are fans of his checking this thread, so if anyone wants to chime in, please do.

If there is a Windjammer bakery, I have not seen it. But if there is one, it’s very important I find it. Can anyone comment on this? Are there fresh baked chocolate chip cookies anywhere on Anthem?

Day 6 Compass

Day 6 - continued I was heading for my stateroom, but I noticed that Perry Grant was playing at the Schooner Bar. A few people on this thread have mentioned him, someone even said they plan their cruises to see him play, so I had to stay for a bit and watch some of his show. There wasn’t one available seat in the Schooner Bar and as soon as someone got up to leave someone else would swoop down and grab their seat like it was a parking spot on Black Friday. Although it wasn’t really my style of music, I had a really nice time at his show and I found myself laughing a lot. If I have the opportunity to see more of his act, I would love to. He seemed like he had a lot of props and I only saw him use one of them, so I’m curious about those. Also, I need to know where I can get one of those sparkly jackets with the tentacles on the shoulders. After that, I went back to my stateroom where a new friend was waiting for me as well as the usual nighttime void on my virtual balcony.

Day 6 - continued Since I had been to Wonderland before, I told my waiter some of the things I had tried and wasn’t too keen to have again, but otherwise I gave home carte blanche. I started things off with a White Rabbit-Rita, which I didn’t really enjoy this time. For the appetizers, my waiter brought a couple of Purple Potted Shrimps, some Liquid Lobster and Liquid Truffle Mushroom Risotto, a Wonton Soup, and a Citrus Sea. The risotto, wonton soup and citrus sea were all new to me and I enjoyed them a lot, especially the Citrus Sea. As for the other appetizers I had tried before, they were as good as I remembered. I could easily go to Wonderland for a full meal of those little bites. For my main, I wanted to try something different from the last time, but someone at the table next to be ordered the pork and one look at that crackling changed my mind. It was as good as I remembered, but I could only manage about half of the portion. For dessert, there was only one option in my mind: the Forbidden Apple. That raspberry mousse is so light and fluffy and not too sweet that I was able to eat the whole thing despite feeling quite full. To me, that’s the perfect dessert and the best one I’ve had on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Day 6 - continued I went to the first showing of The Gift, which took me by surprise by hitting me right in the feels. I do love a good redemption arc and I enjoyed the show a lot. After the show, I headed straight to Wonderland for my reservation. I had tried Wonderland for the first time on my Wonder sailing and I had booked it on the Anthem knowing full well that there wouldn’t be any Mad Hatter theatre, which for me was a plus as I find dinner theatre a bit awkward when dining solo. If you’ve only been to Wonderland on Oasis class ships, keep in mind that the experience will be different on Anthem (and I assume other Quantum class ships).

Day 6 - continued After that, it was an entire afternoon of trivia and Strawberry Fields in the Music Hall. First was Harry Potter trivia, then Famous Couples. Trivia is hard work, so I took advantage of a break to get an afternoon snack of Sorrento’s Pizza, chocolate chip cookies and a cappuccino. That gave me all the energy I needed for the last trivia of the day: Friends. Having failed to win any prizes, I retired to my stateroom to get ready for the evening. Things were starting to get a bit darker on my virtual balcony.

Day 6 - continued Breakfast was in American Icon. Since I had had a disappointing French toast experience the morning before, I decided to order that. It was thick and fluffy and cinnamony and very yummy. The only thing missing was real maple syrup. I have a friend who travels with her own small bottle and while I’m afraid it would turn into a big suitcase mess, I’m starting to think it could be worth it. Does anyone else travel with a food item from home because they can’t find it on cruise ships? My father vows he will bring his own peanut butter jar the next time he cruises and I’ve been someone with a Marmite jar. The sun was out and I decided to head outside to work on my review. Deck 15 was closed due to the wind, so I thought I would sit at one of the tables close to the Sky Bar. I changed my mind. Forget about the brand new water park on the Icon, this was the place for water thrills. I spent a hilarious morning writing and watching people get too close to take pictures and get drenched.

Day 6 Hello from Two70! I felt like doing things different that morning, so after my usual stop at the Diamond Lounge for a coffee, I went to the dining room instead. The Esplanade was eerily quiet and I started wondering if I had missed a big party the night before.

Someone mentioned that I could be to lessen the load on the coffee machine in the Diamond Lounge, which would make sense since the crossing tend to be heavy on C&A members.

Two70 could have some activity planned around that time on sea days that could make it more difficult to find some seats. I’ve seen it packed in the afternoon when there is trivia. Maybe the upper level (Deck 4) of Music Hall could be another potential location for meetups if Two70 is too busy. Is there’s an activity in Music Hall I think it’s usually on the lower level.

Day 5 - continued They were showing Turning Red on the big TV and I watched that while I waiting for my North Star appointment. For safety reasons, everyone who is using a mobility device and cannot stand has to transfer to the ship’s own foldable, hospital-type wheelchair. It’s a lot larger than what I’m used to drive and I got some help from the staff who were operating the North Star that day. Once up the elevator and into the North Star pod, they asked me to pick a spot and they secured the wheelchair to the ground. Make sure you pick a good spot, because you will not be able to move around and check out the other sides. It was a cool ride. I wish I could have been doing it in my own wheelchair and been free to look around, but I get why they’re doing it like that. There were approximately ten of us in the pod, so not crowded at all with plenty of room for everyone. Fun and very random fact about my ride, one of the passengers was a man from Germany who came up with the concept of the North Star. After my ride on the North Star, it was almost time for sailaway, which I watched from a quiet spot on Deck 15 while chatting with a family I had met earlier in Ponta Delgada. One of them was using a wheelchair and we had had a very western “there isn’t enough room for the both of us on this sidewalk” kind of moment. It was nice to discuss the accessibility of Ponta Delgada and the ship with someone else. It was Tex Mex night in the Windjammer and I got myself some beef enchiladas and a taco, which I thought were pretty good. I can never resist something as cheesy as those enchiladas. I was feeling tired and I knew it wasn’t going to be a long night. I was going to retire, but I saw Music Hall on my way to the elevator bay and I made a detour for a Strawberry Fields. I stayed for the Family Feud game show and then I was off to bed.

