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Day 9 Azores, Ponta Delgada: We booked the “Sete Cidades Hike” through Royal Caribbean for todays adventure. Now bear with me as this story may get long winded. We had breakfast and headed to the Pacifica theatre to be assigned to our bus/guide for the day. We showed our tickets to the attendant and we were given a red “9” sticker and were told it was a “6” (if you looked at the sticker like a normal human you would assume it was a 9 because there was “shore excursions” watermarked into it). I verified we were to use it as a 6… Our number was called, and we headed to board our bus. There was someone at the entrance of the bus to take our tickets that said “Sete Cidades Hike” and told us to find a seat. Our bus started the tour and made it maybe 5 minutes from port before our guide announced overhead that there were two passengers on the bus that were supposed to be on a different tour. I’ll give you three guesses who… The bus went back to the port dropped us off and we found the right bus. Now remember we were explicitly told that our 9 was a 6 right? Guess which number bus we were supposed to be on? 10 that’s right, bus 10. So we were given a 9 and told it was a six, handed our tickets to the to be checked and given back and still managed to end up on the wrong bus… WOW. We boarded bus 10 to actual applause that we made it (and made them 15 minutes late). Thankfully it all worked out and our guide was kind enough to inform the group that it was not our fault for the mishap. The RCCL shore excursion staff must have been hit with a confundus charm that morning. The hike was very good. The pictures don’t do it justice. We got back to the port around 1pm and we were both starving. We decided to quick board the ship to eat lunch and then get off again for a couple hours…or so we thought. The line to board the ship was longer than expected so we boarded and ended our day in Azores without any shopping ?

I couldn't agree more .... it's one less thing to worry about ..... Besides, I tend to turn a profit by the end of Day 1 ....lol

This comment is one of the biggest reason why I buy the package, I have time to pay it off before the cruise and then during the cruise I don't worry about cost of drinks or food.

If anyone wants the rest of the cruise compasses, please direct message me as I will do my best to keep this from being cluttered with them. Belated Updates start here: Days 6-8 (sea Days): I wasn’t 100% the following days. Day 6 was the chefs table and I felt so bad from my neck that I left half way through. (I made my wife stay to get the experience). I spent most of the following day in bed. The rest of these days were spent relaxing around the pool, in the solarium, or playing chess in the colony club. After six days at sea or so I found myself having trouble finding things on the cruise compass that I wanted to participate in (not feeling 100% may have had something to do with it too. My wife didn’t seem to get as bored.

