Review of 10.15.2016 Anthem to Bermuda

[ZambiniGold]

Second cruise (both with Royal), 1st review. Some background: parents of a 4 yr old, along with 3 senior citizen family members. My wife and I have cruised before on Explorer of the Seas, and 1st time cruise for the other 4.

 

I'll try to provide insight into the various aspects of the ship that we experienced. I took notes for each day, and I hope you enjoy!

 

Overall summary: we all enjoyed the trip very much, and AoTS is a beautiful ship. We look forward to cruising on her again.

[ZambiniGold]

Cruise day!

 

We had a smooth trip up the NJTurnpike, leaving plenty of time for traffic. Arrived at 1045. Dock personnel guided cars and buses in 2 lines to unloading points. Self park was simple and straightforward.

 

A young lady from RCI checked us in with a tablet. It was quick and seamless. Security was straightforward. We waited in waiting area 5 minutes or less. On board! Note: very helpful to do your on-line check-in prior to departure. Thanks to our TA who reminded us a couple months prior and then sent us our setsail passes / luggage tags!

 

Windjammer was packed. We eventually found a table in back open area. Around 1255 many tables open since rooms became available. Food was decent. I can understand the previous comments about the design with tables in back. It's manageable however.

 

Muster drill at 1530, standard stuff.

 

We went outside for going under the Verrazano bridge, quite windy. Definitely need a jacket, but always a nice kickoff to the cruise!

 

Luggage in room by 1630, was able to be in room by 1315.

 

I was in the interior cabin, nice and spacious. The balcony cabins were also very nice. Nice size bathroom with good shelving. Shower spacious. The interior cabin seems to have more room and is more proportional; I liked the orientation of the interior cabin better than the balcony . Outlets for USB, hair dryer included. Plenty of cabinet storage. Outlet near bed for phone charging.

 

First night dinner was at The Grande. Luka and Vladimir at Table 317 were great servers for our first meal. Standout items were the Vidalia Onion Tart, Escargot, Filet (part of surf n turf) and the Molten Lava. Dress code certainly not enforced (we dressed formal sans the ties for the 2 men). Water was decent and had no taste (as it should be!). Explorer had water that was unpleasant.

 

Overall, the ship is beautiful. You can hear minor creaking and more motion (12th floor) than Explorer (particularly around cabin 12610 lol). Speaking of which, this is a major update from 6 years ago on Explorer, which is obviously much older. The stateroom was in new condition, everything still looked very new.

 

We got Royal iQ app prior to boarding, and purchased the chat / phone option for $7.95 for 3 devices.

[ZambiniGold]

DW, LO and I went to Cafe @270 for breakfast as the others went earlier to Windjammer. The sausage n pepper croissant was very good. Cantaloupe fresh and sweet. Beautiful view with relaxing music. By the end of the trip, this was my favorite place in the ship.

 

Met our stateroom attendant: Isha was great, kept the room up nice the entire trip and always made a point to say hello to my LO (which I appreciated very much). The towel animals every night were wonderful as well - LO loved it!

 

Went shopping on Promenade or Esplanade :) - agree with other comments I've seen that the focus is on high end shops which appeared empty whenever I was in the area.

 

Windjammer for lunch. Solarium Bistro was still limited to brunch items so we went back to Windjammer. Nice juices.

 

We had North Star reservations at noon, but it was broken. Bit disappointing, but we rescheduled for 10.19.

 

All 6 of us did iFly; I had made reservations for 1500, and there is a 12 hour cancellation policy. So last night, we all walked to iFly and explained to everyone that we had reservations...and if you didn't want to do it, no problem but I'll need to cancel. Everyone was onboard with trying it. It was awesome! My LO (at 4 yr old :eek:) did fantastic, as well as everyone else! Instructor was great and very patient.

 

LO wanted to go swimming in afternoon after iFly - was a bit chilly and one pool was closed. Rocking was more noticeable but not uncomfortable. My bad on going to the first pool we came across which was outdoors. The indoor pool in the next section would have been better.

