Anthem Jan. 5, 2020 11 Nights Southern Caribbean - RECAP

[twangster]

I'm writing this in the past tense because, well, the cruise is over.  I knew I would be busy on this one so in fairness I'm going to skip a lot of things about this magnificent ship.  

 

I've always enjoyed Anthem and Quantum class in general as evidenced by this being my fourth time on Anthem.  I wouldn't keep coming back if this wasn't a great ship.

Itinerary:

 

Day 1 - Bayonne embarking

Day 2 - Sea day

Day 3 - Sea day

Day 4 - San Juan

Day 5 - St. Maarten

Day 6 - Antigua

Day 7 - St Lucia

Day 8 - St Kitts

Day 9 - Sea day

Day 10 - Sea day

Day 11 - Sea day

Day 12 -  Bayonne debarking

 

 

 

Spoiler alert - I still love this ship after my latest cruise.

 

Without further adieu, let's get this started.

[twangster]

Day 0 

 

I flew into Newark like I always do.  I had Southwest booked but then they pulled out of Newark so I relied on my tried and true airline who rarely lets me down, Delta.

 

As it turns out that was a blessing.  On this occasion I was able to fly the new A220 aircraft born from the Canadian Bombardier C series.  There is some background to this aircraft but that's a story for another day.  Now it's offered as an Airbus A220.

 

My good ole airline even upgraded me to first class so I was able to "sit up front" on this occasion.  With boarding done early I saw an opportunity to peek into the cockpit and asked permission to take a picture, granted.  It's a very modern and comfortable aircraft.

 

 

The A220 didn't disappoint. 

 

Landing in Newark and reaching baggage claim I had a "things that make you go hmmm" moment when I spotted a blue container on the luggage carousel.  At least I'm not the only overpacker when it comes to cruising.

 

 

Unfortunately my Hilton hotel booked using points let me down.  The airport shuttle wasn't running so after standing in the cold for a while for a shuttle that was promised but never came I hailed an Uber and reach my Home2 Suites hotel.  No rooms.  Apparently housekeeping walked off the job today, or so they claimed.  They set me up with the Hilton down the road so with another couple also rejected they sent us to the Hilton in a taxi they paid for and off we went. 

 

Finally by 2am I was in my room at the Hilton Airport.   Now there are two Hilton brands I won't stay at.  Marriot - I'm coming back...

[twangster]

Day 1 - Bayonne 

 

IT"S CRUISE DAY!!!

 

I checked both Lyft and Uber and found Uber a bit cheaper.  Uber it is.

 

The Uber app sent my driver all over the place on the way to pick me up.  Even my driver wasn't sure what was going on.  None the less I arrived at Cape Liberty just after 10am.

 

My cabin on this cruise was a Junior Suite so I took advantage of the suite line and waiting area.  Check in was quick and convenient.

 

 

The rest of the terminal:

 

 

Boarding commenced shortly after 10:35am.  

 

Later I noted the much heavier terminal traffic just before noon:

 

 

Cabins ready at 1:30 so I grabbed a Kümmelweck in CafeTwo70 and made reservations at Coastal Kitchen for the duration of the voyage.  

 

Sail away shortly after muster, here is Lady Liberty with a telephoto lens from my port side balcony:

 

 

 

Lower Manhattan:

 

 

I was almost done unpacking when I made a dash for deck 15 to take in the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

 

 

 

Phew, looks like we'll make it one more time.

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

Cabin Tour - J4 Junior Suite 6240, Port side

 

 

No walk in closet but ample space.

 

 

Wow bands included with a JS.

 

 

 

Ample space in the suite.

 

 

 

 

The bathroom facilities are split with a water closet or toilet on one side:

 

 

And the bathtub and shower on the other side. 

 

Bathtub on the left...

 

 

Shower on the right.

 

 

Rainfall shower head (not pictured) as well as shower head sprayer.

 

 

Foot rest/shelf for shower supplies.

 

 

L'Occitane toiletries: 

 

 

I waited until we were under nicer skies to photograph the balcony.  It's a nice cabin with large windows and views to the sea.

 

 

 

 

The view down.  That's the deck 5 port side public sitting area below the cabin.  No impact to the balcony, smoking side is starboard.

 

 

The view aft.

 

 

The view forward.

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by twangster

[twangster]

Night 1 Dinner - Coastal Kitchen

 

 

Those who have eaten at CK know the drill.  Classics that never change on one side...

 

 

Daily items on the other side

 

 

Caesar Salad

 

Interesting presentation and very tasty.

 

 

Fillet Mignon - Yum.

 

 

The fillet remains to be one of the best steaks in the fleet. 

 

Dessert menu

 

 

Chocolate Praline Tart

 

 

Coastal Kitchen remains a fantastic experience.

 

Back to my cabin my Crown and Anchor amenities have arrived.  Loyalty pays.  Who needs a drink package?

 

[twangster]

Night 1 continued...

