Day by Day on the Anthem January 3

[littlekicks]

Just filled out special needs form for my 6/16 Anthem sailing (bringing cpap) and noticed boxes you can check to request soy or lactose free milk. Sorry no spot to request maple syrup. I feel your pain. That pre-packaged "breakfast syrup" is a too-sweet mess.

 

 

 

I am on the 6/16 cruise. It will be my first cruise. Excited but nervous!

Taking my 2 kids.

 

Have enjoyed reading this thread, thank you for taking the time to post!

[Caribensun]

Thanks for taking time to do a live. Since you have done Crystal and now RCL, which would you be more apt to book again? Appreciate info on St. Bart's as will be there in Dec. on Crystal. Which line would you be more inclined to if price was not an issue. We enjoy all of the activities and not knowing everyone on the larger cruise lines, but miss the service of the smaller lines. Have you tried the spa?

Thanks, Sandipalms

[TwoTimer81]

Before I get to sandipalms question, matters well finish Day 8 coverage.

 

We were in Barbados, a different type of island from the rest, topography-wise. Gone are the steep mountains that adorned every other port, Barbados is mostly flat (I should know, this is my third time there, but first in over 20 years). I went to Harrison's Cave as a child so I skipped that for Brownes beach. Off to the hits and misses shall we?

 

Hits:

Barbados - The warmest and calmest water existed here on her western shore. We chose Brownes beach (as supposed to Brandons) in the hopes of visiting Cuzz's Fish Shack and its excellent reviews.

Brownes Beach - The beach itself was nearly flawless. Small fish can be seen around my feet, even in five feet of crystal clear water. Waves were nonexistent except for tidal changes. It got crowded after about noon, when residents started showing up after church.

Rum Cake - Because the desserts on the ship were so subpar (compared to Crystal), we bought some overpriced cake at the port. Half of it is gone already.

Solarium Bistro - There are some nice touches to its breakfast buffet, as supposed to the Windjammer. The regular corned beef hash had finely chopped peppers (two days ago) and fresh parsley (most days). Even the roasted peppers had fresh parsley and paprika sprinkled on it.

Avengers - The Age of Ultron was shown in the theatre, in 3D. Very nice.

Next Cruise - I booked another cruise for next January. More on this later.

Brown Sugar Restaurant - Near the Hilton at Needham's Point, they had a Sunday buffet which featured local food (see: Dolphin, etc). Excellent, and with similar ethnic food in the States, we could taste the difference between items produced down there and their counterparts up north. It can't be explained, just experienced. Just trust me.

The Toilet - It got overloaded a bit today, they fixed it within five minutes without even visiting the room (fixed from their end).

 

Misses:

The workers at Brownes beach - Whenever I wasn't at her side, they tried to offer her various excursions (or just plain flirted). It got very annoying at times. But when I was there, nobody came to her.

The Minnesota Vikings - How could they shank that last minute field goal?

 

Back to the next cruise thing. I booked a Spa Junior Suite on the 11th floor for the Anthem sailing on Jan 14 (2017). I realized for all the ships that homeport in the NYC area during the winter (the only time I can cruise and be assured the vacation time), the Anthem is the best ship up here, even with all her apparent service warts and newness. The JS opens up Coastal Kitchen to us for dinner, and the $200 deposit is nothing even if I decided to not go and get a refund. Adding St Lucia and Antigua only sweetened the pot, as technically we never made it out of the port area at St. Maarten and San Juan, either.

[TwoTimer81]

Thanks for taking time to do a live. Since you have done Crystal and now RCL, which would you be more apt to book again? Appreciate info on St. Bart's as will be there in Dec. on Crystal. Which line would you be more inclined to if price was not an issue. We enjoy all of the activities and not knowing everyone on the larger cruise lines, but miss the service of the smaller lines. Have you tried the spa?

