TACMS

8 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Did you receive the casino certificate onboard a recent sailing?   

Are you now a prime or higher member with 2500+ points?   If yes, then you should continue to receive offers.

 

Some folks with fewer points are receiving offers.

 

Check www.clubroyaleoffers.com on a regular basis.  Simply enter your last name and C&A number.

No, we received in the mail.  It’s my husband, he’s the lowest level I would think.

will log in/check the site you mentioned above.  Thank you.

New to Casino Royal benifits, but not new to cruising (diamond on RCCL). We recently received a complimentary inside room for two on select cruises through the casino.  Does anyone know if we pass this up, will we be offered a different offer/sailings next month?  Thank you

Are any of the ocean view balconies on the Wonder obstructed at all? Thank you…

5 hours ago, Lizzie_T said:

This is an awesome review - thank you! Did you feel there was any leeway with the My Time dining booking? 

Not sure what you mean on leeway.  Before we went, we booked my time dining  and then picked times.  We showed up pretty much the time of our reservation each night.  I think if you wanted to go a little later or earlier, just let them know the night before (when leaving dining room).  We let them know the first night we were very happy with our table/location and servers, and wanted to be seated there again. 
if you mean can you pick different times each night for my time dining, yes on the app.  If you don’t pick a time and want to stand in line at different times each night..not sure sure how that works. We always picked a time for my time dining

Review of Anthem of the Seas April 16-23, 2023

Mother-Daughter trip (ages 64/32)

I am a loyal RCCL cruiser (diamond) and daughter catching up!  We have been doing mother daughter cruises for a few years, along with other trips.  I have also cruised on Celebrity, Carnival and Princess.

Cruise: 7 Day Cruise left from Bayonne, NJ; stopping at Port Canaveral, Nassau and CocoCay with total three days at sea.

We chose this cruise not for the ports, but the convenience of leaving from NJ (we live in NY) and the ship (Quantum class).   We have been on Oasis class (Allure 2x, and many of the other RCCL ships) but never on Quantum Class.

First Impression - it is a beautiful ship. Very well laid out, easy to navigate.  Many different areas to just sit and observe.  Ship was large enough, designed with many different areas that with the ship full and over 1100 kids on board, it didn’t seem crowded, except for after shows, birthday celebration, etc. We were on it for the 8th birthday celebration.  They had a balloon drop and music to celebrate. The ship is in great shape!

Food:  I have seen many reviews criticizing the ‘new menus’.  I don’t understand why.  They still have most the favorites that are well loved, sometimes more than once.  Along with new additions…If you use the app when on ship you can see the menu for each night, and decide what you may want.  Plan ahead. Example….Escargot was offered as appetizer twice, I decided to try something else first night it was on menu, knowing it would be there another night.  Out of seven nights we found the quality of our meals up to past cruises - which were very good to excellent.  We enjoyed the food!  One night I didn’t care for what I ordered.  It wasn’t them, it was my taste….that night our waiter offered repeatedly to bring me something else…very accommodating.  Food in all other venues was just as good. We enjoyed Two70 for breakfast and lunches. Quick and easy. Windjammer a few times. Enjoyed what we had there  Don’t forget, go all the way to the back of Windjammer, there is outside seating which is very nice.  The solarium for breakfast and lunch was also good.  We did not do specialty restaurants this time.  Of course pizza and cafe promenade were just as good as always!

Dining Room:  We had My Time dining with 7:15 and 7:30 set reservations each night. We were assigned the Silk Dining room (red decor one). Service in dining room was above excellent.  We were able to order more than one appetizer when we wanted to. Our waiter was very attentive, friendly and service was fantastic.  Our assistant waiter  knew what we may want to drink by second night.  We were in the dining room most nights about an hour.

Cabin 7600:  We had a guaranty balcony.  Fortunately we were assigned a cabin on deck 7. The obstructed balconies on deck six were basically looking at a life boat (from what I could see on line/pictures). Our balcony had a great view, but also had the support for life boat in our view.  Not bad considering deck six views.  Also note, when looking down at the ocean from most of the balconies over the life boats will see the life boats.  Looking out you see ocean. The lifeboats project out from deck 5/6.  Not all balconies on these decks are this way, only those over the lifeboats or parallel with the life boats. Look at deck plans when booking…

The cabin had plenty of storage. Two closets on each side of the couch (hanging and shelf space, along with drawers in one and two layers of hanging in other) desk and drawers also in room.  Our beds were by the balcony which was very nice, leaving more room when you first walk into room. Safe was smaller than other ships (iPad would not fit in it). Bathroom was set up different. Storage was adequate (like other ships). The shower was much bigger with a door that pulled open (not the sliding door). You could fit two people in this size shower. I liked that the bathroom light had a night light that stayed on even when lights were out at night.  Note:  our cabin was an adjoining room, but the layout of room allowed us to have a couch in room. Door to adjoining room was when you first walked in. Different from other ships.

