Skigoofy

Riddle time:
What has four letters, occasionally has twelve, always has six but never has five? 

Day 4 – Nassau
The first two days of the cruise didn’t go by fast but now that we were stopping in ports the days started to fly by!
Usually when we do this route, we do Cococay first, so it was unusual for us to do Nassau first and not get in there until 1PM.  Four of us planned to do the Aquarium at Nassau tour through Royal Caribbean.  My husband and I have done this tour a few times but since we were with a few who had never been we thought it would be fun for them. 
Yen met us on Deck 4 at 1:15 and escorted us off the ship and to the front of the line where wristbands were being handed out on the pier.  We waited for a little while and then they had everyone with tours walk to the end of the pier.  As I mentioned, we have done this before but the amount of people doing some sort of excursion was insane.  The lines and the standing was so long and it was warm (thus the resulting V neck t-shirt sunburn I had).  We all regretted saying that we didn’t need water when Yen asked us!
We finally got on the shuttles and off we went to Atlantis.  Out of all of times that we have done this same tour, this was by far the worst.  The headphones weren’t working at first and usually, this tour brings you through the aquarium, around the outside of the grounds and then through the shark tunnel.  After she walked us around the aquarium and near the pools the tour ended which was not what we were used to.  We wanted to still see the shark tunnel, the baby turtle area and walk around still.  Unfortunately, the shark tunnel was closed (it looked like there was some water leaking from the tank and it was closed).  We did get to see the baby turtles and everyone said that was the highlight of the day. 
This first picture is of the tunnel the floating tube water park ride takes you through – I would love to do that sometime:
 
 
 
 

 

 
We got back to the ship around 5 and had dinner at Jaime’s Italian with all 10 of us.  Once again, all of our drinks were waiting for us at our table.  The waiter brought us all of the appetizers for the table (two meat planks, Garlic Prawns, Arancini, Garlic bread, Bruschetta, etc.) We each ordered our own dinners and then we got a dessert plank with everything from the menu.  Talk about food coma!!  I don’t think I have ever eaten that much in my life!  I am terrible at taking pictures at dinner but I can attest, the lamb chops and lasagna were both amazing!!
Headed down to the casino after dinner to see my favorite bartenders and play some slots and Let it Ride.  No big wins but we always have fun!  We already earned Prime for the year so we didn’t need anymore points but we still gambled for fun.

Okay...so here starts the good part....Embarkation Day!!!  
Day 1 - Embarkation Day (YEAH!!!)
I couldn’t believe over a year of planning was here!!  Of course, we were very worried about the Coronavirus with everything going on around the world but nothing was stopping me from getting on this ship.  Royal sent an email to us indicating all passengers would be checked for symptoms so that eased my mind a bit. 
Yen had sent us a photo of Zone 6 and where to go as well as a contact person who will take our bags from us to bring them directly to our room.  We had heard so many people say to make sure that the porters did not take your bags unless it was the star class porter. 
We got to the terminal around 10:30, pulled up to Zone 6, and the porter that was there confirmed he would take us and our bags through security and directly to our room.  He loaded our bags, we waited for my husband to park the car and went into the terminal.  After a short temperature check before security (due to Coronavirus), we went through security and went to the suite check-in to the right where Yen was there waiting for us!  We showed our passports and Yen took us to the front of the line.  We had to wait about 5 minutes before they opened the doors to start boarding a little before 11.  Once we were allowed to board, Yen took us up a separate gangway with no lines and brought us on the ship….so far so good!
Once on the ship, Yen toured the ship with us (we have been on Anthem 8 other times but it was our cousin’s first).  Because Yen had to meet the other 7 people in our party she left us to explore on our own (and get an adult beverage) and she set up a plan to meet us at noon at Vintages and bring all of us up to our suite.  When we got to the suite, our lunch was waiting for us (sorry it is blurry...I promise I only had 2 drinks by this time):

 
Room 10324
All I can say is WOW! The living room was huge, storage was plentiful, both bathrooms were great and aft balcony phenomenal.  I tried to get most of the pictures I could of the room before we made it messy!!
 

 

Master Bathroom Shower


 

Our bar was set up with everything we asked for and Yen had our suite attendants (Brian and Lucky) bring in a cooler full of ice so we could keep our beers ice cold (the refrigerator was not big enough for the amount of drinking we did!!).  We had asked for Corona Light and Yen specifically had some brought to the pier before we left NJ since it isn’t sold on the ship.  She also didn’t have any Budweiser stocked in one of the rooms and 10 minutes later, 6 beers showed up chilled on ice – service was amazing throughout the cruise.
We also got a bottle of champagne that was a perfect way to toast the beginning of this amazing cruise.