Let’s see... next is yesterday, MON, 5/20/19... first full day and at sea! My wife and I got up and went over to the Windjammer for breakfast at around 8:30 AM. Unfortunately, we forgot from prior cruises how much of a circus it can become as the morning moves along and especially on a sea day! We had breakfast, making sure to get that fresh squeezed orange juice to maximize that DBP! LOL! ? The food was fine... we have always liked the Windjammer as far as buffets go... tremendous selection as usual. When we left, there was a line down the hall to enter the restaurant and the crew members were escorting people to tables as they cleared. After walking around the Royal Promenade, we went to Cafe Prominade and I got a cappuccino and my wife ordered an Irish Coffee... yeah, working that beverage package! Our friends joined us and we headed to the Boardwalk and the aft of the ship. So far we have not felt or heard any impact of the current propulsion issue. In fact, this ship is so smooth compared to our experiences on the Majesty, Explorer and Liberty, and we very rarely feel any motion at all (knock on wood). I posted a video of the wake on the current running “Allure Propulsion Issues” thread, but for here I’ll just post a pic. The compromised azipod appears to be on the starboard (right) side of the ship and appears on the left side as you look at the wake... If we did not look at the wake (and RC didn’t notify us of course) we would have ever known there was an issue. After some more exploring, we went up to the Solarium and staked our claim on some comfortable cushioned chairs and took a dip in the pool. Understandably, it was packed at that time on a sea day, but once we found a spot we settled in and relaxed for a bit. Note: unless you have iron feet, make sure you wear shoes/sandals when walking on the decking in the solarium... burns your feet rather quickly! When it got a little too hot outside, we grabbed some couches under the overhang in the solarium near the bar and relaxed some more. We decided to try Central Park Cafe for lunch (thanks to many of your recommendations) and everyone was pleasantly surprised. Very basic menu/selection of paninis, quesadillas, the famous Kummelweck roast beef sandwich, salads, soup, and a few sweets. We all tried the Kummelweck and it did not disappoint... very tender and tasty. I had it with what I believe was a peppercorn gravy. Between the group, We also tried the Cuban panini and various salads. The panini was a little sparing on the meat, but it was also tasty. It just hit the spot and satisfied our hunger. Will look to go back probably another day! We later headed over to Studio B for the 2:30 PM showing of the Ice Games! Ice Show. We showed our SeaPass card with the Key and were escorted to the reserved seating and were sat in the 3rd row, center. Very nice seats! The show was very good and we all enjoyed it. It’s funny how we always say we could skip the ice show if necessary, but when we go we enjoy it! We then headed back to Central Park and sat near the Trellis Bar for a bit. Love Central Park! Next we went back to the cabin to relax and get ready for our first formal night. Here are some pics of the menu and my group. Kadek, Oleksandr and Jose were awesome once again! I went for the lobster bisque and shrimp cocktail for appetizers, roasted beef tenderloin (which was tender and delicious) for my main course, and I had the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert. Everyone enjoyed their meals! After walking around a little, and posing for formal pics, we went back to the cabin to change and get ready for the AquaTheater show... OceanAria! We pushed it this time and just arrived on time about 10 minutes prior to the start of the show. We showed our SeaPass card and were escorted to the reserved section for the Key. About 2 minutes later, they removed the rope and allowed general admission to fill the section. We enjoyed the show (so far all of the shows have been excellent). It was a beautiful night... nice light, cool breeze in the AquaTheater. Back to the cabin for some wine and conversation on our balconies while we listened to the piano/keyboard player down below in Central Park. Once again, our friends have the adjacent cabin and we had the attendant remove the partial divider. Here’s what the dividers look like on Allure CP balcony cabins... Here are a couple of shots taken from our balcony shortly after the performer finished last evening... we are on Deck 11 and Central Park is on Deck 8... Everyone retired to bed with an early morning ahead today in Labadee... OK, time for me to go! It’s time to head down to the MDR for dinner... I’ll see if I can catch up tonight! ?

I completely agree with you, Razerbkfan. Quite truthfully, I never make out financially with a drink plan (Dan normally does, but not me) but I continue to purchase it for both of us b/c #1, agree with John - we are able to pay off this expense before cruising and #2, just want to be able to get whatever I want whenever I want it without having to stop and think about the cost. As I have said many times before, I blame Star Class for this attitude. Just another reason to NEVER sail Star Class unless you want to be ruined for the rest of your [cruise] life.

Not really Ultimate Dining Package related, still it is something I haven't seen before. Know I have already mentioned the late night hot items from Cafe Promenade. Nice thing is some of the items do change daily. Items from Day 3 Items for Day 4 Closer view of the Meatball Panini from last night/this morning (Day 4).

I agree with AshleyDillo. The beverage package allows you to try drinks you wouldn't normally order or knew existed without the fear of "am I wasting money on a drink I may not like?" I have to start my morning everyday with an iced coffee, so between that and all the bottled water I drank along with 4ish cocktails per day I calculated that I at least broke even if not saved some money. I love the peace of mind it provides in that I don't spend my entire vacation calculating how much I'm charging to my bill. Between it and the unlimited dining package, it's the closest you can get to an all inclusive experience. I'm pretty good at budgeting my money and I spend a significant amount of time stressing over it. I don't want to do that on vacation, so these packages allow me to not worry about it and relax.

Or you could just go with the YOLO mentality and keep your booking and add in the GC! Been there, done that. @Matt will vouch that I kept saying I could not in any way go on the Anthem GC since I had already booked SY before the AN one was announced. The cruises are two weeks apart. Well, guess what I am doing this July...?