Entertainment/Shows:

The Brass and Bock Pub:  Was a great place, centrally located. The guitar/vocal entertainer (Stephen Burke) there was fantastic.  Engaged the audience, played great songs, took requests.  At different times/days they also held karaoke or trivia games in the pub.

Schooner Bar:  They had an entertainer named Perry Grant.  Not your typical Schooner bar piano player, one that would take requests etc.  Perry was definitely “an experience”.  Figured it out after first night.  My only negative comment was his show was the same every night. Same jokes, same songs, etc.  If he would have done different things, changed it up, I think we would have enjoyed it more. But he was definitely entertaining!

In Two70:  A beautiful area of the ship.  Great view, quiet during the day to just hang out; eat  something from Two70 cafe, maybe catch a rehearsal of a show.

    Spectra’s Cabaret - The show was great!  Enjoyed it very much.

    The Quest- The Quest was just as entertaining as always (on other ships).  The only thing I didn’t like about The Quest (and Spectra’s Cabaret) being held here (@Two70). It is hard to see.  Fortunately there is a large screen showing what is going on.  My suggestion, if you decide to go to either of these shows, go early and sit down below, closer to the front, or possibly the balcony. (We were on the first level in the back).

Music Hall:  A great two story bar/music venue.  We saw the tribute band Rookie. I cannot express how good they were.  Playing rock and roll hits spanning many years.  (The lead singer is from Jersey Boys/Las Vegas) I felt like I was at a concert (actually it was a concert).

In the Theatre:

   We Will Rock You:  Watching this musical, you forget you are not on Broadway!  The cast was phenomenal. Stick around till the end for the best Queen songs!

   Comedy Show:  We went to the comedian Dan Wilson (adults only show). He was very funny. Worth going to.

   The Gift and a Juggler:  We never got around to seeing these two shows. There were other shows (Welcome Aboard) we didn’t get to see..

   Love and Marriage:  Never know what to expect, always a good laugh.  This one was very good.

Trivia Games:  During the week there were many different days/venues that had different trivia games (music/sports/family/Logos, etc)

North Star:  wasn’t sure if we wanted to do on port day (free) or sea day ($19). On a sea day it is the ‘extended’ version - it extends out over both sides of the ship, in port it just goes up.  I highly recommend this, the view is unbelievable!   We booked it for Monday (sea day) but it was cancelled due to wind. We rescheduled for Thursday (sea day). It was so worth it.  You are in a glass capsule that goes up over 300 feet above sea level, then extends out over the ocean on both sides of the ship.  Views never seen…

Sea Plex:  didn’t spend much time here. Just visited the Dog House for hot dogs a few times 🙂

Flowrider:  Fun to watch, didn’t attempt it 🙂

Bars:  There are definitely enough bars and lounges on this ship.  We found all the bar tenders and wait staff to be extremely friendly and kind.  Most took the time to speak to us and get to know us.

Ports:

Port Canaveral - We have family in Florida that met us for lunch at the port. (Recommend Fishlips or Grills if you decide to stay at port)

Nassau:   We didn’t dock till noon and really wanted to do a beach and shop,  looked at Cabbage and Cable beach, but both did not have public bathrooms, so we were hesitant. Instead we walked to Junkanoo Beach.  It is crowded and music is loud.  Met very nice people from another ship.  Next time will try a not so crowded beach….  Walked back and did some shopping.  Went to Senior Frogs for a snack and few beers.  Always fun there.

CocoCay - this was my 3rd time there.  We stayed on South Beach this time (instead of spending half the time at Oasis pool).  Found two lounge chairs and umbrella and relaxed. Great day.  Great food.  Don’t miss the funnel cake from The Snack Shack!  Explored the island a bit.  They moved the Tiki Bar that was in the water to another beach…

Ship/Pools:

We went to the Solarium pool the first sea day.  It was beautiful, relaxing.  We were right in the front of the ship, by the windows with a beautiful view.  Found by mid afternoon it was very warm/hot.  No breeze and heat from hot tubs and sun added to the temperature.

Main pool:  Spent some time at the main pool and the upper level of main pool. We had no problem finding chairs each day, but yes many chair hogs!  Pool wasn’t overly crowded like on other ships.  I think that having three pools (solarium pool, indoor pool and main pool) along with  kiddie area, and sports area helped spread out the amount of people on the ship.

Spa: We had massages which were awesome.  Didn’t push selling us products either, just mentioned them. The staff in the spa were very friendly, made you feel comfortable.

We would definitely go back on the Anthem again.  There is always something to do or see if you want.  Or you could do nothing….

Thank you for your response….Is the old Hilton you speak of the British Colonial Hotel (Serenity Beach). I see that one on Resorts for a Day. Nothing for Hilton. 

Thank you for your reply.  How long ago were you there?  Recently?