 

Went to Silk for dinner (all of our reservations as part of Dynamic Dining were at 1830). Yago and Thomas at tables 204 and 205 were great, service was fast. Appetizers came out quick. Dishes of note were the Hibachi steak and Beef chow fun. Both very good and topped it off with the coconut meringue cheesecake.

 

A family member lost his SeaPass card during iFly. After Silk, stopped by guest services. Decent line. Daniel C. stopped by asking each person in line just in case he could help sooner. Being nice to others helps. He helped me get the replacement card within 3 minutes so I didn't have to wait in line.

 

Then came our first show reservation, The Gift. You need to get seats early in the middle to get the full effect. Very elaborate musical and well done. Can't say I followed everything but got the point. And I'm no expert on Broadway shows either so it didn't bother me that I didn't get everything.

 

Explored ship after LO went to sleep (don't worry, DW was watching her). I found the secret Solarium entrance, but the special deck observation area was under maintenance.

[royalgirl21]

Did they have any sales for pictures on ur trip

[ZambiniGold]

Yes, there was a art auction on Day 4 I believe. Focus was on Thomas Kinkade (his art is amazing), but there was other art available as well. On the Esplanade.

[royalgirl21]

I should of put photo packages...idk if to buy them ahead of time or wait until the i board last year i got a good deal on liberty of the seas

[ZambiniGold]

Hope this style of review is ok...chronological sequence :)

 

Lost 1 hour so LO & I went to breakfast at Café @270° while everyone returned from Windjammer. Same foods, but worked for us. Fresh fruit, sausage, bacon, sandwiches, milk, relaxing atmosphere, what more can you ask for...

 

Left AoTS at 1030 (docked around 0830), and we got all day bus/ferry passes ($19 each, under 5 is free) for our own self-guided excursion. Weather was beautiful, could not tell there was a hurricane just 4 days before. First stop was Hamilton via ferry to transfer to Bus 10/11 to BAMZ. Small aquarium and small zoo, which worked out well. Nice value and bathrooms available.

 

Grabbed the 10/11 again to St. George's and made our way to Crystal Caves. Nice tour, but it can be tough for anyone who has difficulty with steps. Only did 1 cave for time constraints, but 2 is a good value if you haven't done it before.

 

Side note: RCI offers an excursion for BAMZ and Crystal Caves for $59/adult, $34/child. I'd recommend doing it yourself, but that will be personal preference. BAMZ is also free for under 5.

 

Again got the 10/11 to St. George's for pictures (there are some nice stores to browse, but we didn't have time). Barely enough time to make the ferry back to Dockyard (last ferry is 1730). Of course, you can take the bus back, but the ferry is fun to ride back and see the sunset.

 

We bagged the Solarium reservation, given the limited menu. Windjammer instead for dinner. Decent.

 

Based on Cruise Compass, we went to the reVoiced show. Very good, amazing singers. The LO enjoyed it very much as well, which is saying something since the show was late.

[ZambiniGold]

I should of put photo packages...idk if to buy them ahead of time or wait until the i board last year i got a good deal on liberty of the seas

 

Ah, yes, there were photo packages and plenty of photographers. I used my phone, so I didn't look closely at the packages or pay attention if there were any deals.

[cat5dog1]

We were on that same cruise. Boy did the ship rock the 2nd night! Couldn't walk straight.

 

 

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[alexkrn46]

Thanks nice review.

[maggie416]

Great review, not to wordy but informative! We sailed on this awesome ship this past April. 2 days after returning home, booked again for next April!

Marg

[ZambiniGold]

LO and I joined the rest of the group at Windjammer for breakfast, very crowded. Omelets received high marks, there were also Belgian waffles, French toast among the standard breakfast fare. Sausages were good, corned beef was average, taters seemed very popular and were yummy.