Wonder when I'm going to get the letter banning me from Playmakers... Lunch today was the Poke Nachos, Buffalo Chicken Crunch Roll, and new to the tasting field the Chicken Tenders. Figured having the Buffalo Chicken Crunch Roll again I'd take the opportunity to do a closer photo inspection. Next up for the photo shoot, the Chicken Tenders. Getting a bit more up close and personal... Took a bite and was surprised how they packed more of a seasoning kick than expected. So I sampled another one to get a better idea. Just as I thought, must have been seasoned and then have the cornflake breading applied. To round things off, gave the sundae a shot. Being a bit full at this point it was requested to have a few scoops less of ice cream. That white cup in the middle goes all the way to the bottom.

If you use that drink package enough you can convince yourself it's the same thing!

Especially when you factor in Specialty Coffee and Bottled Water (of which we drink a ton of) --- hitting the profit margin really isn't that difficult.

It really depends on how much you would typically drink if you were buying the drinks individually. Would you have that fancy coffee or fresh squeezed OJ over what is offered for free (regular coffee and OJ from concentrate) if you had to pay for it individually? I know I personally take advantage of trying lots of drinks when I get the package, but I know if I didn't have it I would be a lot more careful with what I ordered at a cost. It does make it easier to know that if you don't like a drink it wasn't a waste. Plus you can pick up bottles of water at any bar which are handy to take off the ship for excursions and for hydrating. When you purchase the drink package it should disclose if you are paying the gratuity or not. In the US, it's 18% added to the total cost of the package. Some choose to tip on top of that as you can sometimes get better or faster service from a bartender. The ship crew work really hard, so I don't mind giving an extra tip where it is deserved. As for extra advice, if you're going to do the drink package it is cheaper to buy it through the cruise planner than it will be when you get on the ship.

Activities Manager Katy did the show, not CD Mike. She's good. Show was definitely fun and entertainment staff has a ton of energy.

I knew you would come in with that comment ?

I think Skypad was an activity solution for ships other then Oasis Class due to space restrictions. Skypad offered the most value with less real estate. Just my opinion.

It is our opinion that 270 (on Anthem) is, by far, the best RCL venue we have seen (not as many cruises or different ships as some of you). That is followed by the Imperial Lounge on Adventure. The counterpart here on Symphony is called On Air. We are not fans of this venue. Comparatively, it is too small and awkwardly designed. So far, this is actually our only disappointment, so all is good, no, all is great. ______________________________________________ Another favorite spot of ours, Schooner Bar, is better designed on Adventure, but here on Symphony it is next to the casino so no smell of smoke.

Same! March 2020 for us!

I think the entirety of the Oasis Class is perfection in its current form. Adding $168m in upgrades to an already amazing ship can only be a huge win for everyone!

Yeah - there's this thing call vacation time and money ? (oh, and my other half ... sshhh)

yeah a bit much, i might rather get the drink package and play mini golf.?

Same, On-Air is my least favorite venue as well. Looks like it could double as a kids lounge.

Based on that graphic, is the Escape Room replacing the Card Room? No big loss there.

We recently completed a 6 day cruise and did not buy the drink package. Generally we have purchased it in the past. Both my wife and I are not heavy drinkers during the day but usually have a couple of glasses of wine at dinner and cocktails during the shows. I was upset when RCL changed to requiring everyone in your room get the drink package, unless you get the exception, as my wife may only have one or 2 drinks. My thought was we had some OBC and we would use that to offset our drink cost during the cruise. With that as background I would say going forward we agreed we will purchase the drink package. We both agreed not having the drink package added to our stress, which is the last thing you want to do on a great vacation like this. As mentioned in the other post individual drink cost can add up quickly with the gratuity added in. Also we found we were making choices of do you really want that drink before the show or not? Or do I want to go to the spa since I've already spent some money for a couple of drinks today. We enjoy the little things like picking up a couple of bottles of water as you leave the ship for your excursion or letting the bartender make you one of their favorite drinks. I would recommend just adding the drink package into your estimated cost upfront as you choose your choice of cruises.