 

After dinner I wandered and found DSB in the Music Hall.  They are a Journey tribute band and very good.

 

 

I've seen these guys before on Anthem and was pleased they would be back.

 

 

 

It wasn't long before the audience was on the dance floor.

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile in Boleros The Royal Swedes were also rocking it out.

 

 

Getting late The VIA was empty.

 

 

Aft or midship elevator bank. 

 

 

Anthem really is a pretty ship.

 

Enough for day 1, more to come...

[twangster]

Day 2 - Sea Day

 

Departing from Bayonne in the winter means the first and last day of the cruise are what I call "long pant days".  Fortunately Anthem is a perfect ship for cold weather and there is a lot going on around the ship.

 

The adult only solarium is 16+.

 

 

In this cabin the TV is mounted against the wall and it doesn't hinge like some other ships or cabins.  There is no way to access the HDMI inputs and with a border surrounding the TV you really can't do anything with this TV but watch the Royal channel lineup.

 

 

Dinner in Coastal Kitchen.

 

 

Maine Lobster Salad.

 

 

Roasted Veal Tenderloin.

 

 

 

Valrhona Chocolate Bar.

 

 

On this cruise there were high numbers of upper top tier Crown and Anchor so the Concierge Lounge was off limits to D+.  The expanded Diamond Lounge using the upper floor of the Music Hall works quite well for this purpose and I met many new friends on this cruise.  Here is a wide angle picture to aid in obscuring individuals for privacy purposes.  This is the Music Hall upstairs bar area during Diamond happy hour,

 

 

Tonight was a performance of The Gift.  I decided to leave the cameras in my cabin and take in this show with my eyes.  Luckily I scored a front row seat.  Just a quick smartphone pic before the show begins.

 

 

Pay attention for the first 30 seconds of the show since the storyline is revealed.  If you are talking or distracted it will be hard to figure out the plot of the show if you miss that brief introduction.

Edited January 19, 2020 by twangster

[perfect match]

Thanks, Twangster. I appreciate the room pictures. One of these days I’m going to get us booked on a Quantum class ship. I think we would like it. 😀

 

I have have to say, though, that I really don’t like the split bathrooms. We first encountered the concept on Disney ships. It always seemed that no matter what section of bathroom I was in, there was something I needed in the other section. I’d rather see one regular full bath and one half bath with sink and toilet, or just one larger full bath with double sinks. That’s just me, though. A lot of cruisers seem to love the split bath concept. 😐 

 

I’ll think twice before booking a JS on a Quantum class ship even though I love the rest of the room.

Edited January 19, 2020 by perfect match

[Merion_Mom]

4 hours ago, perfect match said:

Thanks, Twangster. I appreciate the room pictures. One of these days I’m going to get us booked on a Quantum class ship. I think we would like it. 😀

 

I have have to say, though, that I really don’t like the split bathrooms. We first encountered the concept on Disney ships. It always seemed that no matter what section of bathroom I was in, there was something I needed in the other section. I’d rather see one regular full bath and one half bath with sink and toilet, or just one larger full bath with double sinks. That’s just me, though. A lot of cruisers seem to love the split bath concept. 😐 

 

I’ll think twice before booking a JS on a Quantum class ship even though I love the rest of the room.

 

Only some of the JS cabins on Anthem have the split bathroom.

 

I believe (and it's only an educated guess, since the ship hasn't been launched yet) that Odyssey's JS will not have it.

[twangster]

7 hours ago, perfect match said:

I have have to say, though, that I really don’t like the split bathrooms.

 

That's why I specified the J4 cabin type.  Seek another JS cabin type.

 

Personally I like this approach so that the toilet is available when someone else is showering or taking a bath.  To each their own.  

[twangster]

Day 3 - Sea Day

 

I'll use this lazy sea day to show the Esplanade.  As an early riser it's nice to find the Esplanade mostly empty of guests.  The Esplanade is similar in concept to the Promenade found on many previous Royal ships in the fleet as the heart of the ship.

 

 

 

 

The Loyalty Ambassador's desk is beside guest services.

 

 

The pub.  More on that later.

 

 

 

 

The Esplanade has a dog leg around the pub heading forward to additional shops and the Music Hall.

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

Calm seas today and a nice day to enjoy a balcony with no humidity.

 

We changed time last night.

 

 

Top tier event in the main theater starts with guitar music from a band member in the Royal orchestra.

 

 

@ryanbarckley posted these numbers in the roll call that he found in another post:

 

2782 C&A total

988 Gold, 352 moving to Platinum
520 Platinum, 175 moving to Emerald
272 Emerald, 86 moving to Diamond
598 Diamond, 35 moving to Diamond Plus
354 Diamond Plus, 5 moving to Pinnacle
50 Pinnacle

 

A feature I really enjoy is the outdoor seating for the Windjammer.  I eat many meals out here.