 

Today we headed off to Horseshoe Bay Beach, one of the more popular ones. Bus 7 leaves every 30 min. Caught wrong end both ways, having just missed the previous bus. Nice walk down and somewhat steep on the way back up (so keep that in mind if anyone in your party has challenges) - or take the $7 shuttle up :p. LO had a great time playing in the surf, the sand was so soft and pink. We all walked to the far end where it was less crowded and stayed for an hour+.

 

Quick lunch at Café@270° at 1400 (the special roast beef sandwich is wonderful - Kimmelsomething? - had it 3 times, with spicy mustard and mayo) and raced into Dockyard for quick shopping and pictures. Back onboard by 1600 and only saw one runner. Don't think anyone was left behind this time :cool:

 

Dinner at Chic with Peter at table 252. EXCELLENT service!!! He demonstrated years of waitstaff experience, explaining the menu and also brought out a special fruit plate for LO, then proceeded to cut all the fruit! He even MADE chocolate milk for LO!! Kids menu is the same in all restaurants BTW. After I ordered the Prime Rib, steak knives were brought out appropriately (was not done previously at Grande or Silk). He adjusted silverware accordingly during meal and was very skilled. Very considerate to LO, which is huge in my book. DW ordered from Grande menu (since it has shared kitchen with Chic). Also had the Vegetable Korma, very good.

Edited October 25, 2016 by ZambiniGold

[ZambiniGold]

Relaxed breakfast at Windjammer with everyone. Windjammer staff did parade and dancing at 1015, with restaurant manager as the MC.

 

After breakfast, relaxing in 270° before lunch. Beautiful. Gentle music. Love eating breakfast here. 2 impromptu shows during lunch, starting around 1245. Neat. A preview for Spectra's Cabaret tonight!

 

Casual lunch in 270°, love the atmosphere...have I mentioned that yet? The others went to We Will Rock You at 1400 while I took LO to pool and ice cream. Suitcases have to be out 2000-2200, got extension to 2300. Used almost 2 cases of water for 3 rooms. One full case coming back with us. (No issue with putting luggage tag on cases of water at embarkation). DW and family enjoyed WWRY.

 

Final complimentary restaurant reservations at American Icon (dressed casual - blue jeans and nice polo shirt - since we didn't plan on packing dinner clothes in our carry-off luggage; thought we would have more time afterwards). Prime Rib was good and the pork baby back ribs were excellent. Waitstaff also held another parade during dinner, :). Rushed thru dinner to get good seats in 270° for Spectra's Cabaret - they actually for the first time scanned SeaPass cards to make sure you had reservations! Show started at 2100, seats were filled by 2015.

 

Spectra's Cabaret was filled with nice performances, singing, dancing, acrobatics, technology. Need to sit up close or top level of 270° to get the full effect. Didn't see anyone leave early.

[ZambiniGold]

Windjammer crowded at breakfast, closes at 0830. We got everyone there by 0750, so it was a relaxing breakfast, then off to staging by 0830. Departed right at 0830, luggage retrieval and customs was a breeze. Pay for parking and back home!

 

Great trip, Royal did a fine job. Looking forward to the next cruise!

 

I'll summarize later with pros and cons and other general observations.

Edited October 25, 2016 by ZambiniGold
Added note for future summary

[Pandabear90]

When was the earliest you could start booking the Ifly and stuff online? How far back prior to the trip.

[ZambiniGold]

When was the earliest you could start booking the Ifly and stuff online? How far back prior to the trip.

 

I was able to book the dining reservations (may no longer be applicable after November) about 2 months out if I recall. The NorthStar, iFly, and the 3 shows (WWRY, Spectra, Gift) was about a couple weeks later. Recommend checking every other day or so starting 90 days out. Also subscribe to your roll call - usually as soon as reservations are open, someone will post to spread the good news.

 

My reservation experience was flawless. All my times reserved were the same when I boarded. I had read before that others had a different experience.

[ColoradoGurl]

What's "LO?"

 

 

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[Cruising Golfer]

My guess was Little One... :cool:

[Sanz]

Enjoying your review.