The only other thing you might consider is the cruise itself, how long and how many port days will you have? The relationship is that if you are in port and not on the ship then it will be tough to break even that day. If one of your days is Coco Cay or Labadee then the drink package works for those stops. I personally would still get it for the convenience, but that is a personal preference of mine.

I've had this occur to me, and bottom line is not to worry at all. I recently went on Navigator without a set sail pass because it would not print. Absolutely not a problem at all.

The Embassy Suites by Hilton Fort Lauderdale 17th Street is highly recommended. Park at Port Everglades for the convenience factor.

In short, it is very possible to break even on the Deluxe Beverage Package. It just depends on you to drink enough every day of the cruise.

We figured if we have a mimosa or Bloody Mary in the morning, a couple of drinks poolside during the day and a couple of glasses of wine at dinner we break even. Then you have the bottled water, special coffee, soda etc.

When you purchase the drink package .. it should say something like $52.00 per day plus gratuity.. so the final price should reflect it. The drinks on the cruise ship usually cost around $8-13 per drink.. depends what you get.. we usually always purchase the package .. we like to have a few drinks during the day.. and at night.., and in the long run it saves us money.

After some more analysis of the current On-Air I can visualize a 180 spin. What had been throwing me off was the DJ booth where an exit route to the embarkation deck for the lifeboats. Looking and visualizing a hallway behind or to the side of the DJ booth would work. In fact the rendering almost gives that view.

Some how managed to make it over to 150 Central Park for a 6:30 dinner seating. Just a warning I was a bit on the lazy side on the photo front and forgot to take some. Started off the infamous Parker House style rolls. Topped with granulated garlic and I think a truffle butter. Yup, forgot to take a picture until they were half way pulled a part. For an appetizer it was the Beet Salad, Braised Short Rib, and Pan Honey-Glazed Scallops. Sorry, no pictures were taken. For entrees it was the Lobster Thermidor and Pan Seared Halibut. Dessert time Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart Fried Cheesecake

We're not going to take it any more! Your drink package that is....

Pacman invasion!

I have yet to sail on Anthem or Harmony, but i have to believe the novelty of the bionic bar wears off after day 2 of the cruise. To see the Champagne bar, one of the few venues that actually has bar talent instead of drink slingers, replaced is not a good move for the customers in my opinion.

Tonight is the 80's show on the promenade. We staked out our seats in the Schooner Bar overlooking the stage and the Rising Tide Bar.

Using standby I've never had to wait any more than until the next ride begins. Timing is everything but I've gone for several rides, just about every day it's been offered.

MDR night 4 menu

UGH

Grand Marnier soufflé My absolute favorite dessert on the whole ship. Sorry, Sweety. Even better than red velvet cake !

Pop up #3!!...sooooo much personality...he could be a CD..

I am on that first post-AMP sailing, so I'm excited to see what changes are going to be made! I won't have sailed her pre-AMP, but I will have been on the other three Oasis class ships to have some frame of comparison. Playmakers and BBQ being added..super glad I got the UDP for this cruise too!! ?

Hi, I'm from Spain. I'll try to answer all your questions: Tips are not mandatory but welcome. 1.- Guides: about 5€ per party (can be more or even less). Bus driver: It's not usual to do it, but you can if you think he/she deserves it. Maybe 1€ or 2€ máx per person. 2.- Same as bus driver. In this case, if he/she had been specially nice with you, or you have any matter that makes his/her job harder, so it's common to give some €. 3.- There is not a % settled, but if the service was good, you should tip at restaurants and bars. 10% would be a good number Excuse my english.

After speaking with RC about Perfect Day, while they would not talk of what's next, it does seem that the success of CocoCay has increased the drive to get the other islands (including Labadee) moving perhaps faster than before. That was my take on what I was hearing.

