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I am sailing Anthem of the Seas at the end of May out of Bayonne. First time cruiser too.

Question 1 - I see the deluxe drink package is now $46/per day. I don't want to pay that. Will RCI continue to drop prices on drink packages as we get closer to embarking? I am a solo cruiser and don't think I will be drinking that much. It ends up being around $500 for my trip. I also already ordered water bottles to be delivered to my room, since I don't drink anything else except for tea and I was going to bring my own tea bags to save money. I assume getting hot water is easy enough? In terms of liquor, I may have 1-2 hard drinks a day as I ordered wine to be delivered to my room as well to save money. I hate looking at that $500 number but people keep telling me it's worth it. I don't!!

Question 2 - which might be stupid to ask. I know you can bring unlimited suitcases aslong as they are tagged with the RCI luggage tags. It literally says "carry on" luggage to hold wine etc. Does that mean the small rolling suitcases that are taken onto airplanes as "carry on" luggage are not allowed since they have wheels? I assume I am asking a stupid question and as long as I drag it, RCI doesn't care?

Question 3 - I bought TSA/customs approved luggage locks. Can I keep my checked bags locked and if they need to open them, they will do it? I assume checked bags are not inspected in front of me?

2 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I thought  Anthem was still on the Royal IQ app.

I just found that app. Thank you so much!! Didn't know there were multiple apps.

I downloaded the app. I'm sailing on Anthem at the end of May. However, it says my "reservation is not supported." I hope it becomes supported by the time I get on the ship.

22 minutes ago, aimcat said:

I just went through this last night. What my husband and I did is found a room in our house that happen to have off white walls and good lighting. He took a picture of me and I took a picture of him. I sent them to my email, saved to my computer and then uploaded them to the check in process. We just made sure to stand back a little bit when taking the pictures so that when you upload at least your shoulders and full head and face are in the picture. We had no issues doing this before or this time either. If you need anymore help with it give me a shout. 

Same. Except I took a picture of my spare passport photo (I had 2 done at CVS) under a small light. If you can upload the picture through a computer, that is probably easier.

I am sailing Anthem and was able to schedule my reservations for the shows in the cruise planner.

I am cruising May 23. It says this at the very bottom of the page in fine print:

" reservations for your sailing will be available up until 21-May-2019 11:59 PM EDT " . And then it goes on to say if you miss this, then you have to do it onboard. So it appears for mine I have to finish before 24 hours.

I did not get the insurance thru the cruise company as it wasn't substantial. I opted for insurance thru AXA - it was $165.00 and it is an "A" rated insurance company. It refunds the whole trip, covers trip interruptions or delays, it covers up to a $1,000,000.00 for emergency medical evac or repatriation. It also includes things such as lost baggage and non-medical emergency evac.

I'm sure this is a dumb question and has been asked before. I have some onboard credits (not that much) sitting in the cruise planner. Sailing Anthem in May...can I save the onboard credit and use on the ship/is it connected to Seapass? TIA

8 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

The ship does have many medications they can supply, including antibiotics.  I also have multiple drug allergies, including two families of antibiotics, and the ship was able to provide me with the same antibiotic my physician would have prescribed at home.

Do you know if the ship has Levaquin? That's basically the only one I can take..and z-pack..even though it's not strong enough.

I emailed Special Needs as I have many medical issues. I am sailing on Anthem in May.

This is what they said:

"Our Medical facility is located on deck 1 of all our ships. Kindly note, our medical facility is equipped much like an Urgent Care Center with one doctor, and 2-3 nurses. Nurses are also available after hours. Visits to the medical facility are on a paid basis. If for any reason we are unable to fully treat you in the medical facility, we will get you to the nearest hospital at the next land stop. For more severe or critical cases...we are able to airlift you...Please note that the nearest hospital may not be on U.S. Territory, however we will always attempt to get you immediate service as guest safety is our number on priority." - This email came from an Access Advocate.

Personally, as someone who has been to an Urgent Care Center (in the USA) many times, they are pretty much equipped to handle flus, infections, etc. We can't pick up prescriptions there but I assume the ship would have antibiotics ready.

I have many allergies to antibiotics. The OP has given me a reason to see if obtaining antibiotics before traveling would be warranted. 🤔

I guess the title of this topic should have been "I would like to bring 1-2 purses but have 3 to choose from". Thanks for the tips, all! Maybe I will skip the evening bag, unless I have space for it. I will definitely bring my crossbody bag and a wristlet at least.

It never allows me to edit posts!! I should have mentioned that I will have at least 1 water bottle (probably 1 liter) with me. I hope it zips in that bag!

So I'm going to bring a wristlet, evening bag/fancy bag, and then I'm hoping to get away with the below bag for the rest of the trip..like in ports and stuff. Is it large enough? I'm also going to be alone so I wanted to make sure I could swing the bag to the front and zip it...oh and on ports where I will be on the beach, will have a beach bag too. Tips/tricks for packing light in the purse, I would appreciate it lol I typically use a tote on day-to-day basis...

I'm Jessica. First time cruiser (since I was 5 for a Disney cruise), as well as solo cruiser. Going on RCI's Anthem of the Seas for May 23rd, 9 day cruise.

sorry I'm late to this and don't have time to read through every post. how do you find an extension cord WITHOUT a  circuit breaker/surge protector?? all of mine have at least a circuit breaker.

as a first time cruiser, I didn't even think about bringing a light rain jacket..that is a good point. thanks for the tips!