Has anyone done the Pearl Island Tour thru RCCL. (Nassau)

43 minutes ago, BobNoxious said:

When does ship leave?    12:00 - ???     Junkanoo is a nice beach.

I believe we are there 12-8

My daughter (33) and I will be on Anthem April 16.  Want to do a beach day and trying to decide on where to go.

1) Junkanoo Beach (walk)

2) Pearl Island tour thru RCCL

3) Taxi to Cable Beach (are there public bathrooms/food/drinks for purchase?)

4) Breezes Resort thru ‘Resorts for a Day’ (all inclusive)
 

Any comments and/or suggestions from past experience would be greatly appreciated.  Or any other beach ideas?  I have watched videos and read reviews on all of the above, some good, some not so good….

Also, does anyone know how much is a taxi from port to Breezes Resort would cost, and how long?

We will dock at noon, so basically would only do beach for 4 hours…

Thank you for advice/ideas

🚢 ☀️ 🐠 

9 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Keep in mind you have a check-in time, not a boarding time. Your 10 AM time is not the time you will board the ship. For most cruises from US ports boarding usually starts around 11 AM, although there are a lot of factors that can impact when boarding actually starts. 

Yes, I’m aware…I just typed the wrong wording.  Thank you.

My adult daughter and I have a different boarding time on our set and sail.  Will they allow her to board with me at the 10:00 slot? She has 11:30.

Do I need to make a reservation for any of the shows on the Anthem ahead of time?  

How is the music in the Schooner Bar (Piano Man Alan) and in the Duck and Dog Pub (Carlos Bolanos)?  We like to visit these two places often…..

Thank you for all the answers/suggestions.  We are scheduled for the PCR test on Tuesday for our Friday cruise (I have no doubt that is acceptable - test and timing🥰).  My concern is that “what if” our test results don’t come back in time for the cruise😳. Yes they say 2-3 days, but…. 1) I’m a worrier. 2) there are many covid tests being done right now (can labs handle them all in a 2/3 day turn around?).  
 

Anyway…I found an urgent care that will do “same day” covid PCR test. At first I was looking to schedule a rapid antigen test as a back up to our Tuesday PCR test.  Very hard to find one now.  Did find one at an urgent care (my cost), but then was concerned that the rapid one could be ‘false positive’ (yes I’m the worrier🙈). So I scheduled the same day PCR test for later on Thursday and can cancel if don’t need.  Here’s hoping my original PCR test at CVS comes back (and my daughters too).

19 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

I wish they gave more time.  We are going to an urgi care that doesn’t require an appointment.

I emailed Michael Bayley requesting he give us 4 or 5 days to get testing done.   (Disney gives five but only accepts PCR tests).  Email him….who knows, if enough people request more time…🤷‍♀️

24 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

They will accept PCR or antigen for Florida, but I don’t know about other states. I wanted to book a last minute cruise for the 16th of this month. Decided to since hubby has those 4 days off. It just happened the way he bid for his schedule, so it wasn’t planned. That’s why it would be very last minute. Not going to happen because CVS, Walgreens and other places I tried were booked up of about 2 weeks.  Now if Royal was allowing the tests to be taken 4 days before it would work out for us. So schedule your test ASAP.

I emailed Michael Bayley requesting he give us 4 or 5 days to get test (Disney gives five but only accepts PCR tests).  Email him….

I know CVS, Walgreens and certain labs can be used for testing prior to sailing.  IS an Antigen Rapid test from an urgent care provider acceptable for sailing?  (Within 3 days prior to sailing)   Thanks in advance….

Trying to decide between the National Hotel or the Beacon Hotel on South Beach.  Has anyone stayed at either one?  Flying in early day before cruise...

So meaning as soon as I cancel, the room credit will be there for me to use?

I currently have some room credit (from RCCL).  I plan on using the credit towards the purchase of the beverage package.  If the price for the beverage package goes lower, I want to cancel, and rebook at the lower price.  I know I can do this, but how does the room credit work?  Do I have to wait (days?) for the room credit to come back, or is it automatic?

I know it may take a few days for the credit to show on my credit card, I'm just afraid that by the time the room credit 'reappears' the p;rice of the package will change.  Anyone do this before??

Thank you all....playing it safe and paid extra....booked the 1:50 flight.

Arriving at Port Canaveral on September 2 (Mariner)..... Would it be possible to make a flight that leaves Orlando at 11:06 am?  We would carry off our luggage.  Concerned that it is Labor Day too....

Thank you!!  Now hope to get one.  

Does anyone know if there are chairs to sit in by the pool?  I know there are lounge chairs.  Traveling with elderly mom and she will never be able to sit in a lounge chair.  From the pictures, it looks like their are 'high' stool type chairs at the bar and adirondack type chairs along with the lounge chairs.  Just wondering if there are any table and chairs near the pool area.

Thank you