BrianB

Anthem of the Seas…first sailing in the US…from Port Liberty, Bayonne NJ. This is a six night cruise to Florida and the Bahamas. Due to the cruise being short one day (she just came across the pond from the UK) we will visit Port Canaveral and CocoCay. We are sailing with 1740 passengers on a ship which usually holds 4800 double occupancy.

It seems every port has different processes…usually based on the layout of the building and how they manage the flow of passengers. Also, there are some ports where the workers ‘in charge’ on that day are knowledgeable, experienced and good at keeping control…while communicating clearly how boarding is proceeding. Then there are those who have difficulty managing the process and it results in a confusing mass of passengers trying to get information on what to do. I’ve experienced both. Hopefully, as time goes on, they are able to work out the kinks and have a consistent boarding process. I like the assigned arrival time boarding because it seems to alleviate a lot of the confusion…especially when the early birds try to push past and get turned away. If that happened more often, I think it would help educate those who don’t pay attention to arrival times because, to be fair, they were never really enforced in the past. Royal has been good communicating the need to comply with the time. I’m sitting here now at home waiting to leave for Bayonne for my boarding time of 12:30. So far today, I have received two notifications on my cell phone reminding me of my arrival time. Soon…..

The good thing about cruising from Bayonne in winter/early spring is being on the Anthem. The Solarium is completely enclosed in glass and heated. The large indoor family pool is also enclosed. There’s a lot to do in the SeaPlex and Two70…and on the Esplanade. Anthem is perfect for cold-weather sail-outs. As far as outdoor temperatures…usually it takes a day and a half, once we get around Cape Hattaras into the Gulf Stream where temperatures warm up. I usually pack enough cold weather clothing for boarding day and disembarkation day. I’ll pack a sweater or plan on layers if I want to go on deck while it’s still cool on the second or next to last day. March weather in Jersey can be fickle. Sometimes ‘in like a lion, out like a lamb’ becomes ‘it’s freakin coooold’ all month. Plan accordingly.

I agree there is no right or wrong answer here…it’s personal preference. My preference is to tip everybody. Heck, if I could find the lady whose voice tells me what floor the elevator is stopping on, I’d tip her. Seriously…I know many, if not all, crew members have spent the last year and a half struggling to support themselves and their families. I believe this is the time to be as reasonably generous as I can to show my appreciation and I’m happy to be able to do so. Where many of them come from, every little bit goes a very long way. I missed my cruise vacations…but they missed their salaries. Just my opinion.

I know this thread is probably going to get ‘administratively shut down’, but I’ll also put in my two cents. I can’t understand people who not only stop in the middle of a crowded hallway, or promenade, or sundeck (cruise related!) but then, they spread their wings! You know, the ones who put their palms on their hips with their elbows extended outwards. You know who you are!

No direct experience…maybe someone who has can comment…but, I would recommend emailing RC and include a copy of the paperwork. If they respond it is acceptable, print the response and bring it with you.

I’m the type that prefers to eat alone when I travel solo…I think it’s because I like to eat at my own pace and would rather not engage in conversation while dining. But, that’s just me. Also….with what’s going on now, I’d rather play it safe. I saw a story of a couple who were seated with others for dinner and someone in the other group ended up testing positive the next day. The couple were quarantined in their cabin because they were considered ‘close contacts’ as they spent more than fifteen minutes at the same table…even though they subsequently tested negative and weren’t part of the other person’s traveling party. Maybe I’m a little overly cautious, but I’ll do whatever I can reasonably do to mitigate my chances of getting placed into lockdown. But again…that’s me.

I think the health questionnaire and the vaccination card uploading on the app are still works in progress. Sometimes I can access the health questionnaire and submit it without a problem…but most times, either I can’t access it or it won’t let me submit it. I usually end up answering the questions at the port. No problem, takes less than a minute. Also, some check-ins ask for a photo of the card…some don’t. Remember…….even if you successfully upload a photo of the vaccination card, you must still present the physical card at the port!…where they take a photo of it.

On the Oasis, Dennis has been very visible. At most shows in Studio B and virtually all in the theater, he has been there usually at the end to say a few words and then to dismiss us by sections in order to physically distance. He introduces the headliners in the theater and does his own little stand-up routine on the first and last nights. He hosted the disco party in Studio B and had some pretty cool dance moves. I have seen him walking the promenade…maybe not as frequently in the past, but he still interacts. Sometimes I see the hotel officers walking around, but they seem to be checking on their operation more than interacting. The Captain and officers did the informational captain's corner presentation with Dennis…and the C&A loyalty event at the AquaTheater. But, then they exited stage left and didn’t mingle. Hopefully, as time goes on, things keep improving and we can get back to where we were pre-pandemic…one safe step at a time.