That's what I was thinking. That or a waiting room of some kind. Doesn't look like a nice place to sit and an relax anyway

January 2021 for us, 2BR ATS.

I have sailed on Anthem. He will be fine. 1. The bumper cars are free. At the back of the sea plex is the hot dog stand. He might like that. They also have Johnny Rockets on the pool deck. 2. The arcade costs money, but you can buy it on your cruise planner, usually 20% off compared to buying on board. The arcade is expensive 3. On the pool deck ( I believe Port side) is this huge giraffe. I want to say 15 feet tall If memory serves me it is on the port side by the bow. 4. If you go into the Solarium close to the starboard side there is a door. If you go out there it is a little bridge that juts out. Great view. 5. I can't recall exactly the directions, but up on the WJ level there is a small clear floor where you can look all the way down the ship to the Esplanade.@7 floors. If you are doing a suite, Coastal Kitchen is on the same level as WJ. 6. For the sail away I would suggest you go to the helipad. You will go under the Verrazano @20 mins after leaving the dock. Anthem only clears it by about 30 feet. The helipad is lower than the pool deck. However, because of that it is not as crowded as the pool deck. Due to being so close to clearing the bridge everybody goes up on the pool deck and it is very crowded, in some spots it is shoulder to shoulder. 7. Do NOT go to see The Gift. Trust me, as an adult it is hard enough to follow, and to me the volume was really loud. We Will Rock You, is a great show if he likes Queen. They have an upper tier and it is still a great area. Hint: stay until after the cast takes their final bow. 8. The WJ is great on Anthem. It has an outside eating area, which equates to not having to search for a table. 9.. The Bionic Bar is something he might find cool. For most people it is a 1 and done, check the box, but he might find it entertaining to watch it for a few mins. 10. We always do Starboard balcony Bow on deck 12. It is a haul from the elevators, but it is a cool balcony room because from your balcony you can see the bridge clearly. So close you can watch them drink their coffee and they will waive to you if they see you watching them. He may enjoy this. 11. Anthem has 3 pools. The one in the middle is enclosed, just like the Solarium. Unless it is a bad weather day, it is not as crowded as the outdoor pool, easier to navigate. Plus, it is right next to the Solarium bistro which is open for lunch and very few passengers ever go there. It has a nice selection, not WJ size, but still you won't go hungry. 12. They typically will play a movie at 7 for the younger age groups on the pool deck. It is rarely crowded compared to what you will see in the middle of the day. You might want to tie in your dinner reservations to coincide with being able to do this. 13. I can't recall if NorthStar is handicap accessible, but if it is, make sure as soon as possible you book the earliest time. NorthStar doesn't always go up. If the wind is too high than it won't. Reserving it for later on the cruise may mean you will never get to go up. If you do early, and it doesn't go that day, you can always book as standby later on. 14. The 270 is a great place to have lunch. Like the Solarium Bistro the selection is small, but there is where you will find the famous Kummelwreck. It basically is soup, salad and sandwiches. However, the cool thing is the 270 is all about the view. It is floor to ceiling windows. This is where the acrobatic show occurs. If you time it right you will see them practice the show without music as you eat your lunch. We ate lunch there @ noon, and they were practicing. We stayed for an hr just watching it. Luckily we did, bc our reservations for the show was night 4 and the water was so rocky, that they canceled the show that night, and the next night too. 15. We did traditional dining in the MDR. They have multiple MDRs. They are separated into My Time and traditional seatings. IOWS, My time will go the MDR that only does My Time. Traditional only goes to the one that does traditional. We requested a table by the windows. The table behind us had someone in a wheelchair and they had window seating too. Ask your TA to request a window seating. I want to say the early seating was @5:30. We did late and I know that was 8. We loved the MDR. Food was not only great, but the service was spectacular. I think in part was due to the fact we ate there every night, so the staff really got to know us. IE, my cousin can only eat fish due to a medical reason, after day 2 since they knew this they would offer him off the menu items. We were a group of 10, when we sat down they repeated the drinks we ordered the night prior and asked if we wanted them again that night. We also like traditional because we feel that MTD always has larger crowds. Traditional dining never feels packed, but it also might be because we are dining at 8. 