Thanks, Sandipalms

 

When it comes to food quality and impeccable service, nothing is Crystal when compared to mainstream lines. My wife likes the idea of not knowing everyone on the ship, and we get approximately 1 1/2 times the cruise length on Royal compared to Crystal. She has grown to appreciate cruises of longer than 7 days, as you really get to relax. 7 day trips you have to fly to it's day 3 before you finally relax, and now its almost time to pack again. Obviously we would live on the Serenity if we won powerball and became instant billionaires :D

 

Anthem has its warts (despite its newness), but one of the points of my diary is to help others steer clear of its issues (until they are resolved) and to emphasize its strong points (its entertainment puts Crystal to bed). A lot of people badmouth a particular ship because of a particular thing that's critical to them, but it may not be as critical to others. The free American food on this ship is mostly pathetic, and it extends to Chops to an extent. You did not get bang for your buck at Izumi, either and it seems the Asian items in the WJ are limited to avoid wading into Izumi territory. The ethnic food served in the WJ has been decent, and like I said before, I cannot comment on what has gone in the dining room, although initial reports from others have stated that the service has improved somewhat in them, although the food has remained so-so. The crew still tries to genuinely please, but trying a new concept and then charging extra for it can leave to a double edged result, and that's exactly what has happened.

 

At the end of the diary, I will do a "if I had to do this all over again" post, but now that I (barring anything like a wife future pregnancy or something life altering) will do this all over again, I matters well state my idea of this (given various types of travel).

[Newbcruiser1]

Following! Thanks so much for your thoughts so far!

 

Did you notice any drink packages offered towards the end of the cruise? There were reports on other ships of 10 drinks for $60 or thereabouts.

[TwoTimer81]

Following! Thanks so much for your thoughts so far!

 

Did you notice any drink packages offered towards the end of the cruise? There were reports on other ships of 10 drinks for $60 or thereabouts.

 

There were no discounted drink packages towards the end of the cruise yet. Also, Internet wasn't reduced, either. Most of the discounts centered around shopping (of course, but of course they aren't really discounts), and food in Michael's pub (entrees being reduced by about 25%, or including a beer), and of course the spa.

[denatravels]

Following! Thanks so much for your thoughts so far!

 

Did you notice any drink packages offered towards the end of the cruise? There were reports on other ships of 10 drinks for $60 or thereabouts.

 

 

I haven't seen any discounts at all reported on anthem.

[heavydcleveland]

Marci21! The beds are hard as a rock!

Edited January 11, 2016 by heavydcleveland

[ZambiniGold]

Chris,

 

Many thanks for the detailed review. This has been extremely helpful.

 

On our first cruise, the food in MDR (on Explorer) and service were key to our very positive experience. Looking to take more family later this year...I like the Hits and Misses format. Unfortunately, looks like the MDR food is a no-go? Looks like you went with the upgraded dining option, so if you could glean more info from others I would appreciate it! We're planning on paying for everyone, so the upcharge option is unlikely. Does the MDR have a different menu every night?

 

How has the attitude of the crew been? It was noted on earlier cruises that it appeared they did not want to be there.

 

Thanks again, and your posts have been very entertaining :)

[TwoTimer81]

Good afternoon (late post today, more than halfway through day 10)! St. Kitts was very interesting, as we did something off the beaten path, the volcano hike! Unfortunately, this doesn't allow me to give a review of the island itself (beaches, local food, etc) as the hike took up the entire time on the island (yes, we were the last ones back on the ship, getting back after all-aboard time). Off to the H&M, shall we?

 

Hits:

Mount Liamuiga Hike - This 3792 foot dormant volcano sits on the opposite side of St. Kitts. It doesn't dominate the scenery in the same way as Mount Pelee on Martinique, however. It last erupted in the 1600s, and its monitored occasionally by scientists. The hike is aggressive, not to be attempted by the faint of heart (or less agile, less in shape). A few did not even make it to the top. There was an Asian lady that managed to get up there with flats and sheer will. Its three miles long with a 2050' vertical gain.

Michael's Genuine Pub - After a disappointing evening in the Windjammer, I fetched deviled eggs, fries and wings. The eggs were salty, the fries and wings were as expected, consistent all cruise long. Don't forget to order special sauce with it (free).

Nilda - Our stateroom attendant cleaned up our dirt ridden room, and the batteries were replaced. Bravo. She knows me by name now. The service given by her has been excellent throughout, and lots of rave reviews by the other attendants on the ship air daily on the ship's TV channel. Don't expect any issues here when travelling, and anyone that have travelled on higher end lines (see: Crystal, etc) wont be disappointed in this department. Just keep in mind the beds are firm, very firm and ask the attendant to utilize the comforter stored under the bed as extra padding.