 

 

 

[twangster]

Dinner back in Coastal Kitchen

 

 

I haven't showed the breads that start dinner service every night so here they are.

 

 

Braised Beef Gnocchi

 

 

Veal Cannelloni

 

 

 

Chocolate Napoleon

 

 

[DCL2RCI]

9 hours ago, perfect match said:

I have have to say, though, that I really don’t like the split bathrooms. We first encountered the concept on Disney ships. It always seemed that no matter what section of bathroom I was in, there was something I needed in the other section. I’d rather see one regular full bath and one half bath with sink and toilet, or just one larger full bath with double sinks. That’s just me, though. A lot of cruisers seem to love the split bath concept. 😐 

 

1 hour ago, twangster said:

 

That's why I specified the J4 cabin type.  Seek another JS cabin type.

 

Personally I like this approach so that the toilet is available when someone else is showering or taking a bath.  To each their own.  

First, thanks for the review and great pictures.

With regards to the split bathrooms, we travel as a family of four, and the split bathrooms on DCL saved a lot of time for us - one kid in the shower, one brushing teeth, etc. then reverse. Our upcoming cruise has just the one bathroom (grand suite) and I almost moved to the Crown Loft just to get the extra bathroom but decided not to because of the location of the room.

[twangster]

The Journey tribute band DSB was back rocking it out in Two70° to a full house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by twangster

[twangster]

Day 4 - San Juan

 

With a 3pm arrival day 4 starts like any other sea day.  The SeaPlex is a great way to pass some time on such a day.

 

 

 

 

I like to take a picture of the SeaPlex schedule displayed on the monitors so I can plan my days accordingly.  On this sailing these were the SeaPlex activities for the cruise.

 

[twangster]

San Juan Arrival

 

I spy the funnels of a familiar ship in the distance.

 

 

El Morro

 

 

I always love sailing into San Juan on a beautiful day.

 

 

 

 

A gate to the old walled city.

 

 

[twangster]

Coming around the corner we see a familiar sight.  Today we are joining Oasis of the Seas in port.

 

 

 

 

The recently added Ultimate Abyss dry slide.

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

With no distinct plan I wandered off to see what  I could see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

Back to the ship for a break.  With a 3pm arrival we have an 11pm departure so lots of time to come back out later.

 

Dinner in Coastal Kitchen.

 

I like the Caesar Salad so I decided to enjoy this classic again.

 

 

Cheese Tortellini.  Great flavors.

 

 

 

I decided to skip dessert tonight so I wouldn't be too full.

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by twangster

[bobmacliberty]

I really need to give Quantum Class a try (hopefully the Ovation TP after its 2021 Alaska season if they would just post it!).  How different is your JS from the other JSs on the ship?  Just the split bathroom or are there other differences?  BTW...we also greatly enjoyed the split bathroom concept on Disney when we had 2 kids in the room with us.  Brilliant idea for families.

 

Great pictures, as always.

[cruiserhal]

We were on this trip with you in a different version of a JS without the second washroom and we missed it. On the plus side the room was more s For our next Anthem trip we are going to try to move to a J4.

 

Wonderful pictures, especially of the food in Costal Kitchen which we loved.  Our waiter was Rajeev who was very good but very rushed.

 

I'm amazed you got so many pictures without people in them.  Excellent job.

[SConnolly]

16 hours ago, twangster said:

I'm writing this in the past tense because, well, the cruise is over.  I knew I would be busy on this one so in fairness I'm going to skip a lot of things about this magnificent ship.  

 

I've always enjoyed Anthem and Quantum class in general as evidenced by this being my fourth time on Anthem.  I wouldn't keep coming back if this wasn't a great ship.

Itinerary:

 

Day 1 - Bayonne embarking

Day 2 - Sea day

Day 3 - Sea day

Day 4 - San Juan

Day 5 - St. Maarten

Day 6 - Antigua

Day 7 - St Lucia

Day 8 - St Kitts

Day 9 - Sea day

Day 10 - Sea day

Day 11 - Sea day

Day 12 -  Bayonne debarking

 

 

 

Spoiler alert - I still love this ship after my latest cruise.

 

Without further adieu, let's get this started.

 

 

Thank you for your wonderful review.  We are regular cruisers but first time on Anthem in March.   Silly really as we live in NJ.

 

 

[twangster]

After dinner I ventured back out to try my hand at some night photography.  I also ran to the CVS to pickup up supplies I neglected to pack. 

 

 

Paseo de la Princesa was still lit up in Christmas colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oasis started the Aqua show but her aft was out too far to get a good view of it from Anthem.  Not long later she started away from the pier.

 

 

 

Then it was our turn.

 

 

Once out at sea Oasis was off our port side but too far for a decent picture.  We share St. Maarten tomorrow she we'll sail together through the night.

Edited January 20, 2020 by twangster

[PhoenixCruiser]

Enjoying your review.

 

I had no idea about the split bathrooms, thanks for the pictures!