 
 

As I mentioned, the other rooms booked were 10724 and 10320.  Although 10320 had 3 balconies, the living room was significantly smaller and didn’t have as nice of a layout (sorry I didn't get pictures to show the comparison).  I also heard complaining about the noise from the suites on Deck 8 but rumor has it they may be installing soundproofing above 270 to keep those suites quieter after dry dock.
We did sail away on the Suite Sundeck and loved being up that high to sail under the Verrazano Bridge.

 
Yen met us at 4PM to go over the schedule she had sent us and provided us with an updated one.  She changed our iFly reservations for the first sea day as she explained it sometimes gets cancelled later in the cruise due to bad weather in the winter months.  She also scheduled more than one session of bumper cars and moved our North Star for us to our Day at Cococay. We also indicated that we would like limited interruptions during the day as we wanted to enjoy hanging out on the balcony and not constantly getting up to answer the door.  Yen did a great job of this which we appreciated very much!
 

 
For dinner we ate at Coastal Kitchen as it was Filet night and it did not disappoint.  Most of us ordered the Filet and people also raved about the pasta with sausage.  That was the only dinner we ate there since we mostly chose Chops, Jaime’s or room service from one of those restaurants throughout the cruise. Sorry I didn't get any food "porn" pictures but I can assure you, everything was amazing!
Of course, we got a towel animal from Brian and Lucky who were absolutely the best suite attendants.

@WAAAYTOOO Yen was so sweet.  She is quiet at times but she did anything we asked of her and she was always smiling.  She was upset she couldn't fly home but her contract doesn't end until July.  Because of the 30 cancellation of cruises plus the 2 1/2 weeks of dry dock for Anthem she won't have any passengers for all of that time and if the transatlantic doesn't happen it will be even longer.  She was hoping to try out some of the activities on the ship and get some time to relax.
 

I have been reading all of the live blogs others are doing of their Star Class cruise and thought about attempting one, however, I didn’t want to be constantly on my phone blogging about the day’s events or answering questions so mine is going to be an “after the fact” blog!  I am certainly not witty and it likely won’t be as funny or entertaining as others but hope to provide some information for anyone else looking for it.  I will space the posts out so if people have specific questions I can answer them along the way.  I am also currently going through all of my photos so future posts will hopefully have less content and more pictures!
Booking
We booked this cruise over a year ago.  We always try to book early to secure a location we wanted and my SIL asked if we wanted to try Star class this trip since we are celebrating big anniversaries.  The prices of the rooms weren’t that bad on Anthem compared to some of the other ships sailing in March.  We booked and then sometime over the summer, my BIL’s parents and nieces decided to join us and they snagged the last Star Class suite on Deck 10. My Husband, his cousin and myself stayed in GLS 10324, my SIL, BIL and niece were in GLS 10724 and my BIL’s parents and their 2 grand kids were in GLS 10720.
Prior to the Cruise
About a month out we received the generic questionnaire about any special requests, who we would be cruising with and some other random questions.  We were sailing with 10 of us in total in 3 Grand Loft Suites on Deck 10 and requested that we have the same Genie.  We also requested what we wanted stocked in our room for drinks and snacks.
A little over two weeks before the cruise, our Genie, Yen Lee reached out to us introducing herself.  From what I have read about Yen, she will make anything we want happen but we shouldn’t expect any real surprises.  That was completely fine with me because I am not one who likes surprises….I used to open my Christmas presents before Christmas and re-wrap them all again! 
We provided her a spreadsheet of where we wanted reservations for dinner for 4 of the nights and a list of what other things we wanted to do (iFly, Flow Rider, Cupcake Decorating, Rock Climbing, Galley/Bridge/Theater tours, North Star, etc.).  We also asked that the two cabanas we had booked at Chill Island on Cococay be next to one another in the front row (specifically Cabana #4 and #5).  After some back and forth emails between Yen, my SIL and myself, we got a final schedule around 5 days out with everything we wanted scheduled.  She indicated she appreciated the spreadsheet as it made it easier for her to make our final schedule for the week. 
This is what she sent to us:

One thing we had really wanted was to have a lunch set up in one of the suites on embarkation day to avoid all of the crowds.  We know we could have eaten at Coastal Kitchen or any of the specialty restaurants but wanted something in our room. Within 24 hours Yen replied with menus we could order off of (Jaime’s and Chops) along with letting us know we could also order pizza.  I have heard a lot of people were told they couldn’t set up lunch in the room on embarkation day but because we were her only suites, I think it made it easier for her to accommodate us. 