 

Misses:

Windjammer - Didn't find anything interesting in the Windjammer. The chocolate loaf was dry, they should perhaps try a sliced bundt cake round to minimize moisture loss. The beef curry was salty (a common complaint was the salt level of many dishes on this ship, I even saw it on screen at a cooking demonstration by the executive chef!), luckily I had some rum cake left over from Barbados that I had with the pub food. Luckily, the lemonade started to return a bit and was available in several of the drink stations.

Silk - Leaving the WJ, we ran into Bill and Leslie again. They again reiterated the lack of taste and authenticity of the food in Silk (except the lamp chop). But I wouldn't expect to eat lamb chops in an Asian restaurant now would I?

[cruisenfever]

Chris, how cold is the mini-fridge in your cabin. The ones on Quantum were much colder than other ships. Hoping for the same on Anthem.

[TwoTimer81]

Chris,

 

Many thanks for the detailed review. This has been extremely helpful.

 

On our first cruise, the food in MDR (on Explorer) and service were key to our very positive experience. Looking to take more family later this year...I like the Hits and Misses format. Unfortunately, looks like the MDR food is a no-go? Looks like you went with the upgraded dining option, so if you could glean more info from others I would appreciate it! We're planning on paying for everyone, so the upcharge option is unlikely. Does the MDR have a different menu every night?

 

How has the attitude of the crew been? It was noted on earlier cruises that it appeared they did not want to be there.

 

Thanks again, and your posts have been very entertaining :)

 

There is a lot of information on the MDR's in the Quantum class ships. Crew attitude has been fine, its that when they're overwhelmed with the amount of people they have to serve with the available crew members available, that's when things bog down. It's why the luxury lines talk about the crew to passenger ratio. While I booked a lot of specialties, they haven't turned out as desired. The American and Asian food on this ship has been so-so at best, all the ethnic (Indian, West Indian, French fusion, etc). I wouldn't have booked as many specialties in future cruises, but only the Chef's Table and Wonderland is actually worth it.

 

The MDR's here are actually divided into four different dining rooms, each with their own menus. I believe on this cruise, the menus change once per cruise. I've heard Coastal Kitchen has much better food, but this is available to Junior Suites (dinner only) and up (Grand Suite and up can dine there at all times). It has a separate menu to what is offered elsewhere on the ship, although they use many of the same base ingredients (I expect branzino to also be up there).

 

Wonderland is something the whole family can try, and multiple reservations can snag a discount. There was a party of 8 or 12 (I can't remember exactly) dining there the night we were in there. However, must of the stated "imagination" is lost after the first meal there. The second meal with be identical, save subbing out a meat flight with a fish flight. Chef's Table is really for adult couples only, so your party would be divided on that night.

 

Chops and Jaime's are also open on sea days for lunch, take advantage of the reduced pricing. The pub has some sort of discount daily (mostly the burger, but Ive seen the bangers and mash and fish and chips also reduced). I'll see if I can come up with some sort of plan for you.

Edited January 12, 2016 by TwoTimer81

[TwoTimer81]

Chris, how cold is the mini-fridge in your cabin. The ones on Quantum were much colder than other ships. Hoping for the same on Anthem.

 

Mini fridges tend to not have the same reliability as their normal-sized counterparts, but being that these were new, I expect them to be cold. And indeed, ours is cold, cold enough to have beer at a decently cold temperature. They are also stocked full with stuff to buy a la carte (the drinks there are NOT a part of any drink package, so be aware), and you will have to remove stuff to fit in your own wine (or whatever).

Edited January 12, 2016 by TwoTimer81

[cruisenfever]

Mini fridges tend to not have the same reliability as their normal-sized counterparts, but being that these were new, I expect them to be cold. And indeed, ours is cold, cold enough to have beer at a decently cold temperature. They are also stocked full with stuff to buy a la carte (the drinks there are NOT a part of any drink package, so be aware), and you will have to remove stuff to fit in your own wine (or whatever).

Thanks so much. Appreciate your responding so quickly.