@ShepI keep checking the pricing on my cruises to see if there is a drop that I can take advantage of by re-booking. It’s great that Royal allows us to do that. I always book the cruise and the cabin that I want to make sure I lock it in. Sometimes, the price goes up afterward and ends up staying high, but I got it at the lower price…good for me. Sometimes the price will drop as the date gets closer because they want to entice more bookings, so I re-book…good for me! Sometimes individual cabin categories will drop in price, like Junior Suites or above. So, what may have been a way too high price now becomes doable. So I’ll upgrade and lock in the suite that I want…great for me!! Finally, if I think the price for an upgrade is too high, I’ll put in a bid. Remember, it’s twice the amount of your bid (double occupancy)…even for solos. But then it’s important to keep monitoring the pricing as the sail date gets closer…because after you bid, the price may drop to where you feel comfortable paying a little more than your bid and just upgrading to a particular cabin. If you win the bid…you don’t get to choose your cabin. It is assigned and there is no changing. Many cruisers don’t have the time to keep checking prices so they use a good travel agent. They can do the legwork for you and keep an eye on price fluctuations. Whatever you do…good luck!

I just received my notification that my RoyalUp bid was accepted for the Anthem on Monday…in three days. My boarding pass and luggage tags have been changed to reflect the new cabin. Yay!

Not all Keys are equal. Different ships and different ports have their own way of doing things. A lot of that is based on what’s the best way to handle the amount of passengers going through the specific structure to get them aboard as efficiently as possible. My Key description for Bayonne on the Anthem is a dedicated entryway…but I still must arrive at my assigned time. I know some other ports have the early arrival option and I hope as cruising progresses back to normal things will get better. Fingers crossed!

I heard the price was supposed to increase to $30 a day on Oct 15… I just got off the Oasis after a back to back and paid $350. So….$25 a day. I boarded on Oct 17. Maybe the increase has been delayed?

@YOLOI received these emails twice for my last two cruises on the Oasis. I think it’s just a glitch because it concerns traveling from the UK. I drive to the port from my home in New Jersey and found it entirely too inconvenient to drive to Bayonne via the UK…too much traffic. I ignored the emails. If you need confirmation, you can call your travel agent or Royal directly.

@NancyL2648 Check to make sure…but I believe final payment dates have been changed to 30 days prior to your cruise. So your final payment date should be the end of Dec… Even if you paid in full already, you should still get a refund to your credit card.

Just curious…has anyone received their Royal Caribbean Blog crystal blocks from @Mattas they’ve accumulated comment points? Just wanna be sure mine aren’t lost in the mail.

In my opinion…One of the best customer service perks allowed by Royal is the ability to make a Cruise Planner Purchase and then change it, cancel it, or re-purchase it at a lower price. So many times I have locked in a purchase to make sure I had what I really wanted…and then later re-booked it at a lower price. Apparently the price drops if there isn’t much demand (simple Econ) and Royal allows me to take advantage of the new price. Or if I decide another item became more affordable, I can cancel what I already purchased for a quick refund to my credit card…and make the new purchase. Very user friendly.

$79 is a great price! Doesn’t go much lower than that. Enjoy it! …when you board the ship, call Chops, or stop by, and make your reservation for the Beach Club restaurant. For all of my Oasis cruises, the Chops desk makes the reservations. Enjoy the appetizer box and the Filet Mignon and Lobster!

Check your points!! I cruised a b2b in Sept and I'm finishing a b2b tomorrow on the Oasis. All were solo and in suites. Each time my points posted, they were wrong. I waited to see if the Sept points would self-correct (sometimes that happens)...but, no. I had to call C&A each time and explain to the agent that I qualified for 42 points each week. He/she readily agreed and put me on hold while they checked with a supervisor...usually a 15-20 minute period. When they returned the points had been corrected. The points posted for the last cruise are wrong again. Oh, well...back to the phone when we get back to Port Liberty tomorrow. **Update…called C&A and points were corrected. The agent explained the system is not recognizing the combined single and suite points when the double bonus is added. The supervisor told him the techs are working on it.

Probably built an igloo.. or a bungalow...or maybe a split ranch by now.

I really liked the MDR on the Anthem pre-covid, but I didn't go there on my last cruises on the Oasis since the re-start. Mostly because I was in suites and went to the CK when I wasn't doing specialty dining. My problem with the MDR now is that MyTime dining starts at 6:45 and I like to eat early. I understand it's due to physical distancing in the dining rooms and they have to accommodate the set time dining first. Hopefully, as time goes on, things get back to normal and MyTime allows earlier dining.

Love the CK on Oasis. Also love 150 (caesar, veal medallions...fried cheesecake balls). I think all of the specialty restaurants aboard are great and CK is one of the best! Primarily because their menu is so diversified. It has specials which change daily along with the regular offerings. As mentioned above...go on the app and you can scroll through the daily menus. And I agree...I REALLY love the smoked tomato soup! Especially how they pour the hot broth over the tomatoes!

True! I've done it many times. Even though I believe the agent has the wrong information, I always give them the benefit of the doubt and accept that they truly believe they are telling me the right thing. Always courteous. Usually it's something they are told by a supervisor after they put me on hold for a while (could they PLEASE change the recorded commercials!!). Then I call back. Usually successfully! Like the old saying goes..."If at first you don't succeed, call again!"

Agreed. I paid off my cruise two weeks early and then the price dropped before the final payment due date. When I re-booked it, the difference came back as a refund to my credit card.

I always submit one request form per reservation. Even on b2bs. I email the forms together as attachments along with one copy of my current brokerage statement. So far, no problem.