[ColoradoGurl]

My guess was Little One... :cool:

 

 

Ohhhh, duh. Thank you. I wish people would just use spelling [emoji12]

 

 

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[Rickygump]

We are booked on Anthem in March '17. We were able to book a couple shows already.

Did you do character breakfast?

We will be traveling with a 3 yr old. Hoping to be able to push though dinner in less than 2 hours.

[ZambiniGold]

Ohhhh, duh. Thank you. I wish people would just use spelling [emoji12]

 

:p haha sorry! yes, LO - little one

[ZambiniGold]

We are booked on Anthem in March '17. We were able to book a couple shows already.

Did you do character breakfast?

We will be traveling with a 3 yr old. Hoping to be able to push though dinner in less than 2 hours.

 

We did not do a character breakfast. My wife spoke with another guest while in line at Windjammer - the other lady who also had a 4 yr old said it wasn't worth it. That's the only feedback I have. We did see some DreamWorks characters around the ship (it's posted in Cruise Compass when and where) for pictures.

Edited October 27, 2016 by ZambiniGold
added clarification

[ZambiniGold]

Overall: 9.5/10

 

AoTS is a beautiful ship, the crew was friendly, and makes for a wonderful vacation! Only seemed crowded on embarkation, and Windjammer for breakfast before everyone departs.

 

Dining: 9/10

Dynamic Dining worked for us, we had great servers in all 4 restaurants (Grande, Silk, Chic, American Icon). Making the reservations took a little effort but that will apparently no longer be a concern. Food was good to great, with perhaps only one dessert not qualifying as good. We had 1830 reservations. When we were done around 2030, there was a line outside.

 

Windjammer: 8/10 - decent, lot of selection. Gets tired if you go there all the time.

Café at 270: 9/10 - limited selection, but worked for us! Desserts were good here. Try a relaxing breakfast here!

Sorrentos: 8/10 - only tried one slice late at night, was good.

Café Promenade: 8/10 - very limited, but nice for snacks.

Solarium Bistro: N/A - didn't try, limited menu

 

Staterooms: 9/10

Had 2 balconies and one interior. The interior was spacious and I preferred it over the balconies. Plenty of storage space, good shelving in bathroom, shower was spacious, lighting was good, virtual balcony in interior was cool, stateroom attendants were very friendly and kept the rooms up nice.

 

Activities: 9.5/10

iFly was awesome. NorthStar was great when working (was down 1.5 hours+ on one day). Seaplex area is great for teens, with video games, bumper cars (age 6+), basketball, ping pong, DJ. Multiple pools, never seemed crowded. Toddler splashing area was fun (when not too windy).

 

Shows: 9/10 - if you go in not expecting to understand everything and just enjoy the visuals and singing / dancing

The Gift: 9/10

reVoiced: 10/10 - amazing voices

We Will Rock You: 9/10 (from wife)

Spectra's Cabaret: 9/10

 

Bermuda: 9/10

No indication of hurricane damage, people were friendly, bus drivers were helpful for the most part. :) Beautiful island, Horseshoe Bay Beach was wonderful. BAMZ is great for short stop, as is Crystal Caves. St. George's has great scenes for pictures, but ran out of time for shopping.

 

Areas of ship:

270: 9/10 - limited seating, especially for shows. Beautiful view and relaxing!

Esplanade: 7/10 - mostly high end stores which are empty. Beautiful though.

Royal theater: 8/10 - some seats are blocked, so get there early. Comfortable seats.

Solarium: didn't spend much time here since we had LO with us, but seemed peaceful.

Bars: N/A as we didn't partake.

 

Embarkation: 10/10

Very smooth for us. Port personnel and RC personnel were courteous and directed traffic well when we arrived (1045).

 

Exiting: 10/10

Our area was called on time, and luggage was already in assigned area. Customs was a breeze, and parking garage worked well.

[cat5dog1]

Our experience was very similar. Great ship and my grandkids can't wait to sail again. They want to try Oasis next.

 

 

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