 

My main concern was my husband's insulin. His unopened insulin must be kept cold until it is opened, so I wanted to make sure the mini-fridge would do the trick without having to request a medical fridge. Since we will be on board for 34 nights, that includes several bottles that must be kept cold.

[TwoTimer81]

As we finally made our way north and our cruise is winding down, the Atlantic Ocean decided to "kick it up a notch" and moderate seas was the result. The final three posts (including this one) will be sea days as we make our way back to Jersey. Ill detail one hit from yesterday that I forgot to include before moving on to today.

 

Day 9 Hit:

Vitality Spa - Our couples massage was relaxing, not the best duo massage we've gotten (that distinction goes to the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz) or the cheapest (HAL nets this one), but it was decent, and we were surprised it didn't have a sales pitch in the end. Crystal Symphony's massage didn't have one either, but they're even more expensive than RC even though they employ the same company - Elemis - to run their spas.

 

Moving on to today...

 

Hits:

Windjammer - This was the best Windjammer day to date. The Mexican station returned, and my wife had a taco salad. They also had soups that weren't salty (including a beef broth I had three bowls of). We had a light breakfast as we were supposed to do the iFly then Chops for brunch.

Chops Grille - FINALLY! They hit the temperature perfectly on my steak. The champagne was good, and the mimosa featured the fresh squeezed OJ they were selling onboard for 7.75 a glass + grats. Even their mash potatoes looked like...well... mashed potatoes that actually came from potatoes not Idahoan! Their $30 champagne brunch was excellent, and service was even better than the excellent service given the second time in the setting (see day 3 or 4). The sous chef also visited us as a bonus. However, brunch is not guaranteed on every sailing or announced beforehand. The only blip was they overcomplicated the stuffed tater tots by putting gruyere instead of cheddar. They had no flavor as a result.

Vitality Spa - I returned here for a reflexology - focused work on my feet after the hike yesterday. It was excellent with medium-strong pressure throughout. Again, no sales pitch. My wife had one too, more on hers later...

 

Misses:

iFly - The seas were too rough and it, along with the North Star, was shelved for the day. They told us that they'll try again tomorrow.

Wife's Reflexology - While her massage was great, she was pushed Elemis' whole line of products.

 

Because of the moderate seas, we retired early and will not take in any entertainment tonight, although RC's entertainment is not in question by anyone.

[Merion_Mom]

Thanks so much. Appreciate your responding so quickly.

 

My main concern was my husband's insulin. His unopened insulin must be kept cold until it is opened, so I wanted to make sure the mini-fridge would do the trick without having to request a medical fridge. Since we will be on board for 34 nights, that includes several bottles that must be kept cold.

 

Patti, get the medical fridge. I wouldn't trust that fridge farther than I could throw it.

 

But I will test it for you next week, just to be sure that I am right! ;)

[cruisenfever]

Patti, get the medical fridge. I wouldn't trust that fridge farther than I could throw it.

 

But I will test it for you next week, just to be sure that I am right! ;)

Thanks so much. I just asked you this question on another thread.

 

I remember that the fridge on Quantum kept things much colder than on other ships.

[TwoTimer81]

Yes I felt like I had to add a half page again...

 

Hits:

Café Promenade - They had some delectable chocolate chip cookies, soft baked and delicious at 1 AM.

Chops Grille - My wife and me sharing four glasses of gratis champagne at the brunch reminded me a bit of Chef's Table when the service was added in.

 

Misses:

Café Promenade - Those chocolate chip cookies were missing, oatmeal raisin were back. I'm not for raisins but this wasn't the issue. It was those hideous lemon cookies... can't sub those out and keep the all-American chocolate chip? The remaining chocolate chip were at the Windjammer at dinnertime but I chose my favorite chocolate sensation.

 

Back to ZambiniGold that asked about a group and how to navigate the MDR's on Anthem...

 

Usually, the order in quality of food/service goes like this on ships:

Buffet (Windjammer) => MDR => Specialty Restaurants => Flagship Venue

 

In the past, the flagship specialty on RC was Chops, but on Quantum class, not anymore. The flagship on Quantum/Anthem is Wonderland (Chef's Table also qualifies here as well for adults). The ship's best culinary talent resides in Wonderland. While the service has been spotty, some good, some bad in the MDRs, the food has been consistently mediocre with few exceptions here, on my cruise and on others. Good service can't make up for that. By the way, I'm leaving Coastal Kitchen out of the equation, as only a small segment of the population on the ship can even access that restaurant. My next RC cruise I'll be in there via Spa Junior Suite.

