Anthem 12/12 Review

[Ship2Shore]

I am missing the extremely negative overtones and the defensiveness I displayed but to each his own.

 

Here you go...In your words...

 

Windjammer: Nothing inedible, but nothing was great

American Icon: Desserts were HORRIBLE

Silk: DISGUSTING. We walked out. Apps were bad and meal was horrible

Michael's Pub: Wings, nothing to write home about

Bionic Bar: Gimmick - needs to only be seen once

Spectra: Female lead singers are horrible. RC needs to attract better talent

The Gift: Confused. Didn't enjoy at all. Left after 15 minutes

Love & Marriage: Performance at 3:00 in the afternoon

Cruise Director: Pompous jerk. Rude and disrespectful. Didn't enjoy at all

Kenny James: Not good. Corny and talked a lot. Thinks he's better than he is.

 

You claimed to have missed the MDR and found the bar service to be spotty. You missed the nighttime games due to 'odd hours'. You didn't get the 'community feel' as with other ships. You missed the promenade and would prefer that over the esplanade 'any day'. No late night snacks, no chocolate displays and no ice sculptures.

 

Sure sounds negative to me, but as you said, you didn't get seasick or marooned at sea. So I suppose you really did have a blast!

[tennislvr8]

Here you go...In your words...

 

Windjammer: Nothing inedible, but nothing was great

American Icon: Desserts were HORRIBLE

Silk: DISGUSTING. We walked out. Apps were bad and meal was horrible

Michael's Pub: Wings, nothing to write home about

Bionic Bar: Gimmick - needs to only be seen once

Spectra: Female lead singers are horrible. RC needs to attract better talent

The Gift: Confused. Didn't enjoy at all. Left after 15 minutes

Love & Marriage: Performance at 3:00 in the afternoon

Cruise Director: Pompous jerk. Rude and disrespectful. Didn't enjoy at all

Kenny James: Not good. Corny and talked a lot. Thinks he's better than he is.

 

You claimed to have missed the MDR and found the bar service to be spotty. You missed the nighttime games due to 'odd hours'. You didn't get the 'community feel' as with other ships. You missed the promenade and would prefer that over the esplanade 'any day'. No late night snacks, no chocolate displays and no ice sculptures.

 

Sure sounds negative to me, but as you said, you didn't get seasick or marooned at sea. So I suppose you really did have a blast!

 

I had a rather snarky reply typed up then deleted it because what someone else thinks of MY experience on the cruise I paid for matters not.

[jonj]

thank you for your review

[denatravels]

I had a rather snarky reply typed up then deleted it because what someone else thinks of MY experience on the cruise I paid for matters not.

 

 

You are entitled to post anything you want and take any vacation you want-- however, I was also surprised when you said that you booked anthem again, as I also got the impression that it was a mainly negative experience for you.

I didn't, however,think it was necessary to repost it to PROVE it was negative.

[tennislvr8]

You are entitled to post anything you want and take any vacation you want-- however, I was also surprised when you said that you booked anthem again, as I also got the impression that it was a mainly negative experience for you.

I didn't, however,think it was necessary to repost it to PROVE it was negative.

 

I didn't book another one. I said I would though. It was different from other RCI cruises I have been on. Like I said in the beginning of the post this was a relaxing vacay for us and we succeeded. It wasn't negative it was different.

[ranchette]

You are entitled to post anything you want and take any vacation you want-- however, I was also surprised when you said that you booked anthem again, as I also got the impression that it was a mainly negative experience for you.

I didn't, however,think it was necessary to repost it to PROVE it was negative.

 

Agreed

[newjoisey]

I had a rather snarky reply typed up then deleted it because what someone else thinks of MY experience on the cruise I paid for matters not.

 

don't bother to respond to people that were not on the cruise.....more likely they are typing from their mommies basement:D

[akcruz]

I had a rather snarky reply typed up then deleted it because what someone else thinks of MY experience on the cruise I paid for matters not.

 

You have nothing to apologize to these people for. It always amazes me how 2 people can be in the same place, hear the same thing, etc and have 2 distinct opinions.