16. Anthem is like most hotels now. You need to place a key card inside the room to operate the AC and lights. You can override it by placing something like a loyalty card from your grocery store (credit card size) in the slot, at least that is what we did. The AC will not operate in a balcony room if the sliding door is open, even if you have the key in that slot. 17. If any of you have back issues and cannot sleep on a hard bed, find your cabin attendant on day 1. Ask for a mattress topper or maybe 2 depending how soft you want it to be. You want to do it on day 1, because by day 2 many that had a poor nights sleep are now asking for toppers for night 2. 18. I can't recall, and maybe somebody here can answer, regarding the HDMI hook up on Anthem. Some ships you can connect, some you can't because of how the tv is connected to the wall....in essence unable to get behind to the HDMI outlet. Since he likes games, packing a PS4 and a few games will not take up a lot of room. 19. Spend the $$$ and get at least the refreshment package (@$20 pp). We normally get the Deluxe (alcohol), but I believe the 20 pkg includes the same things, minus alcohol. The souvenir cup of course, but you also get unlimited water bottles, fresh squeezed OJ, and milk shakes at Johnny Rockets (JR) without having to eat there. The ice cream machine is on the pool deck (starboard) and it is hit or miss. Plus, the line is usually long. JR is on the same deck, but on the port side. The freestyle machines not only have soda, and flavorings to add, but also Powerade, MinuteMaid juices and Dasani flavored water. In the WJ they have a Seattle's Best where you can get your specialty coffee. We typically will always go to the bar and ask for a bottle of water. We take them back to the cabin and place it in the mini fridge. We than take the ones we have accrued with us on our port days. Saves us money. 20. If he is a people watcher... go and hang out at Sorrentos. They have tables that are on the Esplanade. I am not a fan of the pizza, but I do like the area, so does my hubby, especially since it is right next to the pub/bar where they have tvs showing whatever sport is playing. We stay away from that area when they do what I call the sidewalk sale. This is when they place tables out filled with shirts, watches, etc. It is just too crowded. This area is also where they sell popcorn. 21. Check your daily compass for the Belly Flop. It gets crowded, so you will want to be early to get a good view if this appeals to you. Finally, checking in at Cape Liberty is fast and efficient. They have a multi level parking garage attached to the port. By the time you park your car and walk onto the ship, it has always been around 20 mins for us. The real problem is getting to the parking your car. 1. NJTPKE can have traffic issues just like MD @ Baltimore or DC. Plan accordingly. We live in No VA (4 hr car ride) we always drive up the day prior. 2. The design of how you drop off luggage is poor impo. It is a bottle neck and it can take 30 mins from the start where you come up to the port to when you drop off your luggage. 3. When you debark at the end of your cruise, you can pay for a porter at the terminal. They will take your luggage to your car for you once you pick it up from the luggage area. It is not necessarily faster, but this way you can go and get your car, drive it to the street level, while your wife and son go at their pace and the porter brings the luggage behind them. Like embarkation, I want to say it took us 20 mins from the time we walked off until we were pulling out of the parking garage. Sorry for the novella, but I hope it helps and that your wife will now be really excited seeing all of the amazing things that Anthem has to offer. I bet she might be so thrilled that she will want to book again on Anthem, but the next time to NE since you stated you usually go to the mountains. Or maybe even try out the Oasis when she is there for a few short months in the summer of 2020.

I am hungry now...

We have done this route 3 times in the past. Fly in a day ahead. Stayed at the Hyatt Regency inside MCO. The next morning, we would take the cruise line transfer from MCO (baggage claim area). Next December, we will be cruising HM out of Port Canaveral but this time with our family of 14. The cruise line transfer is not going to be worth it this time around. Currently looking a Cortran's shuttle service and many here have reported good things about it.