 

In light of this, I have to order the food this way at least at dinnertime:

 

MDRs => Windjammer => Specialty Restaurants => Wonderland/Chef's Table.

 

The biggest gap here in the range is between the specialties and flagship duo. As stated earlier, Wonderland should only be dined at once per cruise, same with Chef's Table. I would stick to the Windjammer for dinnertime, it greatly speeds your dining experience and allows you to make early shows without a problem. You still can get made to order stuff in there, and try a variety of types of food. If you can get Wonderland on day 1, you can save money there with the first day discount (if they don't give you some sort of group rate later on).

 

For Chops, wait until they offer a brunch (announced a couple days before, or lunch perhaps) then splurge on the brunch as the main items are indeed on the brunch menu and they throw in unlimited champagne. The brunch was still virtually empty. If you want Izumi, only order sushi, better deals on the rest of the menu exist elsewhere on the ship. Jaime's has been hit and miss as far as I've heard and I haven't eaten there yet, but will do so later on this cruise. Even so, only do lunch, as the dinner menu is identical with only a few additions (lamp chops, crab). The pub has great food, and they have offered discounts on various entrée items daily. Of course, be patient and wait for the entrée item you want to be offered at 25% off, then go in for it and taste the reward. It's mostly been the pub burger (decent), but today its fish and chips (my wife can't wait) and they had bangers and mash too earlier on in the trip.

 

This plan should keep your vacation humming along nicely without spending much additional dining money while keeping value high. It's exactly how I plan to do this ship in the future. Once you solve dining here, a great vacation awaits you.

Edited January 13, 2016 by TwoTimer81

[gaylemh]

What house band is playing in the Music Hall? Who is playing in the Schooner?

 

I'll be on Anthem next week, and loved the Music Hall. We had Horizon as the house band, and they were so good on my 3 sailings on Quantum.

[TwoTimer81]

We have retired early most nights (only to wake up around or just after midnight) and have missed most of the entertainment. Whatever isn't listed in the daily reports we did not experience. We have pretty much not been in the music hall at all except for the Meet & Mingle and for Bingo. Sorry about that, but those who have been in there seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly. One of the few things I trust RC with is their entertainment selections.

 

I'm on vacation too (the only one I can have this year), I'm not visiting every spot for the sake of having a complete blog and review :)

Edited January 13, 2016 by TwoTimer81

[TwoTimer81]

A bonus that I didn't feel like waiting to tonight to post...

 

It appears we won't be on the iFly at all this trip, as we're sailing into a storm that just departed the east coast and into ever rougher seas. Even the outdoor pool was drained as water was splashing up everywhere even though temps are still warm enough to utilize it.

 

Back to that bonus...

 

Chops Champagne Brunch Menu

 

Eggs:

Two Farm Fresh Eggs (prepared your way)

Eggs Benedict (English muffin, Canadian bacon, tarragon hollandaise)

 

From the Griddle:

Vanilla and Apple Pancakes (lemon curd, blueberries)

Mascarpone Honey Stuffed French Toast (strawberry-rhubarb marmalade, toasted hazelnuts)

 

Signature Appetizers:

Three Cheese Roasted Onion Soup (melted gruyere, asiago and parmesean)

Crispy Goat Cheese Salad (warm goat cheese, green apple, candied walnuts, cranberries, balsamic)

 

Main Courses:

Grilled filet Mignon 9 Oz (béarnaise butter, peppercorn, red wine reduction)

Pappardelle (wild mushrooms, truffle, parmigiano-reggiano)

Grilled Branzino (garlicky spinach, olive oil, lemon, flake sea salt)

 

Side dishes:

Grilled Jumbo Asparagus - Creamed Spinach - Mashed Potatoes - Gruyere Cheese tater tots

 

Dessert:

Chocolate Mud Pie (homemade Mississippi favorite)

Huckleberry Cheesecake (Double crumb crust, citrus, mountain huckleberries)

 

As noted before, the steak was excellent and cooked perfectly to temperature. The cheesecake was also great, as was the branzino. The soup was ok, and we didn't have anything else on the menu.