Day 5 - continued I had one very important mission before I returned to the ship and, of course, it was food related. I had spotted a bakery close to the port (Colmeia Avenida) and I went there to pick up a Pasteís de Nata. With my pastry in my bag, I crossed the street and found the elevator that would take me back to the lower level of the promenade. I thought I had spotted some marine animals in some kind of bay close to the ship, so I settled there to watch and eat my pastry. Those animals ended up being humans swimming. I see enough of those animals on a daily basis, so I ate my pastry and I didn’t linger. I found a place that sold snacks and I got myself a bag of prosciutto chips. Belly full of delicious pastry, bag full of chips, I was feeling pretty happy with my day and I felt ready to return to the ship. There was a bit of a line for security when I returned to the cruise terminal, but it went quickly. It was such a beautiful and sunny day that I went straight to the North Star Bar on Deck 15. Still feeling that overall sense of optimism that had made me grab some French toast in a buffet earlier than morning, I asked the bartender if he had the recipe to make a Lime&Coconut, which had been one of my favourite cocktails on the Wonder. Thankfully, his colleague knew how to make one and I sat happily in the sun with my beverage. The upper outside deck is usually one of my favourite spot on a ship. On the Anthem, I wish Deck 15 had more regular tables instead of just bistro tables and loungers. It was nice to see so many people taking advantage of the nice weather to use the pool deck. Honestly, I felt like it was my duty to have ice cream, so I did.

Day 5 - continued Last batch of pictures from Pontal Delgada.

Day 5 - continued More pictures from my day in Ponta Delgada.

Day 5 - continued Some pictures from my day in Ponta Delgada

Day 5 - continued Maybe it was our early arrival in Ponta Delgada, but I felt filled with optimism that morning as I went for the French toast. It was, as I should have expected, quite dry. Never go for the French toast in a buffet unless someone has just brought them out. I ate quickly and made my way up to Deck 15 to get a closer look at Ponta Delgada and await the announcement that we could disembark. I didn’t have any plans for Ponta Delgada. It was my third time stopping there and I decided to go for a slow stroll and see the sights close to the port. I started by the promenade that’s close to the water. Coming from the ship, we are on the lower level but there is an elevator in a car park close to where the ships dock. Look for the sign if you want to go to the upper level. If you are looking to do your own thing in Ponta Delgada, here’s a map that could help you pinpoint some sights: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vNuKE2B98jgJFgmy6?g_st=ic

Day 5 Hello from the Music Hall! According to the captain, we were supposed to arrive in Ponta Delgada around 11:00, so I was surprised to see how close we were when I got to the Solarium around 8:30. Clearly we would be arriving early. The Solarium was particularly quiet at that time and there were plenty of loungers available, probably because people were getting ready to go ashore and didn’t need to reserve a spot for the day. I sat at what has now become my usual table and I watched as we made our arrival.

Day 5 Compass

I posted some pics of my stateroom on the first page, but if there’s anything specific you’d like to see let me know and I’ll take more pictures.

Pet update I don’t think she misses me at all 😂

Day 4 - continued After dinner, I ended up in Schooner Bar for some shots with some of the members of our groups, because that’s what one needs after six courses of wines. Tequila. I don’t remember the last time I did shots, but it was probably close to 10 years ago. Then, we went to the Esplanade for the Icon party and balloon drop. Sadly, none of us won the coveted cruise for two on the Icon’s inaugural sailing, and once the last balloon had hit the floor of the Esplanade it was time for us to his the hay.

Day 4 - continued The food, like the company, was delightful. There isn’t one course that I didn’t enjoy. The wines were also excellent and were clearly chosen by someone who knows what they’re doing. At the price I paid for the experience (50% off the original price), it was absolutely worth it and if I ever get such an offer again I will jump on the opportunity.

Day 4 - continued It was now time to meet at the Schooner Bar for the Chef’s Table, so I made my way back over there. I was the first one there and I waited for the others nervously as I sipped my apéritif. As a solo traveller, you never know how those group experiences will go. If you’re lucky, you will get a group where everyone chats with everyone. If you’re unlucky, you can find yourself amongst couples who only speak to their significant other or as the sole intruder in a big group where everyone knows each other. That night, I was the luckiest solo traveller ever. Chef’s Table was an absolute blast. Everyone was super fun and sociable and by the end of the experience (which lasted 4 hours) we were all best friends.

Day 4 - continued After the Icon presentation, I returned to my stateroom where I attempted to make an effort and look nice-ish for dinner. No plaid shirt and no Stat Wars characters…I could barely recognize myself! I had some time before our 18:15 meeting at the Schooner Bar, so I decided to go to the Shore Excursion desk to inquire about a transfer I had booked from the Ship to Manhattan. They had no record of my transfer, so they sent me to Guest Service where they took a picture of my confirmation and said they would investigate. Hopefully my transfer isn’t lost, because right now I don’t really have a plan B. I’m glad I checked early.