Day 1 photos:







                                                                                              
 

You should take a photo of Indy in the background, and La Bamba restaurant in the foreground.  Post it here, and listen for a faint wail coming from Canada....

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM OASIS OF THE SEAS!
 
 

Bye Mariner!
 

WELLL........ IT'S TIME TO TURN SOUR GRAPES INTO FINE WINE!!!!
As we all know we have all been restricted to our respective countries and regions! We are blessed to be very close to an amazing area just outside of Okanagon Falls in BEAUTIFUL British Columbia.............
Cruise Cancelled ---- Check
Airfare Cancelled--- Check future travel voucher issued ... Maybe Cabo in October???
Hotels Cancelled--- Check
 
AIR BNB booked!!!! Check check and check!!! So excited for this vacation to happen we leave same day Mar 21, 2020 to Kaleden, BC
I have decided if it's not breaking any rules here I will blog this trip ........
Here is our place we are staying 🙂 and the "big" boys practicing FINE WINE!!!
 

Well.....it’s the last night blues but we making the most of it and continuing the fun. Amazing what a difference a week has made while gone but that hasn’t dampened an ounce of the fun. 
 
COCOCAY WAS AN ABSOLUTE BLAST AND YES I AM SHOUTING!!😂🤩😂🤣🤪
All 14 had the best time. We hung around Chill Island. Are multiple times at Snack Shack and yes the shack Crisp chicken sandwich is as advertised.  From the cookies to the funnel cakes, I was impressed. The kids did Thrill Waterpark. I never made it over there since I was chilling on the beach (pun intended) and went to the big big big pool and hung around the Dj (music was lit, as the young people would say, I think). Folks were ha omg a blast. We did the tram around the island that was good to see.  It is an engineering marvel what they have done to make this island the best cruise island in the Caribbean. Never been to Labadee but Coca is the champion for sure. After getting back on the ship checked out the sail away and another show of HIRO. The kids did open ice skating and after the show I played a little basketball on the court. We ate at Windjammer, it was good. Tonight my last cigar and bourbon deck 15 and relaxing. May see if I have any luck at the casino. I included a few pics From throughout the day. 

At.Thomas was good today. Got off the ship and took a Taxi to Meghan’s Bay Beach. Taxi was $10 a person one way. There were five ships in port today. Two including Symphony on one side and three other on the other side. 
The beach today was PACKED! They ran out of chairs and we got there around 10:30 am. If you are going to that beach I suggest getting there real early to ensure chairs, etc. if you want to rent those. The beach is absolutely beautiful and deserves  the publicity it receives. It was $10 back to the port with a couple of picture stops and an hour stop shopping downtown. I was excited to find a bottle of Blanton’s bourbon today. For Bourbon drinkers it’s a very difficult find. Back at the ship ate wings at Playmakers and the kids zip-lined, Ultimate Abyss and the Arcade. 
Tonight, we eat Chops. Look forward to it. 

Wonderland!  We went to Wonderland for dinner with the kids last night. It was interesting. I should have done a little more research into Wonderland. Let me first say it’s beautiful inside and a very unique experience. Experience being the key term. If you are going to Wonderland to be full from the food you may want to go to Windjammer afterwards. Very pretty looking food and presentation but we didn’t think the food was that great. I had the short rib which was amazing but half of the 14 in my group went to Playmakers for wings afterwards. Also the kids “Burger and Fries” are not your normal burger and fries to say the least. Again, the experience was good and unique but don’t have to do it again. 
The Smoke Ring from the bar at Wonderland was maybe the best old fashioned I have ever had. It’s Smokey with Four Roses single barrel (my favorite bourbon outside of Blanton’s).  The kicker being the Happy Hour from 5-u they have 2 for $15 on drinks that are normally $13 a piece (wifey and I didn’t get the drink package). 
Afterwards we went to Playmakers to hang out. Wifey and I went to deck 15 and had a cigar together for that quality one on one time away from the group 20 minutes at the Casino playing Blackjack and turned in early for us around 11:30. 
I included a few pics from our balcony at night on our way to Saint Thomas. 
We docked there this am next to a Viking cruise ship and ate breakfast in the Solarium Bistro. Most in my group think the Bistro is the best for breakfast. Plan on going to Meaghan’s Bay this am.  