[bjtll]

Could you please post the first day cruise compass?

[ZambiniGold]

Yes I felt like I had to add a half page again...

 

Hits:

Café Promenade - They had some delectable chocolate chip cookies, soft baked and delicious at 1 AM.

Chops Grille - My wife and me sharing four glasses of gratis champagne at the brunch reminded me a bit of Chef's Table when the service was added in.

 

Misses:

Café Promenade - Those chocolate chip cookies were missing, oatmeal raisin were back. I'm not for raisins but this wasn't the issue. It was those hideous lemon cookies... can't sub those out and keep the all-American chocolate chip? The remaining chocolate chip were at the Windjammer at dinnertime but I chose my favorite chocolate sensation.

 

Back to ZambiniGold that asked about a group and how to navigate the MDR's on Anthem...

 

Usually, the order in quality of food/service goes like this on ships:

Buffet (Windjammer) => MDR => Specialty Restaurants => Flagship Venue

 

In the past, the flagship specialty on RC was Chops, but on Quantum class, not anymore. The flagship on Quantum/Anthem is Wonderland (Chef's Table also qualifies here as well for adults). The ship's best culinary talent resides in Wonderland. While the service has been spotty, some good, some bad in the MDRs, the food has been consistently mediocre with few exceptions here, on my cruise and on others. Good service can't make up for that. By the way, I'm leaving Coastal Kitchen out of the equation, as only a small segment of the population on the ship can even access that restaurant. My next RC cruise I'll be in there via Spa Junior Suite.

 

In light of this, I have to order the food this way at least at dinnertime:

 

MDRs => Windjammer => Specialty Restaurants => Wonderland/Chef's Table.

 

The biggest gap here in the range is between the specialties and flagship duo. As stated earlier, Wonderland should only be dined at once per cruise, same with Chef's Table. I would stick to the Windjammer for dinnertime, it greatly speeds your dining experience and allows you to make early shows without a problem. You still can get made to order stuff in there, and try a variety of types of food. If you can get Wonderland on day 1, you can save money there with the first day discount (if they don't give you some sort of group rate later on).

 

For Chops, wait until they offer a brunch (announced a couple days before, or lunch perhaps) then splurge on the brunch as the main items are indeed on the brunch menu and they throw in unlimited champagne. The brunch was still virtually empty. If you want Izumi, only order sushi, better deals on the rest of the menu exist elsewhere on the ship. Jaime's has been hit and miss as far as I've heard and I haven't eaten there yet, but will do so later on this cruise. Even so, only do lunch, as the dinner menu is identical with only a few additions (lamp chops, crab). The pub has great food, and they have offered discounts on various entrée items daily. Of course, be patient and wait for the entrée item you want to be offered at 25% off, then go in for it and taste the reward. It's mostly been the pub burger (decent), but today its fish and chips (my wife can't wait) and they had bangers and mash too earlier on in the trip.

 

This plan should keep your vacation humming along nicely without spending much additional dining money while keeping value high. It's exactly how I plan to do this ship in the future. Once you solve dining here, a great vacation awaits you.

 

Chris, thank you for that level of detail. I will share the details with my wife and commence our planning! My current level of thinking is that hopefully the food will continue to improve and we'll enjoy all the positives. Price just went down for the Bermuda cruise in October that we are targeting :)

[Merion_Mom]

Could you please post the first day cruise compass?

 

When is your cruise? If you can wait, I will post it in three days.

 

:)

 

(Chris apparently wants to enjoy what is left of his vacation; I don't care. ;) :D )

[TwoTimer81]

When is your cruise? If you can wait, I will post it in three days.

 

:)

 

(Chris apparently wants to enjoy what is left of his vacation; I don't care. ;) :D )

 

Thank you :) I didn't keep these, and I usually don't keep any of them longer than a day, on any cruise I have ever done. I finally ate at Jaime's, my response to it will be later on. I'm glad the seas calmed down a bit and we were able to Ifly! My main focus on this blog has been the food quality, taste and service (as that's the biggest complaint for this cruise ship). And both me and my wife are foodies.

Edited January 13, 2016 by TwoTimer81