1 hour ago, JohnSpo said:

I reserved the Solarium on the Anthem for several dinners on an upcoming cruise and it is no charge.  There was a menu on the Royal website that I was able to view when I made the reservations.  The choices did look good and healthy and the appetizers seemed to be more of a Mediterranean type of menu.  I look forward to dining there.

Solarium was complimentary for me. And yes, menus are online in the cruise planner. I have many allergies/dietary restrictions, so this is one of the few "specialty restaurants" that I will be dining at.

Going on Anthem of the Seas cruise. The name of the spa treatment is in the topic title. It is $169 (I have a cruise credit so that is the only reason I'm even considering it). I have never done acupuncture. Doing it on a cruise with an unknown therapist? Eh, not sure. But I wanted to know if anyone here had any positive/negative experiences with acupuncture ON the cruise. Many people have recommended it to me so I thought this would be a good way to "try" it for a decent cost LOL. Acupuncture in my area is not cheap. Thanks!

Following this post! I am a solo cruiser looking for beach time during half of the day, and shopping the other half. I don't want to overpay for a single beach chair at Great Bay Beach!

I have a Passport Booklet and Passport Card. I would prefer to bring the Passport Card at port, and leave the Passport Booklet in my room, to minimize damage (e.g. getting wet). Will the cruise allow me back on with just a Passport Card? I'm told a Passport Card is like the smaller version of the Passport Booklet but I don't want to be the idiot dealing with staff because I left my Passport Booklet on the ship.

People - just to clarify. I made this topic so I could be informed about vaccines. Please keep your thoughts to yourself regarding if I should reconsider my trip because I sound too sick to you. Thanks.

I will go to the travel doctor (and pay the $95 out of pocket). I'd rather have vaccines done in a doctor's office and have the recordation. Hopefully, I won't need too many vaccines and the oral meds are covered by my insurance (oddly, the shot vaccines are not!).

Thanks to everyone who has given me valuable input on this topic.

1 hour ago, SRF said:

One thing to mention is when and what series Hep A you got.

 

The first Hep A vaccine was a single shot.  Seems it did not work too well.  They went to a two shots, 1 month apart, better.  And currently, it is combined with Hep B and is 3 shots, 1, then 1 month later another, then 6 months after the first one.

It says "unspecified formula" on mine, I guess my pediatrician didn't write it down on their chart. It has a HEP A shot in June 2006 and again June 2007. My HEP B was June 2000, August 2000 (I was most likely away and that is why it was 2 months apart), and May 2001.

Regarding the typhoid via oral route, does it interact with meds? I noticed a lot of "oral immunizations" are really just antibiotics. Which, I am highly allergic to many.

I'm hearing different things about Labadee. Some have said the food/water comes from cruise but others says that just because it is a port owned by RCI, doesn't mean the food can't be contaminated with cholera, etc.

1 minute ago, mtvagirl said:

I am gluten-free and have a mayo allergy, I have traveled on two cruises and both times, the MDR was the best option for me to eat at.  I would order my meals for breakfast and dinner for the next day the night before after I had eaten dinner.  It was so easy and so convenient! All the waitstaff was great! Breakfast in the MDR is a great option!! 

I also have a mayo allergy/intolerance. I don't know if it's the dairy or what it is but I've had it for awhile. I hate the taste anyway. I'm thinking of giving the Head Waiter a list of things I can't eat and a list of things I can eat..it is obnoxious but the easiest way to do things.

2 hours ago, nelblu said:

 

 

Don't write off tours/excursions either thru RCL or some independent source.  Simply choose those that occur in the AM and then go dining on the ship.  As mentioned, I have IBS and are very selective in dining prior to touring.

I have one or two excursions. Both happen to start in the morning or shortly after the cruise ports. I agree - no food in the morning is probably the best bet to avoid the typical IBS symptoms...it is horrible what we go through! Part of the reason I picked this as my vacation this year was so that I could be near a toilet 😕

8 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Since  you  write that you have not cruised in many years and had the confusion with dining (not knowing the difference  in the buffet and seated dining),  I suggest you contact your travel agent for some basic cruise  information.   Cruising now requires some advanced  planning.  Some ships require  show or activity  reservations.   Your travel agent should guide you.    If not, continue to ask on these boards, and I think there is a first time cruiser thread.  

 

good luck

M

 

 

I did this reservation without a travel agent. Thanks to these boards, I was able to locate the special needs email, remove excursions from the cruise planner, and now I'm learning about the differences between complimentary food on the cruise. I will definitely take the suggestion to hunt down the Head Waiter.

Also. I did make reservations for the shows on the sea days as I knew I needed activities on those days. 🙂

4 minutes ago, WisconsinFan said:

Glad you found the form earlier....sometimes it is hard to find things you need! That is why I am glad that there are helpful people on this forum (you can ignore the Trolls on some threads!). Hope you are getting the information you need. I have found the staff in the MDR on all the ships we have sailed willing to make your experience the best possible.

 

Yes, this forum has given me sooo much info!! I will note that the special needs department marked me as disabled without me telling them, which I hope doesn't prevent me from doing things..because I'm not physically disabled, per-say..