 

What surprises me, although it is CC, is why they are all jumping on you, its almost like they want to see a bad review and keep pointing it out to all.

 

I appreciate a good balanced review. I like to hear the good and bad and why it is good and bad to the writer. It helps me to see what my opinions may be. Thanks for taking the time to writer YOUR opinions of the ship in your review.

[ranchette]

Lol

[tennislvr8]

Also simply because I said I missed something from another cruise doesn't mean I did.nt enjoy it, it simply meant I missed it. The things I said were disgusting or horrible didn't ruin the cruise for me. Guess what those disgusting or horrible things will be skipped the next time I'm on that ship. I hated silk, I won't ever go back to. silk. I can find PLENTY to do on a ship, if it's simply sitting in a quiet spot and reading a book. I guess I'm not a malcontent.

[tennislvr8]

don't bother to respond to people that were not on the cruise.....more likely they are typing from their mommies basement:D

 

LOL so very true!!!!!!!!

[tennislvr8]

You have nothing to apologize to these people for. It always amazes me how 2 people can be in the same place, hear the same thing, etc and have 2 distinct opinions.

 

What surprises me, although it is CC, is why they are all jumping on you, its almost like they want to see a bad review and keep pointing it out to all.

 

I appreciate a good balanced review. I like to hear the good and bad and why it is good and bad to the writer. It helps me to see what my opinions may be. Thanks for taking the time to writer YOUR opinions of the ship in your review.

 

Thanks, I appreciate a balanced review too. I thought that was what I provided. Yeah, I felt jumped on too. I didn't see a point or a question in either of their posts.

[Cruisin' Ya Ya]

DH and I went on this cruise also for R&R. We did not get off the ship the entire time. We pre-reserved dinners at Grande, American Icon, and Chic after reviewing the menus on RCCL website.

Embarkation - we thought was a bust also. We dropped our luggage off and the baggage guys did not give us or tell us they would give us a baggage sticker for our paper seapass. We parked the car around 9:30, (we had a pre-reserved boarding time of 10:30). The ladies with iPads who began to log us in, had trouble with the system accepting our credit card. It was their system - not our cards problem. That took 20 minutes. We were then directed TSA for security check and then to the large open area room and told to have a seat until we were called to board. There were NO two seats together. I was actually shocked how many people got there early since the earliest boarding time was supposed to be 10:30. DH had a walker with a seat and I stood. It seemed like forever before they boarded (but C&A status - we were platinum). Somewhere around 11:45 we boarded and went right to Two70 cafe for the fantastic roast beef sandwiches and a comfy seat in the theatre. Rooms were ready at 1pm. We had room 7258 with balcony. Very nice room and balcony and bathroom (loved the large shower area).

Dinner at Grande was the best food and service. Breakfast and lunch every day at American Icon werw good, dinner there was not. We cancelled other 3 dinners reserved there and changed them to one at Grande and two at Chic. We already had two other Chic dinners reserved. We loved Chic as well as Grande, except Grande had lobster tails which made Grande better for us. Apps, entree's and desserts were all great.

We ran into similar problem with Michael's Pub. We sat at the tables outside the pub to watch people taking photos at the large Christmas tree there. The first night there, NO ONE came out to take our drink order. The second time we went , there was a waitress. I rode the NorthStar - had a reservation - it was great! Chickened out on the IFly. Disembakation was the fastest ever! Beautiful ship and so many pools! (we are not pool people though or sun worshippers).

[MisterBill99]

I had a rather snarky reply typed up then deleted it because what someone else thinks of MY experience on the cruise I paid for matters not.

Please post it! I love snarky!

[majesty318]

 

Question.. was there any discounting of the specialty restaurants (for everyone, not the first night discount for D+)? I'd heard from earlier cruises that Jamie's was available for $15 for lunch later in the cruise, and that Wonderland can be had for 20-30% off depending on when you ask.

