BrianB

During this week on the Anthem…they changed over from crew-served coffee in the Cafe Promenade. Now it’s back to self serve. I believe the soda machines are also back to self serve (at least the one in Cafe Promenade is). Same with the water and ice dispensers and the ice tea and lemonade.

I think they changed the policy. This is today in Nassau and it's the port's sign, not a ship's. However I didn't venture into any stores to check.

Yes, I’m on the Anthem now with the Key. No more room service or dining discount. I saw the Key sign at the terminal entrance on boarding day but it wasn’t needed as there was no line when I arrived and we were just waved in. I didn’t see a dedicated Key check-in kiosk, also because there were no lines and no waiting. They do have Key times for the Flow Rider and the Rock Wall but that’s all. Not Northstar or iFly. Carry on drop off and delivery was fine…and Chops lunch in the MDR was great. Served from noon to 1:30. Priority entrance to the entertainment venues doesn’t happen. The letter says arrive 45 minutes before showtime for early admission but the door open 45 minutes early and they admit anyone with a reservation. Suites also has the early admission perk listed but…no. First come, first entry. WiFi is for one device, but you can switch back and forth between as many devices as you want…just one can be online at a time. I haven’t been to any port that used tenders. Finally, I don’t know about priority walk-off like the Key had pre-pandemic…but the breakfast and choice departure are back. Much better than the grab-and-go bag. I know things change from ship to ship and port to port but this is just the Anthem out of Bayonne. Also, as time goes on things will change. For instance, on this cruise…they removed the ‘reserved for physical distancing’ covers from the second row seats in the Royal Theater. And more self serve features are back…such as coffee service in Cafe Promenade. Let’s hope we keep moving forward with #TheRoyalComeback!

As the title of your post includes ‘sacrilegious’….here’s my contribution. Whenever the servers try to do me a favor and offer me lobster…I disappoint them because I don’t like lobster. They all always seem so surprised that anyone could not like lobster. I always end up explaining…No, I’m not allergic…I just never got a taste for it. But, I always thank them for their offer and then usually something else appears. Usually something of a dessert variety. That!…I won’t turn down. That would really be ‘sacrilegious’!

Love Johnny Rockets for lunch. But the challenge with JRs on the Anthem is it’s not enclosed, and sailing from New York harbor in winter is a bit….shall I say, brisk…on the days in and out of port. The counter people and the chef all wear heavy coats and scarves. So I get my order to go. I want my JRs!

Don’t worry. From my experience, it won’t be too late. I always get the dining package and never had a problem, even on my post-pandemic cruises. They only allow up to a certain number to pre-book specialty restaurants online. There will be availability when you board, but don’t delay…as soon as you board go to any restaurant host desk and make all your reservations for all restaurants. Including, if you have it, CocoCay Beach Club restaurant for lunch. You may need to be more flexible if you’re looking to book a larger party. Also, that first reservation that they make for you is just a placeholder which you can change.

I just went now and checked for my Dec 12 cruise on Anthem…. All 12 excursions are available for Puerto Rico. Except Zip Line and Accessible Tour are sold out.

Ditto! The servers at the casual dining areas such as Cafe Promenade and other places deal with volume and are mostly counter people or bussing tables. The food you’re getting is mostly already paid for with your cruise fare so you’re not spending more for the meal or snack. However…for me…on Royal, there’s always one or more crew members there who go far above and beyond and really extend themselves. Their friendliness, cheerfulness and welcoming attitude is very much appreciated and I’ll give them a cash tip. It’s totally up to you…they’re not expecting it and are always pleasantly surprised by the gesture. Enjoy your cruise!

So far for me sailing from Bayonne…..(things change from ship to ship and port to port)… Reservable shows will only allow you to reserve them once during your voyage as they want everyone to have an opportunity. Especially with seats and rows closed off for ‘physical distancing’. As a side note; the Anthem has just started opening up more seats. They removed the reserved covers from the second row seats in the lower level of the theater. As soon as you get to the port and connect with the internet on the ship, even prior to boarding, you can make reservations…if they open them up, that is. Sometimes they haven’t been available to reserve until early afternoon. Also, you can view the safety video while in the terminal…as long as you’re connected to the ship’s WiFi.

Yep! There’s that constant balancing of feeding your addiction versus paying for it. Gotta do what ya gotta do!