Today was a pretty fun day. After trying to shower and discovering our shower was broken and no one came to fix it. We went out to try and meet up with the cruise critic meet and greet if it wasn't too late. Got to meet some nice people that were still there when we got there. After that we for some lunch in the MDR (mainly because of my allergies but also because its sooo good). I got the Caeser Salad with grilled chicken to start, the beef strip loin for my main and the berry crapes with custard for my desert (it was amazing). Sandra got the roasted burundi over rice for her starter, enchiladas for her main and she also got the crapes for desert. 
  
      
Once we finished lunch we went to the casino to see how much credit we had waiting for us on our cards for the slot machine. Spoiler it wasn't much lol. I ended up with $4 and Sandra had $2 lol. We were done within minutes lol. After that we headed to the newly added laser tag in Studio B (side note the stage that was here was removed and the photo center moved into its place).



After I killed it in laser tag (I was KUMA in our game) we went to watch a presentation on Alaska (We are planning Alaska for our next cruise but still trying to make a game plan) and hoped to win some free stuff (we didn't). We came back to our cabin to do some work and get ready for formal night (bad news shower was still broken, thankfully our room attendant who was frustrated with the plumbers found a temporary solution). Formal night was saved. For dinner I had ordered last night to ensure I got some good desert. I had the pumpkin soup to start, for my main I actually ordered 2, lemon-butter baked cod and roast beef tenderloin. For desert I had the Royal Cheesecake. Sandra also had the pumpkin soup to start, she had the roast beef tenderloin for her main and the grand marnier soufflé for desert.
         
   
To end the night we went to see Freedoms new show called Marquee (although someone said they had seen this before but not when we were on last). It is a fun musical with a wide range of styles. After that I went to the adult comedy show by Louis Johnson. He was a blast for sure.


   
   

We plan to hit the local Mexican and BBQ restaurants and there is talk of finally building the LEGO Death Star.  I'll be watching videos of 1740. 😄

Next cruise is July, this blog will continue in August. It’s going to be an awesome summer!

It has been a crazy few days. Lots of back and forth between go and don’t go. Ultimately, a few things sealed the deal for us.
Never were we worried about the virus on the ship. I am still of the mindset that the ship is likely one of the cleanest places at the moment. Quarantine on the ship was also an afterthought, because how bad could it be in the ATS?  
What really made us re-think over the last few days was the possibility of being further quarantined in Trenton (military base). That is where they are taking all the Canadians on the Princess ships. That does not sound like a great time.
Yesterday, Delta also waived change fees for all travel this month, and Royal revised their “Cruise with Confidence” policy in that we would get back our FCC that we redeemed for this sailing. So really, we would lose nothing by not going. It was beginning to get harder to justify going.
The ultimate deal breaker is that Plan B, was better than Plan A. This blog is officially, “To be continued...” in 166 days.  
We are sad, but at the same, for the hockey people out there, we feel like we just won the Stanley Cup of cruising!  

When one door closes, another one opens. 😉

Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I have not uploaded on this blog recently. The cruise was so packed with activities and we were kind of overwhelmed (in a good way) After the cruise was finished I was very busy. From now on I will try to upload in chunks. Overall I was very pleased with Royal Caribbean and would definitely sail with them again.
Thank you so much for understanding! 😊👍

On a ship as I write this.  
The media is rarely kind to the cruise industry and they haven't deviated in this situation.  As someone who isn't in a high risk category I've researched the facts and avoid the news or media as a data source.  Everyone needs to make an informed decision based on facts, not the collective hype driven by the media.
Enjoying my cruise, no regerts.  🙂    

Thank you to all of you for your kind words.  It seems in the TA world every year or two there is something that comes around such as this that shows people why they might not want to book direct - - the hold on the phone line or busy signal!  HAHA    While we are busy, it is you the client that we do this for because we love it.  Because many of us at MEI have been doing this for so long, we have lots of experience at holding on the phone, placing holds for new bookings online, chatting with another agent in the agency to either vent (so we don't toss the computer or phone out the window) , and we can order a pizza for dinner because we assume we will be on the phone til after dinner!  🤣🤣🤣
 