 

 

The D+ members in our group got buy 1 / get 1 half off at specialty, good the first 2 nights only. We asked our head waiter about a discount to Wonderland and were offered 20% off but only if all 6 of us went. Jamie's was $20 lunch at the end, not sure if that was a discount.

 

 

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Edited December 22, 2015 by majesty318

[majesty318]

Oh and I forgot embarkation was a mess! Part of our group got there early and got on fast. I arrived about 11:45 - it was packed and they were not checking in based on loyalty (was emerald till this cruise and now diamond). I was pretty angry. Sat in row 8 of 8 waiting for the people with IPads to come along.

 

Disembarkation was easy. We did carry off our own luggage. We chose to leave about 8:15, and the ship seemed almost empty by then.

 

 

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[MisterBill99]

The D+ members in our group got buy 1 / get 1 half off at specialty, good the first 2 nights only. We asked our head waiter about a discount to Wonderland and were offered 20% off but only if all 6 of us went. Jamie's was $20 lunch at the end, not sure if that was a discount.

Thanks for the info. I think $20 is the normal lunch price. I'll try asking for a discount at Wonderland itself and see what they say.

[karmacats]

Thanks for the info. I think $20 is the normal lunch price. I'll try asking for a discount at Wonderland itself and see what they say.

 

lunch is now $25. it still said $20 online so we were quite surprised when the bill came. decided not to make a fuss for $5, since we enjoyed the lunch (did it on embarkation day - nice and relaxing!).

[denatravels]

lunch is now $25. it still said $20 online so we were quite surprised when the bill came. decided not to make a fuss for $5, since we enjoyed the lunch (did it on embarkation day - nice and relaxing!).

 

 

Did you pay online or had just checked the price? I thought lunch couldn't be reserved.

[karmacats]

Did you pay online or had just checked the price? I thought lunch couldn't be reserved.

 

had just seen prices online. lunch can't be reserved online or prepaid. it wasn't busy, though - i don't think most people realize it's open on embarkation afternoon.

[MisterBill99]

had just seen prices online. lunch can't be reserved online or prepaid. it wasn't busy, though - i don't think most people realize it's open on embarkation afternoon.

Or they're not interested in paying that much for lunch when they first get on the ship (or later, given how it's apparently not very busy during the cruise, either).

[karmacats]

Or they're not interested in paying that much for lunch when they first get on the ship (or later, given how it's apparently not very busy during the cruise, either).

 

on quantum it was often sold out for both lunch and dinner. it didn't seem to be nearly as busy on anthem, for either meal, but i don't know why - the food was definitely comparable on both ships. maybe it's the new price point. or maybe it just depends on the cruise - we were on a 7-night, so not much time to get bored in the complementary restaurants (though our quantum one was only an 8-night, so not much difference, and jamie's was always packed there).

 

normally i wouldn't pay for lunch, but on embarkation day it's totally worth it to me - a nice place to stow our luggage, and not having to fight the windjammer crowds, definitely makes my first day more relaxing. i know plenty who would disagree, but for me it's money well-spent.

[ranchette]

Where can I get a list of the prices for all the specialty restaurants for lunch & dinner on the Anthem?

Edited December 22, 2015 by ranchette

[MisterBill99]

 

normally i wouldn't pay for lunch, but on embarkation day it's totally worth it to me - a nice place to stow our luggage, and not having to fight the windjammer crowds, definitely makes my first day more relaxing. i know plenty who would disagree, but for me it's money well-spent.

Devinly Decadence also fits the bill and it's free. Depending on where your cabin is, it might be inconvenient while waiting for your cabin. Mine is on deck 13 so it's right near DD.

[karmacats]

Devinly Decadence also fits the bill and it's free. Depending on where your cabin is, it might be inconvenient while waiting for your cabin. Mine is on deck 13 so it's right near DD.

 

we didn't discover devinly decadence until the last day, and i'm pretty bummed -we had tried to go there for lunch a couple of times on quantum and it was always so busy that we didn't even try on anthem until day 7. we had the lunch buffet and it was delicious. i would definitely do it for embarkation lunch if it's open. and probably many other lunches as well. :p