Maybe not a suite related comment…but regarding boarding issues….. There are always things that can delay boarding which may cause a back-up at the terminal. In October, I was on a back to back on the Oasis where we had to stand in a line in the customs/luggage hall for over an hour because US Public Health did a surprise inspection. They want the ship empty of passengers when they inspect. That caused a backlog in the terminal. Pre-pandemic, we’ve had boardings delayed because of surprise Coast Guard inspections. We watched as all the crew, wearing life jackets, had to man their evacuation stations. That took a few hours. I’ve also experienced a delayed boarding because a couple partied too hardy on the last night and wouldn’t wake up to answer their phone or their door. Eventually security had to go in and wake them…and then wait while they packed…before they could get a zero count. Thanks a lot. And of course there are the usual late arrival issues when the ship is delayed due to weather, current or emergency situations. Bottom line…I always pack a hefty dose of patience for boarding day.

Priority boarding procedures are not the same at every port. At Port Liberty in Bayonne…the only suite priority since the re-start has been Star Class suites. Everyone else (except Key) got on a single line. Sometimes there were workers giving instructions, but mostly it was a bit chaotic and confusing. Other times, there was no line and we just walked right in to the terminal. For this trip I purchased the Key and was looking forward to finding the Key signage and immediately entering the terminal by 11:30am. This is part of the Key program to take advantage of the carry-on drop off perk and the Chops lunch which is served between noon and 1:30pm. When I arrived, there was no line so I just walked in and was aboard in less than 20 minutes.

I’ve found that the best way for me to take advantage of lower Cruise Planner prices is to book the lower price first. Then…if I’m satisfied and all worked out well…I’ll cancel my first purchase. I learned (by reading other posters comments…thank you very much!) about cancelling something like a CocoCay Beach Club reservation to get a lower price…only to find that there are no more slots available…and the one cancelled has already been taken. Also, as mentioned above, all purchases have the total amount listed prior to finalizing the sale. I did notice some beach club listed prices were the final price…and some added tax to the listed price. Strange…but still a bargain so I booked them. Again, prior to cancelling the reservation that I had locked in earlier at a higher price.

On the Anthem…the free room service and 25% dining discount no longer appears as a benefit. That’s too bad as I was depending on that instead of MyTime dining, which still starts at 6:45pm…too late for me. But Chops lunch is back in the MDR and it was delicious as usual. Also, the early Royal Theater access sounds good, but I have yet to see that in place. In fact, on all of my Oasis and Anthem cruises since the restart…there has been no early access to the theater for anyone; Key or suites…even though that’s listed as a perk for both. Anybody outside the theater when the doors open (usually 45 minutes early) are welcomed…as long as they have a reservation. The only priority service for the shows is that provided to Star guests by their Genies, which is the reserved seating.

I agree the menu at 150 is meh………but I do like the Veal Medallions. I’ll go once just for that meal…as they are always done exactly as I ordered and are delicious. And of course the servers, or should I say the ‘culinary guides’ are excellent…as is the ambiance. Plus the cheesecake balls with Nutella are delicious. But I choose 150 only for that meal.

I just checked CVS online…for central Jersey, also….still showing two weeks of appointments.

There's no way to know how many actually sail until sail away. I usually wait until after dinner on day 1 to get the 'final count'.

Oh, well…the 150% solo discount is much better than the Shareholder credit.

Great post…lots of good information for those who travel with family groups. Especially being port-specific to Bayonne. Glad you guys had a great, fun cruise. Thanks for posting this!

Lots of advantages to the ship’s excursions vs lots of nasty risks with non-ship excursions. I’m glad you’re pleasantly surprised rather than being very upset with an excursion-related issue. Hope your son heals quickly!

I have used CVS multiple times. I book the rapid antigen test (not PCR…I click the antigen) exactly two weeks out from the date I want as they open the schedule for two weeks max. Sometimes I book it right after midnight when the date opens. I’m in central NJ and haven’t had a problem. Yet.Good luck!

Final count for the Anthem Nov 28…2444. Nearly 400 less than last week…more than 200 less than Nov 14.

I was on the Oasis when the Windjammer opened for dinner back in October. During Sept the low passenger count didn’t make sense to open it as most went to the MDRs. Reduced capacity was great as it felt like there was hardly anyone on the ship…but we missed the WJ.

Seems like more windjammers are opening for dinner every week as passenger counts rise. Yes, it is nice to run in and grab a quick meal and get back to the party…and no, it’s not super lame!

…add a pickup truck to that line and you’ll have a great country western hit! Seriously…I wish your husband, and your horse, full and complete recoveries. Many thanks for administering these forums.