UPDATE: Still planning to go!
Pinged our TA yesterday to ask about keeping an eye on canceling folks to see if we could wrangle a free or cheap upgrade as they were out of balconies by the time we booked.
One of the men with the group sent an email out asking if we should go ahead and cancel as a group and I think every wife in the group shut that down immediately.
At this point in time he appears to the be the only one worried about going. The rest of us are still planning and now that my big event I had to put on is over, I can start thinking about packing!
Luggage tags are printed out.
We have booked our excursion through the TA. As we are in Bermuda for three days, the excursion is on day 2 in the middle so no worries about missing the ship.
Our excursion is being put together by the TA who also happens to be a member of our group and is going to be a LONG all day one and includes:
History of Dock Yard and Attractions
17th Century home and evolution of the unique Bermuda Home construction
Somerset Bridge - the smallest drawbridge in the world
The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Vista
Tour along the beautiful South Shore (beach and ocean views)
Horseshoe Bay Vista
Botanical Gardens and the official home of the Premier of Bermuda
Tuckers Town and Glimpse of the home of New York’s Mayor Bloomberg
The Crystal Caves
The town of St. George - a UNESCO World Heritage site & Bermuda’s Capital for 200 yrs
While in St George Collect a few pieces of colored, weather worn glass at GLASS BEACH
17th century reenactment (Mon through Thurs) - participants in period costumes
Lunch Bermuda Style
Tour along the North Shore
View the Governor’s mansion
Driving tour of the City of Hamilton - current capital since 1815
Driving tour of Harbour Road - view of Hamilton from across the Harbour
Scenic route back to Dock Yard
 

I know everyone loves food so I thought my next post would be of our Day 1 dinner.
To start with we had Caeser salad (no photo since everyone knows what that looks like lol). For my main I had the Slow Roaster Prime Rib was supposed to come with potato croquette, but they ended up giving me a baked potato because of my allergies. For desert I just had berries as nothing was safe for me to eat :(. Sandra also had a Caeser salad for the starter. For a main she had the Southern Fried Chicken. She also had the berries as she had some sweets in the Windjammer.
         
I also got you guys some photos of the Windjammer dinner options.
















Hope you enjoyed 🙂

Hey Guys,
I haven't been on in awhile but wanted to give you guys some peeks into Freedom since this is its first cruise after being amped. For those on Periscope I have been doing some posting there too. But there are somethings I know you guys love that cant be easily put on there.
Yesterday was a good day. When we got on they gave everyone a glass of bubbles (If you were lucky you could also get more :)).

Since the ship had been in port for a few days it was available right away. We were also able to board right away. Sadly, the rooms weren't updated and ours had a leak in the shower. Some changes are subtle and some are huge.

        


(More ship photos to come or check out my scopes)
After touring for the morning ended up at Lime and Coconut for a Lava Flow.

After that they had some free shots in the promenade so I had to get in on that. Little sample shots, but hey, they are free lol.
Then we just pretty much relaxed, explored a little and went to dinner (Food photos will be in my next post). 
Not too much was going on as it was raining out. The coolest part of the balloon drop was when the new addition of a platform that comes down from the ceiling. (Will need to find a good way to post the video)
For a ship that was practically sold out online, it is very empty. Super easy to find spots in the windjammer, not many lines, dinner was also pretty empty.
















After that we pretty much just relaxed and toured the trip until dinner time. (Food post to follow)
Everything has been pretty nice. Many of the staff do seem brand new though but are fighting their way through it pretty well. The ship does feel empty though since it was sold out online prior to sailing. Many people have been saying their bids were won around the minimum. It was super easy to get a table at dinner time, the MDR was empty except for window seats. I think a lot of people didn't make it due to the virus. (Not gonna stop me though lol).
I did forget to get some photos while I was scoping yesterday so will try to get those to post. I also need to find a good way to post the video of the balloon drop I took because they added a cool feature where the cruise director is on a platform that dropped from the ceiling (don't remember that from before).
Let me know if there is anything you guys really want to see and I will try and get it.

This morning had MDR breakfast, two choices main dining or buffet on deck 3. It was fine. Afterwards toured the ship. I’m that guy that likes to find places that folks don’t talk too much about or notice. 
I found the Vitality Cafe Today and the smoothies were fresh and great. The biggest takeaway is their mini blueberry muffins were incredible. Very good have to be made from scratch. Went by the gym and then walked down to the walking track on deck. There are o OU three ways to get on the track since the winds are extremely high. Two at the AFT by the aqua theatre and the third via the gym. Additionally there is shuffle board and ping pong table and the chairs give at the back of deck 5 provide great views. 
Went by the Card room and just did a lot of walking. Will give a second try for El Loco fresh for lunch. I’ve attached few pics. 
I also attached a few pics to show what the inside of the lifeboats look like on Symphony  as a crew member Was inspecting one